A Daily Kos diary entry about the economic stimulus tax rebate includes this great little story about one of NewMexiKen’s favorite retailers.
A few years ago I bought a TV from a store which shall remain nameless. (Best Buy) They promised me a $50.00 mail-in rebate on my purchase, need I continue? After filling out the paperwork and waiting the required 6 weeks and guessing the name Rumplestiltskin I began to make phone calls. First they claimed that the date of purchase on the store receipt was illegible, then I hadn’t checked the box on line 27, and all the other hoops that I was required to jump through.
I finally got my rebate after explaining to them that the rebate company and Best Buy were partners in this scam. Best Buy induced me to buy this television with the promise of a rebate and if that rebate was to be denied to me then our contract was void and I would return the now 2-month old TV to Best Buy for a full refund. From then on, whenever I happen to see any product with a mail in rebate, it is immediately disqualified from purchase. I think to myself whenever I see a Best Buy advertisement that they spend millions of advertising dollars trying to lure me into the store but have eternally pissed me off by promising a $50.00 rebate and then trying to worm out of it. Why not eliminate the middleman and just spit on every tenth customer coming through the door?