Would a Democratic congress ban mail-in-rebates?

[beer]

Seriously, there is so much fraud and deception that I think an FTC ban on them is inevitable. It's a system that has a wide-range of abuses and very little self-regulation. And I'm predicting that the fraud will get worse before it get's better.....without MIR, resellers and retailers would be competing over a cheaper base price. Probably not as cheap as if you had MIRs, but cheaper than what you pay out the door right now (on items that have MIR).

I would be happy to see this. I'm sick of companies flat-out lying to me.

 

[Gnurb]

I'd vote for a ban on it. It's not a big deal to me though, I usually just don't factor it into the price of buying things.

 

[Ronstang]

Where is the fraud? I have done hundreds and hundreds of rebates over the last 3 years and have received every one of the checks that I sent in for. I messed up a few but it was definitely my fault and I bear no grudge. Most problems with MIR are caused by user error and user laziness/ignorance. You must be a Democrat since you seem to think the government should protect you from yourself and your own bad judgement/habits 😉.

 

[Ornery]

• You got it Ronstang!

 

We need LESS legislation, not more.

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: SammySon
We need LESS legislation, not more.

You think so?

Pythagorean theorem: 24 words.
Archimedes' Principle: 67 words.
The 10 Commandments: 179 words.
The Gettysburg address: 286 words.
The Declaration of Independence: 1,300 words
The US Government regulations on the sale of cabbage: 26,911 words.

😀

KK

 

[woodie1]

I think they'd be spending their time deciding how much to raise our taxes. 😉

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: woodie1
I think they'd be spending their time deciding how much to raise our taxes. 😉

Or allowing hunting of endangered species and increasing industrial pollution. Oh wait...

 

[Evadman]

I think somsone should just sue one of the companies that doesn't send out 100% of the valid rebates. I hate resorting to law suits, but they need th get beat down.

 

[woodie1]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: woodie1
I think they'd be spending their time deciding how much to raise our taxes. 😉

Or allowing hunting of endangered species and increasing industrial pollution. Oh wait...

lol...thanks, I needed that.

 

[vegetation]

I'd just like to see some kind of enforcement of rebates, with penalties if they don't pay up the consumer. I once got screwed by a company that specifically wrote a letter back stating they just aren't paying up because they feel they do not need to do so, even though I fulfilled all the requirements and they acknowledged that, they just didn't feel the need to do so.

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: vegetation
I'd just like to see some kind of enforcement of rebates, with penalties if they don't pay up the consumer. I once got screwed by a company that specifically wrote a letter back stating they just aren't paying up because they feel they do not need to do so, even though I fulfilled all the requirements and they acknowledged that, they just didn't feel the need to do so.

Wow!!

Did you keep a copy of that letter?

 

[ClueLis]

Originally posted by: KK

Originally posted by: SammySon
We need LESS legislation, not more.

You think so?

Pythagorean theorem: 24 words.
Archimedes' Principle: 67 words.
The 10 Commandments: 179 words.
The Gettysburg address: 286 words.
The Declaration of Independence: 1,300 words
The US Government regulations on the sale of cabbage: 26,911 words.

😀

KK

Although I would argue that Leviticus and the New Testament are a little bit longer. 😉

Edit: not exactly 26,911 words, but you get the point.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: ClueLis

Originally posted by: KK

Originally posted by: SammySon
We need LESS legislation, not more.

You think so?

Pythagorean theorem: 24 words.
Archimedes' Principle: 67 words.
The 10 Commandments: 179 words.
The Gettysburg address: 286 words.
The Declaration of Independence: 1,300 words
The US Government regulations on the sale of cabbage: 26,911 words.

😀

KK

Although I would argue that Leviticus and the New Testament are a little bit longer. 😉

Edit: not exactly 26,911 words, but you get the point.

Yeah, more words is a bad thing.

The reason the law has so many letters is because it needs to be precise. The 10 commandments say "Thou shalt not kill". You have people saying this means the death penalty is wrong, then you have people saying that doesn't count. Then you have people saying itmeans you shouldn't kill animals. Yeah, that sure proves the effectiveness of simplicity.

 

[Amused]

Yeah, that's all business needs is more regulation.

That'll sure help the economy along, now won't it?

 

[CrazyPerson]

motion to impeach the democratic congress

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: Amused
Yeah, that's all business needs is more regulation.

That'll sure help the economy along, now won't it?

Yes, I'll gladly allow rebate companies to rip me off to help the economy.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: Amused
Yeah, that's all business needs is more regulation.

That'll sure help the economy along, now won't it?

Yes, I'll gladly allow rebate companies to rip me off to help the economy.

Buyer beware.

I never understood why people counted on rebates in the first place. Ask yourself this: Why didn't the company just offer an instant discount or sale? Because it doesn't plan on sending out that money to most of the people that buy their product. Rebates are a scam. It is YOUR responsibility to avoid scams. It is NOT the government's responsibility to babysit consumers. Rebates have largely replaced sale prices and instant discounts as a way to attract customers because people are freakin' stupid, and blindly trust anything they are told. Why do they act this way? Because government continues to erode the concept of personal responsibilty more and more with each passing regulation and restriction.

The law should be short and sweet on this issue: A rebate form is a contract, agreed upon by the company in advance. To not pay is a simple breach of contract. THAT is where it should end.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: woodie1
I think they'd be spending their time deciding how much to raise our taxes. 😉

So they can vote themselves another pay raise!

 

[DT4K]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: Amused
Yeah, that's all business needs is more regulation.

That'll sure help the economy along, now won't it?

Yes, I'll gladly allow rebate companies to rip me off to help the economy.

Buyer beware.

I never understood why people counted on rebates in the first place. Ask yourself this: Why didn't the company just offer an instant discount or sale? Because it doesn't plan on sending out that money to most of the people that buy their product. Rebates are a scam. It is YOUR responsibility to avoid scams. It is NOT the government's responsibility to babysit consumers. Rebates have largely replaced sale prices and instant discounts as a way to attract customers because people are freakin' stupid, and blindly trust anything they are told. Why do they act this way? Because government continues to erode the concept of personal responsibilty more and more with each passing regulation and restriction.

The law should be short and sweet on this issue: A rebate form is a contract, agreed upon by the company in advance. To not pay is a simple breach of contract. THAT is where it should end.

The vast majority do send out the money to people who send in the rebate forms.
The companies do rebates instead of discounts because they can count on the fact that at least half the people will forget to seend the rebate form in.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Shanti

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: Amused
Yeah, that's all business needs is more regulation.

That'll sure help the economy along, now won't it?

Yes, I'll gladly allow rebate companies to rip me off to help the economy.

Buyer beware.

I never understood why people counted on rebates in the first place. Ask yourself this: Why didn't the company just offer an instant discount or sale? Because it doesn't plan on sending out that money to most of the people that buy their product. Rebates are a scam. It is YOUR responsibility to avoid scams. It is NOT the government's responsibility to babysit consumers. Rebates have largely replaced sale prices and instant discounts as a way to attract customers because people are freakin' stupid, and blindly trust anything they are told. Why do they act this way? Because government continues to erode the concept of personal responsibilty more and more with each passing regulation and restriction.

The law should be short and sweet on this issue: A rebate form is a contract, agreed upon by the company in advance. To not pay is a simple breach of contract. THAT is where it should end.

The vast majority do send out the money to people who send in the rebate forms.
The companies do rebates instead of discounts because they can count on the fact that at least half the people will forget to seend the rebate form in.

I didn't say they didn't send out the money to those who send in the forms. I meant that they count on the majority NOT sending in the forms, or doing so incomplete, and thus not having to pay out on the majority of items they sell. It is a way for them to display a lower price, without having to honor it in the majority of transactions.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Shanti

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: Amused
Yeah, that's all business needs is more regulation.

That'll sure help the economy along, now won't it?

Yes, I'll gladly allow rebate companies to rip me off to help the economy.

Buyer beware.

I never understood why people counted on rebates in the first place. Ask yourself this: Why didn't the company just offer an instant discount or sale? Because it doesn't plan on sending out that money to most of the people that buy their product. Rebates are a scam. It is YOUR responsibility to avoid scams. It is NOT the government's responsibility to babysit consumers. Rebates have largely replaced sale prices and instant discounts as a way to attract customers because people are freakin' stupid, and blindly trust anything they are told. Why do they act this way? Because government continues to erode the concept of personal responsibilty more and more with each passing regulation and restriction.

The law should be short and sweet on this issue: A rebate form is a contract, agreed upon by the company in advance. To not pay is a simple breach of contract. THAT is where it should end.

The vast majority do send out the money to people who send in the rebate forms.
The companies do rebates instead of discounts because they can count on the fact that at least half the people will forget to seend the rebate form in.

I didn't say they didn't send out the money to those who send in the forms. I meant that they count on the majority NOT sending in the forms, or doing so incomplete, and thus not having to pay out on the majority of items they sell. It is a way for them to display a lower price, without having to honor it in the majority of transactions.

If you don't mail in the form, that's not a transaction. The problem is companies not honoring mailed in forms. Don't contradict yourself.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Shanti

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: Amused
Yeah, that's all business needs is more regulation.

That'll sure help the economy along, now won't it?

Yes, I'll gladly allow rebate companies to rip me off to help the economy.

Buyer beware.

I never understood why people counted on rebates in the first place. Ask yourself this: Why didn't the company just offer an instant discount or sale? Because it doesn't plan on sending out that money to most of the people that buy their product. Rebates are a scam. It is YOUR responsibility to avoid scams. It is NOT the government's responsibility to babysit consumers. Rebates have largely replaced sale prices and instant discounts as a way to attract customers because people are freakin' stupid, and blindly trust anything they are told. Why do they act this way? Because government continues to erode the concept of personal responsibilty more and more with each passing regulation and restriction.

The law should be short and sweet on this issue: A rebate form is a contract, agreed upon by the company in advance. To not pay is a simple breach of contract. THAT is where it should end.

The vast majority do send out the money to people who send in the rebate forms.
The companies do rebates instead of discounts because they can count on the fact that at least half the people will forget to seend the rebate form in.

I didn't say they didn't send out the money to those who send in the forms. I meant that they count on the majority NOT sending in the forms, or doing so incomplete, and thus not having to pay out on the majority of items they sell. It is a way for them to display a lower price, without having to honor it in the majority of transactions.

If you don't mail in the form, that's not a transaction. The problem is companies not honoring mailed in forms. Don't contradict yourself.

Where have I contradicted myself? Either way, buyer beware. Rebates are NOT sales, but they are dressed up like them.

And the REAL problem is not companies refusing to honor them, as this happens in a minority of cases. The REAL problem is the majority of people not sending them in, yet the company gets to advertise the after rebate price as the sale price. No matter how you look at it, rebates are scams. I NEVER consider a rebate when buying a product.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: woodie1
I think they'd be spending their time deciding how much to raise our taxes. 😉

So they can vote themselves another pay raise!

Everyone knows it goes toward feeding the hungry children. 😉

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: Amused
Yeah, that's all business needs is more regulation.

That'll sure help the economy along, now won't it?

It might help preserve self-sufficiency for the working class people in our society. How long can mega corporations keep taking and taking before there's nothing left and it all collapses? Because it is becoming quite clear to an increasing number of Americans that with less and less oversight, greed is taking over. They're making power grabs left and right. They already control the media to a large degree, largely by the systematic omission of American populist issues.

The growing gap between (increasingly fewer) rich and (increasingly more) poor Americans is becoming obscene. Nothing trickles down. It doesn't happen. To say otherwise is an insult to the collective intelligence of Americans, and it's time for America to say enough is enough!

With that said, I don't think rebates should be outlawed. Not at all. But there should be penalties when a company doesn't honor a rebate in cases where they clearly should. They should also be allowed, say, 21-30 days MAX to honor a rebate from the post mark date.