Repeat after me: DO NOT THROW THE BOX OUT! I threw out the box that my new Linksys router came in, being an inherently neat person. Now I realize that the only way to get one of the four rebates that came with that product is to remove the MAC address label from the outside of the box and attach it to the rebate form. In the case of all four of the rebates, I have to collect the rebate form, the rebate receipt, and some number or other data, put them in an envelope and mail them somewhere and wait 4-6 weeks to get a check. The rebates are obviously offered on the basis that some percentage, probably small, of all customers will actually go through the painful process of claiming the rebate.
I hate rebates. They are an example of some cold, calculating process that calculates how to make the process of buying so painful that the customer will end up spending more money than they planned on the product. It is Machiavellian and makes me feel worse about the company I do business with. The four rebates I have to file for come from a combination of Linksys and Vonage ($50, $30, $10 and a $25 gift card, for a total value of $115 on a product that cost $129). I have a rebate from Cingular for a new cell phone I bought ($100). I have a rebate from TiVo ($150). I have another rebate somewhere in my stack of paper, so I can get around $400 back. I probably won't do it. I'll feel terrible about myself for not doing it. I'll feel bad about the products I bought and the companies that sell those products. I hate rebates.