Mail-In rebates are evil, AVOID THEM!

If I had a choice between an instant $5 off on a product or a mail-in rebate of $20 off on a product I would pick the first one.

Mail-In rebates are a scam in my opinion. First you have to mail in the rebate, UPC, and any other junk, then you have to wait 6-2,343 weeks just to get the thing! And you only have a limited time to do it before it expires! Plus you have to pay for the stamp just to mail the stupid thing! Just give me the instant rebate anyday, I don't care how small it is compared to the mail-in.

An article on MSN puts it best:

"Rebates can often take months to be paid out, and some you might not get back at all. Some manufacturers and rebate-fulfillment houses have a bad track record of paying rebates. Government watchdog agencies are trying to crack down in this area, but there is still some risk involved in buying and expecting to get money back later."