I HATE rebates. With a passion.

Yeah, yeah I know this isn't something about Wellington. Or maybe it is. But I am venting on this issue.

In August I had to get a new cell phone and naturally upgraded to the latest version of what I use, a Palm Treo. I was eligible for a $150 rebate since it had been 2 years since I last bought a phone. I also had to upgrade my data package due to the phone I bought and was to receive an addtional rebate of $100 for this.

Well I received one of those cards saying, sorry you aren't eligible due to the post mark. Which was wrong but could not get someone to give me a straight answer from the company.

Being a fool (at times), I bought a new phone for my daughter as promised at the end of her 2 year period. Received a card in the mail stating that this phone was not eligible for a rebate, yet the guy in the store told me it was.

Well, I don't know what it was, but I decided to call.

Guess what, I should have received both rebates.We will get those right out to you, the service rep told me. I had to ask, what timeframe qualifies for getting it out "right away"? You won't believe what he told me ... 6 to 8 weeks. I couldn't control myself and started laughing. You know the laugh you get, that one with the overtones telling the other person this really isn't funny.

Told him that this was not good enough. I had been a customer for almost 10 years and that right now I was more than willing to move to a competitor. Today. Well sir, he replies, since you have been a long time customer, I will manually expedite this and you will have your rebate, again, say it with me, "right away".

Well, not too bad, just two weeks. I can live with that, I guess. We'll see in two weeks.

Rebates should be either "instant" or not at all. It is a sham set up for companies to not have to pay you the rebate ... because you forget to send it in. That is just not fair. Just think how much extra money they don't pay out when you fail, for whatever reason, to qualify for the rebate.

When you buy the item, you pay for it right away, don't you? Then why shouldn't the rebate be right away as well?

Now, as much as I hate to say this, and I really don't want to say it, but legislation should be introduced to protect consumers from the fraud of rebates. Either give them to us right away, or don't offer them. No extra paperwork; no sending it out via mail and no 6 to 8 week wait.

If they can't treat their customers fairly, why should we tolerate it?

OK, stepping off of my soap box and I'm through venting for now.

We'll see if the checks arrive as promised.

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