Online retailers claim they're using technology to make it easier for customers to get rebate checks. But one reader's experience trying to claim a TigerDirect rebate via OnRebate.com made him think the only thing getting easier about rebates is losing your privacy. And it makes me think that instead of talking about the "after rebate" price at sites like TigerDirect, we need to start referring to the "after surrendering your privacy" price.
"I purchased an X2gen 19-inch LCD monitor from Tigerdirect.com recently and found out something very bothersome," the reader wrote. "The monitor came with a $95 rebate from OnRebate.com for an after-rebate price of $199.99. When I went to OnRebate.com to fill out the rebate submission form, I then found out that to be able to claim my rebate that I would have to provide them with the industry I work in and my job function. Nowhere on TigerDirect or OnRebate did it say that you would have to provide that kind of information until you are filling out the rebate form. I am not happy with having to chose between giving out information about myself or claiming money rightfully owed to me."
The TigerDirect rebate offer to which the reader responded ended yesterday, but I checked this morning and it's been replaced by an identical deal that leads to the same OnRebate registration form that the reader saw. Other deals promoted on the TigerDirect home page, such as one for an Acer notebook, also ultimately would require the customer to fill in this form to get the price Tiger trumpets.
Sure enough, as the reader had discovered, the OnRebate form requires choosing from pull-down lists of industry sectors and job functions. And that's just if the customer is claiming the rebate as an individual - if the rebate is being filed for a company, they want even more information such as the size of the organization. And other mandatory information on the form includes name, postal address, e-mail address, and phone number. Why would a phone number be required to claim a rebate, much less information about the customer's job?
OnRebate's prying registration form raised the question of what they plan to do with all the information they collect before they'll hand over a rebate, so I also examined their privacy policy. It's a very interesting document. While at one point it states that OnRebate will "never share your email address, phone number, personal or company information with any unrelated 3rd party," they then turn right around and say that they "may share your name and postal mailing address with a few carefully selected marketing partners."
But what's even more amazing -- and one of the most of the shameless practices I've seen any of these rebate houses overtly adopt -- is that by applying for the rebate you give OnRebate.com the right to spam you:
"By submitting the rebate form to OnRebate.com and acknowledging receipt of the confirmation email you will automatically opt-in and agree to receive email correspondence, newsletters and other correspondence from OnRebate.com. You may subsequently opt-out of the receipt of such email correspondence, newsletters and other correspondence by following the directions in the email. Your opt-out status will not effect your rebate submissions to OnRebate.com; however during this process you will still continue to receive email correspondence from OnRebate.com related to the rebates you have submitted to OnRebate.com."
Oh, so opting out from their spam won't impact the status of your rebate? Right. At least now we know why they want all that personal information including the customer's type of job and industry. It makes for more targeted spam, so they can charge their "newsletter" advertisers more. What a racket.
As for the reader, that $99 rebate was an important factor in his purchasing the product from TigerDirect, so he still hopes to get the check. "I am curious to see if they will deny my rebate," he wrote after putting in as much dummy information in his form as he thought could get away with. "I am somewhat hoping that they will deny it, so that I can make complaints to my state attorney general, since OnRebate's headquarters are here in Florida. I hate asking the government for anything, but I wish they would write a law to ban mail-in rebates. I know there would be a few companies that would find a way to burn us with it, but you have to try. Anyway, Ed, thanks again for your time. Hope you have a great holiday and hope you can get a few good deals without the rebates."
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