The assumption behind mail-in rebates

The assumption behind mail-in rebates is that most folks attracted to the with-rebate price will not actually bother going through all the hassle of collecting a mail-in rebate.

Staples with their "easy-rebates" breaks this model. With "easy-rebates" the hassle the customer has to go through to collect a rebate is almost entirely eliminated.

Earlier I had speculated that once manufacturers caught on, the number of rebates you could collect through the Staples program might drop. Guess what......

Staples | SKU Level Online Catalog Page Orange County Register - Daily Ads

Oddly enough, the number of rebates that are available through the Staples program seem to have dimished somewhat.

Anyone surprised???