A reporter in San Jose went dumpster diving behind the processor of rebates for a large well known retailer.  In the process he found they had trashed 1,300 rebate requests.  According to the article, the rebate was only for $3.50, but how many people got the more expensive model just for the rebate?  BTW, $3.50 X 1300 is $4550 that the company did not have to send out in rebates.  While still not much when you look at the big picture, how often does this occur, and how many were more than $3.50?

We don’t offer rebates of any kind in our store.  We might discount an item, but you will never have to wait for the rebate check in the mail.  To me, it is a cheap gimmick employed to get people to buy more expensive stuff than they really need.

Now there is another lesson to be learned here.  Being in the security field (my day job), I like to pick these things out.  Shred everything!  If you don’t want anyone to see it, shred it.  Dumpster Diving is not illegal in most cases.  You could put a bag of money in your trash can and if someone gets it, it’s finder’s keepers.  You never know who might be looking through your trash, and how what they find might hurt you.

Find the full article here: http://consumerist.com/consumer/fry.s/1300-unopened-rebate-applications-found-in-dumpster-297016.php