Not scam as in 'outright fraud', because that's not it, in most cases; scam like a casino, where the odds are greatly stacked against the consumer/player.
* People will forget. Not the company's fault, surely.
* Arcane and complex rebate requirements. Nothing inherently 'wrong' with this, except that they're making it harder to comply, meaning fewer people will comply fully and completely.
* Changing terms and conditions in a misleading fashion, like in this very example of EBGames.
* Farming out the actual rebate return to a third party company, which allows them blame and denialibility, in case the third party company doesn't fulfill their part of the deal.
* Purposefully delaying rebates for so long, certainly in the hopes people will forget about it [I have had rebates take 12 weeks to process. There is no way I can be convinced it took 12 weeks to actually process, and 8 or 9 or those weeks weren't spent in a file or on a desk somewhere.]
Etc.
Again, nothing inherently fraudulent [except for the changing of terms or misleading requirements]; just a 'scam' in that it is stacked against the consumer, and the consumer needs to be very diligent in making sure he gets what he is owed [and yes, if I buy something that meets the requirements, and send everything in as I'm supposed to, I do think I am "owed" whatever the rebate was.]
"Mar 14, 2005 -- FTC gets involved in rebate game
Clark [Howard] is disgusted by retailers that don’t honor their rebate offers. Often times, people buy a product based on a good rebate deal, fill out the paperwork and they never receive their money. The retailer is responsible for those rebates and should pay people the money they deserve. Well, finally the FTC has weighed in on this matter and retailers are now responsible for fulfilling their rebate requests. From now on, if you don’t get a rebate from a retailer, you can take it up with the FTC. Just remember that you’ve sent in everything you are supposed to and you follow the rebate instructions to a tee. There are two pioneers in the rebate industry that others should try to emulate. Costco and Staples have very easy, very responsive rebate programs. Getting a rebate should not require hours of work. So how many people actually redeem rebates? One in four of us do. When the amount crosses the $50 mark, two-thirds of people file. "
"Computers and electronics are the worst [at fulfilling rebates], according to the story. You need to know that there are private companies or “fulfillment houses” that handle the distribution of these rebates. The manufacturers themselves do not handle them. One third-party company, TCA Fulfillment Services, has received a tremendous number of complaints for refusing to distribute rebates. The BBB of New York gave the company an unsatisfactory rating because of the problem. Dell Computer is another company that often uses rebates. The question that comes to mind is why wouldn’t Dell just discount the price, instead of doing rebates. But Dell is hoping people don’t get around to sending their rebate. Dell has information about rebates on its Web site, but the process can be complicated and lengthy, according to people who are still waiting. Remember that rebates should be the icing on the cake. You shouldn’t buy an item because of the rebate. Buy based on the price you will pay and then be glad if you get the rebate. If you are adamant about getting the rebate, be sure to read the terms and conditions before you buy the product so you know how hard it will be."
http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/2003/02/17/