I got my money! Finally after some drama, I recently received my rebate on a Fellowes shredder bought last summer. It took about nine months to get that $90 rebate from Staples. That was easy is the slogan that appears beneath the Staples logo on my purchase receipt. Ha! My rebate experience was anything but easy. I would probably still be waiting for that rebate if an assistant manager at the Staples office supply store on West Alameda Avenue in Burbank had not decided I had been through enough of a run-around and paid up on the spot. Was it worth it? Yes and no.

When I walked into the West Alameda Avenue Staples on Wednesday, April 18, 2007, I was ready to present my case. I had my notes on phone calls to the Staples rebate center, copies of purchase receipts and rebate forms. Assistant Manager Fred Davis patiently listened as I gave a detailed account of my mail-in rebate nightmare.

I bought the shredder, retail price of $299.99, on July 14, 2006. The extensive features and the $90 rebate made this shredder an attractive buy. The mail-in rebate forms were printed up for me right at the store. Carefully, I filled them out, made copies of everything, and then mailed off my rebate request. I forgot about it until around mid-December. Then, I waited until after the holidays to call the Staples rebate center.

On January 9, 2007, a customer service phone representative informed me there was no record of my mail-in rebate request and suggested it may have been lost in the mail. I was instructed to resubmit and the best way would be to fax it to the Staples rebate center. I took down the fax number and went over to the Staples store on West Alameda Avenue to fax my mail-in rebate request. While faxing my forms, the sales associate working at the copy center expressed dismay at how a lot of customers don't bother to collect the rebates they are entitled to. You know, I may have blown this rebate off if it had been five or ten dollars, but not 90 bucks! That amounts to dinner for two at one of my favorites, The Market City Caffe in Burbank, a couple of AMC movie tickets, and some of that over-priced theater popcorn with perhaps some change left over. Oh yeah, I was determined to collect.

The weeks went by and still no rebate check in the mail. I started to suspect I was a victim of the U.S. Postal Service. We have all heard those strange stories or seen media reports of letters and parcels that arrive years after being mailed. I called the Staples rebate center again on March 28, 2007 and spoke to several consumer service representatives who told me basically I was out of luck. There was no record of my faxed rebate request. Also, the promotion closed back in the fall of 2006. After I got a little testy about the matter, a rebate center supervisor told me the only way I could get the rebate now would be to go back to the store where I purchased the shredder. The store assistant manager was told the same thing when he called the rebate center on April 18, 2007.

I asked Davis why was I instructed by the Staples rebate center rep to resubmit back in January if the promotion closed last year? The intrepid assistant manager did not hesitate nor make excuses, but simply said, "That was wrong." I agreed and wondered out loud if these rebates were real or some sort of scam. Davis insisted they were legit. He described buying several Staples products as Christmas gifts and getting his rebates "without a problem" online. I guess the look on my face must have said something like, "Whoopee! Let's give a shout-out for you. Now, what about my money?"

Davis quickly explained that the normal procedure would involve more paperwork and the check being mailed to me. However, since I had been "jerked around"(my term) by the Staples rebate center he offered to give me a $90 credit on a credit card. I accepted his offer. The way the numbers worked out, I ended up getting $97.43. Also, Davis made sure to make copies of my documentation so that the store could get reimbursed for that money.

I tucked my credit card receipt away in a safe place and thanked Davis for his efforts. As I was heading for the door, I noticed several orange and white signs touting the store's commitment to good customer service. I had just seen a demonstration and, I admit, I was pleased with how my situation turned out.

As for those mail-in rebates, in the future, I'm going to walk on by any product that offers one. Bargains should be hassle free or close to it. If I have to do battle to get it, that is not a bargain to me. Unless of course, there is major money like five figures or more at stake.

I would like to see mail-in as well as online rebates replaced with instant rebates that consumers would get at the time they purchase a product. It would eliminate the kind of hassle I went through to get my rebate. Also, more consumers would get to pocket the rebates they're eligible for because getting them would be as easy as checking out at the cashier.

Life has a lot of drama connected to important stuff that you can't see coming and you gotta deal with no matter what. Mail-in rebates do not fall into that category. So I rank them as duds --- to be avoided whenever possible.