I'm sure everyone has filled out rebates. You've probably also had an experience where you never received your rebate back in the mail. Have you ever put down your PO Box as the address to insure the safest arrival of your rebate check? If you have, you probably never received the rebate at all! All rebate forms specifically note that you cannot use your PO Box as a return address. Why?
Well the only reason that makes sense to me is if the rebate companies are intentionally hoping a certain percentage of the rebates never arrive at their destination and therefore are not cashed. Since they are checks, not money orders, the funds remain in the company's bank account until the check is cashed or deposited. They always put a short expire date (90 days) on the checks, so they know if the check has not cleared after 90 days they can consider that money theirs again. Genius.
Whatever they can do to keep their money!
Small town I grew up in, back in the early 90’s if you had a PO Box you had to use it as your return addy or you wouldn’t get your mail.
I never got my Canon Rebel XT rebate this year. 100.00. I sent it a few days before it’s expiration date, but they said I didn’t. BAH!
I had a laptop rebate for $250 on which I put my PO Box address as the return address. A year later, no money. I’ve lost the copies of the rebate stuff, so I’ve more or less given up hope — unless those rebate papers turn up…