Bite DiscountsYou enter a retail store with the intention of purchasing a desktop computer. You've compared a lot of purchases and now you're ready to make a final decision. You find yourself back now that you notice that a mail-in discount is part of the equation for each of the computers you're interested in. Disappointed, you decide to buy a computer from the dealer anyway. A few weeks later, you receive a letter in the mail from the discount center containing false and bogus information. You sent copies of everything requested, your UPC code, and submitted the information in a timely manner, but somehow not enough information was provided to the discount center. In a frenzy you make the rounds of the necessary phone calls, sit on hold for the typical, obnoxious wait time, talk to numerous customer representatives and unfortunately end up dissatisfied. After much effort, you find that there is no way to receive your refund check. Immediately, you resent all the discounts. The most common discount offered would be through the mail; hence my explanations, statistics and reasoning as to why I am against discounts. Why would a person initially pay out of pocket with their hard-earned money and then receive it back much later? The whole concept of rebates, especially mail-in refunds, is ridiculous. So, to get the money back, the customer must put in the effort and time to get back the money they once had! Defining the discount in general would be a generalized amount offered by a retailer and/or manufacturer that can be paid to the consumer separately or by credit on a rental agreement. Note the key word “may.” This is not what a consumer wants to see, but in truth it can really apply to any situation. A postal discount is redeemed through the mail, while an online discount via the Internet and an in-store discount simply mean immediate savings by the retailer the moment the item is purchased. Although the discounts seem intriguing, customers who have had unfortunate experiences previously won't hesitate to look elsewhere. In the spirit of “may,” the consumer may automatically associate the discount with the scam. These advertising and marketing techniques might only work for first-time buyers or relatively lucky consumers.