And the rebate plan where they hope that you do not mail it in ...or it gets lost.
They get the float on the interest free loan, too.
True. The office supply retailers were hooked on the rebates like crack for a long time - then realized that their purported target market (businesses) were avoiding the products and stores in favor of Internet retailers especially for big-ticket items (PCs, etc.). They tried to soft-pedal it, but many of the rebates are gone from Staples et al. Of course, Best Buy is aimed at the mass market (read: mouth-breathing idiots) so of course the rebates stay at BB.