Both CompUSA and Tech Depot are fairly reputable, but I've NEVER seen a rebate that either paid directly. CompUSA, unlike many sellers, does usually offer a "duplicate sales receipt" when there's a rebate involved. Others seem to prefer that you send your original receipt (demanded on most rebate offers) so that they can tell you "no refunds without receipt" if the product turns to shit.

The "mafia type outfit" you found was most likely a "rebate processor." These guys are just hired to do the paper work by some sellers/manufacturers. "Mafia type" is probably an apt description for many of them. I'd suggest contacting CompUSA and Tech Depot directly to voice your complaint, AND the manufacturer or distributer for the product, but I've been that route and it's seldom visibly productive.

A rebate is just a seller's admission that he tried to cheat you worse than he's willing to do now, and that he couldn't find enough d...d fools to buy at his original price. In addition, in most areas, you pay the sales tax on the "full price" so they've set it up for the guv'ner to get in on the cheating.

I haven't seen recent figures, but a few months ago an interview with a major "master (re)bater" produced the statistic that less than 20% of rebates offered were ever paid on items less than $1,000 (US). He confessed that about half those not paid were just because people "forget" or don't bother to send them in, but the rest (isn't that 40% of sales?) are disallowed based on some technicality (Illegible receipt, non-original receipt, "lost in the mail(room)" etc.)

I give my business to the people who do NOT offer rebates where possible; but for computers and software at retail in my area there aren't many choices, since it's the manufacturers who push them. Hard to believe, but CompUSA is about the "only store in town" (pop. about 1.4M for the market area) with a decent selection of "off the shelf" stuff.

John