Message board posters gave this columnist more than an earful after his first viewpoint on the CyberRebate debacle. Maybe I came down a little hard on the CyberRebate victims . But then again, maybe not. First, let me say that I certainly wasn't making fun of the people who lost money. In fact, I was trying to put the mistakes made into the larger e-commerce context, to show that we all have fallen victim to the same degree of wishful thinking at some point along the way, and to urge everyone to step back and see the bigger picture.
Nothing is risk free.
And when someone tells you you're going to get something for nothing, after you pay 10 times the face value, the level of critical judgment should shoot through the stratosphere. I had come across their program a while back, and thought it was interesting but nothing more. In fact, I'll bet many more people know the CyberRebate name now than did before this debacle. Second, I am all for the customers getting the money due to them. I also know how frustrating bankruptcy proceedings can be.