Keep copies of all receipts and anything mailed. Keep a copy of the advertisement mentioning the rebate. Call the manufacturer if you have not received your rebate in a reasonable amount of time. Go to the store and ask for the 800 number to where the store rebate form was mailed to. Be persistent, the squeaky wheel gets oiled.
Many manufacturers offer rebates on computer hardware and software.
Take advantage of the rebates, don't let someone take advantage of you. Messages have been spread and published about viruses on the Internet. CIAC is the Computer Incident Advisory Capability. It is a computer security incident response team for the US Department of Energy with worldwide implications. By all means, DO NOT send or forward these Internet messages about viruses.