Attorney General Bill McCollum of Florida is taking action against a number of companies that are ripping people off when it comes to advertised rebates.

The difficulty of getting rebates has been a common refrain throughout the years from callers to our show. Very often, it's almost impossible to jump through all the hoops required to get your rebate. And even if you do, sometimes it still won't come to you.

Rebates appeal to people because they make the total purchase price of an item seem cheaper than it actually is.

But Clark's rule of thumb is that the item must be a deal before the rebate in order for you to buy it. A rebate should simply be like icing on an otherwise great piece of cake. Be careful not to overpay in the first place!

Some retailers are getting smarter about rebates. Staples has an online Easy Rebate system that takes all of about a minute to fill out. Costco and BJ's have similar systems.

Best Buy, however, has one-upped everybody by vowing to eliminate all rebates over time. They've already started with laptop computers, offering a cheaper price upfront.

And finally, some drugstores are offering a cousin to the rebate. When you make a purchase, they'll print out a $5 or $10 coupon good for a future store purchase at the bottom of your receipt. This is much preferable to traditional mail-in rebate programs.