Today I was filling out a mail-in rebate for my brand new cell phone I just bought... for .. calling.. people, and the entire time I was doing that I was thinking, I can't mess anything up. I wouldn't want them to screw me over.

It was then I realized that U.S. consumers as a whole have really let things slide. Big companies (like phone companies, credit companies, insurance companies) take advantage of consumers. They don't care about individual consumers. Their tactic is simply to make their product the only one you can buy, whether you like it or not.

Why have we become so apathetic that we actually accept these big buisness practices as normal. Why do we actually agree to work with the phone company that changes our rates without telling us just to make an extra $50 for a few months until we cancel, switch to sprint, and do it all over again? Why do we actually fill out the rebate form going, "gee I hope they don't screw me over" like a victim of big buisness?

People don't like to hang around people who steal, people who lie, and people who cheat. They're not fun, and they take advantage of you. Why do we freely and gladly give these guys a vacuum and our bank accounts and then just kinda hope they don't do too much damage? Are we that stupid? Are we that mindless?

I would like to say that 1 or 2 people leaving a phone company isn't going to do much, and they probably still need the phone. So they'll probably last a week, and then get back with a company. But we, as the consumer base, control the big buisness. We do have the power to stop consuming certain goods or from certain companies. We could make big buisnesses start treating us with respect like they should.

But no, we're all just too apathetic. We all rather be victims. Victimhood is the lazy man's way. We're all poo.

The rebate I just filled out said in it's terms section that Verizon reserved the right not to send me anything at all for the rebate.. despite my efforts. Legally they're covered, they could do anything they want. For all I know, I'm not going to get any money at all.

Stumble this article.