Here's another example. Companies regularly offer mail-in rebates on products, rather than simply lowering the price for everyone. Why? Because then they can market them at the net after-rebate cost, knowing full well that a substantal percentage of consumers will never bother to send in the rebate, or not provide all the correct documentation, or that some will even get lost in the mail. Overall, they calculate the marketing costs and return on investment and decide to offer the rebate as an incentive based on conisderably less than 100% participation. Same with gift cards. They are counting on all those who will lose or never fully use them.

So if you buy and send in and receive the rebate you are entitled to or use every cent of your gift card, are you unethically taking advantage of the average Joes who don't???