PLYMOUTH - That flatscreen TV seems a little more reasonable at $100 off. The manufacturer will make good on the good deal just as soon as they receive the rebate forms. In a week, or maybe 12, the check will be in the mail. If it’s not a check, it could be a letter saying you forgot to include the receipt in triplicate, so please try again. Rep. Vinny deMacedo, R-Plymouth, knows the lyrics to the rebate blues, and hopes legislation he recently filed will lead retailers to honor manufacturers’ rebates at the register.

“Too many times consumers are given the run around by the manufacturer on having the proper information for the rebate,” deMacedo said. “This will alleviate any confusion by getting people their money right away.”

A constituent approached deMacedo at his Cedarville gas station and mentioned that just such a bill had been signed into law in Rhode Island.

“I thought it was a good idea to file the legislation and bring the issue up for a debate,” he said. “The rebate process can be very difficult and cumbersome. This is an issue of truth in advertising.”

The bill will not go unopposed. Bill Rennie, a spokesman for the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, said his group opposes such bills and has testified against them in the past.

“This would make the retailer the middle man between the manufacturer and consumer,” Rennie said. “I think it might lead to a reduction or discontinuation of the process all together. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of these rebates. I think the process would be very difficult, if not impossible, for retailers, especially small businesses.”

DeMacedo said those concerns may well be valid, but he reiterated his belief the issue should at least be looked at during the current legislative session.

“As a business owner, I’m sympathetic to the needs of retailers. Discussion of the bill will allow all sides to have their say,” he said. “Maybe we can find some common ground.”

Old Colony Memorial By David R. Smith, CNC Newspapers

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