Compact fluorescent demographics?!

So I'm wandering around Home Despot today, looking for likely
parts for a completely unrelated project, and all over the
place there are displays of compact-fluorescent lightbulb
six-packs for really cheap with an "instant rebate". The
catch? Some conglomeration of local power companies, in
conjunction with the EnergyStar organization, wants me to
fill out a bunch of personal info on this stupid coupon to
turn in before I get this rebate of like $6 or so on the
package. Once again, an example of pandering to those who
are willing to sell their privacy for a little perceived gain.
.
Wth are these people thinking?! If they're trying to encourage
purchase and use of efficient light bulbs, the LAST thing
they should be doing is dropping obstacles in the path.
The cashier freely admitted that she didn't care what name
or other info I put on the piece of paper, so I pulled
some nonsense out of my nice person and walked out with the bulbs
for cheap anyways. But on principle, this is idiotic on
the part of the sponsoring organizations. I think it's time
to hunt down the "Energy star" organization, or whoever's
behind this campaign, and rip them a new one.
.
_H*

 

And in all such cases, I try to make the point, on *principle*, that
they have no need to be collecting this information.
.
I just called NStar [the local power company running this campaign
with Home Despot -- I think, I'm still not 100% sure I landed at
the right desk] and the lady at the "energy efficiency" department
totally agreed with my "why are you bothering" concern and said that
she, too, would put down false information if faced with the rebate
forms. But the guy who's really managing this thing wasn't at his
desk, so I left a longish rant about it in his voicejail and said
please discuss it with his secretarial-type who I *was* talking to
about it for clarification, the gist of it all being why bother
trying to collect this stuff -- especially when it's doomed to be
substantially noised-up by people putting down false info [and no,
the HD cashiers don't try to check ID, nor do they really care what
goes on the little pieces of paper] so in essence, when the point is
to get as many CF bulbs out there to replace incandescents, they're
going at it all wrong. Hopefully he'll take it seriously.
.
Info gleaned along the way: EnergyStar is a government agency that
does product evals to "qualify for the energy star logo", they have
nothing to do with this. And the people at HD don't care, saying
"you don't have to put anything down" [which is not what their
front-liners are told, of course], resulting in conflicting interal
"rules" about how it works.
.
I want the cheap lights, and I want to pay cash. Is that so much
to goddamn ask? I won't even get into the Wal-mart-esque issue of
how and where these things are being manufactured, because I'm sure
that's a whole 'nother human-rights can of worms.
.
I like the "Andy Jackson" answer. You could even hold up the 20
and say "see, here's my picture ID."
.
_H*