Cash for Appliances Fraud?

April 22 was Earth Day, the day that California began its cash for appliances program, and the day I bought a new refrigerator. It was delivered on April 28, the day I filled out the rebate forms and mailed the forms in, certified.

Today is August 3, and I have not seen my rebate. I have called twice, and each time been told "two more weeks". Immediately after my call last week I was sent a post card saying that my forms were incomplete, lacking a purchase date. Of course the purchase date was on the purchase order to Home Depot. Either no one looked....or maybe they just don't want to pay me the rebate....because when the money runs out, the program is over. Just how long can they delay payment? And is it because the state is collecting interest on that fund? Or is it greed and corruption on a more human level? Or is it simple incompetence?

Surely I was one of the first to submit an application. Are there hundreds of thousands of applications also unpaid? Where is the money?