Last year between the time we ordered our 2009 Escape and the time of deilvery the rebates had gone up.
My Ford dealer subtracted the higher rebate from the price without me even asking about it.
When I ordered our 2009 F-150 back in December, which I am still waiting for, my dealer wrote up the paperwork with the then current rebate offer, but noted that I would receive the rebate or special offers that are in effect at the time of delivery.
But in the future, if vehicle sales start to really increase, this can also be not so good as rebate offers can be lowered by the manufacturer berfore the time of delivery and the buyer could loose out.