Excessive is definately a tough word to toss around on a website with dozens of individuals with thousands of figures!
If Hasbro wanted to put a limit on them, they sure could have as they have in the past (5 per household or whatever).
At least with the mail away, it's not leaving anyone in the cold like army building at retail. I don't blame anyone that does it, because we all have our desires for what our collection looks like. I was a big army builder for a long time, but that takes figures off the shelves for others (and is nearly impossible in an age of 1 figure per case, sometimes in only one assortment).
I haven't heard of anyone not getting a Fett, or getting one of the dreaded "unavailble" post cards that have been part of some mail-aways.
With the mail away, all anyone had to do was send in the $7 and some cardboard. I wish they would make more army builders available that way- Rebel fleet trooper, gamorrean, imperial commander, good stormtroopers, etc.