Consumerist
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annoyances
Are Postcard-Sized Rebate Checks A Conspiracy?
So you've fought the mighty rebaterus and won, prying your hard-won mail-in rebate money from its claws. If your rebate isn't in the form of a prepaid debit card, it's probably a postcard-sized check—cheap to mail, simple, easy. For the rebate fulfillment company. For the consumer depositing checks via ATM as banks cut back on their hours, it's not so simple or easy. More » -
lawsuits
NY AG: Intel Is An Illegal Monopoly That Uses "Bribery And Coercion"
Andrew Cuomo, the Attorney General of New York, has filed a lawsuit against Intel, claiming that the company is an illegal monopoly that engages "in a worldwide, systematic campaign of illegal conduct - revealed in e-mails - in order to maintain its monopoly power and prices in the market for microprocessors." More » -
rebates
HP Refuses To Make Good On $100 Cash Back Promise, Won't Explain Why
David is trying to reach HP executive customer service. He wants to find out why they reversed the $100 cash back offer they'd originally extended through a promotion with Microsoft's new search engine Bing, and why the only reasons they're giving him are either inapplicable or demonstrably false. More » -
that's comcastic
Woman Struggles Through Comcast's Outsourced Rebate Maze
Coaxed by the promise of rebates, Rhea took the Comcast high-speed internet plunge, but found it difficult to get her money, since Comcast had outsourced its rebates to a company called OfferWire. More » -
rebates
Citi Gives Self Permission To Sell Your Personal Info If You Get Prepaid Rebate Card
Greg says he inadvertently authorized Citi to share his personal info because he applied for an online rebate. He writes: More » -
psyche
Sprint Yanks $100 Credit Offer On Palm Pre, Says Oops
Earlier today, Sprint made news by effectively cutting the price of a Palm Pre to $99 for new Sprint customers, after a $100 credit. Now Sprint is saying it was a publishing error and not a valid offer. More » -
the check is in the ... oh, never mind
Florida AG Sues TigerDirect For 'Continually Blaming Customers' For Rebate Delays
Waiting for a rebate from TigerDirect? Good luck with that. In a suit filed last Friday, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum is charging the company with, among other things, promising customers that rebates would arrive in about 8-10 weeks of submission, when in fact "a vast number of customers experienced delays ranging from one to more than eight months, before receiving their promised rebates, if at all." The suit also charges TigerDirect with engaging in "deceptive and unfair trade practices." More » -
cars
Was Your Cash For Clunkers Deal Rejected After Being Approved?
Edmunds.com, the car info website, is asking people who participated in the short-lived Cash for Clunkers program to contact them if something went wrong. Although they can't fix any problems, they're trying to collect data on consumers who are being asked to pay back the government rebate after already being approved, which was forbidden under the rules of the program, so they can present the data to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. More » -
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rebates
Coming Soon - Cash For Clunkers: Home Appliance Edition
Now that it's ending, you thought you were done hearing about the Cash for Clunkers program, didn't you? Not yet. Coming soon will be a state-administered, federally-funded program providing rebates to consumers who buy Energy Star appliances. Check out Consumer Reports for a preview. More » -
cash for clunkers
Using A CARS Rebate? Know Your Rights First
Jim decided to take advantage of the Cash For Clunkers program and trade his Crown Victoria in on something a little more fuel-efficient. Unfortunately, the dealership where he bought the car wasn't quite ready to handle one of the most frightening of all creatures: an informed consumer. They counted on their customers to not fully understand all of the program's rules. More » -
refunds
Adobe Takes Four Months And Counting To Process Refund
Jeff bought a copy of Adobe Creative Suite 4 back in May during a sale promising a $200 discount. The final checkout price didn't reflect the discount, but he double-checked the terms and conditions and confirmed that he was eligible. Adobe agreed, and has repeatedly promised to issue a refund. Jeff has been waiting for the check for almost four months, and he's not alone. Another customer has been waiting on a similar refund for almost a year! More » -
clarifications
Snuggie Addresses Fake "Rebate" Check Story
Allstar Products, the company that makes Snuggies, sent out a clarification today regarding that weird $8.25 check that some customers were receiving in the mail. As far as they're concerned, it was a small promo and they were upfront about everything—the check "is not a rebate, nor was it ever represented as a rebate." More » -
Today, Chrysler rolled out a new incentive plan that offers rebates of up to $4,500 on most new 2009 models, targeted at drivers contemplating trading in an older model under the government's "cash for clunkers" program. So, how do Chrysler's "Double Cash for Your Old Car" incentives add up? Well, basically... Deals = good. Cars = Bad. [Consumer Reports]
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rebates
Shortchanged By Verizon's Rebate Card
Late last year Verizon started replacing its rebate checks with Visa debit cards. You use them as you would debit cards, only without having to tap in a PIN. Long story short — after using one of these cards I'm convinced they're part of a scam meant to let Verizon and/or Visa skim pennies off the tops of rebates owed to customers because once there's only chump change left on your card, you can apparently no longer use it. More » -
rebates
Recent Kindle Purchaser? Ask About The Rebate
Jeff wrote in to say he requested and received a $60 rebate on his new Kindle purchase from Amazon yesterday.
More »Received my new Kindle today, same day I heard about their price drop to $299. Obviously I wanted to see if I could get some cash back. Did their customer callback and got a call as soon as I hit OK. CSR said the shipping cutoff for a partial refund was July 8th and that they'd be crediting me $60 in 2-3 days.
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scams
Warning: Read The Fine Print Before Cashing An Unexpected Rebate Check
Jessica Doyle reports that a scammy company is tricking Snuggie owners, among others, into signing up for its service by sending out fake rebate checks for $8.25:
More »At first, it looks like a rebate check, but read the fine print. It says if you endorse and cash the check, you are signing up for a marketing service called "Great Fun." Then, your credit card will be charged $149.99. That subscription will renew annually unless you cancel it with Great Fun.
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rebates
CRTV Seeks Rebate Haters And Masters
Are you sick of playing rebate games OR are you a rebate master who has a great system for making sure you get your rebate? Consumer Reports TV is looking to talk to people in the NY, CT, PA area to interview on-camera for an upcoming segment. Interested? Email interview@consumerist.com with your name, general location, phone number, 2 sentences about your story, and a good time to be reached. (Photo: Brandie!) -
cars
In The Market For A New Vehicle? Here Are The Details Of The New CARS Credit Program
Next month, the government will start handing out credits of $3,500 or $4,500 to owners who trade in low-mpg cars for higher efficiency models under the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), popularly called the "Cash for Clunkers" program. Here are the basic things you need to know to determine whether it's worth it to you—and how to protect yourself from scammers. More »
rebates
New York, 8:05 PM
Sat Nov 14
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