Reader Chris writes:

I've noticed that several times, I've received checks from mail-in rebate offers that refuse to scan in the newer check-scanning ATMs that my bank (Bank of America) has deployed, replacing envelope-deposit ATMs, and that I'm sure other large banks have put into service as well.

These are the checks that are mailed outside of envelopes, like postcards - the check is printed along with your mailing address, postage info, etc. Apparently the thickness of the card stock causes the check to get rejected outright by every check-scanning ATM I've tried them on. And if it does make it to the "scan" stage, the ATM then rejects it as unreadable.

Obviously, this means that in order to deposit the rebate check, I now have to visit an actual bank branch - not a big deal for me, but I'm sure that this extra hurdle for enough people that it edges the "uncollected" percentage up a couple points, which is good news for everyone except the customer. While this appears completely coincidental - the postcard-style check is cheaper to mail than a traditional paper check - I can certainly see the rebate processors not rushing to fix this, um, "fringe benefit" of the format.

Probably not a consiracy, but definitely an inconvenience.

(Photo: Gamma-Ray Productions)

From the NY AG's office:

"Rather than compete fairly, Intel used bribery and coercion to maintain a stranglehold on the market," said Attorney General Cuomo. "Intel's actions not only unfairly restricted potential competitors, but also hurt average consumers who were robbed of better products and lower prices. These illegal tactics must stop and competition must be restored to this vital marketplace."

To obtain exclusive agreements, Intel paid hundreds of millions of dollars annually - and in some years billions of dollars - in so-called "rebates" to individual computer makers. These rebates were actually just payoffs with no legitimate business purpose that Intel invented to disguise their anticompetitive nature. Intel also attempted to erase the most obvious traces of its anticompetitive scheme by eliminating crucial but flagrantly objectionable provisions from written agreements or by camouflaging language about illegal guaranteed market shares with terms like "volume targets."

As for how this affects you, the consumer, the AG's office says that "Intel repeatedly pressured computer makers to guarantee it specified market shares of their sales, which prevented computer makers from responding to consumer demand."

The AG's office quotes some internal emails from Dell, HP and Intel in which alleged "anti-trust" activity is discussed. For example this is from an internal e-mail from HP executive in June 2004 after HP defied Intel and launched an AMD product: "Intel has told us that HP's announcement on Opteron [AMD's server chip] has cost them several $B [Billions] and they plan to ‘punish' HP for doing this."

And here's another one in which a HP executive discusses the possible repercussions for using another company's products:
"If you do and we get caught (and we will) the Intel moneys (each month is gone (they would terminate the deal). The risk is too high. Without the money we do not make it financially."

Here's the breakdown of how the AG's office says different computer makers were paid off by Intel to guarantee market share and keep businesses from using their competitor's products:

Dell

* In 2006, Intel paid Dell almost $2 billion in "rebates," and in two quarters of that year, rebate payments exceeded Dell's reported net income
* From 2001 to 2006, Intel granted Dell a privileged position vis-à-vis other computer makers in return for Dell's agreement not to market any products from Advanced Micro Devices ("AMD") (NYSE: AMD), Intel's major competitor
* Intel and Dell collaborated to market microprocessors and servers at prices below cost in order to deprive AMD of strategically important competitive successes

HP

* Intel threatened HP that it would derail development of a server technology on which HP's future business depended if HP promoted products from AMD
* Intel paid HP hundreds of millions of dollars in rebates in return for HP's agreement to cap HP's sales of AMD-based products at 5% of its business desktop PCs
* In 2006, Intel and HP entered into an broader, company-wide agreement to pay HP $925 million to increase Intel's shares of HP's sales at AMD's expense

IBM

* Intel paid IBM $130 million not to launch an AMD-based server product
* Intel threatened to pull funding for joint projects that benefited IBM if IBM marketed AMD-based server products
* Intel pressured IBM to launch another AMD-based server only on an "unbranded" basis

The NYT says that Cuomo's suit is the "first formal antitrust action against Intel by any government agency in the United States in more than a decade."

ATTORNEY GENERAL CUOMO FILES ANTITRUST LAWSUIT AGAINST INTEL CORPORATION, THE WORLD'S LARGEST MAKER OF MICROPROCESSORS [NY AG]
Full Complaint (PDF) [NY AG]
(Photo:hanapbuhay)

Here's his story:

HP and Bing were offering a Bing "Cashback" promotion on October 18th as part of the Windows 7 launch promo. I ordered a HP Mini 311 Netbook for $400, and paid an additional $29 for S&H and $32 for sales tax. A few minutes later I received my notification from HP that my order was received, as well as my notification from Bing that I had Cashback for $100.

My notebook was out for delivery on the 29th of October, and on the same day, I received notice that from Bing that my cashback had been cancelled. Typical reasons for this were that "the order had been cancelled or returned, or you used a coupon or discount", none of which are correct.

I attempted to resolve the issue through Bing via email support (They don't offer any telephone contact information). Bing requested a copy of my receipt at which point I was sure the mixup would be resolved. A day later, they emailed me again stating that the decision to do Cashback rested with the merchant, and HP had denied my cashback. Again, a list of "possible reasons" was given, none of which applied to me, with no specifics are relate to my case.

I contacted HP via text chat to further explore the issue. The representative was unable to assist me, but gave me a number for their Resolutions Department. I called the Resolutions line the next day, and the representative confirmed that he saw no issues with my order, but there was nothing he could do, as he stated he had no way of contacting Bing. He offered me $40 instead of the $100 I was due, which I declined. He said the matter would be "escalated" and someone else would look into it.

Having heard nothing further back, I again tried to contact HP on October 31st. This time the rep changed their story, saying I wasn't eligible because Cashback ended at 10:20AM. HP runs a twitter that confirmed Cashback was still going on at noon, and the link I followed (as well as Microsoft's confirmation email) stated 25%. I also later checked and I had received my confirmation at 10AM, so the point was moot anyways. I stated that I wished to return the order if HP could not resolve the issue, but was told my S&H was not refundable. I also received the same bait-and-switch offer of $40, which I declined.

So in the end, HP and Bing offer a joint promotion, can cancel Cashback with no clear reason, and set up a maze of incompetence to avoid any resolution. It's true that I could just give up, return the laptop, and eat the S&H fee, but I feel that doing so would end up just allowing this type of unethical and/or incompetent behavior to continue. I've been understanding and have tried my best to resolve the issue and make sure the important details are heard, but none of it seems to do any good. Taking a $40 discount at this point is probably my "best option", but it also feels completely sleazy and unethical to be trapped like this.

Is there any advice that Consumerist or its readers can offer?

(Note: I found mention of HP "Executive Support" on consumerist, but it appears they have since locked it down, as you now need to enter a special code before proceeding.)

She blogged about her difficulties in getting the rebate, having to go through a convoluted process, and sent us the link asking for help. She writes:

I ordered high-speed Internet service after putting it off for years (we were able to pick up a neighbor's signal). And as I had always feared, the process has been one enormous hassle after another. First I was told by Comcast that I could install my own service using their handy Self-Installation kit. I spent a few hours with wires, disks, a modem and a router, and no dice. Then I made an appointment to have the Comcast worker come in, and guess what. He told me I could never have installed it myself. There were multiple problems and old wiring and it took him - a very experienced technician - two hours to get the signal!

Then I went online to try to apply for the rebates the original operator promised me. Have you ever done this? It's through a company called OfferWire, which seems like a complete scam. There is no clear way to find the forms you need to fill out for the rebates. They make you register on the site and at every step along the way you are offered all manner of crap that they would like to see you spend your rebate money on. No, I want my cash. Then when I finally did reach the page where I select my rebates, the list of rules and regulations is staggering. This is a complete joke. I am pissed off. Frankly, Comcast accomplished what it had hoped for: I don't have the time or patience to collect the forms and information they demand in order for me to get my rebates, worth about $140. WHO ELSE HERE HAS TRIED TO CLAIM THEIR COMCAST REBATES AND HAS GONE THROUGH THIS?

Does anyone have tips on how to navigate OfferWire to get their Comcast cash?

A Comcast Rant!!! [The Boomer Chronicles]
(Photo: mojojornjorn)

I bought a netbook through an internet-based retailer, and got a mail-in rebate. The rebate was issued in the form of a Citi prepaid card, issued by a company owned by Citi called "e-count". After about 4 months went by the rebate finally arrived, and I opened it and everything looked in order, so I set it aside. Tonight I was going through the papers on my desk and found all the various papers that were enclosed with the card. I was throwing them away, when I noticed a very small form with very small text that said something about privacy. I decided to read it on a whim, and discovered that apparently Citi reserves the right to sell all of your information to the highest bidder WITHOUT your consent, unless you mail them an opt-out form or call a phone number. To be more specific, the section of the form in question says:

"We may disclose personal information about you to the following types of nonaffiliated third parties:

-Financial services providers, such as companies engaged in banking, credit cards, consumer finance, securities, and insurance, and

-Non-financial companies, such as companies engaged in DIRECT MARKETING and the selling of consumer products and services."

So my understanding is that since I got this rebate card, my name is probably on mailing lists for tons of junk mail. Since this thing took 4 months to finally arrive, I'm sure my information has been bought and sold several times by now, so my opting out probably won't mean anything. Plus, it says on the form that there's a 30 day waiting period for your "privacy choices" to become effective, should you choose to opt out, so opting out is probably technically impossible anyhow. People really ought to be made aware of Citi doing this, as I almost missed it myself. I am not happy.

Has anyone used a prepaid Citi card and found themselves bombarded by marketers?

(Photo: frankieleon)

Smartly, Sprint is honoring the offer for anyone who happened to sign up today while it was being advertised—so some lucky few are getting their hands on a $99 Palm Pre very soon.

"Sprint withdraws $100 credit offer for new Pre users" [Reuters]
"Sprint backtracks, cancels $100 Pre service credit offer" [Engadget]
(Photo: zoovroo)

The suit goes on to quote a former employee as confirming that:

...control of rebate processing ws so poor, that many UPC bar codes ended up on the floor to be later discarded "in the garbage" and the consumer's rebate "denied." This resulted in the Defendants' computer systems frequently indicating that "no supporting documentation" had been received with the rebate application.

The AG complaint also says that "at times, batches of checks numbering in the thousands were never printed and/or mailed."

TigerDirect and its sister companies under the Systemax umbrella (you know, the reanimated CircuitCity.com and what's left of CompUSA) are no strangers to problems sending out rebates. In its earlier incarnation, the FTC handed CompUSA the dubious honor of becoming the first retailer to be required by law to actually fulfill manufacturer-promised rebates.

TigerDirect clearly learned from that experience, though the lesson it took away isn't the one we'd recommend. McCollum's complaint charges that the company's "rebate program was convoluted and designed to wear down the customer to the point that the consumer would finally give up their right to the rebate, thereby resulting in an improper windfall to the Defendant."

If TigerDirect loses the case, it could be forced to hand over some of that windfall to the customers it burned, but don't count on it. Most rebate suits end with settlements that give customers a pittance, require some of the same documentation that was needed to apply for the rebate in the first place, and, yeah, take a lot more than 8-10 weeks to process.

Attorney General Sues Company for Cheating Consumers Out of Rebates [Office of the Florida Attorney General]
Complaint for Injunctive Relief, Damages, Civil Penalties and Other Equitable Relief [Office of the Florida Attorney General]

The problem comes from dealers who improperly authorized rebates, in some cases because of unnoticed state regulations that would invalidate an application.

Asking for repayment if the rebate is rejected is something dealers are not allowed to do, says Lena Pons, policy analyst for Public Citizen.

"The onus was on the dealer to verify the paperwork before they completed the transaction," says Pons. "Many people would not have gone through that process if they knew they were going to be on the hook for additional money."

And Pons says the government needs to do more to ensure consumers aren't defrauded - for example, by being asked by a dealer to repay a rebate that the government had approved and paid.

"There's a large number of sources of fraud we're concerned about, and we're trying to gather information on that," she says.

If you were denied a rebate, particularly after already being approved, you can share you story with Edmunds by visiting this page, where you can post to their forum or email them directly.

"Were you wrongly denied your CARS (i.e., Cash for Clunkers) rebate?" [Edmunds.com]
"Consumer groups try to protect buyers in clunker deals" [USAToday]
(Photo: Arnoooo)

As a part of the Obama Administration's economic stimulus bill to encourage the purchase of energy-efficient appliances, the $300 million appliance-rebate program will soon dole out amounts that could reach $200 if you buy Energy Star-qualified models. Appliances that qualify for the Star should use roughly 10 to 25 percent less energy than the maximum allowed for that category by the Department of Energy, which monitors the Energy Star program.

Unlike the Cash for Clunkers car program, you won't have to turn in your old appliance to get the rebate. But states are expected to have recycling plans for the flood of old appliances the program could unleash. And while the money is coming from Washington, how much you get for which appliance will be a state-by-state decision.

Cash for Clunkers moves to appliances: money back for your old Kelvinator? [Consumer Reports Home & Garden]

(Photo: Dan4th)

Having had a 1998 Ford Crown Victoria, I heard about the CARS program and started my research. My commute daily is 40 miles each direction and being the only working member of my 4 person family, the gas money was starting to wear on us and there were maintenance and repair costs right around the corner. Of course, in order to qualify for the maximum rebate, I needed to locate a vehicle that got a combined EPA estimate of 28mpg.

After test driving a handful of compact cars, I decided on a 2009 Nissan Sentra SL. The lucky salesperson was a young kid who was way into Madden football and the lucky dealership was the only one within fair driving distance that was open on a Sunday. It was a good atmosphere and for a Sunday, not many people were looking to buy. We haggled on price, decided on a color, and a Friday 2pm pickup.

Friday came and everything was prepared properly. I had written proof that my Crown Vic had been insured continuously for over a year, my up to date registration, license, title, and for overkill, past insurance cards, emissions papers, and even all my registrations for the life of the car. I got to the dealership at 2pm and noticed that the quiet dealership was bustling with activity... so much so, that I couldn't find a parking place immediately. Inside were a plethora of people looking to take advantage of the CARS program, and my salesman was helping a woman who was also picking up her car.

I waited patiently for about a half hour when I submitted my CARS documents to the business office, and waited another 45 minutes until it was my turn in front of the business manager to finalize paperwork. Everything was going smoothly and I was asked to sign some forms. Instead of just signing away, I recalled a few tricks I had heard dealers were pulling and started examining the documents carefully. He suggested that I could "just sign this page" and he'd fill in the rest later. I relayed that I was uncomfortable with that, considering he could write in whatever he wanted to and it had my signature on it, so he agreed to have his assistant fill it out before I signed it. Most of the other pages were fine, until I reached a carefully worded statement regarding specifically the CARS program. If I signed this page, the language was as such that if for whatever reason the government didn't provide the dealer with the proper refund, I would be held accountable for the $4,500.

This was a deal breaker and things quickly became heated. While my car was old and needed some work, it was drivable and I was perfectly willing to leave without the Sentra. He informed me that he had to protect his dealership, in case the money from the hundred or so cars he already sold didn't come in. I thought to myself, while that is fair, why are you selling cars under this program if you're uncertain about the refund? Thankfully, the www.cars.gov website was at my fingertips and I was able to quote, verbatim, the language indicating that they could not make me sign this form. I'm not sure if he didn't believe me, but he still refused adamantly. I informed him I would leave with my money and I was expecting my deposit back as well... then I mentioned I would tell people about my experience at his dealership and what he was expecting people to sign.

That when things got nasty as he grew visibly angry. At that moment pushed my documents to me, and started putting things away. I reiterated that I expected my deposit back, to which he agreed, and I packed my bag. He accused me of "threatening his dealership" (which wasn't completely false) and closed up a folder he had for my deal.

Realizing what was about to happen, and the sale that was being lost, he started to calm down as I was leaving. To nail home the error of their way, I asked him to open a browser and goto the Cars.gov website to see for himself. Annoyed still, but willing, he found the language and clearly had a change of attitude when he decided he would get a "second opinion." I returned to the showroom to wait while he conferred with some people. Finally, the decision was made that I would not be required to sign this page.

The rest of the transation went smoothly with some comments to try and maintain a professional rapport, and he brought up "I'll talk" comment from before. "Do I have to worry about you telling your friends?" I replied simply, "Don't worry about it," which is the only thing keeping me from relaying the name of this dealership at the current time. I jumped into my lovely new Sentra, cranked the stereo, said goodbye to my Crown Vic of 8 years, then drove home and removed the dealer's emblem from the paint.

The moral here is, be sure you read the entire Cars.gov website if you are planning on taking advantage of this deal. Go in armed with complete knowledge and be prepared to walk away. Don't be taken, and don't be on the hook for something you shouldn't be.

Our colleagues at Consumer Reports warned readers of this scenario a few weeks ago, when the CARS program was first running low on funds.

How many other dealers are asking their customers to sign similar documents? How many signed it, just at the dealership where Jim purchased his car? It's a scary thought, and a good reminder to learn about your rights before all purchases, large and small.

Helpful Q&As for Consumers [CARS.gov]
Cash for clunkers [Consumer Reports Cars]

(Photo: kodiax2)

Jeff writes:

For nearly four months, I've been having an ongoing struggle to get a $200 dollar refund for an overcharge from Adobe. A quick search online reveals that I'm not alone.

I have a small video production company, and I purchased a CS4 Production Studio upgrade on the last day of a sale. It was after Support hours but well before midnight. The Website didn't reflect the sale price (a $200 difference), but I purchased it figuring I could get a refund with no problem. That proved to be a big mistake.

After 2 or 3 calls of generally clueless reps with unbelievably poor English language skills, they recognized the over-charge and approved to the refund. That was at the beginning of May! By mid July, after many more phone calls in which the refund was promised within the next business cycle, I finally got fed up and asked for a full refund. I faxed the Letter of Destruction as requested, and as of now, that refund hasn't even been processed yet.

I am so incredibly frustrated, all I wanted was to pay the sale price as advertised. The Adobe software itself is great, and I really didn't want to relinquish my nice legal copies, but this has been among the worst customer service I've ever experienced. From what I've read elsewhere, this seems to be a systemic problem with Adobe. I am normally a firm believer in paying for the hard work that goes into quality software development, but as it stands right now I will never BUY another Adobe product again.

Another customer has a similar complaint:

We're currently involved in an ongoing 8 month hassle with Adobe over a simple refund. We have been promised a check three different times, all of which required us to wait about 2 months for our check to appear. This says nothing of the literal hours we have spent on hold waiting to get a person to "resolve" this.

Each time we have been asked for a different bit of info, and we have complied with each request sending it email, fax, and postal service. They will not contact you if something is missing — they just wait for you to call them after another 2 months has gone past adding another two mos. of interest charges to pay your credit card folks. Now they want a piece of paper we were never sent as a requirement to give us our money back.

Ideally Adobe would pony up the promised refund. Depending on your credit card company, you may still be able to file a chargeback. If you can't, skip past Adobe's outsourced customer service and deal directly with their corporate office. Load up an Executive Email Carpet Bomb using the contact information from this post.

Adobe [Customer Service Scoreboard]

They also point out that the terms were clearly stated.

Terms of the Great Fun program, including the $149 annual fee, are clearly explained and included in multiple places - on the check and in the accompanying letter. The program is backed by a guarantee of satisfaction and customers can cancel at anytime.

Of course, most Consumerists know better than to cash any check a stranger sends you without reading every accompanying bit of fine print.

Allstar adds, ""We also want to assure consumers that this was a test program [...] distributed to a very small sample of Snuggie customers." They don't mention whether or not they plan on extending the program to a wider pool of customers, however.

RELATED
"Warning: Read The Fine Print Before Cashing An Unexpected Rebate Check"

My new phone netted me a $70 rebate card in the mail a week ago Saturday, so I decided to take it for a day on the town. The card and I had some wild times at Wal-Mart, In-N-Out and Lowe's (man, do I know how to party). I was irritated that I couldn't use the card to get gas at Circle K because the card reader demanded I verify my identification by typing in a zip code — it wouldn't accept my own zip, nor that of the Verizon store where I bought the phone, and denied the transaction — but I blew off the inconvenience because I was confident that I'd eventually use up my $70 on purchases I would have made anyway.

Everything went to plan until I had just 11 cents left on the card. A less awesome person might have tossed it into the garbage at that point, but dammit, those 11 cents were mine and I wanted to use 'em. But every time I asked cashiers at multiple stores to debit 11 cents off my total purchase by using up the last of the card, the transactions were denied.

I called Verizon customer service and the rep tried to stop himself from laughing as he agreed to credit my account for the 11 cents I'd lost. It was a hollow victory, because although Verizon had made good that damned card still clung to a dime and penny intended for me, and like a clogged piggy bank just would not cough it up.

The fine print on the back of the card gave my conspiracy theory credence. After a year, Visa takes a $3 monthly maintenance fee three months after you last use the card. This means Visa-izon will get their dirty hands all over the 11 cents left on the card come October 2010.

Sure, 11 cents may not sound like much, but you've seen those Verizon commercials, right? The network of people following around the bespectacled Can You Hear Me Now Guy is quite the multitude. And if everyone on that network gets screwed out of 11 cents by Verizon rebate cards, you're talking a Scrooge McDuck money bin in lost rebates.

(Photo: Verizonuser)

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.

We called Amazon to see whether this rebate was automatic or if you have to request it. Our CSR seemed a little confused by the question but confirmed you'd have to call in with your order number or email associated with the account to have them authorize the rebate.

"Contact Us by Phone" [Amazon]
(Photo: richardmasoner)

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.

It's not just for Snuggie owners—Doyle says the company is also targeting "people who bought the PedEgg and Aqua Globes watering system."

Remember to never, never cash a check from an unknown entity. If it's not part of an advance-fee fraud scheme, it's probably bait to get you to sign up for something worthless like Great Fun.

"Consumer Alert: Snuggie Check Rip-Off" [WUSA9]
(Photo: iluvrhinestones)

• Only certain low-mpg cars qualify.
  To get the credit, the car you trade in must be less than 25 years old, and must get 18 MPG or less. It can be a foreign or domestic model. You can find your car's fuel economy rating here.
   
  
• Certain trucks and vans will have different requirements.
  Check out the chart on this Consumer Reports story on the CARS program for details on trucks and vans.
   
  
• The amount of the credit is based on the fuel efficiency difference between your trade in and the new vehicle.
  To get the $3,500 credit, you must improve the fuel efficiency by at lest 4 MPG. To qualify for the $4,500 credit, the improvement has to be at least 10 MPG.
   
  
• The vehicle has to have been continuously insured and registered for a full year prior to trade in.
   
  
• The new vehicle price cannot exceed $45,000. And it has to be new, not used.
   
  
• By participating in the program, you will not receive the full normal trade-in value of your vehicle.
  You will only get the scrap metal trade in value, because the program requires that all trade ins be destroyed. You should find out the trade in value of your vehicle before participating to make sure it's worth it. Click here for a chart from Edmunds.com that shows which vehicles have trade in values that are lower than the credits (PDF).
   
  
• The program runs through November 1, 2009.
   
  
• The credit will be applied at the time of purchase.
  There are no vouchers or forms—the dealer applies it when you buy or lease the new vehicle. The dealer then gets reimbursed by the government.
   
  
• There is no registration requirement or process.
  As CNN points out, any place that tries to collect your private information in order to see whether you qualify is scamming you. Eligibility is based solely on the car requirements listed above.
   
  
• You can find a list of eligible dealers at the official government site, www.cars.gov.
  That's the only official site. They'll list participating dealers there once the program kicks in. You can give them an email address and they'll send you an update when they have more information available.
  

www.cars.gov

RELATED
"Edmunds.com Provides List of Vehicles Eligible for "Cash for Clunkers" Rebate" [Edmunds.com]
"Beware 'Cash for Clunkers' scams" [CNN]

I got a rebate check from Circuit City this week a YEAR after the rebate application was submitted. I remember last fall when checks were bouncing even though there was supposed to be a cash pot to cover them (which I guess was used for other things). I pretty much gave up on the $30 refund for a new keyboard from Microsoft-and it is still in the box because shortly after purchase, my whole computer died (don't get me started on that piece of junk from Dell and their rebate still missing, too and the extended warranty that was never honored).

So my question is-should I cash the Circuit City refund check? If it bounces, I am out $37 fee from the bank and the $30 from the check. I could really use the cash now that hubby is no longer working (former GM employee). So what ya think I should do here? Trust it's a good check? Sell the unused keyboard? Or run away screaming?

Selling the keyboard probably isn't a bad idea if Jan doesn't intend to use it. I recommend looking carefully at the check. It's probably from Circuit City's rebate processor, and not from the defunct company itself, so it should be a good check.

Have any other readers received severely late rebate checks and deposited or cashed them? Were they good?

(Photo: hanapbuhay)

He writes, "Come on, why print on the card that it expires in July 2009 when it couldn't possibly last beyond April 2009? I guess I'm lucky, at least I haven't gotten a bill for ongoing card maintenance. Anyway, that's the last item I ever buy from Creative Labs, I hope the rebate tactic was worth losing a customer."

If you take advantage of a Creative Labs rebate, use it immediately. Or better yet, don't take the bait the next time Creative dangles a rebate offer in front of you. They're not kidding about it being a "Creative rebate."

Click the image for a full-size version.

(Photo: cpchannel)

Total before coupons: $152.86
Coupon savings: $144.70
Total after coupons: $9.43

Most of her large coupons come not from Sunday newspapers, but from rebate offers. (If you have Rite Aid stores in your area, I can't recommend their Single Check Rebates system enough—especially if you use coupons on top of the rebates.) It's an amazing thing to behold.

Coupon clipper saves 97% [CNN] (Thanks, kstrike155!)

(Photo: rachaelhubbard)

(Thanks to Jason!)

Who is eligible for restitution under the Dell multi-state settlement?

Anyone who bought Dell goods or services between April 1, 2005 and April 13, 2009

AND experienced one or more of the following may be eligible for restitution:

• A problem with a Dell financing offer
• A problem with a Dell rebate
• A problem with Dell financing
• A problem with a Dell repair, warranty or servicing

Residents of the following 34 states are eligible for refunds:

Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

Filing a claim form does take a little bit of actual work in that you have to go to your state Attorney General's page and fill out a form, but this is a rare chance to make Dell pay for their shoddy service. Spend five minutes finding the form and submit it before the April 13 deadline.

Dude, don't wait on that Dell refund! [All Consuming]
PREVIOUSLY: Dell Settles With 34 States Over Anti-Consumer Practices
(Photo: DM Rosner)

I think Worldwide Rebates is using a new trick on not getting a rebate to a person.

I received a rebate from them and it was basically two light weight postcards held together with a small round sticker. I took a picture which should explain it better:

If that sticker fails the two parts will come apart. Once it comes apart the actual rebate check will get separated in transit and then USPS will have no way of knowing who to send it to. It might get sent back to Worldwide Rebates who may or may not cut another one for you. I think it is pretty sneaky on their part.

They know there is a chance that it will get lost and they will probably not end up having to pay on it. They could have designed the mailing with two stickers one on top and one on bottom and it would have been much better.

They could have also made the check detachable, which would easily solve the lost address problem.

We don't know if this was a unique exception, or the way Worldwide Rebates sends out checks now, so if anyone else has received a similar rebate check from them, please let us know either way. It's possible that the check and address label were mechanically separated in some mysterious way after it left Worldwide Rebates, but considering the general tendency of rebate companies to thwart their customers, and of Worldwide Rebates in particular to play dirty, we have our suspicions.

(Thanks to Derek!)

Even for rebate companies, Wintergreen Systems/MDS pulled some pretty amazing stunts.

Some consumers who bought MDS’s products and applied for rebates, however, found they were in for a long wait – in some cases up to two years – to get their money. In other cases, the defendants never mailed rebate checks to consumers who bought the advertised products, and while consumers did receive rebate checks, thousands of payments were delayed up to 10 weeks or longer.

John Levy is a repeat offender. (The FTC calls him a recidivist, ha ha.) In April 2006, he agreed to "voluntary compliance with the State of Indiana related to his rebate practices," but clearly that didn't take. That's why the FTC wants him banned permanently from engaging in any business practice that offers any sort of compensation in exchange for making a purchase.

The $330,000 judgment is supposed to cover the total value of the rebates the company never fulfilled, but as Levy has demonstrated an inability to pay, the FTC is suspending it. They say if they discover he's misrepresented his financial situation the judgment will be enforced, but frankly we think they should just liquidate his businesses entirely, and then garnish his checks until the judgment is paid off.

"FTC Charges Indiana Firm with Failing to Live Up to Rebate Promises" [FTC.gov]
"US FTC Accuses Reseller of Offering Bogus Rebates" [CIO]

Your Mail in Rebate May Be In Jeopardy [[H]]Enthusiast] (Thanks to xskeweredx!)

"People think when they come to court that they are going to get instant relief," said Judge Rebecca Dallet of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. "We can give what the law allows, but we have no way of getting the money for them. I don't think people realize that."

In two stories over the past few days, Ellen Gabler of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has tried to track down Craig Hueffner, who has sold spas through the Wisconsin State Fair for most of the past 11 years. There's a fairground pavilion named after him, and his caricature is painted on it. His brother was even present this year selling spas. But many customers have had trouble getting Hueffner to pay contractually obligated rebates (which he offered even when he knew that the company behind the rebates was having financial problems)—and it seems no one can track him down, because he repeatedly gives incorrect addresses and contact information.

Those who've tried to sue Hueffner in small claims court say he's an expert at wriggling out of his responsibility to pay. He lists different addresses and different business names to avoid being served with court papers, they say, and he stalls in court.

After the first article appeared, some customers were given a lucky break—Hueffner's real address—but Hueffner may have frustrated and exhausted the couple to the point that they're giving up:

After Sunday's P.I. story appeared, Albert and Sally Merschdorf received a call from someone who knew Hueffner's home address. The Merschdorfs gave up trying to sue Hueffner last October after they said they spent at least $300 and many hours trying to track him down and serve him with court papers.

"At this point, I don't know if it's going to do me any good," Albert Merschdorf said of Hueffner's address. "It's frustrating getting it now, rather than when we were trying to serve him (with court papers.)"

There's not much you can do to help track down Hueffner, but you can ask Bob Lauter, the CEO of Master Spas, whether or not he's still doing business with Hueffner even after knowing what he's been doing to customers. Lauter told the paper that he'd investigate, but then fell silent and stopped returning calls:

Craig Hueffner worked as an independent dealer of Master Spas, a brand of hot tubs sold by the Fort Wayne, Ind., company.

Bob Lauter, CEO of Master Spas, said he knew Hueffner had run into trouble with the rebate program but said he didn't know about the judgments against Hueffner or customer complaints. He also said his company hadn't sold Hueffner products in six months.

"We have to look at this, re-evaluate it, and probably terminate him as a dealer," Lauter said. "I don't want our customers to be involved with that."

Three weeks later, however, Lauter wouldn't return repeated calls, so Public Investigator could not confirm whether Hueffner was terminated as a dealer.

Here's Master Spas' contact info:

Master Spas
6927 Lincoln Parkway
Fort Wayne, IN 46804
260-436-9100

"Spa dealer elusive in paying court-ordered debts" [JS Online]
"'Spa Man’ still elusive, even at home " [JS Online] (Thanks to !)
(Photo: Getty)

It doesn't give you cash. No, it gives you a prepaid Visa debit card.

Use it within six months or start losing it.

The prepaid debit card is the reward for surviving a patented system designed to "maintain breakage." Still, we know there are rebate partisans out there, and if you're one of them, carefully read our tips for redeeming rebates before sending in your claim form, including:

• Read the offer carefully before you buy.
• Fill out paperwork promptly.
• Enclose all required documentation.
• Make copies of all paperwork to be mailed, including forms, receipts, and UPC codes.
• Consider notarizing your receipts.
• Send your form via certified mail and request a return receipt as proof that the company received your request.
• Watch for rebate checks or prepaid cards disguised as junk mail.

Brett writes:

I've just failed to have my second rebate attempt honored.

The first, was a lens rebate for $100, last winter. That rebate hinged on making two expensive ($400 & $1,200) Canon lens purchases within a several month window. They never even acknowledged that the rebate had been submitted.

My second try, I've now learned the $50 rebate I qualified for has been turned down. This later rebate required that as the original owner of a Canon Rebel SLR and and purchaser of a new Canon 5D [I] hack up my product box for the original UPC, [include] copies of receipts, etc...

Annoyed by my imaginary lens rebate, I made sure that all the hoops were jumped though in the rebate fine print, only to have my legitimate claim denied. I was encouraged as they at least let me know that I had filed for this rebate. However, they now cite that my original Digital Rebel has an unknown serial number. Unknown, but promptly registered when I'd first purchased it several years ago.

I have the mailing from Canon, informing me of this, telling me to resubmit my missing rebate information by the end of October. I've now re-registered my 4 year-old camera and will be mailing their card back with a note of my own, certified mail.

Based on a quick web search, it appears that I am not the first the hit roadblocks with Canon rebates, and think it would be helpful for other Consumerist readers to know about.

A Google search for "Canon rebates" turns up warnings and complaints from people who have been screwed over by Canon. Bryan at The-Digital-Picture cautions that you'd better follow the instructions precisely, and prepare to settle in for a long wait and potential fight:

As of the original authoring of this page, the last Canon lens rebate I participated in required me to send the complete information 3 times and took about four months until fulfillment. I followed the procedures to the letter - it could not have been more clear to the rebate fulfillment center. Still, I had to play the frustrating and time-consuming game.

Meanwhile, the "Canon Rebates" page at consumeraffaiirs.com is filled with complaints—at least one for every month so far this year—from angry consumers. By their accounts, it sounds like Canon is deliberately playing the stall-and-reject game with their rebates, in an attempt to keep the number of payouts as low as possible. You might want to keep that in mind the next time you weigh the value of a promised Canon rebate against the purchase price—even if you receive it, you may end up sinking many hours into the ordeal.

(Photo: Getty)

• MagicJack: $39.95 for VoIp first year, $19.95 a year after that
• Amazon: Health & Grooming Products Manager's Specials
• Kashi: Free cookie

• Beach Camera: Sandisk 8 GB Ultra II SDHC HD Memory Card for $19.99 after $20 rebate w/ Free shipping
• Ralph Lauren: 30% Off No minimum Coupon Code RLFA2008
• goHardDrive.com: Western Digital 1TB 7200RPM Hard Drive for $128.95 w/ Free shipping after Coupon Code 10WD10EACS

• Amazon.com: 80 Duracell Ultra AA Alkaline Batteries for $30 + free shipping
• Graveyard Mall: Maxim 32-Piece Wooden Train Set for $10 + $6 s&h
• Buy.com: Midland 26-Mile GMRS 2-Way Radios for $45 + free shipping

• Amazon: Vaio CR410E 14.1-inch Notebook PC $813 Shipped
• OfficeMax: Lexmark All-in-One Printer with Auto Document Feeder $70 Shipped
• Vann's: Panasonic DMP-BD30 Blu-Ray Player $288 Shipped

• WarCry: Free Warhammer Online Beta 10 days
• Amazon: Kitchen deals for under $7, all eligible for 4 for 3 promotion
• Buy.com: Logitech G51 Gaming Speakers for $71.99 Shipped After Rebate

• Deal Extreme: Rechargeable Digital Pin-hole Spy Camera + USB Drive Disgused as Working Pen for $35.53 w/ Free shipping
• HP Home : New stackable Laptop coupon, up to $350 off $999 w/ coupon code NB3325
• OfficeMax: Oscillating 16" Pedestal Fan for $7.99 + $7.95 Shipping

• OfficeMax: Olympus FE-320 8MP Digital Camera $120 Shipped
• Shoebuy: Pay via PayPal & Save $20 off Shoe Orders of $50+ and get Free Shipping
• Bike Nashbar: Save 10%, 15%, or 20% off Entire Order with Coupon Discounts

• Newegg: 24-hour sale
• Woot: Refurbished Dyson DC18 All-Floor Vacuum for $259.99
• Buy.com: ASUS Eee PC 4G Surf Celeron M 900MHz 7" Widescreen Laptop for $294 + free shipping

• Staples: Peachtree Pro Acounting 2008 Free After Rebate
• Newegg: RCA RP5050 Digital Voice Recorder with Camera $35 Shipped
• MacMall: Wacom Graphire4 4x5 Graphics Tablet for PCs & Macs $40

• Meritline.com: 8 x 21 Rubber Armored Binocular for $7.69 w/ Free Shipping after coupon code M24804545POFF
• Frys.com: Crucial 4GB DDR2 PC5300 Laptop Memory Kit $34.99 after rebate
• HobbyLobby.com: 40% Off Hobby Lobby Printable Coupon (expires Sept 6)

• Vann's: Klipsch iGroove HG iPod Speakers $100 Shipped
• Mac Connection: Apple iMac $1099 + Free VMWare Fusion Software
• Chefs: Labor Day Sale: Save up to 80% off Cookware, Kitchen Tools, & More

• Southwest: Fares starting at $59 one-way
• Purina: Free bag of Purina Yesterday's News cat litter
• Arizona Jeans: 50% off select jeans and all shoes

Here's part of the pseudo-congratulatory email.

Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:20:31 -0400
Subject: You've earned a new phone

UPGRADE TODAY!
Call 1.888.333.0047 or visit your local Verizon Wireless Store today

Upgrade today to any one of our advanced phones or PDAs we carry. Plus, for our exclusive customers, we've added an additional discount on one of our most popular devices, the LG enV2TM. All of this brought to you by Verizon Wireless, with the nation's largest 3G network and most reliable wireless network.

LG Dare Bold touch screen, fearless features, 3G speed capable.

$249.99 2-yr. price
-$ 50.00 Mail-in rebate
$199.99 Your Price

(New 2-yr. agreement required on a new Nationwide Calling plan.)
LG enV2 Full keyboard gives you two ways to text or email.
EXCLUSIVE OFFER for our loyal customers.

It goes on like that for several models. Verizon gets special bonus points for including mail-in rebates as part of the "deal."

(Photo: Getty)

• Threadless: All shirts $12
• Amazon: Tonka Sand Force Dump Truck & Loader $4-$5 each, squirting trucks $6 & up
• Steep And Cheap: Black Diamond Momentum AL Climbing Harness for $22 Sold out, but they have other deals on outdoor gear.

• Tiger Direct: Refurb NEC VT590 XGA LCD Projector $400
• Brooks Brothers: Summer Clearance: Save up to 60% off Men's & Women's Fashion
• Buy.com: Fantom GreenDrive 1TB Low Power USB Drive $150 & Free Shipping