This Rebate Cost Me Money!

We’ve all seen the seemingly unbelievable deal that involves us sending in the UPC and bar code to someplace like “Young America, MN” to get some cash back. When I’m in the market for something, I’ve used rebates in the past, but after my most recent experience, I’m seriously questioning if this is worth the hassle.

I had bought a new power supply in Microcenter earlier this year. I paid $40, and was getting twenty bucks back on the rebate. This was a great deal on a 400 watt power supply that my desktop ‘puter desperately needed. In fact there have been even better deals involving rebates on this same part as folks come to read my review whenever one of these comes up. While $20 for a power supply is too good to be true, in my case it was.



I submitted all my stuff back in June, and hadn’t heard anything since. Unless it’s a particularly valuable rebate, I don’t keep copies of it. I actually had forgotten all about it. A few days ago, a check arrives for $20 from OnRebate. Hmmm. With the amount of technology I buy, this is hardly surprising, and they didn’t indicate what the rebate was for. I added the check to a pile of other banking to take care of.

The next day, I received another check from the same OnRebate. It was in the same amount of $20, but it had a date a day later and was not an identical check. I figured that the company was clearing the books before the end of the year, and this was another rebate I had forgotten about. Seriously, the power supply was from over 6 months ago.

Earlier this week, I decided to take care of my banking. I deposited both checks in the bank, for a total of $40. I was quite surprised to get an email from OnRebate dated a week after they had sent out the check on the night of my deposit…



So first we subtract off the $20 check that they sent me that is bouncing. Then we subtract off the $25 fee that my bank charges for processing a bad check. This leaves me down five bucks for my trip to the bank!

While this amount won’t bankrupt me, or anyone else, I’m really quite annoyed with this company. Maybe I should charge them a “bad check fee!” If any of us went around sending out bad checks, our credit would be ruined. How can they get away with this? I sent an email to the company, and have not even received a response.

First they take over 6 months to send me my rebate, and now it costs me money to deposit their check in the bank. Something clearly is wrong here. I’m going to be buying less items on rebates for 2007, with no items from OnRebate, and I suggest we all do the same…

--Jonas


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