Why Can't I Spend My Holiday Money How I Want

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Comment by Rodger D. Johnson on December 28, 2008 at 12:39am

I've been reading a lot from Seth Godin -- and others. The rebates are nothing more than bate. And, unfortunately, I took it this time. I'm not so much frustrated with getting a VISA rebate card as I am with the strings attached. Rebates with strings attached feed our consumerism and tempts a consumeristic appetite that's satisfied, or at least is trying to find contentment with the things he (me) has.

I got my Blackberry, but she I would have gotten an iPhone -- see there's that appetite again. I need a gronola bar.

Comment by Cissi Sherlock on December 26, 2008 at 4:33pm

Oh, Roger!

that reminds me of a lasy that I owrked with at the old Airport named Geraldine Blakley. She is the womand whose pink house John Mellancamp wrote about.

Geraldine did the same as you one year with a cell phone company and was awaiting a rebate. Instead, she receive a nice letter (which I did see with my own eyes) from the phone company (and, I believe it was AT&T) that her rebate of $80.00 had been donated to a worthy cause.

she hit the roof!!!

Her mantra was the same as yours. Basically, she said that the rebate was her money and she should be free to spend it as she pleased. She even had me draft a letter for her to the company about getting her money back so that she could spend it the way she please and if she did not authorize a donation, they could not make a donation WITH HER MONEY.

Unfortunately, I don't remember the outcome, but I do remember the hair raised on the back of her neck because they chose to dictate how she spent her own money.

Comment by Steve Stuck on December 26, 2008 at 10:00am

It isn't necessarily your money in the respect that they are offering you discount on your purchase plan. I understand your frustration because I thought I was going to get a delivery fee just knocked off a bill but then found out that I was getting a VISA card that I could come back and shop at the store. I think this is the latest trend to get people back into their stores.

The best way to stop these practices is exactly what you are doing and getting the word out. Word of mouth of this practice can hurt them the worse.

I follow consumer advocate Clark Howard on these issues and you can visit his website @ clarkhoward.com. He gives really good advice on these situations and many others.

Comment by Shelly Arens on December 24, 2008 at 11:36am

I agree 100%! Recently I stopped in the AT&T Mobility store (formerly Cingular) to get my free upgraded phone that I was eligible for last year, when I renewed my 2 year contract. Because I didn't get the phone at the time I renewed my contract, they said that I can get the new phone but my contract will extend from the time I get the new phone for 2 years. I've had it with contracts for phones, satellite TV service, etc. They're UTILITIES for crying out loud and I refuse to get locked into a contract term for a utility service moving forward. I'll just use the old, reliable, outdated phone I currently have until next year, when the contract expires and shop for a monthly service that doesn't require a contract.