It’s just a buck.
It was on a consumer show hosted by someone like John Stossel where I learned how companies use mail-in rebates to manipulate the buying process. A soft, reassuring voice lulled me into the world we buyers think exists. Then the same voice brought down the hammer about what really happens.
It seems the marketing world counts on most people not doing the work needed to return the rebate. Those that do usually wait six weeks. It’s all calculate to maximize their sales and minimize their costs. Just plain good, smart business. There’s nothing illegal about what they do.
I pride myself on always filling out the two foot long forms and returning all the required portions of the package. It all gets sent off within 24 hours.
When the check arrives, I usually have forgotten about it. I often wonder if any companies just don’t bother to send them out. No, that would be wrong.
This brings me to the $1.00 rebate I received from the nice folks at Rite Aid. Actually it came from some Young America, Minnesota based rebate giant. The check was a study in minimalistic packaging. The envelope was the check. Pretty cool stuff.
I bundled the check with a few other ones and mailed them to my bank. A call came two days later: “Mr. Morris, a check you sent can’t be deposited. If you want it back, stop by.”
As I waited in the bank. I realized it had been years since I had been inside this bank or any other one. Such is our new world with the advent of ATMs.
The customer service guy retrieved my check from the storage bins. He said he saw no reason why the check couldn’t be cashed. He offered to do so, but I feared being late to work. I took the check in order to deposit it later.
Now keep in mind, this is a $1.00 check; hardly worth any real labor. I had set my heels; I won’t give in to the Rite Aid’s crafty plans for me to fail.
On my return trip to the bank, I deposited it and got stonewalled by the cashier. She said the check wasn’t worth anything unless I use it at a Rite Aid. She was familiar with two types of rebate checks and I didn’t have the one you can cash. I went to the Rite Aid and finally brought the saga to an end.
Why would Rite Aid make checks to be cashed and another where they can’t? I guess it all part of their crafty – yet legal – plans to honor the smallest number of checks.
How many consumers would take this dance to its conclusion? Rite Aid plans it so there will not be many.