Get Your Rebate! -- Part 1

From the tenacious Dana Baggett,

"I bought a QPS 120/240 SuperDisk drive in January. QPS offered a $30 rebate which I dutifully completed and mailed with proof of purchase, etc., within the time period set forth to the outfit handling the rebates www.wheresmyrebate.com."

"In due course wheresmyrebate.com reported that the rebate had been approved and posted 5-14-02 as the 'estimated check date.' When that date came and went without the check having been mailed, I contacted wheresmyrebate.com. Other than an automated acknowledgment, no response. More to the point, no check."

"Seeking redress, I filed complaints on June 4, 2002 online with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Internet Fraud Complaint Center. Other than routine acknowledgments, no further developments until now."

"On Saturday, I received in the USPS mail a letter from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service acknowledging receipt of my complaint and its referral to the Consumer Protection Program. Enclosed was a letter sent by them to wheresmyrebate.com on my behalf, asking that the matter be resolved within 30 days. I have been asked to report back to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service after 45 days. The letter to wheresmyrebate.com indicates that my complaint has been entered in the national Fraud Complaint System."

"While it remains to be seen if I ever get my rebate check, it is worth the trouble to report such problems if only to establish a trend of abuse. The letter to the company says in part 'Evidence of this sort is based largely on the number and pattern received concerning a particular matter.... (and) administrative action can be taken to deprive the violator of the receipt of mail."

"Stay tuned for the next chapter."