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)
]]>I've done this...I had .94 cents left on the card and made a purchase of like 1.60 from 7-11. I paid 7-11 the .66 cents in cash and then paid the balance with the rebate card with no problems...
]]>Also, most restaurants charge their servers credit card fees (percentage) on all of their credit card tips. This is why I always tip in cash.
]]>How did this get posted??? You simply use your rebate card to pay a bill online. Verizon, phone bill, cable bill, pick a bill. You get the fill amount off the card and are done with it.
I hate Symentec rebate cards too, but this is the easy way to resolve the problem.
]]>Went to my local bank (ok, local location of a national chain bank, there... happy?), brandished the offending Decepticon-card hybrid, my debit card and my driver's license, grunted at the cashier (interspersed with a little dash of the Queen's English) and walked out with $50 in cash.
]]>I try to avoid rebates at all costs in the first place, but when I do receive one of these cards I spend it immediately on a gift certificate at Amazon, Target, or similar business for the full face value. That way you get the full amount rather then let the card get nickle and dimed over time.
]]>Looking back at the article, I'm not sure whether the OP was explicit or not about charging specifically $.11. Regardless, it would be nice if the card makers and POS software could have some sort of intelligence to figure out to debit the amount left, just like traditional gift cards.
]]>@wcnghj: HAHAHA you are so wrong, these cards are a promotion, When the promotion Ends the card expires. haha
]]>I got one of these from Tmobile. The first thing I did was go into the store I wanted to shop at, buy a gift card for the exact amount of the rebate card, then did my shopping, using the newly-purchased gift card.
FWIW, not all stores will allow a gift card purchase on a credit card. Big Box stores FTW!
]]>You know, the way gift cards USED TO BE.
]]>In my area, Target's credit card readers actually know how much is left on these cards. It automatically applies the exact remainder to your purchase and tells you your remaining balance due. I once used up five debit gift cards with less than $5 left on them. The credit card reader did it all for me and all I had to do was pay the remaining balance of my purchase with my real credit card. Target is the best place to get rid of these small remainders.
]]>Well, I've never had any problem using a rebate card or any pre-paid VISA card, and using the entire balance. We routinely give the cards away at work around Christmas and Thanksgiving instead of turkey certificates so that people can choose where to shop. *shrugs* It's not hard to use if you read the instructions.
]]>If you call Verizon and ask for a check they will mail one to you. I had an irritating experience because when I received my card they had spelled my name wrong, very wrong - so if asked for ID I wouldn't be able to use it. Not sure how the typo happened and the CRS I spoke to agreed it wasn't just a slight typo. In order to get my name changed I'd have to do a whole mess of things that I didn't care to do. So, I opted for a check in the mail, scribbled a signature on the back and deposited it. No problems.
]]>(expiry date)
]]>@Etoiles: Agreed. I got the whole $50 deposited in my bank account, with no problems and no deductions.
]]>HAHA, I do the customer service for the AT&T Pre-paid Debit cards. If you dont know how to use these you are a effin moron. Its funny cuz I'm on a ATT call right now, and they bitching about the card is EXPIRED
]]>I had one of these... Except I actually overdrew on it by 3 dollars! I made one attempt to pay the overage, but then read the website... and it pretty much said "it's impossible to overdraw". So I let it be, and haven't heard a thing about it. So give it a try people! Go overdraw on your rebate cards!
]]>I went shopping the other day, making purchases with my fiancé-- took her to the mall, and I spent it on a couple purchases from Bath & Bodyworks (I had a $16 OCZ rebate card, which looks cool!). I had a purchase over $20, so I was able to use it all and make up the difference that was leftover. I didn't have to worry about any extra cents because it was all used up!
]]>@trellis23:
This is exactly what I did with mine, and I lost nary a penny.
How exactly did he "direct deposit" it?
]]>When it arrived, he opened it, read what was inside, then booted up his laptop, and a moment later announced that he'd had it made direct deposit, and that it was much easier than he'd expected, and not a rip-off as he had feared.
So... not all that rip-offy, really.
]]>Slickdeals had a great thread about what to do with these rebate cards to make sure you get every penny.
Some of their suggestions:
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Folks... simplest thing to do is to convert rebate cards to gift cards at groceries or retails chains like lowes, walmart...etc... everyone buys groceries and you don't have to worry about how much balance in the gift card...much better option than Amazon..
So here are the different ways (besides the normal way when you have a large balance which covers the cost):
1. Tell cashier exact amount to charge (you need to know exact balance at the time)
2. Buy gift cards at local stores (grocery, Walmart, Home Depot, etc)
3. Buy Amazon.com gift cards ($5 minimum but can be down to exact penny above that)
4. Cash them out at banks (YMMV)
5. Use them at gas stations (you need to know exact balance at the time)
6. Call the number on the back of the card and tell them you want a check for the rebate card amount (it has worked for staples and symantec rebates for me )
7. Apply it to your cell phone bill (I do this online for my AT&T cellular plan, even amounts under $1 remaining go thru fine)
also...
8. Apply it to your cable bill. In the case of Comcast you can pay more than the amount of your current bill so you're reducing next month's balance.
OR...
9. If you or a friend is a server/waiter/bartender, whatever. Have them buy it from you. On 100 dollar rebate card, we can charge a miscellaneous penny ringup, then leave ourselves the other 99.99 as a tip. Or if said server has a large party with a $100+ check that a customer pays cash, we pocket the cash and use the balance on the card in its place!
I keep a Sharpie in my car in case I don't use the total amount of one at Trader Joe's. Just write what's left on it with the Sharpie. PITA, but these companies make money on those of us who don't use the whole thing, forget to use it, lose it, etc. Screw that. It's my money and I'm getting every penny.
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Their is some problems with trying to get the amazon gift cards due to a $1 hold needing to be placed before the charge goes through.
You can see more deatils and ideas at the thread:
Spend your rebate cash cards on Amazon gift cards + other ways
[forums.slickdeals.net]
That, or go to the verizon store and pay you bill using the card - use the exact amount and boom - you're done. Then you are just responsible for whatever is left over on your bill.
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