Consumer World: CyberRebate Refund Strategies

CyberRebate.com Refunds

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Ideas for Cutting Your Losses

If you are owed a rebate from CyberRebate.com or haven't received merchandise that you have ordered, here are some steps you can take to hopefully keep from losing all your money. There is no guarantee that any of these approaches will work, but you should give them your best shot:

1. Put into "dispute" with your credit card issuer any charges for items or rebates you did not receive. Ask for a "chargeback" in writing of the amount you are owed. You are not protected if you only call the card's 800 number.

2. Visa, MasterCard and American Express all offer some type of online fraud protection, such as "Zero Liability". Amex's policy says, for example,

"Online Fraud Protection Guarantee
Use the American Express Card online,and
you won't be responsible for any unauthorized
charges. Period. No fine print, no deductible -
just pure protection, so you can shop with
confidence anywhere on the Internet."

Contact your card issuer by phone to find out the procedure to trigger this protection, then write to document your loss. Keep a copy of your letter. Remember, it is not clear this is a case of fraud.

3. Some credit cards come with a "satisfaction guaranteed" or "returns guaranteed" benefit, which for a period of 90 days after purchase allows you to return any item purchased to the credit card company for a full refund if the seller won't take it back. (Note that there are dollar limits per item and per year for this benefit.) This benefit is only offered on some American Express cards, some Citibank cards, some CapitalOne cards, and on cards of some other issuers. Follow the normal customer service procedure specified by your issuer to make a claim.

4. If you are not able to get a refund from your credit card issuer, you will need to fill out a proof of claim form with the federal Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York. These forms are not yet available. The case number is: 101-16534-608. There are reportedly only assets of $24 million to cover debts of over $80 million, so consumers are likely to only receive a fraction of their losses reimbursed.