Ok, so as everyone who’s ever participated in any OfficeMax rebate campaign already knows, these folks do not want to actually pay the rebate they offer. But I think I found a new wrinkle on this old scam…

Back at the beginning of April, in one of their last big rebate promotions (they used to have them every week, but they’ve clamped down hard on them over the last few months - probably because the Feds and states are actually forcing them to pay), I bought a bunch of stuff ($156+, actually) that had rebates. It won’t come as a surprise to anyone that I still haven’t received five of the submitted valid rebates and am battling them one-at-a-time with them over this, but the problem I’ve had with one of ‘em may come as a pretty big shock to even the most hardened veteran of the “Rebate Wars.”

Two of the purchased items were a 100-pack of CD-Rs and a 50-pack of DVD-Rs, both with rebate (listed on the website as “AND/OR,” so I know they are both valid). Submitted the rebates in plenty of time, and…yeah, you guessed it, they denied one of ‘em because of “multiple submissions.” I argued this “ruling,” and finally got some folks there to admit their computer system was fubar’d and approve the rebate. Of course, I haven’t yet received the rebate on the 50-pack, but I did get the check for the $12 on the CD-Rs.

Apparently, someone there realized they had actually paid one of their valid rebates and decided this was too far outside of their Standard Operating Procedures, so they stopped payment on the $12.00 check.

Nope, I ain’t making this up, kids. Annie and I got back from vacation to find the returned check, and a $10.00 bank charge on top of the $12.00 debit.

Can you say “ticked off?” I knew you could.