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Credit Card Mailing
By Jacob Cohen | August 13, 2003
I just receieved a mailing from my credit card company that was in one of those official-looking sleeves with the perforations on three sides. It said “check enclosed.” I opened it to find that there was indeed what appeared to be a check inside, made out to me, for the amount of $2.50. Two dollars and fifty cents.
It would be bad enough to bother to send me a check for the ridiculous amount of $2.50, but as I glanced at the fine print (yes, fine print on a check) I noticed that it’s really not a check so much as a way to get me to sign a piece of paper enrolling me in some program they have that costs money. In this case, it is a “Shopper’s Advantage” membership, which bills at the yearly rate of $79.95. They sent me $2.50 in the hopes that I’d be tricked into enrolling in something that would cost me $79.95 a year.
This, to me, is highly insulting for two reasons. First, they attempt to trick customers into enrolling in a program by sending them a “check” to get their signature on the form. Second, the amount of the check is so low that it is hardly worth the effort to go to the bank to deposit it. I sincerely hope no one gets sucked in by these marketing scams. If the program is so great, send me a brochure that explains exactly why it’s a good idea for me to shell out $79.95 a year. Don’t expect me to be duped into signing up by a $2.50 check.
Topics: General |
December 21st, 2007 at 3:47 pm
Sorry that this post is so old but our website was doing a study on these type of checks and I was curious if you know of anyone that has fallen for one of these deals? Let me know. Thanks!
-Tom
December 21st, 2007 at 9:00 pm
Can’t say I know anyone who has, but I’m sure there are people who do, or they would not continue mailing this sort of thing out to people.