Citi Credit Protector Rebates - Busted!
Earlier this year, I reported that I had cashed the $15 promotional check that I received from CitiBank, thereby signing up for their Credit Protector program. My main intention (beyond the free $15) was to cash in on their retention rebates when I tried to cancel — they send you a set of five $10 coupons that can be redeemed one per month. As it turns out, they sent me two sets of rebates, and I soon discovered that they were willing to honor both sets of rebate coupons. Well, they finally caught up with me and denied my last submission. Oh well, free money is free money, I managed to get an extra $30 out of them (i.e., $80 instead of $50) before they wised up, and I still have one more coupon in play. Yeah, I know, stuff like this is hardly worth the time that it takes. But it really doesn’t take that much time, and it does amuse me, so… I keep right on doing it.
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I had to laugh when I read your post - I previously got those $50 rebate coupons and used them. I got another $15 check about 3 months ago, deposited it and made a note on my calendar to cancel (fully expecting them to try and keep me!) Well, no dice — they just let me go. Anyway, it was another $15 to send to my mortgage company.
Comment by Amy — Nov 14th 2005 @ 3:16 pmIf I understand correctly, you get the rebate coupons for agreeing not to cancel the Credit Protector program? If so, isn’t there a cost to that program which would at least partly offset the rebate coupons? What am I missing?
Comment by Allen — Nov 14th 2005 @ 4:17 pmYes, there is a cost, but it’s associated with your closing balance at the end of each month. I’m doing this with a card for which I’ve already maxed out the rebates, such that I’m not currently using it. No activity = no balance = no cost.
LOL — I absolutely love it. I haven’t heard about much of those check cashing promos here in Canada, but I hear they use it alot in USA — for stuff like switching people Long Distance and stuff like that — crazyness!
Comment by Jay's Financial Blog — Nov 14th 2005 @ 4:53 pm…and it gives you good material to write about
Comment by SavingAdvice — Nov 14th 2005 @ 9:45 pmI’ve done this for three of my citi CC. I havn’t been busted yet.
Comment by Hypersion — Nov 21st 2005 @ 11:32 pmYou’ve done what? Cashed in the rebate coupons? Or duped them into giving you duplicate sets of rebate coupons (at once) and then successfully cashed in both the originals and the duplicates? That’s pretty impressive if you’ve being able to do the latter three separate times.
If you cancel the service before using all of your rebates, are the rebates still valid? Do you have to stay a member to use the rebates?
Comment by EvilHula — Dec 7th 2005 @ 7:10 pm“To be eligible for the payment, the recipient must be an enrolled member of Credit Protector on the date the rebate request is recieved.” -back of each of the five $10 rebate certificates
Comment by Karl — Mar 11th 2006 @ 11:32 am