Over the last few months, I’m betting you’ve been receiving those very pretty blue Chase Freedom credit cards to replace your old Chase credit cards. The card is a very pretty metallic blue color. Oooh. I bet you liked it too. But you need to be aware, that this rebate program that you might have signed up for, that prompted you to probably use your credit card more than normal, may not be what it appears to be and you may not be getting that rebate you thought you were going to get.
Read on to find out what happened to a Consumer Bits reader and what they wrote me with, on their experience with their Chase Freedom Cash Back credit cards program!
(Edited for content, tone and consumer protection. Please don’t send me your private, financial details like account #’s and such. Even putting info like that in an email is not safe because your email has to cross multiple uncontrolled servers before getting to my inbox.)
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A few months back I received my Chase Freedom credit card to replace my old Chase card. Along with this new card, the paperwork blazed on and on about this new rebate program that comes with the card… or so I thought. The program looks great for consumers! You get 1-5% back on specific purchases you make using your blue Chase Freedom credit card.
I tend to avoid my credit cards (as we all should) like the plastic plague of financial death that they are… but with this 5% back thing, I thought, wow, let’s give this a try.
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AH, eBay can be a wonderful place to get decent deals on decent things. But like a gorgeous city with all the dazzle and lights and downtown buzz that everyone talks about, there’s always a dark side for the consumer. Always. With eBay, the dark side can be a very expensive and frustrating experience if you’re not careful. Due to my experiences, I’ve created a few rules that help me navigate the catacombs of potential financial disaster from eBay, and I’d like to share them with you.
Creating an account is free… so that’s a no-brainer if you think you’ll be inclined to play on eBay.
With eBay, I’ve created a PayPal account. In it I have multiple resources for paying for products. Checking accounts and Credit Cards. I like to make sure that I always pay but NOT with, well, you’ll see.
Check out my rules I made up on the fly for myself about using eBay: (These are like Gibbs rules!)
eBay Usage Rule No 1:
I NEVER send a personal check to pay for anything. Use Money Orders or PayPal. Yep, it’s a pain in the backside to snag Money Orders but if you look around, you can find resources that sell money orders for 50 cents or free. I hear 7-11 used to be expensive, but Walmart or other sources are cheaper. (Check with you your bank and see if your checking account provides free money orders!)
For me, I feel uncomfortable sending a check. It has all my checking account information on it and I don’t feel like giving out my info to any more people than I have to. I’m minimizing my exposure.
