How to Process Rebates at Home
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About Home Rebate Processing
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Like many quick-money, work-at-home opportunities, this one is a scam. Many companies offering home rebate set-up kits have garnered negative reviews by would-be contractors, as well as attention from law enforcement officials for possible fraud. As ABC Creative Consumer columnist Elizabeth Leamy states, "Anytime a business opportunity requires you to spend money in order to start making money, that's a telltale sign of fraud. Processing consumer rebates is just the latest hook."
What the Rebate Scam Entails
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A normal home rebate processing scam looks like this: A person receives a spam email or sees a solicitation to send in a payment--anywhere from $39 to $197--to receive a kit to process consumer rebates for companies. The contractor is paid $15 per rebate processed, with a possible hourly pay of several hundred dollars for diligent work. The processor may also get more money for anybody else that signs up for the business opportunity. In the long run, the company takes the initial payment and often sends nothing back to the consumer. If the consumer does get an actual kit, the rules for completing work and getting paid are often so impossible that the worker will never earn compensation of any sort.
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How to Avoid a Rebate Scam
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Leamy says, "If you knew of a great, easy, guaranteed way to make money, would you be emailing strangers to tell them about it? Of course not. Any business opportunity, medication, investment or product that comes to you via a spam email is automatically suspect. Period." Avoid anything that's too good to be true, and the rebate deal will pass you by. For those who aren't convinced, simply read consumer advocacy opinions before shelling out any cash. There is no way to process rebates at home without losing your shirt and getting an education in fraud in the process.
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- Photo Credit 2006 adobemac / Creative Commons
