If you have rebates in the works, or if you plan to do rebates on BF, read this thread:

Link

This has really put a hole into my BF buying plans. Everything with a rebate will require a second look.

Sucks.

This melt down is extending into regions and arenas I did not foresee. Dollars to doughnuts, that rebate fullfiller had those funds invested unwisely and lost 'em! I'm just glad I haven't deposited any rebate checks recently. Gosh I'm lucky.

It appears that their status checking site is http://www.rebatestatus.com/

If the information about Continental is true, then you might want to avoid rebates that give that web site for status checks.

News Flash: Continental Promotion seeks bankruptcy protection after layoff

Friday, November 14, 2008 - 5:38 PM EST | Modified: Friday, November 14, 2008 - 6:13 PM
Continental Promotion seeks bankruptcy protection after layoff
Tampa Bay Business Journal - by Michael Hinman
Just a day after it handed out pink slips to 17 employees, CPG Marketing Inc. and Continental Promotion Group Inc. of Tampa have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Friday.

The companies both list an Eisenhower Boulevard office as their address, and both have Daniel Granger as its chief executive. Continental Promotion lists assets of between $1 million and $10 million, and liabilities in the same range from between 200 and 999 creditors. CPG Marketing listed estimated assets of $1 million to $10 million, and liabilities of between $10 million and $50 million, with up to 50 creditors.

Continental Promotion told Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation Thursday it would lay off 17 people by Nov. 19. It’s unclear how many employees Continental and CPG had, and a call to the company’s media contact, Amy Harich, was pending return Friday.

Continental Promotion touts itself on its Web site as a promotional management services provider, interacting with more than 30 million consumers annually through manufacturer- and retailer-driven promotions, according to press releases from the company.

Last May, Continental Promotion said it won a preliminary injunction from a U.S. District Court in Arizona enforcing a non-compete clause of Samuel Garvin that restricted him from competing with Continental Promotion or solicit the firm’s customers or employees for three years following his sale of Continental Promotion to CPG in 2005. The non-compete, according to a press release by Continental Promotion, prohibited Garvin from processing and fulfilling rebates, gift cards and other promotional items, among other activities through two companies known as Garvin Promotion Group LLC and Giftcard Loyalty Reward Solutions LLC.

Continental Promotion claims more than 500 national and international clients in 120 countries with offices in Tampa; Tempe, Ariz.; Toronto; and Tipperary, Ireland.

there goes my $50 from citibank for having their crap credit protector.

My comcast $150 promotion rebate is being processed by rebatestatus.com. And my citi $50 credit protector!
S*!

Aw jeez. I have ~50 in logitech rebates pending.

I have $15 rebate from Kragen in the mail...

beethovengirl said:$%&#@! I've been sitting on a $25 rebate check from them for about a week. It was for a Rx that I tried and can't even use b/c it gave me acne. I was so happy to have gotten my money back for the ugly it had inflicted upon my face and now this.

Thanks for posting and preventing a bounced check fee.

TMI, my friend...TMI.

SVTour98 said:Crap. There goes my $50 rebate for my Fujitsu Scanner...

Naaa you're probably OK and I apologize for any misunderstanding my OP might have caused.

The real danger in this is if you deposit a worthless check. That IS bad and can lead to even worse outcomes, like if you write checks against a checking account balance you think is accurate, but it is not. You could encounter multiple NSF fees and there's no guarantee they would be reimbursed.

On the rebates themselves:

Check with the issuing MANUFACTURER or the issuing SELLER. This as opposed to checking with the fulfillment house. You need to learn if your rebate is impacted. If it is, you need to learn how to recover from this circumstance and retrieve your money, your rebate. The manufacturers and sellers are also victims in this. But they almost certainly will want to make good on their rebate promises regardless.

So bottom line:

Do not deposit rebate checks until you can confirm they are good and will be paid. Depositing a bad check, which later is returned, could mean a fee for you.

If you recently have deposited rebate checks, do not write checks against those funds until you have ascertained with certainty the rebate money really will be there, in your checking account, for good.

Remember, you most likely will NOT lose your rebate. However, you will have to work harder than you expected to work to obtain it. There will be unanticipated "legwork".

And finally, beware bank fees which easily can be larger than some rebates. That's were the real peril lies in this situation.

Good luck to all and be careful out there. This financial melt down is real, and it is tough trying to anticipate what's gonna melt next.

Manufacturers are still legally liable to consumers for the rebates. There is a contract between the consumer and manufacturer, and a separate contract between the manufacturer and rebate processor. Thus, the manufacturers are the ones getting screwed by this rebate processor.

It just may take longer to your receive your rebate as the companies switch rebate processors.

From SD:

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer...ebate_info
Important Rebate Info

November 14, 2008.

Dear Valued Customer,

This is an official message from Canon U.S.A., Inc.

The third party rebate processing company that was responsible for processing rebate claims and issuing mail-in-rebate checks for Canon-brand printer and video products (along with many other products of a number of other companies) filed a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy petition earlier today. The funds provided to them by Canon U.S.A., Inc. (and other companies) apparently are no longer available to satisfy the rebate checks such company issued on behalf of Canon and other companies. Regrettably, as a result, you should not cash the refund check you recently received for such products, as it likely will bounce. We apologize for any inconvenience, delay or confusion this may cause. We are doing everything in our power to promptly rectify the situation.

Accordingly, we request that you take the following actions:

If you are holding or receive a rebate check for printer or video products which is dated on or before November 14, 2008, please do not cash the check, as it may bounce. Please look for updated postings on the Canon U.S.A. website on or about November 18, 2008 for further instruction on how to exchange your check for a new check that you will be able to cash.
If you have not yet mailed in your rebate claim materials, please hold such materials until you receive further instruction. We are making new processing arrangements, with a new mail in address. Please look for updated postings on the Canon U.S.A. website on or about November 18, 2008 for further instruction on where to mail your rebate claim material and how to exchange your check for a new check that you will be able to cash.
Check our web site early next week for further instructions and contact information for any questions you may have. Again, please do not cash any rebate checks for printer or video products which are dated on or before November 14, 2008, as they may bounce.

We are committed to ensuring that you receive your refund as soon as possible and that you will continue to have full confidence in Canon U.S.A., Inc.

We apologize again for any inconvenience.

Sincerely, Canon U.S.A., Inc.