Hidden Costs of Dell's $4 Gift Check
Free money sent to recent Dell PC purchaser turns out to be anything but.I paid off my Dell Dimension 4100 through Dell Financial Services, then received a check for $4 from Dell. Thinking I'd overpaid, I cashed the check. But my next credit card statement included a charge for $139.95. I called Dell and learned that by cashing the check I had set up a DealPass account, which offers discounts on products from other retailers. DealPass never notified me of my new membership. I don't want this service, and I feel like I've been betrayed by Dell. How can I get my money back?
Patty McIntire, Lansdale, Pennsylvania
On Your Side responds: Dell told me that Dell Financial Services had teamed with DealPass, which sells memberships offering discounts at certain retail stores and services. To promote it, Dell Financial Services sent checks to Dell customers. People who cash the checks receive a 30-day free DealPass membership; then, if they don't cancel, their Dell account is charged $139.95 for a year's dues. Dell says that it included details of the agreement on McIntire's check; but it issued her a full refund anyway. PC World's advice: Beware of "free" money.
--Stephanie Layton