Little Orange Cards

For the third time in the last year I have purchased a cell phone. Consequently, for the third time I have received an orange debit card after a wait of eight weeks. You see, A.T. and T. has this annoying habit of giving $50 dollar rebates on their phones. I have determined that, as much as I like to save money, I do not like the practice.

Why must I loan them fifty dollars for the pleasure of buying something from them? They must be using that money somehow or in some way as I wait two months to get it back. In the meantime, I can't use it. If it's truly my money, then the system just ain't right on that count alone.

Why can't they simply knock a Grant off the price and sell it to me outright? If the phone is worth $39.95 why not sell it to me for that rather than $89.95? They make enough off me with five phones on my plan; why must I get played over a new phone?

Why must I then get my 'cash' back in a debit card which can be traced according to my purchases? Unless they're in cahoots with someone, which I have to assume they are, I ought to be able to spend my money in cash where I want. Where, yes, it can't be so easily traced, because it's no one's damned business where I spend my money unless you have reasonable suspicions an illegality is involved.

Further insult to injury lies in the fact that I pay sales tax on the $89.95 because that's technically what I paid for the unit. Is the State of Michigan in on this scam too? That's an extra three bucks, which makes my fifty dollar loan in actuality a forty seven dollar one.

Someone ought to make a comedy skit out of this. Customer: "So you're telling me that if I loan you fifty dollars for eight weeks I earn the privilege to buy this great phone?"

"Yes, sir!" replies the salesperson proudly.

Customer, thinking hard, "Well, then, get me two."

We would laugh at the absurdity of the situation, never thinking that the joke is on us.