Mary Anne Klein was shopping for an automatic pool cleaner at Swimming Pool Discounters in Ross when she spotted Wanda the Whale on a shelf.

The price -- $149 -- was more than she wanted to pay, but the sales clerk told her Wanda came with a $100 rebate.

"I wouldn't have bought her without the rebate," said Klein, 49, of Observatory Hill.

She paid for Wanda and asked for the rebate form. The clerk said the store had run out but promised to send one as soon as they came in. Klein, who had purchased other items at the store, said that would be fine.

Alyssa Cwanger, Post-Gazette
Mary Anne Klein and Wanda the Whale poolside.
Click photo for larger image.

She took Wanda home, connected her to the pool's filtration system and watched as the cleaner, about the size of a basketball on steroids, settled to the bottom of the above-ground pool and started to vacuum it.

It worked fine.

When the rebate form arrived a few weeks later, the only thing fine was the print on the back.

"The print on the back of the form is so microscopic that someone with 20/20 vision had to use a magnifying glass," Klein said.

After straining her eyes to see what she had to do to get the rebate, she was outraged to find she would have to wait about a year for it. She also would have to comply with some unusual provisions.

First, she had to return the stub of the Cashback Voucher by registered or certified mail or by courier service to United States Administrative Services in Mount Dora, Fla., within 10 days of the date she received it. That company handles the rebate program for Cashback America of Orlando, Fla.

After waiting no fewer than 11 months and no more than 11 months, 20 days, Klein must send the Cashback Voucher itself to United States Administrative Services, called USAS, by registered or certified mail or courier service.

In that same envelope, she also must include the original bill of sale; proof that she paid for the goods in the form of a canceled check or credit card slip; a signed photocopy of her valid passport or driver's license as proof of her identity; proof of her address such as a utility or household bill; and proof that the voucher stub had been sent to and received by USAS "within the time limit specified."

"If you comply with all of these conditions, USAS will, within six weeks of your claim, pay you up to 100 percent of the amount shown on this Cashback Voucher."

Klein couldn't believe it.

"Needless to say, I am furious. No way did I think I would have to jump through hoops to get a rebate. I called [USAS] and they said it is a 'rebate challenge' to see if the buyer can remember to send in all their requirements on the timeline. This is so bizarre."

Klein said she called Swimming Pool Discounters and complained. She told the clerk she never would have bought Wanda if she had known about the yearlong wait for the rebate.

I called the store and spoke to the owner, Dale Kleiner, who also has stores in New Castle and Zelienople. He said he purchases the rebate forms in bulk but had run out of them at the store in Ross. He said they have been given to 900 customers and only 15 had complained.

"You just can't please some people," he said. "They didn't like the way it was structured."

He said he would give Klein the difference "in cash" if she could bring in an ad that showed Wanda could be purchased elsewhere for less than $149.

"And she could keep the $100 rebate," he said.

I called Barb Petito, a spokeswoman for the state Bureau of Consumer Protection. I asked for some generic advice about rebates.

She said stores should have rebate information available for customers before they make a purchase.

"Consumers should ask if they will receive the full amount of the rebate, when they will receive it and what terms and conditions they have to adhere to to get it," Petito said. "If that information isn't available, it might be worthwhile for the consumer to shop elsewhere or wait until it becomes available."

First Published: August 5, 2005, 4:00 a.m.