SOYO Rebate Center Failed to process rebate lied about status requests for information go unanswered Diamond Bar California

This is regarding a SOYO motherboard purchased from New Egg 5/28/04.

This product carried a $10.00 mail-in rebate offer.
Rebate form and proofs of purchase were mailed 6/1/04.
Finally showed as having been "postmarked 7/1/04" on their status site www.verifyrebate.com

I began contacting them in Nov. as the status then showed it had been "approved 10/12/04", emails to the rebate center went unanswered. I then contacted SOYO USA and recieved this response 11/22/04: "Our records indicate that you have been approved. Please allow 2-3 weeks for your check to be received. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Best Regards,
Rebate Department
SOYO Inc."

Today 1/1/05 I find the status now shows "11/30/04 11:16:44 Check(Gift) Sent"

We all have heard the tired old line "the check is in the mail" but do these folks expect me to believe it takes the USPS over a month to deliver a letter cross country?

I'll be back to sending emails to SOYO USA as the rebate center still refuses to answer at their address, but this whole thing smells like a scam to me.
I was under the impression there were laws to protect consumers from this sort of fraud. Anyone wanting to bring a class action should count me in.

I've contacted the retailer as well. Of course, they say this is between SOYO and myself and the required form complete with the New Egg logo is simply provided as a service to their customers. I've seen Tiger Direct implicated here as well and do feel this is a problem with SOYO USA rather than the retailers, but they need to be made aware they only hurt themselves by continuing to aid these rebate scams.

I've frequently used rebates and this is the only time I've ever experienced a problem. Companies like SOYO give the whole process a bad name and only spoil the reputations of the retailers handling their products.

Chris
Stamford, Connecticut
U.S.A.