Creative Labs doesn't seem to be winning any more fans with their latest offer of $10 "Creative Labs Rewards" rebate cards.

Here is what happens, according to the Consumerist. For certain Creative Labs products offered in the United States, consumers receive a $10 rebate in-store credit at Best Buy locations. The rebate comes in the form of a debit card, that can be used towards new purchases. When issued, it is good for $10 USD. 

But there is really big funky catch, apparently. If you don't use the rebate debit card right away, Creative Labs charges a whopping $3 a month fee. The $3 fee is laughingly called a "maintenance fee", though how it cost $3.00 to "maintain" numbers in computer database is beyond any reasonable explanation that anyone might be able to come up with. The rebate debit cards have an expiry date in July '09, yet if you purchase them not knowing of the "maintenance fee", it obviously will not last more than 4 months.

Just something to be aware of if you are buying a Creative Labs product offering these rebate debit cards.