Paid for shopping

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- We've all heard the horror stories of schemes that entice consumers by promising to pay them to shop.   Well, what if there really was an honest-to-goodness, bona fide offer like that out there? 

Imagine heading out to the mailbox to find a check waiting for you, just for shopping online.  Check out www.ebates.com.  Here's what it promises:  when you log on and start shopping at your favorite stores, you'll get some of that money back because E-bates gets a commission on what you spend and they are willing to give you a cut.

You have 800 stores to choose from.  When you earn more than $5.00 back, E-bates cuts you a check and puts it in the mail.

The site also updates coupons and other discounts daily to keep you in the savings loop.  There's a daily double.

I checked out www.eopinions.com to see what they think and there are a couple of catches.  First, cash back can be as little as two percent of your purchase.  That means you'd have to spend $250 before you are eligible for a check.  But keep in mind, cash back percentages vary from purchase to purchase. Some deals are better than others and checks are issued quarterly so you have to be patient. 

We found out the site does have a satisfactory record with the Better Business Bureau.