Oone envelope is a bit more fancy. We open it and find a check. It's only for nine bucks, must be a "rewards" check or a refund we assume and throw it on the pile of bank papers for the next trip to the bank. It's not until an hour or two later that we notice the small print underneath the amount.

"By cashing this check you are purchasing a membership in Shoppers Advantage."

"What's this all about?"

Apparently this is not a check after all. It's actually a membership form for the "Shopper's Advantage" Club by Chase, which, by chance just happens to look like a standard issue corporate check. By simply cashing it, we are automatically enrolled into their club for the advantageous shopper at a cost of only $119 for the year.

This is the sort of thing you expect from a two bit insurance salesman, "Oh I thought you wanted the extra hub cap insurance package..." Apparently we can now come to expect it from the largest of banks and credit lenders as well. Is it possible that Chase has become so large, so powerful and so confident that they can scam us by mail and still expect us to come knocking on their door for a loan?

The most disturbing aspect about Shoppers Advantage is not the ironic name, nor the fact that the mailing came without literature on what the hell the Advantage actually is but the fact that some idiot working at Chase had to come up with this idea. Then had to pitch it to they're boss who in turn pitched it to a group of decision makers who then ok'd it. No where along this bureaucratic assembly line did anyone say, "Wait a minute...we're mailing fake checks?"

And even if they did....enough of them decided, "Yes, this is ok," to go through with it.

If any Shoppers Advantage mail comes your way be forewarned. We're not even telling you not to join. Maybe it is a really great club and you can email us the benefits package, since Chase didn't bother to. On this trip around however, we declined to join the club.