Collection due to stop payment

[Noelle2010]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? DC

Back in July I purchased a phone from sprint and I was told that I was entitled to a rebate which I believed was for $100. I sent the rebate off in September.

On October 16, I received an email stating "Your rebate of $320.00 is in the final stages of processing and should be mailed to you within the next four weeks." So I did a search on some message boards and saw that some people were saying that they had received checks for $320 as well. So I think "fine, that's pretty cool".

On November 13, I hadn't received the check but I received an e-mail that stated the same exact thing "Your rebate of $320.00 is in the final stages of processing and should be mailed to you within the next four weeks." So I'm wondering what's going on.

Finally on November 19 I called to check on it and after being put on hold forever, some guy that I can barely understands tells me "There was a discrepancy with your check and you had to be issued a new check number. However your check has been approved already and you should be receiving it soon." With that being said, I got of the phone with the guy outraged and annoyed. (I'm a broke college student and I had been checking my mailbox multiple times a day for this check.)

On November 22nd, I received a check in the mail and I went to cash it at a check cashing place (Normally I would have gone to the bank but it was closed and as I said, I'm a broke college student). The place cashed it (after collecting ALL of my personal info and subtracting 5%).

Today I receive a letter from the check cashing place dated December 8 stating that I owe them $345 (face value + returned check charge) and otherwise they would pursue additional collection efforts. They also called my father and told them that I cashed two checks (which I didnt) and I was only entitled to one. When in fact I only received one and cashed one.

Apparently, (or this is what I believe has happened) when I called to check on the check, sprint then placed a stop payment on the original check. However, I was under the impression that when the guy told me that I had to be issued a new check, it had already previously been done and that was why I received the second email on Nov. 13 and it's how I was able to receive the check so quickly on November 22.

In fact, still to this day, when I check the email and click the link to check the status, it says " Offer: $320 Check. Your rebate is approved and a check has been issued. You should expect to receive your check on or before the date listed below. Thank you 12-04-08" However when I go to sprintrebates.com and enter my telephone number, it says the same thing except the amount says $100 and the date says 12-25-08.
So Im guessing that they sent out a 2nd check in the amount of $100 and I just havent received it yet.

I'm confused and frustrated. Could someone please tell me who is liable in this situation?

[Antigone*of*Greece]

You've already posted this question in another thread. Please either delete this one or lock it.