PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Lois Shipley, of New Castle, got a letter in the mail the other day from a business called the Senior Advisory Center.

The letter stated that for a fee of $39, the company, on her behalf, would file a property tax, or rent rebate claim with the Pa. Department of Revenue.

“I opened it up and read it and I was so excited I called my daughter and I told her I got to get it filled out and send it in,” she said.

But, Shipley said she had a gut feeling that something wasn’t right and sure enough she was right.

The Better Business Bureau says the letter is misleading because residents of the state don’t have to pay any processing fee to file for the rebate. You can file free yourself and get assistance at no charge to fill out the form.

Becky McArdle of the BBB says the Senior Advisory Center is really based in California although it uses a Harrisburg mail drop.

“The problem is consumers can get that for free,” McArdle said. “They don’t have to pay to fill out the application to receive their rent or rebate tax information. So it’s a little bit misleading to consumers because they don’t have to pay to get the information.”

RELATED LINKS
Pa. Department of Revenue
Better Business Bureau: Pittsburgh