Rebates: I'm officially done with them.

[DS1]

CompUSA used to be the kings of rebates, now look where they are. Anyone advertising rebates can kiss my ass. Especially if it's through a third party.

I finally got a rebate check from Canon, after I went to them direct because their rebate company was claiming to have sent check after check, none of which ever appeared.

Canon finally sent a check to my workplace via Fedex, good on them.

Either make it an instant rebate, or piss off. I'll buy something else just to NOT deal with that bullshit again.


Thoughts?

[PeaceNikki]

1. I concur.

Rebates are stupid.

[DS1]

6. They're like insurance companies

fighting payouts, and earning interest on YOUR money!

[PeaceNikki]

9. Exactly.

Although, insurance companies are slightly more mafia-like in their tactics.

Legalized and in some cases, mandated, extortion.

[ghostsofgiants]

2. Word.

I just ordered a bunch of computer shit. My RAM comes with like a $40 mail-in rebate and I doubt I will even bother with it.

[DS1]

7. eh

it's worth a try with the stamp, but it's best to have come to terms with not getting it first :crazy:

and what did you end up getting?

[ghostsofgiants]

14. Bunch of fun stuff...

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (Which was like $30 off.)
ASUS P5K-E Motherboard
Patriot Extreme Viper 4GB 2X2GB DDR2-1066 Memory
Thermalright ULTRA-120 Extreme 6 Heatpipe Heatsink (Which is a fucking monster, haha.)

Picking up a case at a local shop tomorrow and I probably won't be getting my video card until my next paycheque but we'll see.

[DS1]

15. i just built a dual-core 2.53 ghz with that mobo yesterday

it's pretty nice, everything really speedy so far

[ghostsofgiants]

16. Nice. The quad I'm getting is 2.4GHz.

I'm pretty stoked. Should get it tomorrow or Monday.

[Schema Thing]

3. The "rebate" business model

is obviously designed to take advantage of the fact that a lot of people won't in fact do the paperwork.


Sometimes I think they try to stretch that into "people who WILL do the paperwork, but might forget to worry about it 6 weeks later, or not feel like fighting".

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. I could not agree more!

You have to jump through a brazillion hoops, and God help you if you miss any of them...

They make them difficult so that people won't bother, thus saving the company money, the bastards!

Ick.

[mainegreen]

5. Rebates are a scam.

I 'saved' 350 bucks through rebates when I built my wife's PC. When I sent the rebates, I photocopied the documents I sent and sent them all with proof of delivery. Of course 2 of the rebates were denied. One for sending the rebate in too late and one for having the form improperly filled out (they claimed I didn't sign it). So I had to call both up, inform them I had goddamn proof they were full of shit and expected to see my checks in the next week or I'd see them in court and screw them over there. I got my checks but what a hassle. I just take the lowest actual price. Rebates are a scam. Only neurotic bastards like me who document everything get their rebates, and only then after having to threaten to sue them. Over 350 bucks.

Assholes.

[DS1]

13. Heh. I took my camera

the rebated item to the post office, took pictures of the UPC codes, the UPC codes going in the envelopes, the boxes with holes, the forms filled out, the sealed letters, then got the envelopes stamped, got them back from the teller, took pictures of them stamped and dated and then mailed them.

I was not fucking around.

[redqueen]

8. They count on people not sending them in.

They also count on the few people who do send it in not bothering to follow up after they don't send the rebate check.

Such bastards.

[huskerlaw]

10. Apple does it right...

I just bought a new iBook, with a "free" iPod (with rebate). I wasn't going to do it, until the Apple guy told me I could fill out the rebate info and send it (online) right there in the store. So I did it, thinking hell, if it doesn't go through, I'll demand my money back from the store directly.

It worked totally fine and I had my rebate check within the week.

[flvegan]

11. I hate them.

I had a rebate denied by the fulfillment company for Circuit City for something stupid. It was like $25. I wrote a tidy letter to Circuit City explaining that if they did a store locater search for Best Buy, they'd find one directly across the street, and they have the same shit for right around the same price and I'd shop there from now on.

I got my fucking rebate. Never again, though. Fuckers.

[yellowdogintexas]

12. some places just build them into the price and that's it. Office Depot used to do

that and also Target, I think