rec.autos.simulators

by **Marc Goldstei** » Fri, 21 Apr 2000 04:00:00

It seems a lot of stores now are offering mail-in-rebated instead of sales.
I was just wondering how many people have actually gotten anything back from
them? Two main stores in Canada, Future Shop and Compusmart, are using them
more and more all the time. Future Shop still hasn't sent me a rebate from
almost a year ago and another one from a couple months ago. The one from a
long time ago was for an EA Classics release of Test Drive 5. I wouldn't
have gotten it without the rebate, and I wish I hadn't anyway. It's pretty
awful. Compusmart is usually pretty good, but they still owe me one or two
from a while ago. I wish the stores would just have sales. I understand that
they have reasons for rebates (probably the main one is that they don't
really send many out:), but it's so much easier to just pay less in the
first place. Now if all my rebates just come in, I'll be heading out to get
a couple more games :)

Marc

by **Philste** » Sat, 22 Apr 2000 04:00:00

It simply sucks. I get rebates one time out of 10. It's being done to
lure consummers into buying games at a "bargain" price (illusion).
Reality is, publishers do this because most people won't even bother
cutting the CUP from the box, fill out the form and ship everything to
them. If too many send them in, then can't honor every claim. It's
really done at the consummers expenses. If you're gonna lower the price,
give me a lower a price when I actually buy the game. What a crock.

> It seems a lot of stores now are offering mail-in-rebated instead of sales.
> I was just wondering how many people have actually gotten anything back from
> them? Two main stores in Canada, Future Shop and Compusmart, are using them
> more and more all the time. Future Shop still hasn't sent me a rebate from
> almost a year ago and another one from a couple months ago. The one from a
> long time ago was for an EA Classics release of Test Drive 5. I wouldn't
> have gotten it without the rebate, and I wish I hadn't anyway. It's pretty
> awful. Compusmart is usually pretty good, but they still owe me one or two
> from a while ago. I wish the stores would just have sales. I understand that
> they have reasons for rebates (probably the main one is that they don't
> really send many out:), but it's so much easier to just pay less in the
> first place. Now if all my rebates just come in, I'll be heading out to get
> a couple more games :)

> Marc

--
Philippe Sergerie
Proud co-owner - CLONE N.Legends league
http://members.chello.se/clone/index.htm
ICQ#: 16192023

by c » Sat, 22 Apr 2000 04:00:00

its proven that less than 15% (or is it 10%?) actually bother to send in the
rebates.

scooter

> It simply sucks. I get rebates one time out of 10. It's being done to
> lure consummers into buying games at a "bargain" price (illusion).
> Reality is, publishers do this because most people won't even bother
> cutting the CUP from the box, fill out the form and ship everything to
> them. If too many send them in, then can't honor every claim. It's
> really done at the consummers expenses. If you're gonna lower the price,
> give me a lower a price when I actually buy the game. What a crock.

> > It seems a lot of stores now are offering mail-in-rebated instead of
sales.
> > I was just wondering how many people have actually gotten anything back
from
> > them? Two main stores in Canada, Future Shop and Compusmart, are using
them
> > more and more all the time. Future Shop still hasn't sent me a rebate
from
> > almost a year ago and another one from a couple months ago. The one from
a
> > long time ago was for an EA Classics release of Test Drive 5. I wouldn't
> > have gotten it without the rebate, and I wish I hadn't anyway. It's
pretty
> > awful. Compusmart is usually pretty good, but they still owe me one or
two
> > from a while ago. I wish the stores would just have sales. I understand
that
> > they have reasons for rebates (probably the main one is that they don't
> > really send many out:), but it's so much easier to just pay less in the
> > first place. Now if all my rebates just come in, I'll be heading out to
get
> > a couple more games :)

> > Marc

> --
> Philippe Sergerie
> Proud co-owner - CLONE N.Legends league
> http://members.chello.se/clone/index.htm
> ICQ#: 16192023

by **David Er** » Sun, 23 Apr 2000 04:00:00

I have rarely had any luck with getting rebates without a several followup
emails or phone calls. I no longer consider a rebate to be any sort of sales
incentive and tend to regard salesmen who push rebates as being snake oil
salesmen. Mail in rebate =empty sales gimmick as far as I'm concerned. Good
solid products shouldn't need them and I comparison shop on the basis of how
much cash goes over the counter now, not 6 months down the line.

David

> It simply sucks. I get rebates one time out of 10. It's being done to
> lure consummers into buying games at a "bargain" price (illusion).
> Reality is, publishers do this because most people won't even bother
> cutting the CUP from the box, fill out the form and ship everything to
> them. If too many send them in, then can't honor every claim. It's
> really done at the consummers expenses. If you're gonna lower the price,
> give me a lower a price when I actually buy the game. What a crock.

> > It seems a lot of stores now are offering mail-in-rebated instead of
sales.
> > I was just wondering how many people have actually gotten anything back
from
> > them? Two main stores in Canada, Future Shop and Compusmart, are using
them
> > more and more all the time. Future Shop still hasn't sent me a rebate
from
> > almost a year ago and another one from a couple months ago. The one from
a
> > long time ago was for an EA Classics release of Test Drive 5. I wouldn't
> > have gotten it without the rebate, and I wish I hadn't anyway. It's
pretty
> > awful. Compusmart is usually pretty good, but they still owe me one or
two
> > from a while ago. I wish the stores would just have sales. I understand
that
> > they have reasons for rebates (probably the main one is that they don't
> > really send many out:), but it's so much easier to just pay less in the
> > first place. Now if all my rebates just come in, I'll be heading out to
get
> > a couple more games :)

> > Marc

> --
> Philippe Sergerie
> Proud co-owner - CLONE N.Legends league
> http://members.chello.se/clone/index.htm
> ICQ#: 16192023

by **David Ewin** » Tue, 25 Apr 2000 04:00:00

> It seems a lot of stores now are offering mail-in-rebated instead of sales.
> I was just wondering how many people have actually gotten anything back from
> them?

I've had really good luck with rebates. Microsoft, believe it or not, is very
prompt. I sent in a $10.00 rebate coupon for a Sidewinder game pad (for
playing sports games, NOT for driving!), and got a check well within 30 days.
I just got back two rebates totalling $60 from Intuit for their TurboTax /
Quicken software (also within 30 days).

The only problem I have had was with Diamond for their Monster2 card. I hadn't
heard anything for a few months when someone on this newsgroup, I believe,
posted an e-mail address to hassle them about it. After sending them an
inquiry, they replied that I indeed was owed some money, and they sent me a
check shortly thereafter. Kind of sleazy (or at least incompetent) that I had
to goose them about it.

I have never had the case where I didn't eventually receive the rebate.

Dave Ewing

--
*****************************************************
David A. Ewing

*****************************************************

by **mas..** » Tue, 25 Apr 2000 04:00:00

>> It seems a lot of stores now are offering mail-in-rebated instead of sales.
>> I was just wondering how many people have actually gotten anything back from
>> them?

Rebates are an interesting, probably succesful, marketing gimmick that can
save the perseverent user a lot of money, but almost always with hassles.
Basically, the company can offer a substantial discount because they know that
most people will not get around to taking advantage of it. Happened to me
once, and I'm pretty, um, perseverent :-) But instead of offering say $10
off, they can offer $30, knowing that far less than 1 in 3 (saw a number once
that indicated a lower hit rate) will take advantage, but many will buy the
product. The hassles are that you have to fill out the info, double check
that you get it right (they threaten to void it for a host of reasons),
clip stuff like the UPC, keep records, track it.

I think MS has been decent with me too.

This is KEY. My advice: copy the receipt, copy the coupon, mark the date and
phone number. Invariably, they have something like "if you do not receive
your rebate within 6-8 weeks, call ...". CALL THEM. I found Hival, Diamond,
pretty much all companies, to be slow. If you call, you move up the list and,
in my experience, get your check much sooner. Took me two tries with (I
think) Hival. Finally got a $30 rebate after about 6 months.

Writing of which, hmmm, looks like time to make a call to Western Digital...

Ditto. Note I did receive a letter to the effect that HiVal (the company that
repackages CD-roms, soundcards, etc and sells them under their label at low
prices) has gone bankrupt. I did receive rebates from them, with nothing left
outstanding. But I wouldn't be buying any leftover stuff from them expecting
a rebate.

rec.autos.simulators

Rebates?

Rebates?

Rebates?

Rebates?

Rebates?

Rebates?

Rebates?