Rebates?

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

I think rebates serve two purposes: 1. The manufacturer can pass along price reductions directly to the customer. 2. It serves as an effective tool to gather information about your customers. In the past I've had fairly good experiences with rebates. Rebates I've used from Microsoft or other manufacturers usually arrive fairly quickly (except for one for a Diamond video card which took a year). The rebates offered by retailers such as Future Shop usually take a bit longer. At the moment I have two outstanding rebates for purchases I made off FutureShop.ca during their boxing week sale. It's taking an unusually long time but I inquired about them both last week and was assured that, despite the delay, I should be receiving my rebates shortly. My advice, always keep a copy of the rebate coupon because you will need it to contact them if something goes wrong. - - - Earn a free Palm organizer at http://www.jackpot.com/win.asp?ref=107-8480 On Thu, 20 Apr 2000 02:40:27 GMT, "Marc Goldstein" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>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 >

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. Marc Goldstein wrote:

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> > 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

its proven that less than 15% (or is it 10%?) actually bother to send in the rebates. scooter Philster <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> 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. > > Marc Goldstein wrote: > > > > 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 backfrom > > them? Two main stores in Canada, Future Shop and Compusmart, are usingthem > > more and more all the time. Future Shop still hasn't sent me a rebatefrom > > almost a year ago and another one from a couple months ago. The one froma > > 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'spretty > > awful. Compusmart is usually pretty good, but they still owe me one ortwo > > from a while ago. I wish the stores would just have sales. I understandthat > > 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 toget

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

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 "Philster" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> 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. > > Marc Goldstein wrote: > > > > 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 backfrom > > them? Two main stores in Canada, Future Shop and Compusmart, are usingthem > > more and more all the time. Future Shop still hasn't sent me a rebatefrom > > almost a year ago and another one from a couple months ago. The one froma > > 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'spretty > > awful. Compusmart is usually pretty good, but they still owe me one ortwo > > from a while ago. I wish the stores would just have sales. I understandthat > > 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 toget

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

Marc Goldstein wrote: > 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 Xilinx Boulder [email hidden] *****************************************************

In article <[email hidden]>, David Ewing <[email hidden]> wrote: >Marc Goldstein wrote: > >> 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've had really good luck with rebates. Microsoft, believe it or not, is very >prompt. I think MS has been decent with me too. >The only problem I have had was with Diamond for their Monster2 card... > 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. 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... >I have never had the case where I didn't eventually receive the rebate. 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.