Archived from groups: comp.periphs.printers (
More info?)
DaveG wrote:
> On Sat, 11 Jun 2005 09:09:33 -0500, JimL wrote:
>
>
>> I also just received my rebate from Western Digital. They took
>>almost exactly 60 days to 'process' my rebate. But they also
>>notified me by email that it was in process shortly after I sent it
>>in.
>
>
> Sounds like a god way to get the sales up while retaining the money in the
> bank for as long as possible.
>
>
>> Why can't some stores process all the rebates for us and take a
>>commission from the rebates?
>> I would give them half of my rebate if they just would do it for me.
>>I hate messing with rebates and would pay a premium not to mess with
>>them.
>
>
> The whole rebate system is weird. Why don't the compaines just sell
> the stuff to the shops cheaper and the shops just sell the stuff at a
> discount in the first place? That way there would be more savings to be
> passed onto the customer as the rebate processing must cost serious time
> and money process.
>
Because it is sales inducement. If you can get
something for half price or maybe free, you buy
it. Would you buy it if the price was always 20
percent less. probably not if it is something you
don't really need.
Rebates are a good deal for buyers that
immediately put all the rebates requirements
together (photocopy it) and mail it in. It is a
lousy deal, if you lose the parts you need, go
past the date, or you don't make a copy and
somebody loses your entry stuff.
Heck, I get turbo tax with the state part and
symantec's Norton Antivirus every year. Cash is
something over $100, but with rebates it is just
$30. In essence, Norton Antivirus is free for me.
Of course, one year they lost one of the rebates
and demanded a new form (which was not available
any place) and I lost about $30. Nobody has
lost any of my rebates submissions since I started
copying everything on my scanner. How do they
know I scanned it and have a record?
Symantec seemed a little slow with rebates (and
the obvious subterfuge of not making copies of the
submission form available didn't help) but this
year, the 6-8 weeks for rebate check turned into
an amazing 2-3 weeks. So maybe complaining to the
government about slow rebate returns works.