AVOID STAPLES! REBATES ARE A TRIP TO H...!

[Joe]

I have bought many many items with rebate at STAPLES.

Sorry to inform you, I NEVER had any problems.


As a matter of fact, I have gottten many many rebates. Never had a ANY
problem.

Always do I follow the instructions carefully.

Next time I suggest to take the time to READ the fine print carefully.

Happy Shopping

 

[Grinder]

I have bought many many items with rebate at STAPLES.

Sorry to inform you, I NEVER had any problems.


As a matter of fact, I have gottten many many rebates. Never had a ANY
problem.

Always do I follow the instructions carefully.

I'm happy for you, Yoda.

 

[kony]

I have bought many many items with rebate at STAPLES.

Sorry to inform you, I NEVER had any problems.


As a matter of fact, I have gottten many many rebates. Never had a ANY
problem.

Always do I follow the instructions carefully.

Next time I suggest to take the time to READ the fine print carefully.

Happy Shopping

As a matter of percentage, I have had problems with about 5%
of them, maybe 10%. I am meticulous about filling them out
and keeping records and can assure you that a *perfectly*
complied with rebate is still subject to rejection a certain
percentage of the time.

 

[DevilsPGD]

In message <[email protected]> kony

As a matter of percentage, I have had problems with about 5%
of them, maybe 10%. I am meticulous about filling them out
and keeping records and can assure you that a *perfectly*
complied with rebate is still subject to rejection a certain
percentage of the time.

As long as you keep the documentation, you should be able to dispute
those and get them approved too, if it's worth the hassle.

 

[Bob]

As long as you keep the documentation, you should be able to dispute
those and get them approved too, if it's worth the hassle.

Why not fill it in at the store and submit it to the cashier and tell
her to give you the cash now and she can hassle with the crooks.


--

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable
one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore
all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
-- George Bernard Shaw

 

[DevilsPGD]

Why not fill it in at the store and submit it to the cashier and tell
her to give you the cash now and she can hassle with the crooks.

Because that's not how the system works. *shrugs*

 

[Bob]

Because that's not how the system works. *shrugs*

Maybe it's time for change.

You can get more with a kind word and a 2x4 then just a kind word.

than


--

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable
one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore
all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
-- George Bernard Shaw

 

[DevilsPGD]

Maybe it's time for change.

Sure. Any suggestions? -- Keep in mind that rebates are optional, and
the only reason they're offered at all is because of three factors:

1) It allows the company to capitalize on the money between the time
when the purchase is made and the rebate cheque is cashed.

2) A significant percentage of people are simply too stupid to follow
basic instructions and therefore their rebates are legitimately denied.
As a result, those that can follow instructions get a better deal.

3) Since the cheque is mailed to a physical address, the marketing
department now has a valid address to send marketing junk.

You can already choose to purchase things based on the pre-rebate price
and not participate, or you can choose to buy things that don't offer
rebates at all, so there isn't much of a "change" required or even
possible while still giving the company the economic benefit that allows
them to offer rebates in the first place.

than

I could swear I already fixed that... Hmm... <checking> Ahh, I fixed it
in the master but didn't push the change out yet.

 

[kony]

Maybe it's time for change.

Even with rebate centers that could (in theory) never make
honest or dishonest mistakes, companies offer rebates with
the expectation that only a small percentage will ever be
fulfilled. An automatic money back system would result in
either an abandonment of the rebate entirely, or a much
smaller rebate offered.

 

[Bob]

Sure. Any suggestions?

Boycott the store.

There are any number of other stores which sell at the price level you
would get if the rebate worked.

There is nothing at Worst Buy that I want that I cannot get from
somewhere else at as good or better a price, rebate or not. I consult
Worst Buy for pricing comparison and in every instance they are
higher, sometimes ridiculously higher, than another source.

Here are a couple of examples of recent purchases.

1) DVDR. WalMart has the Ilo DVDR05 for $99. It is essentially
identical to the CyberHome 1600 (there are two types, ZU and MU. The
MU is newer and works. The ZU is being phased out and does not work).
Worst Buy wants $120 for the CH 1600.

Furthermore WM extends a 90 day return whereas WB is nothing but
hassles with moron clerks to return something. It they test it and it
works you can't return it. WM doesn't care if it works or not.

2) DVD +RW. The Ilo unit uses +R media and so I bought some +RW at
Sam's Club - Verbatim 4x - for less than $1 each. Verbatim is the best
+RW on the market. I tested it extensively with CD-DVD Speed Scan and
it came out 100% defect free. Worst Buy doesn't even have it - all
they carry is low-end crap for a higher price.

3) DVD -R. I use only Verbatim 16x which I can get at Sam's Club for
the incredible price of 42 cents per disc in 100 qty. I can get
Verbatim 8x for 38 cents. Worst Buy doesn't carry Verbatim and their
crap like MemorWrecks 8x goes for twice the price of Verbatim 16x at
Sam's Club. Yet another WB ripoff.

With the cost of gasoline at astronomical levels, you have to factor
in the cost of the trip to the store in small purchases in order to
compare to mail order. Also you do not pay state sales tax, which is
another significant factor. When all is said and done, mail order
becomes an attractive alternative to rip offs like Worst Buy for small
items like DVD media.

On a $40 purchase the tax would be over $3 in Houston and the gas
would be $2 back and forth. That's $5 which is the same as the
shipping cost on the same purchase. Punch a few buttons on the web at
Meritline and in a few days the product is at your house for way less
than what you would pay at WB.

You do not have to shop at stores operated by crooks. Boycott Best Buy
and then they will change their stupid policy.



--

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable
one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore
all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
-- George Bernard Shaw

 

[Bob]

companies offer rebates with
the expectation that only a small percentage will ever be
fulfilled.

That could be interpreted two different ways:

1) Most people do not send in the rebate.

2) Most people do send in the rebate but the rebate houses screw them
around enough that they eventually do not receive the rebate.

In either case, only a small percentage will ever be fulfilled.


--

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable
one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore
all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
-- George Bernard Shaw

 

[larry moe 'n curly]

Maybe it's time for change.

But I have a feeling that any change would be for the worse, so without
rebates I'd end up paying a lot more, rather than, for example, $20-50
for 120-200GB HDs or $6.35 for an AGP card (Staples, incl. tax, rebate
arrived in less than a month; OK, it's just a lousy 64MB NVidia FX5200).

 

[geezer]

My whining seems to have done some good. They called and apologized
for my inconvenience. I received the rebate check today. Cashed it
before Staples changed its mind.

At least they made good! Their apology and rather speedy rebate check
is to their credit.

Cya

Geezer