From: Andrew Webber (awebber_at_wwwebbers.com)
Date: Fri Jul 13 2001 - 21:29:19 EDT
On Tue, 10 Jul 2001 09:30:29 -0700 (PDT), Steve C. wrote:
>I agree! Sometimes they don't even have the rebate
>forms. Frys is almost as bad but if you think to ask
>they will print one out for you.
I thought I'd share a recent experience (early May, I think) with
Staples here in Ottawa.
I had decided I'd get some easier software for playing with my
holiday snaps. (Easier than PhotoPaint or similar, which came
bundled with Ventura). I had pretty much decided to try
PhotoSuite, no particular reason but my demands are (I think
simple).
I wandered into Staples downtown one day and there was the
"Business" version of Photosuite for C$90 with a C$40 mail-in
rebate, making it cheaper than the regular suite at C$60 (not sure
it's actually worth that much more, their site is pretty pathetic
in describing the different bundles). But no rebate forms to be
found! Asked and got a blank look in reply. Walked out, if I
can't get a rebate form I'm not wasting my time.
A few days later I was near another Staples and wandered in to see
if they had the $40 coupon. No sign of it, but there was a sign on
the shelf saying it was C$90, less $40 store rebate, less $40
mail-in rebate, net price C$10! I ask for a coupon, they say that
because MGI couldn't provide the rebate coupons, they (Staples)
just decided to drop the price $40, the price is now $50. I point
out the sign, they go off to the manager, and come back telling me
they'll honour it! (Head office screwed up, they were suppose to
change the sign from a mail-in rebate to an in-store rebate, but
instead put both on the sign).
So with no coupons available, I pay just C$10! (Needless to say, I
stopped agonizing whether to get PhotoSuite at that moment!)
That's not the first time Staples has done this, turn a mail-in
rebate into an instant one. And when I bought Partition Magic a
couple of years ago, there was an undated rebate sticker on the
outside, a local store said I would have to take a chance on it
still being valid, Staples said I could open the box as soon as I
paid and if the rebate had expired, I could immediately return it
(that's what I asked for, don't know if I could have opened it
unbought).
andrew [awebber_at_wwwebbers.com]
...re-addicted to DC since 2001-06-10.
------
for PGP public key, send email with "send public key" as subject
current local weather:
www.cnn.com/WEATHER/ce/Ontario/OttawaYOW.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.3 : Thu Jan 23 2003 - 09:57:23 EST