[mythtv-users] Re: The OfficeMax hard drives we all talked about

[Ed Benckert]

>>As a guy from England, I have no idea what this rebate thing is all
>>about! (Well, ok, I can guess)
>>
>>Sounds like a lot of hassle. Is it just a scam to get lazy people to
>>pay more? Not looking for a flaming, just curious as we have nothing
>>like that over here... But then again, I pay more for my goodies.

I wouldnt be surprised that those dont exist in England because they've been 
outlawed as a scam-like marketing tatic. Buy your $50 piece of equipment for 
$100, send in a $50 rebate. We hope you forget to send it, or forget to send 
it with the receipt, or something else, and now your $50 piece of equipment 
just cost you $100.

The ONLY plus side to rebates that I see, and try to take advantage of, is 
my credit card gives me points for purchases that I can use for bonuses and 
the like. I want a hard drive, I pay $100 for it, and get a $50 rebate. SWo 
it costs me $50, BUT I charged $100 on my credit card, I get 100 points 
instead of 50, if it had been on sale for $50.

Also, sometimes I can get discounted circuit city gift cards... I pay $80 
for $100 in gift cards. So if I pay $80 for $100 in cards, buy that same 
drive with them, and get a $50 rebate, I get that $100 hard drive for $30 
instead of $50 (I paid $80 for the cards, which paid for the $100 drive, and 
then I got $50 back in rebates... net cost: $30)

So there are SOME advantages IF you know how to use them right.