The retailers don't give a darn if you turn the rebate forms in or not. I used to work for Best Buy and I can tell you first hand that at least 95% of the rebates are through the manufacturer. And that's if you include inhouse brands as part of the retailer. Best Buy (and the other retailers) gets the same amount of margin whether you fill it out and mail it in or not. I've seen first hand as rebates have been eliminated. People would ask me sometimes "Why don't you have any of the online rebates anymore, they were much better than the mail in ones." It's cuz the ones that used to be online rebates are now instant rebates! It still sucks that nothing's been worked out with companies like PNY and others that still require mail-ins, but I suspect that they'll be gone in due time. I believe Best Buy's goal is to be completely rid of mail in rebates by 2007. That's a heck of a lot better than when retailers wouldn't even tell you if it even had a rebate unless you asked, and even then you had to hunt down the right form! Now adays the ones that still have a mail in rebate, the form just prints up with the reciept automatically. Believe me, NO ONE likes mail in rebates. Not the customers, not the retailers, and not the manufacturers. It all just boils down to logistics and getting the money to the right people reliably. It's definitely nice to see more companies working to eliminate this hastle, but don't assume malice when other explainations work just as well or better. I assure you, you can put away your tin hats. They're not out to get you.
Slashdot Mirror
The retailers don't give a darn if you turn the rebate forms in or not. I used to work for Best Buy and I can tell you first hand that at least 95% of the rebates are through the manufacturer. And that's if you include inhouse brands as part of the retailer. Best Buy (and the other retailers) gets the same amount of margin whether you fill it out and mail it in or not. I've seen first hand as rebates have been eliminated. People would ask me sometimes "Why don't you have any of the online rebates anymore, they were much better than the mail in ones." It's cuz the ones that used to be online rebates are now instant rebates! It still sucks that nothing's been worked out with companies like PNY and others that still require mail-ins, but I suspect that they'll be gone in due time. I believe Best Buy's goal is to be completely rid of mail in rebates by 2007. That's a heck of a lot better than when retailers wouldn't even tell you if it even had a rebate unless you asked, and even then you had to hunt down the right form! Now adays the ones that still have a mail in rebate, the form just prints up with the reciept automatically. Believe me, NO ONE likes mail in rebates. Not the customers, not the retailers, and not the manufacturers. It all just boils down to logistics and getting the money to the right people reliably. It's definitely nice to see more companies working to eliminate this hastle, but don't assume malice when other explainations work just as well or better. I assure you, you can put away your tin hats. They're not out to get you.
They already had something similar. Remember Microsoft Bob?
"It's my sex box, and her name is Sony."