By Dennis O’Reilly Here’s a secret that vendors don’t want you to know about: rebate terms are sometimes negotiable.
You may be able to avoid the hassle of submitting rebate documentation via mail by asking for the rebate amount to be deducted from the price at the time of purchase.
Redeeming rebates for hardware and software is a pitfall-filled process, as contributing editor Scott Dunn’s Jan. 7 Top Story pointed out. But reader Walter Donavan says he’s found another way to play the rebate game:
- “Scott omitted one possible method of dealing with rebates that is 100% certain — if you can negotiate it. Simply tell the vendor by phone or e-mail that you want the product and will buy it, but only with the rebate already included in the price. For example, ‘$50 after mail-in rebate of $100′ becomes ‘$50 price now.’ Never mind the risky $150 price before rebate.
Insider tips, how-tos, best security practices, and more
Subscribe to Windows Secrets — free!The Windows Secrets Newsletter brings you essential tricks for running Windows XP, Vista, 7, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Windows Update, and more — weekly, free.
Bonus: get this free download when you subscribe
Interested in Windows 8 but don't know where to start? You have a friendly guide in My Windows 8 Consumer Preview: A Sneak Peek at the Windows 8 Public Beta, by Katherine Murray. This month, all subscribers can download Chapter 1 and Chapter 5. In this excerpt you will learn about the new look of Windows 8, how to make things happen in it, how to use the apps that come with it, and how to get more apps.We guarantee your privacy: We will never sell, rent, or give away your address to any outside party, ever. We will never send you any unrequested e-mail. Unsubscribe requests are honored within one business day. Privacy Policy
“I will no longer buy a product that depends on a mail-in rebate. If the vendor won’t give me the post-rebate price up front, I hang up. It’s very satisfying.”
Hotfix for a bad XP SP3 Firewire driver
The clock is ticking for Windows XP SP2, as contributing editor Susan Bradley explained in her Dec. 17, 2009, Patch Watch column (paid content). As of next July, Microsoft will provide security updates only for XP SP3. Carl Spencer highlights one precaution some XP users need to take before applying Service Pack 3:
- “I see from your current version of Windows Secrets that it will soon be time to upgrade from XP SP2. However, please advise your readers to back up their firewire drivers. … Many PC owners — myself included — have lost the ability to download DV camcorder files due to the camcorder not being recognized by the PC [after] having upgraded to XP SP3.”
The company warns that the update is intended only for systems experiencing that specific symptom. There’s discussion of the problem on Microsoft’s Windows Client TechCenter forum.
| Have more info on this subject? Post your tip in the WS Columns forum. |
| Readers Walter Donavan and Carl Spencer will each receive a gift certificate for a book, CD, or DVD of their choice for sending tips we printed. Send us your tips via the Windows Secrets contact page. |
The Known Issues column brings you readers’ comments on our recent articles. Dennis O’Reilly is technical editor of WindowsSecrets.com.
Related posts:
