Read the Fine Print (a mini-rant)

I live in Southern California and frequently travel to the Bay Area on business. One of the highlights of those trips is a visit to Keeble & Schuchat, a camera store in Palo Alto, California. It's a big operation with a generally knowledgeable and friendly staff. In fact, they actually have two stores across the street from each other.

On a recent trip, I stopped in and picked up a few things including 3 8-gig CF cards. The manufacturer had a special promotion, and buying 3 of them entitled me to a $100 rebate. I should mention that K&S is not known for their pricing. They're pretty much the only game in town, so they don't discount much, if at all. The CF cards cost more than I would have paid just about anywhere else, but with the rebate, it wasn't so bad.

I received the rebate check yesterday, and it was made out to Keeble & Schuchat. In other words, to get the benefit of the rebate, I have to go back to their store and spend the money there.

This is not a horrendous problem because I will probably do that anyway. I do think it was a little deceptive of them not to explain how the rebate worked.

Of course I'm sure that was all spelled out in the fine print, and in their defense, I did not read it. I assumed (there's that word) that it worked like most other rebates.

that's pretty not cool.

Well that's a new one. The devious minds of the rebate developers have to try to keep one step ahead of the wary consumer. I would seriously wonder if that would be legal in the state of California.

The last wrinkle that I didn't care for was the issuing of debit cards in lieu of checks. That pretty much insures that you spend the rebate instead of just depositing the funds. I think it's a big pain and another reason to shun rebates.

Wow, that would really piss me off. They do have a nice shop though.

They were listed on the SanDisk rebate offer where you could've gotten the prepaid Visa debit card.

Assuming you bought SanDisk?

I dont do rebates.
Wana give me a discount? Do it before I pay not after.

Rebates = scams.

Uhland wrote in post #5397305
I dont do rebates.
Wana give me a discount? Do it before I pay not after.

Rebates = scams.

That's rather broad, in my opinion, but I certainly respect your right to feel that way. I've used rebates very successfully in the past, especially with Canon lens rebates.

I accept that I was probably remiss for not understanding the terms of this particular rebate program, and only posted this as a warning to members not to assume that a rebate necessarily means cash in hand. I would have spent another $100 at K&S, and really haven't been injured. If I had been someone from out of their area who was never going to be in Northern California again, it really could have been a problem.

Also, let me be perfectly clear.....this is not a complaint about K&S. I'm not even particularly upset with the salesman who sold me the CF cards, although he either did not know of the policy or if he did, neglected to mention it. The debit card thing is new to me, too.

I suspect there is going to be more of this sort of thing.

Tom _ the prepaid debit cards are showing up more and more. I just got a $50 one from SanDisk and sent in for another just yesterday. Already used the $50 one for a B&H Photo Gift Card.

Tsmith wrote in post #5398385
Tom _ the prepaid debit cards are showing up more and more. I just got a $50 one from SanDisk and sent in for another just yesterday. Already used the $50 one for a B&H Photo Gift Card.

That's interesting, and could be a trend. I'm sure they prefer to use gift cards because they can count on a certain percentage of people forgetting or losing them.

belmondo wrote in post #5398576
they can count on a certain percentage of people forgetting or losing them.

exactly _ _ and only good for 4 months.

Think about it this way: the rebate would be less if it was instant because everyone would be getting it. You plan on using yours, so your going to make out allright.

It would probally piss me off too, especially if I made the decission to buy based on the rebate and expecting to get it in the form of a check made out to me.

Thanks for the heads up on current marketing ploys.

I think when I submitted my rebate, the options were a $110 Adorama gift card or a $100 pre-paid VISA. I took the VISA. I think this is the future, but they should have let you know your options.

I wonder what would happen if you took it to your bank and deposited in your account? I've inadvertently had checks made out to my investment group mixed in with checks to be deposited into my personal account that were accepted by my bank and honored by the issuing bank.

yea, I was looking at the Sandisk rebates too. They had two separate rebate forms, fill out one and you get a check to use at the store you bought it from, fill out the other to get a prepaid visa card. I originally just saw the one for the check for the store, and thought that was stupid, but then I saw the prepaid card option, and now thinking about using it again.

but I hate those prepaid cards, I can never spend them, and always have some money left in them. Can you just take the 3% hit, and add all the money in them into your paypal account? I've always meant to try that.

What a bunch of HACKS at that store!!!
I'd be damned if I bought anything from them ever again.

They said it was a REBATE not STORE CREDIT.