I got bit by the same rebate thing when I upgraded to my 680 a month or so ago.
I had been planning to get a 680 anyway, and when I logged onto mytreo.net and saw "upgrade to a 680 for $39.99", I took the bait. So mytreo.net vectors me off to some third party site that takes a week to get my order processed and shipped to me. Then when I look at the rebate forms, they require me to wait at least 5 or 6 months *after* getting the phone before I can submit the rebate forms, and also require me to have the $39.99 data plan (I'd been using the $20 plan as well). And oh by the way, they screwed up voice service plan as well; I had been using a family plan, and they just randomly reassigned me to another plan (doubled my next bill!). So I called Cingular, changed back to the previous voice and data plans, and threw out the rebate forms. I still got my 680 for $189.99 (and I still love it), but I should have just upgraded through Cingular directly, or bitten the bullet and gotten an unlocked one. Would have saved me some annoyance. Sam J Messeder wrote: > I was about to upgrade my 650 to a 680. After much discussion, > contemplation, and browsing the boards, that seemed the way to go. > So I stopped at the Cingular store, where the guy said if I'd bring > him a print of the online deal, including any mail-in rebates, he'd give > me all the rebates up front. That clinched it. On the Cingular site, I'm > eligible for an upgrade. I went through the entire ordering process, > stopping only at the final button to place the order. The list said I'd > get a $150 instant rebate, a $100 mail-in rebate, and use my existing plan. > Went back to the store. Turns out there's no way around the mail-in > requirement. And BTW, the $100 mail-in requires me to increase my data > plan by $20 a month. Somehow, Cingular gave me a $19 plan (which has > unlimited data and 200 text messages and works really well for me) but > Treos and Blackberries have to be on the $39 data plan to qualify for > the $100 rebate. > So for an additional $20 a month, I can have a $100 rebate. In five > months, they've got their money back. Not exactly a good deal for me. > The salesman agreed. > I called Cingular. The nice lady agree on the requirement, about > which she also agreed I would have found out when I ordered the phone > and two weeks later got the rebate form in the mail. She also agreed > that the system basically lied when it said I'd be on my existing plan, > and get the $100 mail-in rebate. > Here's the problem with rebates: we pay taxes on $100 we're not > really spending (since we will get it back), the company get's to claim > the $300 sale instead of only a $200 sale, then claims the loss when > they give back the $100. > And in five months, it has recovered in fees for service I neither > wanted nor needed, the money it "lost" by giving me the purchase rebate. > And I'm left with the remaining 19 months of a two-year contract at $20 > more than I needed or wanted. > I wish there were a way to roll back the whole rebate scam. We The > People jump on rebates like they're a discount, when all they are is a > way for the state (taxes) and banks (finance fees on the credit cards) > to make money on what we, in the end, are not spending. > > BTW, the lady who agreed Cingular was lying by appearing to say I > could keep my existing service and get the $100 rebate, then told me the > difference between the $39 plan and the $19 plan was the less expensive > one would go only to MEDIA web sites, where I could buy ringtones and do > a few other minor things. > Another lie, at least so far. I have been able to go anywhere I want > on the browser. I haven't found a site yet I can't access. Of course, I > don't spend a lot of time browsing from the Treo. My data mostly is used > for email and IM. > > Carl W. Brooks wrote: >> I have never been restricted to the sites I visit via the Treo (outside of >> flash or youtube.com type sites). >> >> I simply use http://www.mlvb.net or http://www.skweezer.net/ to view most >> sites, especially those which automatically sense I am on a PDA and present >> the WAP version. >> >> Both sites allow you to go to the main site and then use the form to enter >> an URL or search word or term. >> >> You can also use them as standalone links such as >> >> http://www.skweezer.net/skweeze.aspx?q=freep.com >> >> or >> >> http://mlvb.net/nfl.com/ >> >> Using the freeware app Shortcut5, you can setup shortcuts to type the URLs >> for you. >> >> Typing .skw >> can produce >> http://www.skweezer.net/skweeze.aspx?q= >> >> Typing .mlvb >> can produce >> http://mlvb.net/ >> >> This work for most sites. >> >> Thanks, >> >> Carl W. Brooks >> (Sent from my Sprint Treo 650) >> >> http://www.Palmloyal.com >> Palm Podcasts, News, Software, Hardware, and More! >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: "Craig Froehle" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Date: Tuesday, Apr 10, 2007 9:49 pm >> Subject: Re: [Treo] The Single Most Important Question >> >> try www.treobits.com >> >> On 4/10/07, Paul Blumstein <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> {Not really, but I did get your attention} >> >> >>> Our browser works well with WAP sites and sites designed for mobile use. >>> >> >>> Is there a directory of such sites? >>> >> >>> If not, perhaps Joel will let us use the database feature or links >>> >> feature of this group so that we may start one. >> >> >>> Paul >>> >> >> >> >> Yahoo! Groups Links >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >
