According to a PalmGoon source, there are “minor rumblings going around that the company might do away with the mail-in-rebate for the Palm Pre in favor of an instant rebate.” Sprint, it seems, is feeling customer pressure from partners Best Buy and RadioShack, who will be offering the Pre with the $100 instant rebate instead of the mail-in nonsense that Sprint has perpetuated for all these years.
Sprint obviously doesn’t want to lose sales to their partners (despite the fact that they’ve partnered), and converting the mail-in-rebate to the instant variety also will give potential Pre customers an extra $100 in the store to buy other things, like a car charger or Touchstone dock. Those accessories are where the Sprint stores make their money, not phone sales.
Then again, 1Reaper in our forums has just heard that the mail-in-rebate is here to stay at Sprint Locations:
I just spoke with a friend, Sprint is keeping the mail in rebate, they received all the info and paperwork on it today during their staff meeting.
Not a big surprise. It looks like our June 6th options are as follows: line up at a Sprint store and deal with the mail-in-rebate but have a better chance at Pre stock or line up at a Best Buy for the instant rebate but risk what we expect will be smaller in-stock numbers.
Thanks to Slingblade in our forums for the tip!
Comments
It's PalmGoon not PalmGood, but congratulations on your editorial skills.
On the subject of your story, if you read what they've reported over at PalmGoon, the rebate will remain, it will however be instant. Meaning there will still be paperwork to fill out, hence Sprint stores receiving it today.
People normally don't fill out paperwork for instant rebates.
That would be nice, Im wanting to go to besy buy and get the instant rebate, then I can buy the touchstone dock with the instant rebate
Sprint - The Now Network*
* Please allow 6-8 weeks for your rebate check to arrive from Montana because it will take just a little bit longer to clear.
Their marketing department really should reconsider calling sprint the NOW network because everything seems to be later and it sets them up for mockery
I just talked to a sprint rep online and he said that the $100 mail in rebate is still there. :-\
Mail-in rebates aren't all bad... when I bought my Treo 755p two years ago, it had a $100 mail-in rebate. I sent in the paperwork, and they sent me a check for $300!! I meant to call them to mention their mistake, but I kept forgetting.
I hope that this turns out to be true or I'll just end up trying to buy it from my local Best Buy. If Sprint does this, then I'll be more than happy to buy some accessories from them.
eh, I don't mind it. It's more money toward my reward credit card before they kill my $50 bonus, heh. I will take my chance with better stock chances at the Sprint stores.
I have two Best Buys, but I'm not getting there earlier than 2hrs before opening for a phone.
Hey just wanted to say, went to Best Buy Mobile in my area (it was not on the list leaked a couple days ago) and they lady there said they would be getting 5-10 units. Now, here is the thing I live in the middle of nowhere about an hour from Pittsburgh, about 25 minutes from Pittsburgh Airport. small suburban area I'm pretty comfortable saying that I don't think pre will sellout there. (I'm still going in the morning though) There is also a sprint store located in the mall about 20 yards from Best Buy . If the Best Buy gets 5-10, then I would think the sprint store would have just as many if not more, no one in my area knows about this phone. What do you guys think?
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