[geeks] [rant] New rebate "checks"

[Lionel Peterson]

On Tue, Apr 14, 2009 at 11:57 AM,  <gsm at mendelson.com> wrote:

<snip>

> BTW, do they have your name on them, or are they generic cards? If they are
> generic cards, it makes it a lot cheaper to process, they just stick a label
> on an already stuffed and sealed envelope.

My name is on the cards, and the programmed amount is embossed on a
few of them (where some cards have a company name for the user, like
"TEN DOLLARS").

Well, as for cost, a "postcard check" is cheaper to buy (it's just
cardstock), print, and mail (postcards mail at lower rates) than a
credit card, so they must be banking on people not using them OR not
fully using them.

I've got about 10 so far, ranging from $10 to $30, or almost 25% of
the price of a new MacMini, but the only way I can get the value out
of the cards is to use them where I would normally use cash, and make
a point of putting the cash aside for the MacMini purchase.

I'm not sure many retailers want to see more than 2 credit cards for
one purchase - some do, many do not. Multiple uses of one card and
multiple cards per purchase are certainly do-able, but far from
"common place". Gift cards are different (it seems), BestBuy has no
problem with several at a time, but I've never done multiple
credit/debit cards.

I bought an iPod a few years ago with two AMEX $100 gift cards, a
BestBuy giftcard and some "Reward Watch" coupons - it wasn't fun
watchint the clerk run around the store finding out how to use all
them to pay for the iPod...

-- 
Lionel Peterson
lionel4287 at gmail.com