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Free Batteries & Chargers @ Comp USA


Crusso

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I'm not normally pro Comp USA (Hate thier business policies) but this week they have some great deals. I just bought a ni cad battery charger w/4AA & 4AAA batteries included for 12.99. Send in $13 rebate & all it costs is the tax. They got a whole bunch of products with the same deal right now.

 

Wherever you go, there you are!

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Do you actually get your money back? Or do they mail you a COMP USA gift card? I recently bought something at Lowe's and they offered a similar offer, when we mailed the info in for the rebate they mailed us Lowe's gift cards back...would have been nice to get our money instead, we already bought what we needed there. But, i'll take it! Its money!

 

"The more I study nature, the more I am amazed at the Creator."

- Louis Pasteur

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quote:
Originally posted by Ce'Nedra:

Do you actually get your money back?


If you place so little value on your time as to keep records of everything, remember to follow up in 12 weeks when you don't get your money back (which is the default), are prepared to fax everything back to them after they lose it or claim to never receive it even though you sent it registered mail, have a prepared form letter containing copies of everything that you promise to send to the BBB if there isn't a check your mailbox within seven days, yes, you get your money back in the form of a check.

 

I've had this experience with CompUSA within the last 3 months and I've had it with enough other companies to be convinced the current trend of rebates is simply a scam. Their economic model is to wear the consumer down instead of honoring them. If they actually intended to honor the discount, it would be called a "sale price" and taken off at the register and not a rebate after 8-12 weeks.

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After I got screwed out of an $80 rebate (and I did make a huge stink for quite a while about it) I have never shopped at CompUSA again. They have lost a lot more than the $80 in purchases after that. They seem to be the king of rebates and we all know how bad the rebate BS has gotten.

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Huh,

 

I've never tried for a rebate out of CompUSA and have never been screwed, but usually if you need the product they are good deals.

 

I'd definately buy NiMH rechargables instead, but either way spend a little extra for an "intelligent" 1-2 hour charger. Not only is it more convenient, but your batteries will last longer and you won't risk "reversing a cell" having to drain them before charging with a trickle charger (or cooking them!)

 

Rebates make GREAT business sense, they drive sales and a remarkably tiny percentage of buyers actually go through with the claim! I was shocked to see the figures (it was in the single digits percentage-wise) over a decade ago when I did retail.

 

Similarly, many people don't return merchandise they don't want to get their $ back!

 

Then again, a local library receives over $100,000 in revenue from late fees on movies.

 

The conclusion? American's are statistically mostly lazy procrastinators...

 

C'est la vie,

 

Randy

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The recharger I have (a Radio Shack I think - not thrilled with it) allows Ni-MH as well as Ni-Cd. There is just a switch to go from one type to another. Does the CompUSA recharger have a similar feature? And I got a rebate on diskettes I bought at CompUSA once and got a money rebate but it was from Sony, not CompUSA itself.

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On the other hand, for a while I was using CompUSA rebates almost every week and never had a problem. Got tons of stuff for (mostly) free. I even got more than one item on a rebate that was supposed to be "one per household".

 

I agree with what RJFerret said -- it's a great business tool. They could give you the discount at the counter, but then everyone would get it -- huge loss for the store. With rebates, there's an extra hoop that most people intend to go through but never do. Sales are boosted, and you'll probably buy something else while you're there getting your free stuff.

 

Edit: I'll add that I haven't used a rebate in a while, and I admit I've seen customer service in all areas is going downhill (I'm cutting up and returning my still-valid Sears SmileSavers card later today). So I can't say with confidence that my previous experience would still hold today.

 

Flat_MiGeo_B88.gif

Well the mountain was so beautiful that this guy built a mall and a pizza shack

Yeah he built an ugly city because he wanted the mountain to love him back -- Dar Williams

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CompUSA has nothing to do with most the rebates. The rebates are offeed by the manufacturer. Only rebates that you mail to a CompUSA mailbox are by compusa (which aren't many since they do instants the majority of the time.)

 

I say this only because I use to work customer service for a retail company, and the number of times I had customers come in and raise such a stink about 5 whole dollars. The gas and their time to get to the store (because they always live so far away it takes an hour to get to the store) must not be worth much. Many of the causes that they didn't recieve the rebate was because they didnt read the fine print. The main one being 1 per household. And they purchase 5 of them. I also had people bring in the photo copies and everything, some of which I couldn't read because the scribbled the info in instead of printing legibly. Others had everything filled in, but mailed them late. Nothing we can do about that, we don't offer the rebates the manufacturer does, and Best Buy, Circuit City and every other store will tell you the same thing.

 

As for receiving rebates, I have recieved every rebate I turned in without following up. Mainly because I filled everything in LEGIBLY and properly.

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My biggest CompUSA complaint is they always run out of those "free" items. I've been to the store one hour after it opened on Sunday (start day of the sale) and they were already out of whatever it was I was after. I'm an hour away from the store so I've stopped even trying.

 

E

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I don't do CompUSA anymore either, because of the rebate thing. I bought a spindle of 100 CD's for $50 and then the mail in rebate for $40 would have put my cost for each CD at 10 cents. But what really happened was I went to the store and the CD's that were advertised were not available with no raincheck and the sale guy said "Here, try these out. They cost a little more and theres no rebate but I've had good luck with 'em." I said "No, I came for the special in your add. Since there are no more of the brand left you advertized, will you honor the add with another package?". He said he would have to check with the manager. After about 15 min waiting around (and being late for my lunch hour at this point), he came and said he couldn't do it. I said mentioned something about bait and switch and very quickly he was on the phone to another of their stores to see if they could bring one in for me. icon_smile.gif Then three days later I was able to get my CD's. They gave me the receipts and pointed out to make sure to send in this one specific one as part of the rebate. I did that. Well about 3 months later, I got a post card from the manufacturer saying they couldn't give me my rebate because the receipt marked "REBATE RECEIPT" didn't have the date on it and therefore there was no proof of purchase date before expiration. (mind you, logically, this was absurd since they had replied to me before the expiration of the entire promotion... ) So to make a long story short -- too late -- I no longer shop CompUSA. It is Best Buy for me now. They are great.

Kirk out.

(hmmmm I wonder if this had anything to do with geocaching... oh well. a nice vent from "consumer joe" anyway)

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There's a big difference between rechargable batteries & chargers. I'll save you the time researching the results. Here's the best on the market, and well worth it: Maha c402fs. I highly recommend, as do others:

 

Steve's Digicam Review

 

Imaging Resource Review

 

Also, make sure you get a 2000+ mAh battery. It adds time to your charge. Here's a review of the leading contenders. PowerEx has a 2200 mAh that we're using. Makes a big difference:

 

Battery Shootout

 

<timpaula>

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This cahrger does have a Ni-Mh switch on the side. I didn't mean to start a whole rebate controversy but this one has the form u mail in pre printed by the cash register with ure recpt. It also gets mailed to, believe it or not, MY HOME TOWN! So if I don't get it u can bet I'm chasen these guys down. Of course that's after I stop my credit card payment on the sale! Oh, the sale on this stuff ends 6/14 if anyone is interested.

 

Wherever you go, there you are!

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Usually as long as you're careful to mail in rebates on time and follow the directions to the letter, you won't have problems. I do a TON of rebates. Also, make sure to make copies of everything you send them for their records. Search1128, usually CompUSA's rebate receipts have the date/time on them, yours must have been a weird exception... rebate receipts are useful because you can keep the original for proof of purchase should the company try to deny your rebate for some BS reason or another. The really evil part about rebates is that they occasionally send out "Sorry, you didn't do x" postcards to people, sometimes when you DID do x. I think they do this randomly in hopes that you'll just accept it. Usually, however, if you call and raise hell, they'll honor the rebate. I had that happen once with a monitor- they told me I didn't send the UPC when I had. I called them up and told them that I did, and that I had a copy should they need it to verify, and they agreed to send me the rebate without even asking that I fax them copies of the UPC.

 

I've even managed to get a rebate that I mailed in past the postmark deadline honored because I called and calmly told them that there obviously must have been a processing error on their end. *blush* *ashamed* (I know that was evil, but I figured it was worth a try. God knows they probably save enough money on the people who forget to send in the rebates, and the ones they send bogus "Sorry..." postcards to.)

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quote:
Originally posted by Ce'Nedra:

Do you actually get your money back? Or do they mail you a COMP USA gift card?


 

You get a check. I use there rebates quite a bit, and I've never had a problem...though it can take a while. At the last 'free' sale they had a few months ago, for the price of tax and a stamp, I got a 350VA UPS, a pack of HP photo paper, a CD case, and a few other things. I also got an 802.11b router for $23.95, but that also cost me a 1/2 hour of standing in line.

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quote:
Originally posted by robertlipe:

quote:
Originally posted by Ce'Nedra:

Do you actually get your money back?


If you place so little value on your time as to keep records of everything,


 

I don't keep records of rebates, who would? However, record keeping is never a bad thing, no one ever died from it.

 

quote:
remember to follow up in 12 weeks when you don't get your money back (which is the default), are prepared to fax everything back to them after they lose it or claim to never receive it even though you sent it registered mail, have a prepared form letter containing copies of everything that you promise to send to the BBB if there isn't a check your mailbox within seven days, yes, you get your money back in the form of a check.

 

OXYMORON?

 

"The more I study nature, the more I am amazed at the Creator."

- Louis Pasteur

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quote:
Originally posted by Ce'Nedra:

I don't keep records of rebates, who would? However, record keeping is never a bad thing, no one ever died from it.


<raises hand>

I fill out the form, cut out the UPC, photocopy all at once, and mail. Not too hard.

 

I keep records of everything. I even keep my ATM slips. Not in vain, either; they were the only proof I had of a several-hundred dollar error on my account once.

 

Flat_MiGeo_B88.gif

Well the mountain was so beautiful that this guy built a mall and a pizza shack

Yeah he built an ugly city because he wanted the mountain to love him back -- Dar Williams

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quote:
Originally posted by Ce'Nedra:

 

I don't keep records of rebates, who would?


 

People that actually want the rebates honored better be prepared to produce copies of everything. After being burned a couple of times because I couldn't reproduce paperwork they lost, I've learned that the onus is on the consumer.

 

And the irony was intentional if you read it in full context. "If you place so little value on your time as to [jump through the hoops and hound them for it] yes, you get your money back."

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I am quickly understanding why people keep referring to AA batteries as GPS food! These things can really suck it down!

 

Since you have such strong opinions about NiCads do you have other recommendations for a rechargeable battery system? I truly know nothing about the various types.

 

Thanks!

 

Brian

 

quote:
Originally posted by Marky:

I would have to be paid to take NiCads. The stamp to mail the rebate in would be too much to pay for those. icon_wink.gif

 

--Marky

"All of us get lost in the darkness, dreamers learn to steer with a backlit GPSr"


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quote:
Originally posted by GPS_Brian:

 

Since you have such strong opinions about NiCads do you have other recommendations for a rechargeable battery system?


 

NiCd's are so 1980s and not very environmentally friendly. The rechargeable for the masses these days is NIMH. Various epistles have been written on the subject, including zillions on these boards. I've dealt with http://www.nimhbattery.com for a 1-hour charger (you think that an overnight charger doesn't sound bad until you start packing camera, radios, a GPS or two, and then you realize if you don't start charging on about tuesday, your weekend is hosed) and have found them helpful and vendors of Good Stuff.

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quote:
Originally posted by timpaula:

Also, make sure you get a 2000+ mAh battery. It adds time to your charge.


 

Watch out! There's an inverse relationship between mAh and the resilence of the battery.

 

Without getting too technical, there's a certain amount of chemical that can be "cooked" off when you charge the battery. The higher the mAh rating, the less of that chemical. That means perhaps only one overcharge would ruin those expensive batteries!

 

The solution? Insure your investment by not overdoing the mAh and spend more money for an "intelligent" charger.

 

There are three types of chargers, trickle (horrible), those that stop by temperature (ala' cordless screwguns/tools), and those that measure the voltage drop that occurs when completely charged.

 

This latter type costs the most but are the fastest and kindest to the batteries, they're also the most convenient to use.

 

Trickle chargers overcook your batteries on every usage by a variable amount (more if batteries not fully discharged, something that's bad for rechargables).

 

The temp based cook your batteries a consistent amount each time, meaning you want more of the chemical for more charging cycles before you replace 'em.

 

The CPU-driven fast-chargers are best, allowing you to charge incompletely discharged batteries and never overcharge.

 

(For devices that only come w/trickle chargers, I use a timer [15 hrs.] and use a voltage meter to determine how much voltage is remaining and adjust accordingly.)

 

All this info comes from carefully studying the Battery FAQ which was contributed to by a NASA engineer among others.

 

Since adopting good battery practice w/1600 mAh AA's and 650 mAh AAA's in TGRPro Palm device w/speaker & card slot, GPS and Digital Camera for several years, and cordless tools for decades--I've had tremendous rechargable success.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Randy

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quote:
Originally posted by timpaula:

just to make sure: is the charger I mention above an "intelligent" cpu charger? Does this mean the extra mAh won't be a problem?


 

From one of the links I believe you provided:

 

"This is the 100 minute Maha MH-C401FS "Cool" charger. It rapid charges NiMH or NiCd type AA / AAA batteries with the precision that only microprocessor technology can provide."

 

To maximize your battery's life w/such high mAh, I'd recommend using the "cool" mode more often than the "rapid" mode.

 

Short answer: Yes!!

 

Enjoy,

 

Randy

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