I have been buying RAM (memory) at Micro Center, Overland Park, KS for over a year now for use in upgrading computers that I refurbish and resell. Have purchased in the last year approx $2000 in RAM memory. Have received not one dollar in rebate for the memory. Also have at least two business associates that say they have the same problem. They have received little or no rebate (s) at all from their purchases.
About six months ago, I complained to Micro Center Corporate 'complaint department' about the store in Overland Park, KS. My complaint was not about receiving rebates, but that I had been 'duped' by store employees answering their phone, and quoted pricing over the phone that was below 'retail', and nothing said about the price having a rebate involved. Only to find that when I arrived at the store to purchase, the product price that was quoted was 'after mfr rebate'.
This seems to be a twist on one of the oldest marketing tactics; 'bait and switch'.'Switch' pricing, not product. Furthermore, the Overland Park, KS store mark pricing on RAM memory in particular with basically three different prices. There is a price tag on the display for each type of approx 50 to 75 different brands and types of memory, plus a price that is actually stamped on each package of memory, then the third price which is often concealed, the 'after rebate' price.
When I was there today 06-28-09, they were up to their old tricks, again. After I complained to the corporate headquarters about this pricing game about six months ago, I went to the store a few days later to find they had went through the entire display of memory and made it so there was 'one' price for each package, no rebate pricing and the pricing on the packaging matched the pricing on the display price tag for each item. But today, seems that they are back to the 'three price' game again.
One price for each item on the display. But a new twist, they have in very fine print below the items with 'rebate prices' added a line of text stating that the price is 'after rebate'. Of course, the text is so small, even a person as myself with 20/20 vision or better, cannot read it without a magnifying glass. The items that are 'non-rebate' products are priced without and added text.
So, when you pickup that 2Gb DDR2 memory package priced on the display at $9.99, and don't see the 'after mfr rebate' line of text, and go stand in their very long line for approx 20 -30 minutes, then get to the cashier as I did today and find that the product totals near $40 instead of $9.99, you might catch on to their game/scam. I have purchased over $2000 worth of product from Micro Center in the past year and have not received one dollar of rebate.
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