+- -+
[STATUS]

(*) [CK] (*) [D0]

(*) [IO] (*) [D1]
+- -+

-- ATTENTION --
Please read the notes posted at the right *before* using the system.
If core memory fails, cycle power, reload system from tape and initialize instruction register with switches.
We are *not* responsible for your card decks. If they get dropped or knocked over you're out of luck.
IIIIIIII
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Thu, 20 Nov 2008
Rants

Sometimes I get pissed off and other times I just need to say something. This is where it goes.

posted at: 21:10 | path: /Rants | permanent link to this entry

Tue, 15 Jul 2008
Fry's Discount Bastards

I bought an AmbiCom, BT-GPS, Bluetooth GPS device at Fry's. It was $39.99 with a $10 mail-in rebate. Good deal. Normally, I don't do the Fry's mail-in rebates. I either forget about sending them in or I send them in and I never get anything back. I usually only stick to the in-store rebates. I must have had a momentary lapse of judgment when I bought this GPS. It's a very cool GPS unit. I'm not knocking the product, just the rebate program.

Fry's now requires you to go to a web site to get the rebate form. They used to just give you the rebate form when you bought the junk. At first I though this was Ok. Then I sat down and actually tried to get the form. First off, there is no "site" to get the form from, just a URL. The URL is printed on the receipt. It is *not* a short or intuitive URL so I took my time to make sure that I typed it in correctly.

This is a scan of the receipt:

Note: I cleaned up the scan so it is actually more readable than the original receipt

So, I carefully typed:

http://images.frys.com/art/rebates_pdf/5504110_073108.pdf

404! What? I tried several times with no luck. I went up the URL tree trying to find an index page but there was nothing. Finally I went to Outpost.com and searched for the product. The product page provided the link to the rebate from. Then I realized that "5504110_073108" was actually "5504110__073108". Two underscores! Arrrrgggg!

Ok, now that is just mean. There is absolutely no sane reason why they need to use two underscores and then print it in a font that doesn't clearly show two underscores. I don't know if Fry's does this dirty trick with their other rebate forms but I can just imagine the frustration that it must cause people. Enough for them give up and not send in the rebate? I don't know but I call shenanigans!

posted at: 05:11 | path: /Rants | permanent link to this entry