The Juggle Zone: Bargain Blog

Well, now that the weekend of theoretical deals is over, it's time to summarize. I didn't really take much advantage of BF, for two reasons. First, I was traveling most of the day. Second, there weren't all that many great deals out there.

However, I did order a Minolta 1250W for a friend of mine. Normally $200, it was on sale for $170 with a $70 MIR. I added a $30 off $150 coupon, for a final price of $82 after tax. Under normal circumstances, an unbeatable deal, though I did get mine for what worked out to be $31.45. You see, it was supposed to be $200, with a $100 MIR, but I added two coupons, $45 total. That would have been $55 + tax, but it turned out that they canceled the order (for the printer) because they were out of stock. I complained that they canceled the order and I lost my "one time use" coupons, so they actually credited the value of the coupons to my credit card! Now, I still wanted the printer, so I found a store that had it in-stock, and went and bought it there with another couple coupons, so in the end it cost $31.45. For those of you trying to keep track of the math, read on below (it got complex because both purchases involved FAR stuff).

I also had a chance to start working on filling out and mailing the rebates for my various OM and Staples purchases last week. All the OM stuff, as well as my Staples stuff was delivered - just my in-laws' calculator and extra ink cartridge have yet to be delivered.

Order #1 (online):
$0.00 phone (I wasn't charged for this, in fact I got a credit, see below)
$0.00 air duster (I wasn't charged for this, in fact I got a credit, see below)
-$38.02 CREDIT TO MY CREDIT CARD (yes it actually showed up!!!)
-$7 MIR: phone
-$3 MIR: air duster
=$47.90 PROFIT

Order #2 (in-store):
$199.98 Printer
$9.94 CD-Rs
-$30 Coupon
-$5 Business Rewards check
$14.42 tax
-$100 MIR: Printer
-$10 MIR: CD-Rs
=$79.35
Total NET cost of EVERYTHING: $31.45 (plus stamps & envelopes)
Total value of everything: $235.93 plus tax (CD-Rs: $19.99, Printer: $199.98, Air Duster: $5.98, Phone: $9.98)

Posted by dwallach at 11:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

No, not that kind of pothead. The Farberware kind. Amazon has a crazy combination of deals going on now, providing for the following deal:

-Farberware Cook's View 14-Piece Cookware Set
-Farberware Classic Tiburon 2-1/2-Quart Whistling Stainless-Steel Teakettle
-Farberware Classic 1-1/2 Quart Sausalito Stainless Steel Teakettle
-Farberware Classic 6-Quart Stockpot with 4-Quart Steamer Insert
-Farberware Cuisine 3-Quart Covered Saucepan
-$20 Amazon.com GC
-$20 Farberware rebate

All for $64.72 out of pocket! If you include the GC and rebate, it's only $24.72! I haven't decided whether to bite yet, but I'm thinking about it.

Posted by dwallach at 1:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Staples delivered today - twice. First, by local courier, they sent the free box of Staples brand stuff. Then, via UPS, they sent the calculator. It's big and cool. Best of all, someone from the office is thinking of buying it off me for their second job!

Posted by dwallach at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As was expected, here's the official word from Dell:

This is to notify you that, regrettably, we need to cancel your recent order for an Axim handheld PC. Due to our error, the system was shown online at an incorrect price, well below the correct price.
We specifically indicate on our web pages, our catalogues, and in our advertising that Dell cannot be responsible for such errors. In addition, our email acknowledgement provided to customers as they place orders states:
Please note, however, that Dell cannot be responsible for typographical or other errors, and reserves the right to cancel any orders resulting from such errors.
We truly value our relationship and reputation with our customers, and we realize the negative impact from these types of errors. Please be assured that we are working hard to try and prevent these problems going forward. We are sorry for any inconvenience that our error may have caused.

Yours Truly,
Dell Notification Department

I responded with an email asking what they'd do to remunerate me for the loss of the coupon that I used on the order.

UPDATE: I got a second cancellation email. Boy am I lucky!

Posted by dwallach at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's not exactly current, but my two largest outstanding rebates are in the clear! Online status for the Dell computer rebate is mailed, and I just got an email from Young America regarding the $200 WD rebate.

Posted by dwallach at 12:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After I ordered the FAR Canon BP1200DH 12-Digit Bubble Jet Printing Calculator, I realized that my in-laws might want one and actually have a use for one. Instead of just giving them mine, I figured they could order one, too. After consulting with them, I placed a second order (and of course I also threw in the Staples Brand Gift Pack, free with a coupon (82910)). I then called a CSR to try to get another $15 credit, but the CSR claimed the offer (for a free cartridge) was only while supplies last (despite the fact that this information is not included on the webpage anywhere). I later got around to calling another CSR, who stated that their official resolution was now placing a charged order for the ink cartridge (mysteriously back in stock?), and then immediately issuing a credit for the same amount. Good enough.

Posted by dwallach at 12:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While there's no official word yet, I still haven't gotten a confirmation email from Dell, so things aren't looking great. There's quite the circus developing over in the Dell Forums. The most interesting point that's been raised (and there haven't been too many) questioned why Dell keeps having "price mistakes" below actual price, but never "Price mistakes" above actual price?

Posted by dwallach at 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Opened the mail and found my $88 check from Citibank on behalf of MSN Wallet! Sweet!

Posted by dwallach at 7:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the category of "Not that I need it, but it's free" I ordered a FAR Canon BP1200DH 12-Digit Bubble Jet Printing Calculator. It was supposed to be able to come with a free cartridge, but they were OOS. I called to question that, and the CSR was nice enough to send me a $15 credit. :)

I also threw in the Staples Brand Gift Pack, free with a coupon (82910).

Posted by dwallach at 3:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, I finally got around to checking the status of the CDW camera, and it was cancelled. No shock, but still sad.

Posted by dwallach at 3:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Alright, for those of you keeping careful track of things, technically this is a new day, but I haven't gone to sleep yet, so on that level it's still the same day. Anyways, an FW thread alerted me to Dell's Axim X3i for $79 (normally $379). With the current Dell Home 10$ discount, plus a $25 off coupon I had, I ordered 2 for $117.20, before FatCash, CC cash back, etc. This, too, will probably be cancelled. I wonder what (if anything) Dell will do about my coupon.

Posted by dwallach at 1:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's been a long time, but I'm back* to ordering FAR stuff from OM. This time, the order consisted of:
-Belkin 32 MB USB Flash Drive
-Fellows CD Labeler Kit
-3-button optical/wireless USB mouse
-Iconcepts retractable phone cord
-IBM Rapid Response Keyboard
-Caller-ID Telephone

*It's been a few months, but there was a period of time that I was placing nearly weekly orders in the $100+ range, often making use of coupons on top of FAR deals, resulting in a profit. After collecting more phones than I'll ever need, and a safe supply of extra keyboards, mouses, CD-Rs, CD cases, and random other products, I called it quits for a while. I basically made a conscious decision to cut back on the orders unless there's something I need/want. In this case, it was the wireless mouse. It might be a fun toy!

Posted by dwallach at 12:00 AM | Permalink

Another crazy price mistake was posted at FW - Canon XL1S MiniDV Camcorder for $159.47 at CDW, item #557173. This camera normally goes for over $4,000! Did I order? Of course! Is it going to happen? Never!

That there is a $500 rebate on top of this is, well, crazy. But here's hoping. :)

Several FW posts indicate CDW is already calling to cancel these orders. Oh well. It seems CDW is claiming that the price is really for the battery charger, but that has a very different item # (321550), not to mention a different price ($157.20).

My order status is showing as "Backordered." The weird thing is, their site lists 2 other "Cancelled" orders from 12/3/2001, even though the account was just created today, and I don't recall ever ordering the Toshiba SD-3750 (listed in the order summary at $199.99).

Posted by dwallach at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It's a ripoff, really. No matter how you look at it, you're getting scammed. There is simply no way it costs that much to send a few electrons through some wires to somebody else's phone. But anyways, it is my hope and dream that I not get that ripped off. Therefore, the new America Unlimited plan from IDT looks interesting. For $39.95, plus tax (which in NYC comes to a total of around $55), you get unlimited local, regional, and long distance, plus 6 popular Calling Features: Caller ID, Call Waiting, Call Waiting with Name, 3-Way Calling, Speed Dial (8 Numbers), Anonymous Call Rejection. It's not a bad deal, and I'm thinking of switching. I probably won't save much, if any money, but I'll get more!

Posted by dwallach at 2:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It seems I neglected to follow-up my "MSN Wallet Trouble?" post with the fact that, eventually, the "credit" for the CC GC that I bought did indeed show up in my MSN Dollars account. However, last night, when I checked again, it was gone! (I.e. it showed a $0.00 balance.)

While for a moment my heart stopped beating (and I thanked my lucky stars that I printed out a copy of the page showing the positive balance), I rediscovered the link to "see recent activity and monthly statements." Upon clicking it, I found the following entry:

Date | Activity | Amount | From | To | Confirmation number
11/15/2003 | Get check | 88.00 | MSN Dollars account | Account Holder | 99999999

Looking good!

PS: I also neglected to mention that the GC finally showed up on Monday, 11/10/03 (the next business day after I called to report it "missing").

Posted by dwallach at 1:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We're having an Thanksgiving pot-luck lunch today, and I was trying to figure out what to make, when someone from my office suggested "those yummy round potato things." So, last night I got out the blender and frying pan, and made enough latkes to eat a bunch, and still have 72 left to bring in.

Posted by dwallach at 9:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In general, I have good luck with rebates. I send them in, and a few months later, the rebate company sends me a check. Every once in a while, though, things don't work out so smoothly.

One of the first rebates I ever did was for a FAR mouse at CompUSA, back when I was a freshman in YU. I bought the mouse in CA, when I was home on vacation. I sent in the form, but the rebate never came. Back then, rebates rarely listed a phone number on the form, and this was no exception. So I figured I'd call the store to complain, but from NY, that'd be long distance. Instead, I called a local NY branch of the store, complained to the manager there, and he promised that I'd get my $10 check shortly. And indeed I did.

In my more recent burst of rebate activity, there have a few rebates here and there that needed prodding. Occasionally the rebate house will deny a rebate for one reason or another (usually a mistake on their part), but generally a phone call (and sometimes a faxed resubmission) solve the problem.

However, I recently ran into a nasty problem with a Sakar/iConcepts rebate. On FW, they are well known for their highly problematic rebates, primarily because they absolutely require the original UPC ... and therefore do not allow any resubmissions!

So after waiting several months for my $5 check for a surge protector, I called the rebate company, and their number was disconnected. I called OM (where I had bought the item) and they gave me a new number for the place. When I called, they claimed to have never received it. I offered to resubmit, they said only with original UPC, I raised heck, they didn't care, but gave me a phone number for Sakar/iConcepts. I called them, but never got a call back. So I called OM again, and left many messages for the one rebate person who works there. No calls back. So I sent an email to omxrebates@officemax.com, got no response, so I sent one the next day, and so on. I think I sent just 2 or 3 before I got a response. "I have entered your rebate for the surge protector. You will receive the rebate in approx. 15 days."

BTW, I didn't go through all this effort for just one rebate - there was another rebate, from OM directly, but being processed by the same rebate company. Oddly enough, for this rebate, it was on a typical OM multi-item rebate form, and I did get the money for the other 2 items for which I had filed rebates on the exact same form! OM said they'll reissue a check for this item.

Posted by dwallach at 11:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Despite all the past troubles with CSS, and the worrisome post on FW, today was a good day. I got three CSS checks, all for books.

The first check was from the original purchase of books, for which I sent in the claim on 10/10/03. Despite the problem they had with the claim, I was able to find out why, and provide them with what they wanted. So, they came through for me, in the form of $53.84!

The other two claims were much simpler (and smaller), for a total of about $15, from three books we ordered on-line.

Those of you paying too much attention will recall that the claim for contacts is still outstanding, and I have yet to file for the WD HD.

Posted by dwallach at 6:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Can it be trusted, no. But it can be fun! It is here. I scored a 136 and my "Intellectual Type" is a Visionary Philosopher. This means I am highly intelligent and have a powerful mix of skills and insight that can be applied in a variety of different ways.

Apparently, the scale is as follows:
Average: 85 - 115
Above average: 116 - 125
Gifted Borderline Genius: 126 - 135
Highly gifted and appearing to be a Genius to most others: 136 - 145
Genius: 146 - 165
High Genius: 166 - 180
Highest Genius: 181 - 200
Beyond being measurable Genius: Over 200

It appears I'm not a genius afterall :(

Posted by dwallach at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

WD-40 is the arch enemy of Duct Tape. For anything that moves, but shouldn't Duct Tape comes to the rescue. Conversely, for anything that should move, but doesn't, WD-40 is your man! It is well known for most of it's labeled uses (stops squeaks, cleans and protects, loosens rusted parts, frees sticky mechanisms, drives out moisture). However, I honestly believe that people don't pay attention to that second use enough. I have used WD-40 to remove sticky stuff (e.g. sticker residue) from just about any surface for a long time. It tends to be more readily available than specially designed goo removers, and less caustic than nail polish remover.

Just today, as I was looking for something to eat in the fridge, and as the door began to close on me, it stuck to my leg. Ich!

After a closer inspection, I realized that the can of pareve (fake) whipped cream seemed to have leaked. And by leaked, I mean the product seeped through the can! (Imagine what it does to your digestive tract!) Instead of being in a state of wondrous fluffiness, however, it was a glob of nasty sticky stuff. I removed all of the bottles from the shelf (of which two were fairly stuck to the door), and tried cleaning the shelf. No luck with water. No luck with hot water. No luck with soapy water. No luck with Windex. No luck with Tilex with Bleach. At this point I knew I needed something stronger, more powerful! I considered nail polish remover, but figured that would wreak havoc no the plastic shelf.

WD-40 to the rescue. I applied a liberal coating of WD-40 to the shelf, and low and behold, the glob of nasty sticky stuff quickly and easily wiped away! Now all I worry about is why whipped cream is dissolvable only by WD-40?!?!

Posted by dwallach at 11:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have to vent! I was woken by an incredibly annoying car alarm over an hour before I had to get up this morning! It turns out the car was parked within about 10-15 feet behind our bedroom window. As of this posting, the alarm has been going for well over an hour. After 40+ minutes, I got fed up, and decided to file a complaint. It wasn't an emergency, so I went online to find out who to call. After a few unsuccessful Google searches, I went straight for the NYPD homepage, which suggested calling one's local precinct for non-emergency noise complaints. To be honest, I'm not sure which precinct I live in, but I guessed, and called. After 6+ rings, I hung up, and called 311, NY's non-emergency hotline. They answered quickly, and upon hearing about the topic of my call, informed they would need to transfer me to a 911 operator. I filed the report, and nearly half an hour later, still no sign of the cops.

As if the noise itself wasn't annoying enough (it ranges from an intermittent electronic chirp to bark), the time between noises is roughly consistent. However, every once in a while, it will cut out in mid-noise, making you think it's done. And there's a longer than usual pause. And then it starts again!

I don't know if the US government is looking for non-physical methods for torturing POWs, but they should consider this!

At this point, I'm hoping for 3 things:
1) The car alarm stops
2) The car battery is completely drained by the incessant alarm
3) The NYPD write the car owner a HUGE ticket

UPDATE: It seems the alarm finally stopped 3 hours after it woke me!

Posted by dwallach at 7:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

As much as I enjoy a good deal, very few deals bring me more pleasure than Free Stuff. Not really the run-of-the-mill free stuff, but real, high quality stuff with value. Adding to the excitement of Free Stuff is the delay often involved. If it takes long enough, I'll forget about it, so that when it comes, I think to myself, "Wow, I think I remember signing up for this!" Thus, when two (2) free movie passes to a Loews theater of my choosing came in the mail, I was excited! Yes, this was another FW find.

Posted by dwallach at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While there are all kinds of theories about why rebates exist, nobody sums it up like Scott Adams:

(Thanks to Lippy)

Posted by dwallach at 11:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OfficeMax has a rewards program called MaxPerks, which has a less than exciting rewards structure, but I earned $4.63 during last quarter (which means I spent $463 in a quarter, excluding printers, computers, computer hardware, software and peripherals). Keep in mind that most of the stuff I bought was FAR (or better, using coupons), and it starts to make sense.

They sent me a reward "check" (redeemable for OM merchandise) back in June or July, that had an expiration of 11/8/03. Yesterday (11/9), I realized I hadn't spent it. Since I was going to be near an OM anyways, I figured I'd stop by to see if they'd let me use it. After a somewhat humorous conversation with her manager, a store clerk assured me it would be accepted, so I proceeded to get a couple binders I needed for a few out-of-pocket cents.

Posted by dwallach at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I was perusing some of the data that my counter collects, and found that someone had linked here via Google Watch, a page that presents some interesting info on how blogs skew Google search results, among other Google issues. So I became curious, and decided to search for my website, and it turns out that I'm now #3! It seems I owe this honor to protocols, which seems to be the only Google listed site that links to my homepage.

Next I decided to search for my Bargain Blog, and it came up a not too shabby #6.

Posted by dwallach at 11:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Back in October, I used up my MSN Wallet promotional dollars by buying a Circuit City Gift Card. It was to be sent via standard First Class USPS mail. As of Friday, it had not arrived, so I called CC to find out what was going on. I spoke to a nice CSR who told me she'd look into it. Friday evening I got a call, informing me that since it was apparently lost in the mail, they had refunded my credit card. I had the option of reordering, and they would even refund express shipping costs, if I chose that option.

However, the MSN Dollars program is no longer. It was "Powered by c2it from Citibank," which is going out of business.

On the plus side of things, their FAQ states:

I returned my purchase after the MSN Dollars Service was discontinued, how can I get my refund?
If you returned merchandise to a participating online store for credit to your MSN Dollars account, and the merchant has processed a refund, this amount will be reflected in your online statement. The remaining dollars in your account may not be redeemed online, but you will be sent a check from Citibank in that amount. This will be sent to the name and address you have provided in your MSN Dollars Membership Information.

Posted by dwallach at 3:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Not that you care, but I'm an uncle again ... my first niece was born tonight, shortly after 7 pm.

Posted by dwallach at 9:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

A UPS package was waiting for me at my desk this morning, meaning it arrived Friday (10/31) after I left. It was the ATA card from WD. Pretty quick, as it was "ordered" on 10/28.

Posted by dwallach at 11:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)