| |||||
Monday, June 12, 2006
By Christina VanGinkel
Buying electronics is almost always a costly proposition, especially if you are shopping with quality and features in mind. Like most things you buy, you get what you pay for. A good example of this is if you are shopping for a new digital camera. You walk into a store, or sign into one of your favorite online outlets, and you will have available to you cameras starting at less than one hundred dollars, all the way up to the thousands. Each one will take a picture, but the same picture, taken in the same amount of light, from the same distance, will vary greatly from the cheaper models to the more expensive ones. Some of the differences may not be important to you, but many of the differences likely will. The cheaper cameras will often not have added features that the more expensive models will have, such as increased optic zoom length, anti shake technology, more mega pixels, and bigger screen sizes, all features that will have noticeable differences in either the finished picture or the ease of the use of the camera itself.
Finding the electronics that you want, at the best prices available is often a game of sorts. Shopping by comparison is of course the first step. By this, I mean comparing the features that you know are important to you, from one device to the next. If you want a DVD player, and want the capability to record, then be sure to compare only those players that have this benefit, excluding those that are only players right from the start. Sure, those DVD players that just play and do not record are more than likely to be much less costly, but saving a few dollars is not really worth it if the device does not work, as you want it too.
However, if you find two cameras, DVD recorders, or whatever electronic device it is that you are currently in the market for, that are close in quality and features, and about the same price, how can one manufacturer possibly entice you to buy theirs over the competitors? Offering cash incentives in the form of a rebate is often the answer.
More and more manufacturers and stores are offering rebates on electronics that are a bit on the pricey side. While I cannot tell you why this seems to be becoming a common selling tactic, I can tell you that these rebates often mean big dollars in savings for the consumers that are willing to follow through with them. Part of the reason retailer's offer them is that not all consumers do follow through with the rebates unbelievably. They just want to buy the items for their quality or features, and the hassle of cutting out a UPC and obtaining a copy of a receipt seems like too much work, even when the rebate in questions is worth twenty, fifty, even one hundred dollars or more. For those of us who are more than willing to do a bit of cutting and addressing of the envelope to mail it all in, these rebates can really add up. Also, note that some rebates offer additional products instead of cash, but even some of these can still equal good value.
Do not assume that a product will have all available rebates prominently posted either. The Internet is a good place to look up any rebates, that might be available for any product you are currently interested in purchasing. Two products that I bought this past year had no mention of rebates, yet both did, with one of them actually offering me two separate rebates that ended up equaling the cost of the product in full being refunded to me. One was for customers who had proof of prior purchase of the same brand, and the second rebate was just a standard rebate. I qualified for both, so ended up getting what amounted to a full price refund. This is no exaggeration. The other product offered a rebate of an add-on product that I felt was a great value in and of itself, a Wacom graphics tablet.
The next time you are shopping for any electronics, be sure to investigate any rebates that might be available. They often mean big savings, even making it possible to go with a product of higher cost and value, because after receiving the rebate, the item may end up costing you no more, possibly less, than the lesser valued item that you were all set to settle for.
7:07 AM Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home
Archives:
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
Consumer Electronics
Resources
Electronics
Most Watch Electronics Auctions
iPod at Sduf
Shops:
