On the karmic flipside, I went to my local McDonalds, and the large fry boxes did not come with BB$. I asked for a different one, and was told "oh, sorry we are out". I asked for a chicken sandwich box, and was told "we are out of those as well".

I was somewhere in the middle and spent $5.04 on a premium grilled chicken combo and got only a $1 Best Buy buck and an instant win of any large burger sandwich and four regular game pieces (had pieces on both the drink and the sandwich box). I watched the guy next to me toss his fries out with the pieces still on it however, and retrieved it when I went to refill my drink (yes, I will dig through the garbage for a dollar, I have no shame, it seems). I got ANOTHER $1 Best Buy buck off that (guess the one in 3 that are $3 must be on the next one I check) and some more game pieces. So, at least this will save me $2 off South Park 6 tomorrow and I get a large sandwich worth at least $3 I guess so I suppose I broke even more or less.

I would asked for a refund and walked out. They tried this on me the other night.

"Sorry, we're out of those fry boxes, but I put a hash brown wrapper in there for you."
"But the hash brown wrapper doesn't have the Best Buy piece"
*confused look on her face*
"Can I just have a chicken sandwich box?"
*same look*
"So I can get my piece?"
"Ohhh, ok"

Anyone know if BB will pricematch CC if I do an instore pickup? I want to get High Tension and use the BBbucks, I have $7, but if I order online the price is $19.99 while the price at CC is $14.99. So I'd really only be saving a dollar using the BBbucks with instore pickup if I can't PM CC when I go to pick it up.

I used 14 BB Bucks today ordering South Park: S6 for in-store pickup with no problems. Then I did a PM to CC for High Tension and KOH, and they would only let me use $3 bucks a piece on those, coming up to $11.99 each. I guess I'll have to save the other 8 BB Bucks for the end of the month or whatever.

I have gone to McDonalds 4 times since this started and twice have received sandwich boxes without any pieces. When I asked the second time I was told it is only on the Chicken Select pieces, I then unfolded their game piece and showed them that it was on the sandwiches; they replied they did not have those boxes and thank you. I have sent an email to McD's and expect to get a piece in the mail, I had the same thing happen last year and they sent me a piece.

Out of my 4 trips I have $13 BB bucks, 2 med fries, large hamburger and small drink.

According to fatwallet, people who mailed requests last Monday are starting to get them back, so it looks like turnaround is 7 or 8 days, depending on where you live.

Also, people are reporting getting 2 monopoly game pieces(which has 4 actual monopoly pieces) + 1 chance piece in the envelopes, as opposed to the rules which state that you get one of each. It really doesn't improve your odds of winning a big prize, ha ha, but it gives you a better chance of winning one of the digital prizes(if you have any use for them), and it makes the odds of winning a 'food' prize 1 in 4.5 instead of 1 in 9. So, for every 9 envelopes you would win 2 food prizes instead of 1. Here are the food prizes, i don't know whether they are equally weighted, the rules do not mention anything. If they were equally weighted, the average 'value' is $2.30 which is an average of .51 expected value per envelope.

Medium Fries ($1.76), any Large Burger Sandwich ($3.36), any Breakfast Medium Extra Value Meal(r) ($2.86), Small McFlurry(r) ($2.11), Small Drink ($1.00), and any Breakfast Sandwich ($2.71). Retail values of Food Prizes are based upon national average price points as of July 28, 2005

I have spent $22 at McD's so far with this promotion. I got $19 in BB bucks (FIVE $3 ones, and only FOUR $1 ones!!!) plus a free small drink and a breakfast sandwich. In the online game, I won 6 sets of digital prints, although I lost the first 2 (they said I would get my redemption codes via email, but I didn't get any--so I started writing the codes down after I didnt get the first 2). So I can't complain about my money spent thus far, although I'm now sick of their chicken sandwiches, and can't eat another fry (no, I didn't eat them all, or I'd be puking like Morgan Spurlock)

Well, I just ran across a local school’s “discount card”, one of the discounts were a buy-one, get-one free large sandwich from McDonalds so I can now get two Chicken sandwiches for ~ $4. Did that today, got $4 in Bestbuy bucks and a coupon for a free small mcflurry, plus the two sandwiches of course.

I’m now up to $21 (five x $3 and six x $1), plus two pieces each good for a small McFlurry. That's after spending about $25 ($1.70 x 5 for the fries, and ~ $3.30 x 5 for the sandwiches).

I don’t think that I can keep this up for very much longer.

On the online game, how do you enter it? Do you have to have a special game piece, or is this one of those "you can play once per day" type of things?

When you are in the checkout screen, there is a box on the left to enter codes. You use the code listed on the BB$.

And don't forget... you can also use them at a B&M after using them on-line. I did that today and got both ArrestedDev:S2 and SouthPark:S6 for under $15 combined. I did probably jeopardize my health, but anything for a bargain.

Isnt there anyway for them to track this? I thought about doing the same.

Definately not if you use cash for the instore purchase. They'd have no way of proving that you were "double-dipping," so to speak.

I received part of my SASE's back, 135/135. The breakdown for Best Buy Bucks: 85 $1.00 and 50 $3.00. You get four Monopoly pieces per request and I haven't opened them.

Can I use the actual pieces in-store tomorrow, but write down the codes to use online later?

Cool. What day did you send them?

I sent 100 today and will likely send another 100-200 on Monday, Just wondering when to expect mine. Good to hear they actually are giving ~33% of $3 coupons to those who mailed in. I was somewhat worried they would stiff us with all $1's.

Buck Fest Buy! I went to buy Arrested Development Season 2 today for $24.99 with the reward zone discount and a $3 BB buck. Why do I wait till now to pay attention to what they charged me?

AD: 24.99
$3 off anything in the store: 0.00
Subtotal:24.99

Even after making you fill out paperwork for a coupon, they never cease to amaze me.

Probably. I don't see why not.

Yes, you have to be careful using these with package deals, coupons, and rewardzone prices. Last year I gave up trying to use them with the Madden Coupons.

Sent them 10/1, postmarked 10/7, and received them today. The food coupons seem harder this year, but I don't eat McDonald's.

Tried to PM but it wouldn't work. At BB the receipt didn't show up with the original prices then a discount, it showed the prices as being discounted so on the receipt it looked like I had already gotten the dvds for less than cc had them for.

Question: What did people do last year (who sent in SASEs) to organize the BB$ when bringing them into the store? I figure I will eventually have about 200 coupons (that I plan on finally purchasing a TiVo with). Would it be okay if I stuck them to pieces of paper (like 20 per sheet)? Just trying to find some way to organize my impending horde of BB$ coupons.

When I did my PM, I didn't even try for the 110% deal, I just went straight to customer service and did a straight price match, and then used the coupons. I knew it would be a problem if I bought them at the register, because their system just deducts from the original price when a coupon is used.

looooooooooool

One further note on the odds, again from Fat Wallet. There are 73 mm chance pieces(the Best Buy bucks), 68 mm that are distributed normally and 5 mm that McD's is distributing at the end, presumably to smooth out regional shortages. The last 5 mm chance pieces are all $1 Best Buy Bucks. The odds(1/3 of $1,2/3 of $3) in the rules are calculated on the basis of all 73 mm pieces, so your odds of getting a $3 piece are actually a little higher in the initial distribution(approximately 35%).

Anyway, if you wait until the very end, either to mail in, or eat there, or rummage through the trash(lol), you will probably only get a $1 Best Buy buck.

Since I'm traveling for business this week and my meals are paid for, I've been going to McD's for the Monopoly pieces and Best Buy bucks....the McD's I went to tried to short-change me twice for my pieces and I politely reminded them both times that my pieces were left off. I have $8 in BB bucks, a free small soft drink, and the Boardwalk piece (so Park Place must be the rare one again).

This is generally the only time I eat at McDonald's (during this promotion)....luckily I've been eating chicken instead of the hamburgers.