Copper Blue

Has anyone heard if FYE is supposed to be continuing their rebate program into 2008? The next big batch of new releases is up for pre-order on the website, but no rebates are listed (ex: Eastern Promises, 3:10 to Yuma, Shoot em up). Usually the rebates are posted within a month of release date...

TGM

Well, all I know is that they better be, as that is the only time I buy anything from that overpriced outfit.

db27

its not going anywhere, the rebate program is a way that our company can remain competitive to the big box stores. We are unable to keep up with the prices they have on New Releases out of the box as Loss Leaders simply because we don't make margin on media, nor do they. Margin is made on high ticket items like stoves, washers, tvs, furniture and the like. None of which a store like fye carries.

peeps are always quick to dismiss pricing at fyes, but the bottom line is it starts with the vendors and often places like Best Buy and Circuit City sell CD's and DVD's at a loss but make it up on other items and volume.

But yeah, rebates are stickin' around.

Copper Blue

Thanks, hopefully we'll see the 12/26-1/8 batch of rebates up for pre-order soon.

One more question for you: Why do some DVDs offer the $10 gift card instead of the $7 check, and some only offer the check?

TGM

can FYE used-trade-in DVD store credit be used online??

DiedLaughing

Wow. You're really drinking the TWEC kool-aid! While most of what you say is true, you forgot to mention how much they make off of used items. The mark-up is usually double or more of what they pay for an item. On most new release dvds they'll give you around $6 and charge $15.99. There is some margin there...

Sweet Baby James

Yes.

Double_Oh_7

I'm still waiting for my $20 rebate for buying 24 S5 last year!

Ajn3166

You have to be on top of your rebates - track them. They will reject them for no reason. However, once you send them an e-mail to bring it to their attention, they'll make it valid without having to resubmit anything.

I've done over 50 FYE Rebates and have received every single one of them.

Sweet Baby James

Same here and only twice were they declared invalid(which, as you stated, was quickly rectified). I'm always surprised about the amount of problems that other people have with their rebates-I must be lucky.

Wallet Boy

You are lucky. I've been doing rebates for years and years with a bunch of different companies, and I've never had a problem, except with FYE. I stopped doing their rebate programs altogether about 2 years ago because I couldn't take it anymore. For a while they would just reject me and then fix it when I called, but then they started getting nasty and wouldn't even fix it over the phone. I had to make 3 phone calls and go through 2 supervisors to get a Scrubs rebate, and then I called it quits.

A few months ago, I caved and did the Simpons Set rebates for 2 sets, and they claimed they never got them in the mail, and it then took a re-fax and two more phone calls to get it sorted out.

They suck.

db27

I drink it because I work there, and see invoices! The used is in part the only reason our company has survived this difficult transition that the music industry has endured.

At my store, I micromange the used even further. Mark up is almost always more than 300 percent. It is literally the only place to make margin quite honestly. My store would have gone under if not for used and I'd be out a job.

The used formula is basically this

we sell a used title at about half of the new MSRP and generally pay between 25-40% of that price, sometimes less, sometimes more.

In the world of big boxes its tough to be even a little bit successful in the music and movies field, that is why TWEC rebrand to fye (for your entertainment) to reposition itself as an entertainment destination, not just your old Record Town/Saturday Matinee.

db27

Great advice! Remember those folks in the rebate houses crack open ONE po box filled with thousands of frickin' envelopes, if you don't make it perfect they will screw it up. I HIGHLY recommend following the instructions in my fye thread, I would be SHOCKED if you did and ran into problems.

hindolio

admittedly, i hate that evil fye rebate as much as yall do.

otoh (and ot), i sincerely agree with db27, partially because of all the insight and help he has given me and other dvdtalkers here re fye. and since frequenting my local b&m in the last couple months, ive found that there are a couple of employees there that are really cool, helpful, and actually knowledgeable!

thing i like most about fye is that it has a decent selection of new, used, and exclusive releases. everything isnt priced right, but deals can usually be had

bigjim25

Not only can you use store credit but backstage passes can also now be used online.

cbearnm

I no longer will buy from FYE because of a stupid $10 rebate. Over the years, I have probably spent over $2500 both in store and online.

I bought South Park (10) and Serenity CE together. I submitted the rebate request for both. I received the rebate for the $7 item, and got nothing about the $10 item.

I received the rebate before even receiving the rebate acknowledgment. It also was 3 days after the rebate deadline.

OK, now if I misread the rebate submission requirements, which are pretty ambiguous about the limits, it's my fault. So I called FYE and am told that I need to contact the fulfillment center. I tried following the directions to track my submission with no success. I tried calling the fulfillment center with no success. I called FYE back and was given another run around. Apparently, their call center has no management available to talk to customers, at least the 3 times I called.

USPS mail inquiries to FYE and their parent company, Trans World Entertainment, have resulted in exactly zero response.

I realize that I have spent much more than $10 in time and energy just trying to get a response. If I had even received a form letter telling me to get lost, I wouldn't be as angry. SOMETHING.

I am very careful about fulfilling the requirements of rebates. I know that fulfillment companies get their business by guaranteeing a lower redemption rate than others. Even things as simple as making the rebate look like junk mail in hopes it get thrown out. I can accept that, it's part of the business and I expect that. But to provide zero customer service beside telling you to go online (which tells you nothing more than what you already know) is just too much.

If I had received the $10 rebate instead, I might not even be as pissed, but they only honored the lower rebate. If FYE customer service had said, OK, we'll give you a $10 credit, they would have had me as a solid customer. But the old, "There's nothing we can do" line is not the way to treat a customer.

I rarely mess up on a rebate and if I did all it would have taken was someone telling me how I did so and I would have dropped the whole issue. But getting no response will guarantee that the ONLY items I will ever buy from FYE (or their sister companies - Coconut's, Wherehouse, Spec's, Saturday Matinee or SunCoast) will be where their price is so much below everyone else, without rebates. Disgraceful, but I guess, business as usual.

joeee

samehere, cbear. fye rebates are a joke. they never sent me mine, and i don't have the time to keep tabs on them. fool me once, fye, shame on you. fool me twice, shame on me. i'll never shop there if it involves rebates.

Lecithin

My first FYE rebate was in 2004 for Big Fish for $7 and I got it 2 months after sending it in. Since then, I have sent in $10 or $7 rebates for Scary Movie 1, 2 and 3; Return of the King; Secret Window; Kill Bill 2; Star Wars 25th box set; Ren & Stimpy 1&2; Shrek; Aladdin; Die Hard box set; Family Guy vol. 5 and Robot Chicken season 2 and have received each and every one.

If I have ever had any trouble, it was always resolved easily, because I read and follow the instructions carefully, send in what I am supposed to when I am supposed to, make copies of all of it and call the number or check the website given when the allowed amount of time has been exceeded. Yes, companies offer rebates instead of just reducing the prices of things because they hope not all the rebates will be claimed. That just means if a consumer is not willing to do the necessary work to properly send in and get rebates back, they should really not get involved in any because they are the demographic the companies are hoping to reap the benefits from.

bubba111

Agreed. db27 has been a VERY helpful and welcome contributor to these forums. He has definitely helped me navigate my FYE purchases in a successful manner, which has led me to patronize FYE more than I would have otherwise.

Following his instructions on rebates will maximize your chances you will receive them in a timely manner. I did almost $250 worth of rebates during one of those crazy TV rebate deals during the summer and got each and every one of them.

On the other hand, while I can understand this new initiative of FYE to give gift cards instead of cash, it is definitely unwelcome.

cbearnm

I have no problem if I did not follow the terms and conditions of the rebate. I can't recall any other rebate that I have not received. I have copies of my submission and have reread the requirements. There is some ambiguous wording that may be cause of only getting one of the rebates.

My issue is with the total lack of acknowledgment of my inquiries. I would think that although they don't control the fulfillment company (which indirectly, they do, by having picked them), when it comes right down to it, I didn't buy from the fulfillment company. I bought from FYE.

I have received rebates from them before. I have found them to be helpful on inquiries that I have made in the past about stock and delivery questions.

But it's the old business adage, "All it takes is one 'Oops' to destroy a hundred 'Atta Boys'". And likewise, one unhappy customer is louder than a hundred happy customers. I'm hardly calling for anyone else to not allow this, just that I am done doing so.