JohnDoeUSA

That assumes that you get all 250 offers back and assumes that you will get 20 $5 pieces. If you are 90% successful with your offers return then you would still yield $297 total or $97"made". That is not too bad. However, what if the stuff you buy with your best buy bucks are cheaper elsewhere? That cuts into your "made" even more.

I am not mailing in any offers but I do hope that others are very successful with the mail in offers. Good luck everyone, I hope you stick it to the Man (Best Buy)!

Heat

It's good, but not quite that good (unless you live in Vermont). 500 envelopes @ $0.82 / envelope = $410 out of pocket.

1 in 12 are $5 coupons (not 1 in 8), so 42 $5 coupons and 458 $1 coupons = $668, or a "profit" of $258. Assuming that you get all of them back, of course. Plus a ton of free food coupons.

And to answer another question above, the limit is $200 in Best Buy Bucks per day.

mbs

Additionally, it was possible last year (and possibly this year) to use them BOTH online and instore (each BBB could be used twice). That provides about a 80% discount on BB goods.

Yeah, you have to pay something (postage: 2 stamps per entry), but you can get an incredible discount on what you do want to buy. One won't make money on this scheme, but if there are things you would buy at BB, it allows for a nice ~80% discount.

runner001

well, you could make money if you decide to sell the item(s).

Heat

You can definately use them both on-line and in-store. The question is whether the store (or somebody else within Best Buy) will enter the codes at some point to see if they were used on-line and, if so, what would be done. Obviously not all codes would be checked but it is conceivable that a sample of codes redeemed in-store would be checked.

illini420

Sent in 500 from socal the first week. Got around 450 back. Printed all of the outer envelopes w/ my laser printer, handwrote the SASE. Got about 1 in 12 $5 as I expected. Bought a PSP online w/ the 5's and some games in store. Also bought some DVDs and a few pre-paid Sirius cards instore (even though the rules prohibit those). Maybe if I end up with enough I'll get an Ipod.

I did 1000 SASE last year, but the game was better return. Still fun to play and to give away tons of food to friends. I think I ended up with about 60 free breakfast sandwiches alone, probably 250-300 or so food items in all.

atari2600

would have loved to seen the faces of the customers behind you in line on such a busy day.

Heat

Speaking of food items, the food items are supposed to be (a) Medium French Fries, (b) any Large Beef Sandwich, (c) any Breakfast Medium Extra Value Meal®, (d) Small McFlurry®, (e) Small Soft Drink or Small Coffee, and (f) any Breakfast Sandwich.

Has anybody seen (b) any Large Beef Sandwich or (c) any Breakfast Medium Extra Value Meal®?

illini420

Those seem to be much more rare. Of the 450 or so I have back, only 4 Large Beef Sandwiches and 13 Breakfast EVM's. I got between 40-70 each of the other food prizes.

mbs

Yeah, I have a couple of each.

I got 88 out of the 512 I sent yesterday. Of that, about 1-in-8 was a $5. Hope my luck continues with the $5 (but it won't).

devilshalo

Isn't it double that amount? One to mail the initial envelope and one for the SASE?

RedBull7&83

Take a look at all the different auctions on ebay.... WOW! Even people selling the Rare Game piece list.

Obi-Jon Kenobi

To those people who send in alot. For the SASE, do you need to put the Mcdonalds address as the return address or is it ok to leave it blank.

Also, on the outer envelope, do you need to put your address as the return, or can you leave that blank.

mbs

You can leave the return address on the SASE blank.

The rules specify that you do need a return address (that matches the address on your SASE) on the outer envelope.

Heat

I've now received about 102 out of 120. Including pieces off of sandwiches I have thirteen x $5 and ninety-seven x $1, plus I got my first "free beef sandwich" coupon today.

Anyway... a guy I carpool with has done the math finally and now wants to do it. I remember from last year that there was a time after which people didn't get the BBB (I guess due to the "limited supplies" provision). Does anybody remember when that was? I wouldn't mind sending in another 10 or 20 myself if I am reasonably sure that I'll get some BBB back.

Cusm

I sent in 150 on the 4th, I have received 63 back so far, with 6 $5 peices, with what I have also got in store I am half way to my iPod, $100 so far.

I sent out another 100 Monday, I hope they get filled I need some free 360 games.

mbs

If you get them sent in the next couple days, you should be safe.

Last year there was only one day that they didn't fill SASEs (instead they put the rules in). After that day, they resumed filling envelopes. I sent a couple on the third week (which is this week this year) and they came back without problem.

Additionally, there seems less interest this year on the other deal sites (fatwallet, slickdeals). I'm guessing mostly because it's not as good of a deal as last year.

Anyway, my opinion is that it would be safe to send through the end of this week. But I'd be nervous sending any after the end of this week.

Just my $0.02.

illini420

Sent SASEs out every day during last year's promotion from about 10/10 until 10/31. I received everyone of mine back w/ BBB. I guess I lucked out. Hope for the same this year as I will keep sending the SASEs out every day until 10/31.

PopcornTreeCt

Do you guys that do this have that much free time on your hands? It doesn't sound worth it.

illini420

It really doesn't take that much time to run a few hundred envelopes through your printer, as long as you have a decent printer. Plus it's fun opening all the game pieces. I also like getting all the free food coupons and giving them away to food and co-workers. So, whatever.

Draven

Ok, read the thread and am still confused. I thought you couldn't use laser printers at all for this deal? Or is it just the SASE envelope that must be handwritten?

I'd print off 100 envelopes with the McDonald's address and write out 100 SASEs to put inside if I could. Will that work?

Heat

So am I, which is why I hand-wrote both the inner and outer envelopes. And used a blue ball-point pen to make it even more clear that hand-wrote it.

A co-worker went over the rules with a fine-tooth comb and swears that you can use printed lables on the outer and inner envelopes, and sent off ten that way. If he does get anything back I'll let you know, I mailed 50 at about the same time so I'll know when his should get to him.

If you do want to mail off 100 entries... do it sooner rather than later. Remember that there is a "while supplies last" provision in the rules.

rassi

Ok, my first 18 came back yesterday. 17 $1 BB Bucks and 1 $5 BB Buck. Hopefully I'll do a bit better in my next batches. I did get about 9 food prizes though, including 1 Large Beef Sandwich, 2 Breakfast sandwiches, and 1 Breakfast EVM.

kenbuzz

Idiot buyers on eBay need to be separated from their cash. Y'all are much more savvy, so I'll give you the list for free:

Group / Rare Piece / Prize / Winners
----------------------------------
PURPLE / Mediterranean Avenue / $50 / 5,000
LT BLUE / Vermont Avenue / $500 / 500
MAROON / Virginia Avenue / $1,000 / 250
ORANGE / Tennessee Avenue / $1,500 / 100
RED / Kentucky Avenue / $5,000 / 50
YELLOW / Ventnor Avenue / $10,000 / 10
GREEN / Pennsylvania Avenue / $50,000 / 2
DK BLUE / Boardwalk / $1 Million ($50K/year for 20 years) / 1
RAILROAD / Short Line / $5 Million ($250K/year for 20 years) / 1

Source: http://www.amazing-bargains.com/mcdonalds2006.html

Deftones

Sent out 50 yesterday. Man, that was a PITA writing everything. I'm looking at picking up several XBox 360 games soon, so this is a good way to essentially BOGO free.