Mail-in rebates are a hassle. Fiscally, they’re just as good as cash, but the mental overhead in dealing with mail-in rebate forms and whatnot is just more than some people want to deal with. Those people are likely going to be headed to a Best Buy or RadioShack retailer to pick up their Palm Pre, where the Sprint retail partners are offering instant rebates on the Palm Pre. But, Sprint is apparently mulling the option of replacing the $100 Palm Pre mail-in rebate with the instant variety – or so goes the rumor from PalmGoon.
The rumor comes from one of PalmGoon’s Sprint sources, and is said to be a minor discussion within Sprint. But, as PreCentral notes, Sprint stores have already been stocked with Palm Pre forms that confirm the Palm Pre’s mail-in rebate.
Still, the move would make sense. Sprint would presumably want to attract more customers to its stores (and away from its partners), where it makes a killing on accessory-sales (like Palm Pre cases and the TouchStone dock). And, it seems Palm has changed their website to reflect the Palm Pre’s $199.99 retail price as being ” “after rebate and service agreement,” where before it referred to “mail-in rebate and service agreement.”
[Via: PalmGoon]