I guess we’ll have the need for improved cash-flow to blame for Sprint’s decision to get back to mail-in rebates. I can’t think of any other reason for partially killing instant rebates, which are a much better solution as far as end users are concerned.
According to SprintFeed, the CDMA/WiMAX carrier will return to mail-in rebates on July 24th. However, these will work only with phones that cost under $150, which means the high-end smartphones won’t be affected.
It is said that rebates will come in the form of an American Express Prepaid Reward Card loaded with the amount of your rebate, which is usually $50. Once you purchase the phone, you’ll get the card in around 8 weeks and have up to 6 years to spend that cash. However, if you don’t spend all the money within 6 months, a $3 monthly fee will go into effect…
We all hate rebates, but I guess they are needed to solidify carriers’ financial positions. What do you think?