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From: canopus@amdahl.UUCP (Alpha Carinae)
Newsgroups: net.consumers,net.flame
Subject: Re: Coupons and Rebates-- Flame
Message-ID: <2006@amdahl.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 11-Sep-85 10:25:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: amdahl.2006
Posted: Wed Sep 11 10:25:16 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 13-Sep-85 03:59:55 EDT
References: <243@mot.UUCP>
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Xref: watmath net.consumers:2961 net.flame:11906

References: <243@mot.UUCP> (Alan Filipski)
> Can anyone explain to me the marketing purpose behind coupons and
> rebates? (...)
> How stupid and idle do they think people are?  (...)

  It's simple, really.  They know that approximately 70% of the people
  are too stupid and idle to bother to send in for the rebate, coupon,
  etc, so it's a way of making even more money.  You see, if they
  just charged the lower price for the product, then everyone who
  bought it would "benefit".  But by charging a higher price, and
  offering to give part of it back if you send something to them, they
  know that they will only have to pay off around 30% of the people
  who buy the product.

  A similar gimmick that relies on the stupidity and slothfulness of
  humankind is the one where they will send you the first book free
  of a series, then send you, at regular intervals, the remaining
  books in the series, accompanied with an invoice.  Of course, if
  you don't want the book, just send it back!  Likewise, they know
  that most people will keep the damn thing and pay for it, or if
  they do cancel, they are too lazy to return the book, so they pay
  for it and write "CANCEL" on the invoice.
-- 
Frank Dibbell     (408-746-6493)     ...!{ihnp4,cbosgd,sun}!amdahl!canopus
Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale CA     [This is the obligatory disclaimer..]
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"This is the biggest fool thing we have ever done.  The bomb will never
 go off, and I speak as an expert in explosives."  [Adm Bill Leahy to
 President Truman in 1945 about the Manhattan Project]