June 30, 2008

Mail-in Rebates: Beware!

All of us have seen mail-in rebates for years now, especially at large electronic/computer chains like Best Buy. These rebates make the price very attractive and encourage impulse shopping. I have seen too many inconsistencies and useless caveats -- with the sole intention that the customer will not receive the advertised rebate -- that I do not count on the mail-in rebate when purchasing a product.

Most mail-in rebates require that you
  1. Send in the original receipt, serial number bar codes and original UPC
  2. Send in the rebate within a certain time frame
  3. Send in everything at the same time
What do they want?
The unstated goals are that once you return the mail-in receipt, you may not be able to return a product; that you may make a mistake by sending one piece of paper less than required. Certainly offering a mail-in rebate has advantages for the seller -- they will invest and collect interest on the $100 mail-in rebate that they'd pay out 3 months later. A conversion rate of 50-70% swells the profits for the company.

You have no rights
If the seller says you made a mistake, or that they didn't receive the package, there is little you can do. If the seller refuses to refund you because they say you didn't include the original UPC code, there's nothing you can do. Think businesses don't lie? Always mail it certified mail where someone has to sign for it.

Shameless Lying by Sears
Four years ago I purchased a treadmill from Sears. The representative told me, and the documentation had it, that I was eligible for a floor mat. I sent everything as detailed, but the rebate was refused. Why? The rebate department said there was no rebate associated with this product. Incompetence? I think not. A couple of phone calls went nowhere, and store representative were no help (they get commissions on what they sell, so they don't care), and I gave up. Sears' benefit? $40. I haven't bought a large-ticket item there since. I hate liars.

Devious Rebate Form at Circuit City
Recently I purchased a laptop from Circuit City and saw something VERY curious. I followed a link with the intention of printing the rebate form. At the top of the page was a little button saying Print Form. Sure. I pressed it. It only printed 40% of the page. And guess what, the text on the web said Send this form in its entirety. A-ha! A dummy who uses the conveniently place button will be rejected. Intentional? I think yes. And you had to write the Serial Number on the paper form as well. What the heck? Do they have baboons dispensing rebates? How hard is it to read 3 pieces of information?

Read the Fine Print
Best Buy is shameless in having lots of rebates that are contingent on you signing a 2-year contract with an ISP. When I purchased a laptop in 2002, I was told to get a $100 rebate when I sign up for MSN Internet for 2 years. At $25/month for dial-up, it came to $600 for the duration. Why do that when I could get DSL for $30 a pop? Don't be a sucker, and read the fine print.

Summary
I'm not saying that mail-in rebates are evil, nor that all sellers are devious in this way. Just keep in mind that there's a 30% chance you won't get the rebate, and factor that in the price. And avoid sellers or manufacturers who nickel and dime you.

June 4, 2008

The Sunlight on the Garden

I like poetry. I liked it even when I didn't understand it, because good poetry is like music -- you appreciate it by hearing it. I remember one poem that read a long time ago, and have never really forgotten, and it's not a highly fancied one or one that's often fed to students of classics and poetry. It was written by Louis MacNeice and is titled The Sunlight on the Garden.

I am reproducing it here. The first stanza is just beautiful.
The sunlight on the garden
Hardens and grows cold,
We cannot cage the minute
Within its nets of gold,
When all is told
We cannot beg for pardon.

Our freedom as free lances
Advances towards its end;
The earth compels, upon it
Sonnets and birds descend;
And soon, my friend,
We shall have no time for dances.

The sky was good for flying
Defying the church bells
And every evil iron
Siren and what it tells:
The earth compels,
We are dying, Egypt, dying

And not expecting pardon,
Hardened in heart anew,
But glad to have sat under
Thunder and rain with you,
And grateful too
For sunlight on the garden.
Beautiful, but vague. Like U2's lyrics. Hence timeless. Apparently, it was written by Louis after his wife had left him for someone else. If that influenced this work, the net effect is saddened. Even without that knowledge, the poem remains nostalgic, a tad wistful and jumps from one idea to another, thought it ends on a positive note. I have drawn pleasure and perhaps strength from it over many years, and at times I've felt that it contains infinite wisdom, constructed as it is with universal themes of loneliness, regret, alienation and acceptance.

June 1, 2008

Pasta is a gourmet food

Pasta has gotten an undeserved bad name in the US, where it is associated with red sauce and cheap Italian restaurants with poor service. That is just not true. Italian food has a lot of variety; just that what passes for Italian food in the US (except in the Haute Cuisine) is Sicilian food. Sicilian food uses a lot of olive oil, and very little Parmesan.

It's all because of the geography. Northern Italian cuisine is a whole lot closer to French and German cuisine than to Sicilian cuisine. Reason? Northern Italy has weather that allows raising cattle that feeds on grass (Sicily is a whole lot more arid). Cow's milk is converted to butter and cheese. What grows locally is used: such is the way of the world. Italian cuisine is refined and versatile.

The best Italian cookbook I know of (and most critics agree) is Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. In that she talks about the right way of making pasta. A little bit of butter goes a long way.

How to make pasta sauce?
It is very simple to make pasta sauce at home. All it takes is some care and a tiny bit of effort. Homemade pasta sauces can be jarred or frozen, they keep for about 6 months.

Here's a photo of my homemade pasta sauce. This sauce has no olive oil or coloring. The heavy cream and fresh grated Parmesan give it a orange hue. Topped with chopped parsley and finely grated Parmesan cheese. Served over shell pasta, cook al dente and then tossed with butter. Everything except the cheese is organic.