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FREE COMPUTERS
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By
Tim Duffy
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Free or not so free you be the judge!
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Well it has come pass. It has only been about
a year since the computer prices dropped below $1,000. I
said at that time that if they continued to drop they would
go the way of cell phones and give you a free computer if
you signed up with an Internet service provider. Just this
past week Internet service providers along with retail
stores offered a free computer if you signed up for at least
three years at between $19.95 and $21.95 per month. All of
these deals have since expired. But do not worry, they will
be repeated because they were so successful. "E-
machines just flew off the shelf" according to one
employee of Staples, the office supply store. The term free
is not quite true. You are responsible for the state sales
tax, postage and any interest that may be applied to your
credit card while waiting for the rebate. You heard right,
This credit card offer is restricted to people that have
credit cards with a credit limit sufficient to make the
purchase.
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What if you do not
like the deal?
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That's right. What if you do not like the
service provider which you signed up with and committed to
for 3 + years?
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What if the computer
turns out to be less than you need?
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There is a way out; however, it is not cheap.
You have to reimburse the service provider for any rebates
you received plus a $50 cancellation fee. Bottom
line! This can be a very good deal if you
follow some simple rules.
#1
Check out the service provider. Make sure that they have
access numbers in your area. Also, ask friends and
relatives, about their knowledge of this provider because
three years with a bad provider can seem like an eternity.
#2 Fully check out and
examine the computer. Ask yourself will you just be surfing
the net? Will you do other things with the computer such as
play high speed Graphics games, use voice recognition software etc? Find out if this computer is
going to meet your present and future needs. Finding out a
few months down the road that the computer you got free will not really serve your needs can make for a real
frustrating experience.
#3 Pay off your credit
card as soon as you receive the rebate check! Better yet
some of the offers will credit the rebate to your card. Take
this option if it is offered, as you will save the interest.
#4 The offers I have
seen give you the option of paying in advance for the 3
years of service or paying by the month. Always pay by the
month. There is no advantage to paying in advance; however,
there is a disadvantage- the interest that you will pay on your credit card.
One
final caution. It has been my experience that it can take
five to six months to receive your rebate.
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