Best Buy FTW; mega retailer confirms $199 Palm Pre price sans-MIR
Ahhh, Best Buy. Many speculated that the Pre would hit Best Buy Mobile locations without the need to worry about that annoying mail-in rebate (MIR) and as of yesterday evening, it’s confirmed. While Pre-purchasers will have to part with $299.99 at Sprint stores and then sit around for a few months before receiving $100 back in the mail, Best Buy Mobile will be carrying the handset for $199.99 — no rebate required. We know Sprint is struggling but come on, times are tough for everyone. Why should Sprint earn interest on your money for a few months when you could be earning interest yourself? We’re sure you would much rather see the savings up front, so if there is a Palm Pre in your future it looks like Best Buy Mobile is the place to get it… That is, if there are any left.
Hopefully this was more of Palms doing to get it sold at Best Buy with the subsidy already applied. Maybe they want to continue to be in business. Sprint on the other hand is setting up for a massive fail.
Unfortunately. i only go to best buy to check out phones, not buy them. I have to get my new phones through telesales…but for New Customers this is good news.
Why is Sprint setting up for a massive Fail?
APPLE = FIAL LOLL HAHAHAHA
hopefully Walmart will follow suit.
RadioShack will also be selling the Pre with no MIR. Sprint stores and direct dealers are the only places that do mail in rebates on Sprint devices, duh. Best Buy isn’t alway the only solution. Go to RadioShack or the select Wal Mart stores that are getting it. Damn “Worst Buy”
The line that reads: Built-in GPS Navigation System is going to get some people in very hot water when it is realized that it is only built-in where you have a data connection.
I am not sure how this is going to pan out for Sprint….If there is a shortage of the devices for a while, then it’s opening up the door for Apple to show off the goods and take whatever interest there was for the Pre and shift it to the iPhone. People will get their hands on the Pre, but if it doesn’t floor people from the word go, then I can’t see how it can hold up against any iPhone news….Maybe I’m wrong
or is it that Sprint is just trying to say there’s going to be a shortage so people try to rush out and buy them?
Sprint wants out of the brick and mortar business. Who can blame them, thier stores suck.
I know where I will be buying my two Pre’s…not to metion the small additional saving not having to pay sales tax on the extra $200 which would be $14 in Indy since sales tax is 7%. This is huge for people in NY and Chicago which have a much higher local sales tax.
RIM will dominate this phone.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks Sprint is shooting themselves in the foot with this Pre strategy they’ve come up with lately.
ick, I have to wait outside a best buy to buy this? So lame. I was hoping for something at least a little bit close to the apple store iPhone 3g launch, not sitting outside a crappy best buy waiting to get shot
So you say the Storm will trump the Pre? Interesting especially when you have a CEO say it’s ok to have bugs on phones, but instead of fixing the first Storm we will tell people to buy the Storm 2. Great company there buddy.
I know I have to change my SERO plan to a newer EPRP plan but does anyone know if I can upgrade at Best Buy at this price and use it on my account?
I don’t get it? So best buy is going to take the hit on the sales of these phones? What’s in it for them? A kickback from Sprint for each new customer?
I hate the fact that these giant corporations like Best Buy and Wal Mart can offer the same phones at a lower upfront cost. Because the people that sell them at Best Buy and Wal Mart are idiots and cannot do any customer service. They will direct you right to your local sprint/verizon/att retail or agent location for customer service needs. The retail locations get screwed because not only do they loose the commissions for the sale, but now there time is tied up helping a customer that will not buy from them and keeps us from helping people that will buy from them
Yeah, what do you think? We just sell em for $100 less off the bat and get nothing? No. Its a kickback from sprint and all the rest. Bbym is the better place to get them. Better associates, no MIR, and a better protection plan. Plus, best buy isn’t goin anywhere…$24 million in margin last month? C’mon…
To set the record straight the main reason Best Buy is able to offer all their phone without s mail-in rebate is because they throw their subsidy into the picture to help sell the phone without the need for a mail in rebate. They take the hit upfront but get it back in comission. So point being, it cost Best Buy to offer such services. This is not Sprint’s fault. So lets all simmer down. We’ll all get our pre’s for $199.00 whether upfront or after a rebate…
Does the Pre seem like a brick or is it just me. The picture above reminds me of HTC products of the bygone era. If this is true, interest in the handset will diminish rapidly. What do you think?
I would like to see BB Mobile pre-sell them or at least put a deposit down like they did for the Storm…made things much easier.
Yea, I called Sprint Care today and was told they are not doing any pre-sales of the Pre.
Dan sees where it’s, us NY and Chi subs get screwed by these taxes on phones because none are cheap. That’s why I do my upgraging at BB
I’ve mentioned this before, but who approved the mention of “7GB” instead of 8? Why not write “8GB onboard storage” so at least it appears the same as an 8GB iPhone, which it is?
This ad copy is bonkers, especially adding Disclosure’s point that GPS Nav only works with a data connection.
the reason that bb gets to sell them with no mail in is because they are purchased directly from palm, not through sprint. You are better off going to your local Ready Now store, where they are already experts on the phone. yes it will cost you more upfront, but you will be dealing with people that specialize with sprint, and not every carrier.