Deals on CDRs...be gentle, it's my first time...also need some advice...

[Booty]

I'm at college and some buddies and I are trying to get some decent CD-Rs for a good price. Actually, quality doesn't matter so much for me becaues I have the Plextor 12/10/32, which works fine with everything except for a cardboard circle, but their drives need higher quality media.

That said, I went searching, and found Imation 50 12x 700 meg cds at buy.com for $20, then at outpost for $28 - $10 rebate, so $18. Staples has them for like $40, so I figured I'd try to pull off a pricematch, then buy a few of them and use a coupon.

I figured the possibilities were:

buy.com - 2 x 50 cdr's = $40 - 10 off 30 coupon = approx. $15/spindle + shipping
staples - p.m. buy.com, then 4 x 50 cdr's = 80 - 25 off 75 = approx.
$14/spindle -or-
p.m. outpost = 5 x 50 cdr's = 90 - 25 off 70 = $13/spindle

Here's the question for those of you with p.m. experience at staples:

1) Will they try to add shipping charges? If so standard or overnight or what? And even if Buy.com is in a free shipping period?

2) Will they p.m. outpost's price that's listed as $17.95 after rebate? Or do they not p.m. prices after rebate?


Input would be much appreciated...my first deal, so please...be gentle ; )

 

[Booty]

one more thing...when presenting coupons to staples what do I do? Just tell them the code #? Print them off from somewhere? What? Thanks...

 

[dimwit]

Call the Staples number and give them the coupon codes over the phone when you pricematch. Staples also takes into account next day shipping. The buy.com free shipping is only ground. I don't think Staples takes rebates into consideration, but not sure on that.

 

[mccall]

Staples will try to add "next day" shipping to your order, unless the store you're PMing with has free shipping. Also check the Staples web site to see if the product you're ordering is listed as shipping in 1-2 days. If it isn't, point that out to the CSR and they should not add next day shipping charges to your order.

I don't know how if they PM after rebate prices.

The person you need to speak with is Bandito. He's the king of Staples deals. Look for one of his posts and send him a private message or email.

 

[TimeKeeper]

You could try your local staple.
PNY 12X certified 700mb 50pak for $14.95

 

[Booty]

I called the local store (Ames, IA) up earlier and she said she'd PM with standard shipping costs, so I'm going to wait for free shipping @buy.com then do the deal. Unfortunately, you guys were right and the rebates thing from outpost was a no-go.

They said I needed to bring print-outs of the webpages and the coupons...but I just have the codes...if I go in person can I just give them the codes?

Also, and this is REALLY dishonest, but has anyone ever tried doctoring the webpages to show a different price? I mean, if they just want the printed off pages...well...we're talkin' all kinds of hot deals...not that I'd do that or anything... ; ) (Knowing my luck I'd get caught anyway).

But yeah...about those coupons...how do I use them in person?? Thanks guys = )

 

[err]

Another alternatives is to buy the Kingnston 700 MB 8x cD-r from outpost. it's like $14 shipped overnight.
I've been using the media and am very happy with it.

Just a thought. It doesn't have to be Imation if you have to go through all that hassle

ERr

 

[1keyguy]

Booty:

Your local Staples has 50 pack cdr's for $14.??,forget the brand name.(I was in Ames yesterday,bought a sony usb recorder for $80,shelf price $259) here
anyway they are on the bottom shelf in the cdr section

 

[Msatan666]

When pricematching with Staples.com, "next day shipping and handling charges will be included in the price match analysis." They add on next day shipping, not next day delivery. UPS ground shipping is still next day shipping, as it will be shipped from the vendor via UPS ground the next day after it is ordered.

 

[Booty]

1keyguy:

If I were buying the media just for me, I'd probably just get the CDs you're talking about. But I don't need that many CDs...I'm helping my dorm floor here at ISU get some good deals and they want a name they know and 12x certified. I, personally, have 75 cds I still havn't used, some generic some Maxell. But I could always use more = ).

Still unsure of how to present the coupon codes in person...??

 

[IaPuP]

OT:

hello fellow ATers in Ames

Eric

 

[Steve0]

You may SAY disc quality isn't important to you because you are burning with a Plextor, but you'd better hope the disc you burn today is still readable a year, two years, five years from now!

I don't think "free" spindles, or Kingstons, or PNYs, or CompUSA discs, are bargains at any price. Especially now that the real quality discs are falling in price.

I read a report on the Usenet that next week, CompUSA will be selling 50-disc spindles of HP 80-minute CDRs for about $10. I've run these discs through CDR Identifier and they are manufactured by Taiyo Yuden. That makes this a hot deal!

Steve

 

[BlueHeelers]

80-min Taiyo Yuden CDRs (CompUSA rumored deal) for $10 is an incredible deal. I hope the rumor is true. I work with a software company and our disk duplicator says he recommends Taiyo Yuden over most other brands. They currently cost us $40 for a 50-pack spindle.

On anohter note, I have heard that the Imation CDRs are sometimes great, sometimes cheap. Supposedly Imation bids out the CDRs to the cheapest company. I do not know if that is true, but it would explain why sometimes I have great blanks and sometimes I have coasters. BTW I have Smart and Friendly 8x SCSI.

REL

 

[WATERBUFFALO]

Steve,

How can you be so sure of the manufacturer? Don't a lot of places use different manufacturers? Do the disks have any name printed on them? I got some disks cheap at CompUSA and I'll never do that again, only name brand, and Taiyo Yuden certainly is rated at the top.

I just can't believe that CompUSA sells anything cheap that is worth buying. The don't pay rebates either. All the "deals" i've gotten at CompUSA have been a ripoff. I think it's cheaper to buy quality disks and have the data still there in five or ten years.

 

[Booty]

Steve0:

For <30 cents a disc, I'm not too worried about how long these things will last. Any software is backed up as ISOs anyway, and if I don't have it, it's easy to find...same with music. I would never use a cheap CDR for anything important anyway. = )

As far as the compUSA's discs go...well...I'm sure it'll be all over the forums here if they turn out to be that hot! So I'll just catch that one later...can never have enough CDRs = )

STILL wondering about that coupon in person thing...thanks!

 

[BlkDragon6]

You say that you need a higher quality media with your plextor writer? Not so sure about that 'cause I haven't had any bad experiences burning extremely cheap cdrs with my plextor.

 

[Valkore]

I got excited and bought two 50 packs of the 74min cheap-o CDR's from CompUSA a while back, and they work great. How do you rate the &quot;life expectency&quot; of a disc anyways.. Is the dye going to somehow change? I dunno, but I thought most optical media last several years, and by that time, most any data you're saving (usually programs) isn't worth the disc it's on.

 

[Booty]

BlkDragon6:

No, what I said (I think, if it came out right...anyway, what I *meant*) was that I personally can use the cheap CDs...my buddies need better ones.

Valkore:

As far as life expentancy of CDs goes, I'm not sure either. From what I understand CDR/W's scratch much easier than pre-recorded CDs, but I have no personal experience really....

 

[Unbornchicken]

the most COMMON way for a CDR/W to get damaged (and become unreadable) isnt the dye changing or anything, it is pressure on the top (the coated side).. this is why it is EXTREMELY important to get a good laqure finish on the top. a simple laying of the disc on a table and having an object placed on it (even gently) can cause the pressure to 'smudge' the dye underneath it. (if you dont believe me, take a coaster you have (i know you have at LEAST one of those) and LIGHTLY drag your fingernail across the top.. while you do this, look at the underneath in some GOOD light and you will see your &quot;pressure point&quot; dragging across the media. this is what causes 99.9% of all media damage (im my experience))

 

[Underclocked]

Booty, I in no way mean to flame you. I am not religious, but there are people in this forum that are..... nuf said?

 

[Booty]

Underclocked:

I thought by a PC forum they meant &quot;personal computer&quot;, not &quot;politically correct&quot;. If I have read much more offensive things in people's signatures than what I have, which is, by the way, a line from a movie.
I mean, just look around you. TV, Radio, and let's not forget the little screen in front of you. I don't think I'm hurting anyone...

When/if the mods tell me to change it, I will, but in the meantime I've had enough of society's current p.c. attitude. But this isn't a forum for political debate, so I'm shutting up.

And, no, I'm not taking that as a flame, and I don't mean to attack you either. If I truly am offending anyone out there, please message me via ICQ or something like that (not here, this isn't the place).

 

[McCarthy]

Just a note on those Kingstons we've been getting from Outpost.com and their durability. While not a scientific test, I got bored one night and decided to scrape a coaster to just end up with the lexan disc. Other coasters I'd destroyed on the way to the trash had peeled fairly easily so I figured this would be easy.

10 minutes later, I gave up after having tried 3 different shapes of Xacto blades and had finally slipped and about cut my finger tip off. Left a nice scar. Maybe it was just that disc, but it seemed stuck on real good

--Mc

 

[WATERBUFFALO]

...be gentle, it's my first time...

You've got me breathing hard.

 

[Les80]

Anybody know anything about the Outpost.com deal on CD-R's? I hope they're cool 'cause I spent 12.95 on a 50 pack. At least shipping was free...

 

[WATERBUFFALO]

Booty,

You say &quot;If I truly am offending anyone out there, please message me via ICQ or something like that(not here, this isn't the place).&quot;

This is exactly the place, since you decided to post an offensive phrase as your signature. Why hassle anyone? There's plenty of hassle in the world. It's not necessary to go around stirring it up.

I understand you're young, so don't take this like I'm coming down on you.