HOT!!! $198 rebate if you ordered Covad-powered DSL this year. Read on.

[MontyBurns]

Covad has long had a $198 rebate promotion going on for customers who order DSL through a Covad ISP (MANY isp's use covad, including Earthlink/Mindspring).

When I ordered my Mindspring DSL, I asked about the rebate, and Mindspring told me it wasn't applicable because they were waiving the installation fee and giving me a free DSL modem (a standard promotion). I figured what the hell, and sent in for the rebate anyway. Today, I got a check from Covad for $198.

The specifics: Your DSL order MUST have been placed between March 1 and Dec. 31, 2000. You must have DSL service through an official Covad partner. The rebate is $198 for home users, $215 for business users. Expect to wait a while... mine took about 12 weeks. Also note that you're going to need to know your "circuit number." My Mindspring confirmation e-mail didn't have that information, but my friend (who ordered recently) did get that info in his confirmation. If you don't know the number, call customer service and ask.

The rebate form:
http://www.covad.com/services/rebate.shtml

Find a Covad DSL partner: (Varies by region, so I couldn't print a list)
http://www.covad.com/getdsl/

If you were planning on ordering DSL through a Covad partner, do it in the next two weeks!

 

[Croton]

AWESOME!!!

I got mindspring dsl from covad about a month ago
hehehehehehehehehehhehe

 

[Crashedout]

Call this number (800)268-3957 and give them your info directly, I did this and got my check in 7 days.

 

[Jamey]

Please don't hit them too hard for money. I happen to own a LITTLE stock in this one and it has gotten HAMMERED lately Hell, you'll get back about as much in one rebate as what I own in stock

 

[MontyBurns]

SEVEN DAYS? Ouch. Wish I had known that.

Who's at the other end of that number? Covad, I presume? It would make sense you can do this over the phone, since there aren't any UPC codes to send in or anything like that.

 

[TheBends]

I just tried to call and the operator said I had to fill out the form and send it in. He would not take the information via the telephone. Let me know if you guys have any further information regarding this. Thanks
Chris

 

[Crashedout]

They must have changed it, the person I talked to asked for my informatio when I said that I was going to send in the form. It appears that the rebate was supposed to be to cover the cost of install and the modem, but mindspring gave us ours.

PS: Check dslreports.com, the 5260 can be turned into a 5660 router but there are some negatives involved. I did this so I now have a router instead of a bridge.

 

[VladFrost]

I am sorry but i hate COVAD no matter how much money they give me. THOSE FUC^S TOOK 5 MONTHS TO INSTALL MY DAMN DSL I PAY 79 A MONTH AND I GET 20K A SECOND MAX WHEN DOWLOADING.I want all my money back and they can stick their dsl up their ass if this is how its gonna perform. nice deal though considering i have to stay with them for a year might as well pay back for some of my pain.

 

[cooldot]

covad seems ok to me, although my location is near 12k from CO, i can still get 100KB/s in the evening, daytime usally 60-80KB/s, but I was disconnected from internet once in a while, that sucks

 

[hpdw]

Be aware that Earthlink TeleSurfer (residential) customers are not eligible for this rebate.

here is the fine print at the bottom of the rebate:

Rebate offer valid when purchasing through participating ISPs. Rebate checks can only be issued and mailed to the end user and the address where the Covad DSL service was installed. Residential Service is defined as Covad TeleSurfer DSL Services. Business Service is defined as Covad TeleSpeed DSL Services. This information is completely private and will NOT under any circumstances be transferred or sold beyond Covad. Covad DSL Service must be ordered between March 1, 2000 and December 31, 2000. Rebate offer determined by order date. Rebate request must be postmarked by January 31, 2001. Forms are required on or before this date even if installation has not occurred although a check cannot be issued until Covad DSL is set up and confirmed. Limit one rebate per order, name, address or household. Duplicate requests will not be honored. All submissions will become the property of Covad Communications Company. Not responsible for lost, misdirected, or illegible rebate forms. Offer valid to U.S. residents only. Offer good only in those states in the U.S.A. where it is not prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Please allow 8-10 weeks after your Covad DSL is set up and your rebate request is verified for delivery of rebate. This offer is not to be used in conjunction with any other promotion and, except as noted below, is applicable to all Covad DSL Services. Earthlink TeleSurfer (residential) customers are not eligible for this rebate.
- Extraordinary inside wiring charges start at $88.

 

[MontyBurns]

Yes, it says that, but I'm officially an Earthlink Telesurfer customer, and I got the rebate.

Send it in, see what happens.

As for griping about Covad: I feel your pain, but it's unlikely that Covad had a heck of a lot to deal with your seven-month delay. The largest road block in getting DSL installed in the phone company, both because they have to do the initial wiring, and then they drag their feet when adjustments must be made in the future. On DSL reports, Covad consistently gets high marks for their part of the service. They were the only bright spot in my hellish DSL install... both the phone company and my ISP (Earthlink/Mindspring) were horrible, but when the Covad guy arrived he hung out for several hours making sure everything was ok and answering questions.

 

[emonkey]

They wont let you give info by phone for the rebate. The guy sounded like he was hit a few times with this question already. A bit snippy if you ask me. So its down to the old 3 month wait...

 

[Atrac]

Hmmm..that's odd. When I signed up for Prodigy DSL (through Covad), I did the rebate and was mailed the check within a month. It took them 5 months to actually charge me for the modem and the installation though. So for awhile I thought I was getting away with free money.

 

[Stifko]

I was on hold for almost an hour and STILL never found out what my circut number is from earthlink. Their cust svc really blows, they had me in the mindspring database. I am gonna try the for the rebate.

 

[toothfairy]

I agree with VladFrost.
Covad is sh!t service, if you ask me.

 

[MontyBurns]

What exactly did Covad do to you guys? "Sh!t service" isn't very descriptive.

Just wondering.

 

[huesmann]

If TeleSurfer customers are not eligible, then why does the form say $198 rebate for TeleSurfer consumer service at the top?

 

[Crashedout]

It appears that they altered the form once they realized that Mindspring/Earthlink customers were getting the install/modem for free(which the rebate was supposed to cover). I called in a month ago, along with my GF and a co-worker, we all got the rebate with out the form....now it appears they want the form to see if you can actually get it. That sucks, but this company is losing tons of money. I cannot complain with 1.5Mpbs down all the time and <50ms unreal pings. I would still send it in, what do you have to loose.