In July Dell Inc. announced a plan to reduce the number of rebates and promotions they offer. This is good news.
If you've been reading this blog recently you know that I'm in the process of buying a new computer. I've been comparison shopping on the net and getting utterly exasperated trying to sort out all the the promotional offers. Things like mail-in rebates (why not just give me an electronic rebate at check-out?), upgraded components and "free" goodies such as printers and digital cameras.
The trouble with this kind of marketing is that it turns comparison shopping into a complicated mathematical exercise: now let's see, if I go for computer A I get the upgraded monitor, which is worth $x, but computer B offers free shipping plus a bonus a year of warranty. By the time you get to checkout your mind is swimming. And what's worse is that by the next day promotions may have changed entirely.
Recognizing consumers' frustration with such promotions, Dell has decided to phase out the majority of its special offers over the next 18 months.
Will other computer makers follow Dell's lead? I hope so, but that remains to be seen.
Kudos to Dell for leading the way.
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