Publishers Clearing House - I won

[Stoke]

Before I show you my fabulous prize, let me tell you a story of adventure so grand your life will forever be changed.

So my grandmother gets letters from the PHC informing her she might already have won, all she needs to do is go through a ridiculously complicated process to find out. She of course is too busy to bother with this kind of junk mail so she gets me to do it. Once every 2-3 weeks I'm at her house, dutifully licking, sealing, and stamping these letters from hell on the off chance she's the next millionaire (they assure me she could be).

Well yesterday she found out she has not won the million, she has however gotten a consolation prize! Oh joy in heaven, my hard work has finally paid off! What is the prize you ask? Coupons! As she tells me what she has won my joy considerably drops off, until that is, she tells me about the $500 off a Dell Desktop/Laptop coupons. Dell is not my first choice in computer hardware, but it gets a lot closer when I can get it for $500 off sticker price. So today I came over to see if I wanted the computers.

Unfortunately they aren't off of any dell laptop/desktop. Just one specific model, I understand thinking they probably bought one model in bulk to cut down on their costs. Then I see they are refurbished. Then I see the specs. Then I see the price.

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/7530/scan0001btc1.th.jpg (http://img228.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scan0001btc1.jpg)http://img228.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif (http://g.imageshack.us/thpix.php)(Clicky)

Yes, they marked the price of these things up to $800 - $900 and gave me a $500 coupon. As hard as it was to pass up a bundle of software that includes a free copy of OpenOffice, I told her I'd pass on the computers.

Edit: After careful consideration, I have decided that if anyone here does not have my level of self control, I would be happy to play mediator and put in an order for you. Just send me a PM and we can work out the details.

[LongStepMantis]

Wow. My PC is a piece of crap that's been due for an upgrade for years...and it's still better than those.

The sad part is how many people will think they're getting a steal because they have no idea what any of that means.

Good luck filling that massive 20 GB HD. I love how the desktop not only has a floppy drive, but it's proudly touted in the bullet-point list of features. 1.44 MB! Awesome!

I bet that "Cook'N with Betty Crocker" program is the bee's knees though. ;)

[Zrikz]

What.. you mean 879-500 for 750 mhz, 256 mb ram and a 10gig hd is not a good deal?!

[Goronmon]

Hahahaha, those computers are so terrible. The cost of shipping is more than the actual value of those systems.

[Suave Peanut]

JESUS CHRIST IT HAS FULL STEREO SOUND!!!1 How could you say no?

[Thanasimos]

Let's turn this thread into a list of people who would fall for that, in order to make clear how shady PCH really is:

My mom, if my dad wasn't around to be the complete computer whiz that he is.

[Vyzov]

I've worked for Publishers Clearing House. There are no consolation prizes. They do not give away coupons. You're probably confusing Publishers Clearing House with a similarly named company in Texas called "Sweepstakes Clearing House" The "coupons" are a catch. That is how they get their customers. It is a completely legitimate company, but not PCH.

[Sandman]

The monitor was in COLOR.....how could you turn down color?

[Stoke]

The sad part is how many people will think they're getting a steal because they have no idea what any of that means.

This is what I was thinking as I persuaded my grandmother that as awesome as a $500 coupon was, this is not even worth the cost to have it shipped to me. How many poor saps have gotten duped by things like this in the past? There was also a coupon for a $300 watch as well and it made me realize how incredibly easy it is to do something like this. I have no idea how much that watch is worth, and without seeing the comp ads you could probably persuade me to believe that it's a good watch. And that's scary.

Ah, Vyzov is correct. It is Sweepstakes Clearing House. You can tell how much attention I pay as I'm licking what is most likely toxic glue.

[Lekon]

The monitor was in COLOR.....how could you turn down color?

Not only color but ULTRA HIGH RESOLUTION COLOR! With a TFT display!


Just.. damn. So that's where all those recycled computers go.

And on that note: 10 hours a *month* of netzero? How can I possibly pass that up?

[TheEpicOfTyler]

My dad once bought a computer off of TV for $2000 (It wasn't bad, but it was definitely not worth 2k), so I think he'd probably fall for this.

[LongStepMantis]

And on that note: 10 hours a *month* of netzero? How can I possibly pass that up?

With a computer that bad ass, any more than 10 hours a month on the net will crash the intertubes with sheer win.

[LongStepMantis]

This thread reminds me of something as well.

Does anyone else remember those scam contests that used to be in the back of gaming mags? The ones where you did a really easy gaming-related crossword puzzle, and submit it along with $1 to receive the next puzzle...then they would ask for more money on each puzzle. $4 the next time, then $8, and so on.

I knew a guy who fell for that one. He got into around the 5th or 6th tier of puzzles where they were asking you to submit $20 at a time for the next one.

[Vyzov]

My dad once bought a computer off of TV for $2000 (It wasn't bad, but it was definitely not worth 2k), so I think he'd probably fall for this.

People do, all the time. I can't count the amount of calls I used to get from people wanting to buy these computers. (Everyone mixes the two companies up, nobody lies to actually read thing through)

[That Darn Kat]

Oh neat! I got that coupon too. I picked the desktop, sooo awesome. =3

[Stoke]

Does anyone else remember those scam contests that used to be in the back of gaming mags?

Damn, I had forgotten about those. I did something once and got up to the 3rd level before my mom made me stop. I was sure she just wanted the prize for herself too.

[pomeroy]

This thread reminds me of something as well.

Does anyone else remember those scam contests that used to be in the back of gaming mags? The ones where you did a really easy gaming-related crossword puzzle, and submit it along with $1 to receive the next puzzle...then they would ask for more money on each puzzle. $4 the next time, then $8, and so on.

I knew a guy who fell for that one. He got into around the 5th or 6th tier of puzzles where they were asking you to submit $20 at a time for the next one.

Oh, man. When I was like 8 I ALWAYS wanted to do those. My mom, being the level-headed woman she was, told me never in a million years.

Thank god.

[Wraith]

So did you facepalm in front of her, or wait until you got back to the car?

If you're actually looking for a notebook around that price, there are some decent options out there, like this (http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayItem.cfm/136812), or those mini notebooks from Acer/ASUS/Dell.

[TheEpicOfTyler]

This thread reminds me of something as well.

Does anyone else remember those scam contests that used to be in the back of gaming mags? The ones where you did a really easy gaming-related crossword puzzle, and submit it along with $1 to receive the next puzzle...then they would ask for more money on each puzzle. $4 the next time, then $8, and so on.

I knew a guy who fell for that one. He got into around the 5th or 6th tier of puzzles where they were asking you to submit $20 at a time for the next one.

They used to have these in the back of Official Playstation Magazine when I was an early teen and they offered you the chance to win a PC/GBC/N64/PS/DC and a bunch of games. Every month I would state at it for a few minutes in temporary delusion.

[LongStepMantis]

They used to have these in the back of Official Playstation Magazine when I was an early teen and they offered you the chance to win a PC/GBC/N64/PS/DC and a bunch of games. Every month I would state at it for a few minutes in temporary delusion.

I think we all had that reaction. It was a treasure trove of consoles, games, and a top of the line PC (for that time)...Guess we know how they paid for all of it. :p

I did the first one and sent in a $1. When the second one came and they raised the price of entry, my mother put her foot down. She was always the level-headed one.

[Alkanos]

Wow, those are the exact same computers I helped install in my old high school the summer after I graduated. They were decidedly mid/low range back then, and that was over 5 years ago... Anyone who pays $900 for those hunks of metal probably deserves to lose the money. :(

[Wasson_]

this is just...sad.

[Everyone vs Dinosaurs]

Some people are just so horrible.....


That makes me sick.