Just got off the phone with Apple inquiring about an iPod rebate discrepancy. After selecting a MacbookPro to purchase I was taken to a page telling me I qualified for a free iPod:
http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/6670/picture2vn5.jpg
Notice the date (today, Sept. 12th), the time (well after the end of the L.A. event and the re-opening of the Apple store) and the rebate offer on the iPods. I selected the 4GB nano. The link takes you a page where you can select the white or black nano to purchase. There is also a link to download the form for the education rebate. The rebate ends on September 16th and lists the 4GB nano as a qualifying product, with no mention of model numbers:
http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Im...bateCA-EN3.pdf
I called Apple to ask why there was a discrepancy between the website advertised cost of the 4GB nano with rebate ($54) and the actual cost of the 4GB nano with rebate ($229 - $205 = $24). After being put on hold I was told by a supervisor that ONLY the 30GB iPod rebate would be honored.
WTF??? Even after being offered the discount on all the iPods by the Apple store itself and being taken to a page where I was prompted to pick a free nano???
I told them that this was very shady and they would have alot of angry customers who would be purchasing systems with the iPod offer only to find the rebate did not apply. I was told these complaints would be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Well, guess what? I'm going to buy the 4GB nano and mail in the rebate. I have a time & date stamped screenshot of the store offering me the discount (see above) and a rebate form that clearly states the offer ends on the 16th. The rebate T&C states that the offer can change at any time, but how can they argue that when I was taken to a webpage that clearly states the rebate is still in effect? If they decide not to honor the rebate I'll return the iPod at their expense.