So I'm all ready to make my first pj purchase: a hitachi pjtx100. I needed one more day to get all my money into my checking account. At 599, what a steal! The next day, I make a couple of clicks to the site with the 100 bucks off deal and lo and behold the thing is completely gone. Not even there anymore. So I go to this other dealer who had the same deal. They have it, but it is now 699. So now I'm back to square one: do I buy this thing or pony up the 150 for a likely superior mitsu 1000? At 599 I was all in. That's a price I could work with, but at 699 not so good. Am I the only one ticked off about this? This pj came out in 2004. Can someone tell me how and why the price is fluctuating like this? Also, I see that panasonic is all about giving away mail in rebates and a bunch of rentals from blockbuster. What a crock! Just lower the price of the damn pj already. I don't need to rent A Fish Called Wanda, I just want a lower price on the damn unit! Now before you flame me, I understand that this industry is getting better all the time. Prices are dropping and I know this, but the price of the hitachi has me tearing my hair out and giving me heartburn with indecision. Panasonic, well, these guys I'll steer far away from thank you very much. Anyone who has to give out candy, pop corn, and rentals instead of a better price must have monkeys running the show. Sorry about the rant and I hope the hitachi drops to 599 (bottom line of this here rant).

I hear you, rebates suck! They make it appear like the price has been lowered, but you have to jump through hoops to ever see the money. Why don't they just lower the price? Because many times people never get their rebates, for a variety of reasons. This means the manufacturer makes more money, and, as you found out, they can retract the rebates at will. Not so easy to raise your asking price, but withdraw the rebate, same thing!

oh cry me a river......anyone who bases thier purchase on a rebate needs to rethink thier strategy and maybe start a savings account or stop living payheck to paycheck.....anyone with half a brain knows rebates are a scam and you were never going to see that money anyway........they purposely faded out the copies of my rebate form for my hitachi.......but I don't care....once you get it set up you won't even care about the 100 bucks......if 100 dollars is going to keep you from setting up a home theater then you might as well stay away..........its only going to cause you more frustration and or bankruptcy in the long run.

and no, I am not wealthy by any means........just an average guy.

I agree. Rebates bite. Or rebites if you will. I also agree with florida. Once you have the projector up and running and you'll never give a second thought to that $100.

One time I had trouble with a hard drive rebate. The rebate company had goofed up the data input of the serial numbers off the rebate applications that were sent in.

I googled a phone number for the hard drive company and dial it. I was placed on hold. I left the phone on hold for over an hour. Took a shower, shaved, dressed, still on hold. Finally some customer service rep answer the phone. I got the rebate check two weeks later. Some times you need to call the company selling the product to complain about the poor job the rebate company is doing.

forget rebates. Find an avsforum sponser. Call them, tell them you're a member here and see what they can do for you.

P.S. Go with the mits.

oh cry me a river......anyone who bases thier purchase on a rebate needs to rethink thier strategy and maybe start a savings account or stop living payheck to paycheck.....anyone with half a brain knows rebates are a scam and you were never going to see that money anyway........they purposely faded out the copies of my rebate form for my hitachi.......but I don't care....once you get it set up you won't even care about the 100 bucks......if 100 dollars is going to keep you from setting up a home theater then you might as well stay away..........its only going to cause you more frustration and or bankruptcy in the long run.

and no, I am not wealthy by any means........just an average guy.

Gee, condescending, or what? I could care less about $100, but what about the $1000 rebate Panasonic is offering on their 1080P projector? Still willing to let it go? Yeah, that's right, you're not a wealthy guy, just someone who buys a closeout PJ because it's all you can afford. Next time don't come on so strong, it makes you look bad.

I certainly didn't mean to ruffle feathers with my post. I'm just frustrated, that's all. More than anything, I hate to get to a point with a product where I can truly buy the product, only to have a 'rebate' that made it so great in the first place magically disappear. I'm sorry, but 599 and 699 is a huge difference in my eyes. Currently I'm not making a ton of money, but I want to get in on this exciting hobby. The way I look at it, mitsubishi is the most straight up with this 1000u and I praise them. No warranty, just a great price for a great machine. Panny can shove it with their popcorn and candy sucker rebates

Plenty of people get rebates fulfilled. I'd hardly categorize them as "scams".

try living in canada :) i dream of the prices you get on projectors, even with rebates :P

Found the IN72 for $778 CDN before rebate in Canada.

Gee, condescending, or what? I could care less about $100, but what about the $1000 rebate Panasonic is offering on their 1080P projector? Still willing to let it go? Yeah, that's right, you're not a wealthy guy, just someone who buys a closeout PJ because it's all you can afford. Next time don't come on so strong, it makes you look bad.

I think ericc1 is spot-on with his post. Anyone that is whining about $100 either way on the cost of a home theater should ask themselves if it's the right time to do a HT.

And of COURSE rebates suck! Manufacturers do it because they know that a portion of consumers are simply too inattentive and disorganized to send one in, allowing the manufacturer to advertise a lower price. It's economic Darwinism.

I myself won't buy a product with rebates unless they are significant. The Panny rebate made it worth my while.

I'm sorrry. Consumer electronics is a brutal, highly cost competitive industry whose products are nearly at the commodity level. Hence constantly changing pricing (which to remind the whiners out there prices nearly always moves down).

What do you want? Have the Government regulate HT projector pricing for you??? :eek:

I think ericc1 is spot-on with his post. Anyone that is whining about $100 either way on the cost of a home theater should ask themselves if it's the right time to do a HT.

And of COURSE rebates suck! Manufacturers do it because they know that a portion of consumers are simply too inattentive and disorganized to send one in, allowing the manufacturer to advertise a lower price. It's economic Darwinism.

I myself won't buy a product with rebates unless they are significant. The Panny rebate made it worth my while.

I'm sorrry. Consumer electronics is a brutal, highly cost competitive industry whose products are nearly at the commodity level. Hence constantly changing pricing (which to remind the whiners out there prices nearly always moves down).

What do you want? Have the Government regulate HT projector pricing for you??? :eek:

I'm glad you guys have so much "throw away" cash that you don't worry about $100! I wouldn't let that sway me either, but many people feel differently. If you don't care about the rebates fine, but the OP obviously did, and doesn't need to be denigrated as "living paycheck to paycheck", or told that maybe the time isn't right for him to think about home theater. Gee, do you think "condescending" was the wrong word?

"Find an avsforum sponser"

Or go to avscience.

Richard