How Scobie got his Wii... for free!

Scobie

Scobie

CAGiversary!
So I've been down here sitting on the fence about the Wii, in part because I've got such a fierce backlog of current gen games but also because I'm a cheapwad and didn't wanna spend $250.

Well! I've been working the angles and have a solid plan to get my Wii for free. Here's how it works:

Phase 1: $125 -- received from a bank for opening up an account with 'em... suckers!

Phase 2: $100 -- cash rebates from a credit card rewards program... I ain't got no balance, suckers!!!

...Which left me $25 shy of the $250 price. But then, the skies opened up and a pure ray of bright white light shone down upon me -- discounted TRU gift cards.

I scored an angle with a trusted ally to get TRU gift cards from an out of state grocery store with a quirky "VIP" rebate program for 85% face value. I got $300 worth for $255, which means:

Phase 3: $45 -- savings from gift cards

Grand Total Of Free Money: *** $270 ***

I know others have got scams going to score a free Wii with accumulated store credit off of trade in deals, but I'd like to think that this little victory of mine is pretty sweet, given that it took a total of about 2 hours to work out.

Anybody else have any dastardly plans to legally get the Wii for free?
 
Nice. I got my Wii for just a few dollars over $100. I traded in a lot of stuff, with trade in deals that were going on right after the Wii preorders were being taken at EB, I managed to save about $60 because I traded in a lot of games (with discount card too) that I probably would never play again and traded in my Cube.

That $60 was just added on top of the trade-in values for all the stuff anyway.
 
[quote name='Bazz']My stragey is to sell either a ps3 or a Wii on ebay to pay for my own wii.[/QUOTE]

Sorry, I can't get behind the eBay profit scams on console launches and for so-called "rare" games (DDR Mario Mix, anybody?).

What I'm looking for is more zen-like ways of getting a Wii for free or close to it. Ways that involve minimal effort or the swift redirection of the force of commerce that allow you to keep the stuff you have, not bruise any other working stiff just because they didn't pre-order, and are relatively harmless environmentally. Basically quick ways to get free money.

Benevolent cheapness FTW!
 
[quote name='Scobie']Sorry, I can't get behind the eBay profit scams on console launches and for so-called "rare" games (DDR Mario Mix, anybody?).

What I'm looking for is more zen-like ways of getting a Wii for free or close to it. Ways that involve minimal effort or the swift redirection of the force of commerce that allow you to keep the stuff you have, not bruise any other working stiff just because they didn't pre-order, and are relatively harmless environmentally. Basically quick ways to get free money.

Benevolent cheapness FTW![/quote]
I sold a good portion of my stuff to CAGers, does that count? ;)
 
[quote name='Scobie']Sorry, I can't get behind the eBay profit scams on console launches and for so-called "rare" games (DDR Mario Mix, anybody?).

What I'm looking for is more zen-like ways of getting a Wii for free or close to it. Ways that involve minimal effort or the swift redirection of the force of commerce that allow you to keep the stuff you have, not bruise any other working stiff just because they didn't pre-order, and are relatively harmless environmentally. Basically quick ways to get free money.

Benevolent cheapness FTW![/QUOTE]

I'm not sure what makes your free Wii any different from anyone else's. I went the trade in $2 K-Mart games along with selling some of them on Ebay for a free Wii. I didn't even have to open an account or use my credit card rewards money. Oh and no one was harmed in the process.
 
[quote name='jkam']I'm not sure what makes your free Wii any different from anyone else's.[/QUOTE]

Uh, hello? I did mine with élan... I wore a beret, scarlet neckerchief, and vintage Rip Taylor tee-shirt while scoring my free Wii cash!
 
Phase 1: $125 -- received from a bank for opening up an account with 'em... suckers!


What bank gave you 125 dollars to open an account? how much did oyu have to deposit for them to do that? i
 
oh oh I wanna play.

I snagged $200 in BB gift cards from my Credit Card company's reward program, then sold another $250 in items on ebay this past month.

Yea! A free Wii for me!
 
[quote name='thagoat']i went to work for a whole week straight and they paid me.[/quote]

QFT. I couldn't trade in like 50 or more games to get this when I could just pay money for it after a week's worth of work.
 
i got all my games for free via trade ins but the system and extra wiimote, nunchuck is just all hard earned cash.

T. Foolery
 
[quote name='Scorch']QFT. I couldn't trade in like 50 or more games to get this when I could just pay money for it after a week's worth of work.[/QUOTE]

Same. I guess most of these people don't work and most have to get OP lucky to afford a Wii.
 
I make about $175 a day after taxes. My plan is:

step 1: take two days paid vacation. Get paid $350 after taxes for those two days.

step 2: buy wii on vacation day #1 + $100 in extras.

It would be like I'm getting paid to play the wii.
 
How is it that you got a Wii for free? You got the money for free, but the Wii you have to pay for. You could have spent that original 225 bucks or whatever on anything. You are still giving up cash to get it, just like everyone else who didn't open up an account.
 
[quote name='Morrigan Lover']I make about $175 a day after taxes. My plan is:
[/QUOTE]
wow. That's over $20 an hour if you are working an 8 hour day. Not too shabby. I just got an internship that pays 19.00 an hour, and am bringing home $125 a day and I thought I was doing good!
 
[quote name='tayaf69']I just sold a PS3 preorder on ebay for 1500.00 if that counts.[/quote]

Nice. I only have 20GB models lined up so far, so I don't think I'll be getting that much, but I hope to make up for it by have 1 more 20GB than I could have afforded if I had bought all 60GB models. Let's hope my reasoning works out.
 
I dry humped the trade 3 get $10 free promotion. I started with a $50 gift certificate a friend gave me for helping with his wedding video. I then purchased low priced games (this is when we thought they were gonna go trade in only on pre-pay) and sold them back at a modest profit (something like a buck each). I repeated this process. Often

I also would buy games from friends who didn't play them any more. I traded $15 and my copy of V for Vendetta for a stack of games worth $50 trade-in.

All told I owe about $30 on my Wii + 2nd Wiimote & Nunchuku and I've paid about $40 out of pocket thus far.

I would, in theory, have enough to pay it off in credit, but I bought Electroplankton and Phoenix Wright for a friend with some of my credit and he hasn't gotten me back yet.

Ideally I got mine for $40. Realistically it looks like about $70 (but I'll have another $60 or so to buy a game or something, so you could even say - optimistically - I got it for $10.).

Before all this I was just gonna sell off my Nintendo stock which has more than doubled since I bought it, but considering how well the cards unfolded, I'm gonna hold onto that stock for another 10 points or so and then take the profits.
 
I've slowly saved up by selling video games, selling DVDs, and poker earnings. I kept track off everything I've sold. I have exactly $250 saved up. I'm pretty stoked. This is my first launch system ever.
 
[quote name='Drew39K']What bank gave you 125 dollars to open an account? how much did oyu have to deposit for them to do that? i[/QUOTE]

I'd rather not name the bank, but it was a special invite-only promo with a myriad of options to get the $125. I tossed about $1500 at them. I think it's an acceptable return on my investment. :)

[quote name='drfunk85']How is it that you got a Wii for free? You got the money for free, but the Wii you have to pay for. You could have spent that original 225 bucks or whatever on anything. You are still giving up cash to get it, just like everyone else who didn't open up an account.[/QUOTE]

The point is that it's "free" money in that I didn't expect to get it, didn't have to "earn" it by working, didn't have to screw anybody over for it, etc. You can work for the system, grasshopper, or you can make the system work for you.
 
[quote name='munch']I've slowly saved up by selling video games, selling DVDs, and poker earnings. I kept track off everything I've sold. I have exactly $250 saved up. I'm pretty stoked. This is my first launch system ever.[/quote]

If you're getting it at a brick and mortar, don't forget the sales tax... that'd be a real bummer.
 
[quote name='Blaine']If you're getting it at a brick and mortar, don't forget the sales tax... that'd be a real bummer.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I'm hoping to use a coupon or order in online through overstock with 12% off. If I don't get it on day one I wouldn't be too sad. I'm willing to wait.
 
[quote name='Scobie']Sorry, I can't get behind the eBay profit scams on console launches and for so-called "rare" games (DDR Mario Mix, anybody?).

What I'm looking for is more zen-like ways of getting a Wii for free or close to it. Ways that involve minimal effort or the swift redirection of the force of commerce that allow you to keep the stuff you have, not bruise any other working stiff just because they didn't pre-order, and are relatively harmless environmentally. Basically quick ways to get free money.

Benevolent cheapness FTW![/QUOTE]

Anyone that's able to and going to pay $1000+ on eBay isn't what most people consider just a "working stiff".

I'm behind your environmental policies 100%, though.
 
[quote name='munch']Yeah, I'm hoping to use a coupon or order in online through overstock with 12% off. If I don't get it on day one I wouldn't be too sad. I'm willing to wait.[/quote]

Cool. Because, oh... I guess it was 5 years or so, right around the time Pokemon Blue came out (which was actually a pretty good game until Pokemon became POKEMON), I was in a game shop buying a GameBoy Pocket - remember those? - and a little dude was super jazzed about buying some game. I don't remember what it was, but he was shot out of a cannon excited because he had $50 in random misc. moneys... I've never seen anyone crushed the way that little dude was when the total came up $53.50.

It was like someone assassinated Santa right in front of him.

So I covered the rest, told the kid "I'm sure someone gave me $4 when I needed it once".

And that kid, grew up to be Reggie Fil-Amie.

That's all true except that last part.
 
hay dude, thats a really nice thing you did. When i was reading the post, i was thinking to myself "man your a jerk (or heartless( if you dont spot him" but then i got to the happy ending
:applause: bravo
 
[quote name='Blind the Thief']Anyone that's able to and going to pay $1000+ on eBay isn't what most people consider just a "working stiff".[/QUOTE]

I seriously doubt that rich people are buying all that much crap on eBay. It's not like Ashley Simpson is going to buy some CAG's crummy PS3 for a grand. It's going to be some middle class schmoe who doesn't know anything about gaming and whose kid *demands* the console for Christmas. The guy can technically afford $1000, but really shouldn't be spending that much, but he's doing it to make his greedy, selfish little brat happy.

Call me a quaker, but I don't feel morally right doing stuff like that to people.

[quote name='Blaine']So I covered the rest, told the kid "I'm sure someone gave me $4 when I needed it once".[/QUOTE]

That's what I like to see! People helping each other out! None of this low-level eBay thieving that goes on so much any more.
 
[quote name='Scobie']I seriously doubt that rich people are buying all that much crap on eBay. It's not like Ashley Simpson is going to buy some CAG's crummy PS3 for a grand.[/QUOTE]

So rich people = famous people? I auctioned a 360 last year, and checked out the address of the buyer using google earth/map. It was literally a mansion, in the woods, right off the ocean. By a golf course. There are plenty of rich people. If the republicans refuse to redistribute wealth, I'm happy to do it myself. Working stiff that I am.
 
[quote name='Scobie']I seriously doubt that rich people are buying all that much crap on eBay. It's not like Ashley Simpson is going to buy some CAG's crummy PS3 for a grand. It's going to be some middle class schmoe who doesn't know anything about gaming and whose kid *demands* the console for Christmas. The guy can technically afford $1000, but really shouldn't be spending that much, but he's doing it to make his greedy, selfish little brat happy.

Call me a quaker, but I don't feel morally right doing stuff like that to people.



That's what I like to see! People helping each other out! None of this low-level eBay thieving that goes on so much any more.[/QUOTE]

Oh, I totally would have given the kid the cash, too. How oculd you not? That doesn't mean selling it on eBay is "wrong", though. People aren't being tricked into buying these things, they're simply paying a rather high premium charge to have someone else stand out in the cold for them. It's simple economics; people won't buy something for more than they value it at, so even if it seems like "ripping them off" to us, it isn't necessarily to whoever bought it.
 
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