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November 28, 2007 8:21 AM PST

Put a Ghost in the machine for $0

by Rick Broida
(Credit: Symantec)

Symantec's Norton Ghost is a super tool for backing up your PC. The latest version, 12.0 (wow, is that like the first 12.0 version of anything, ever?), normally sells for $69.99, but you can get it free, kinda, from Buy.com.

You start out paying $50 (free shipping!), then get back a $30 Visa debit card as part of Rebate #1. To qualify for Rebate #2, a $20 Visa debit card, all you need is proof of ownership of just about any semi-related utility: "A stand-alone, retail (boxed or downloaded) version of any Norton or Symantec software or another company's antivirus, firewall, antispam, antispyware, utility, or backup software product."

That brings your total cost down to zero, as the debit cards are pretty much like cash. This deal's good from now until Saturday, December 1.

Rick Broida, a technology writer for nearly 20 years, is the author of more than a dozen books. In addition to writing CNET's The Cheapskate blog, he oversees BNET's Business Hacks. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers. Follow Rick on Twitter at cheapskateblog.
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by gsmiller88 November 28, 2007 10:54 AM PST
Well I don't have any other Symantec product...Or Windows for that matter.

Hey Buy.com, how about a 1TB external hard drive for $0 so I can use Time Machine??!
Reply to this comment
by Daimyo- November 28, 2007 11:08 AM PST
Geez... Advertisements being disguised as blogs? Lame.
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by thislooksfamiliar November 28, 2007 2:30 PM PST
that's what i was thinking. cnet usually has news. not something i could find on deal detectives. oh ****, now i've done it.
by rickbroida November 29, 2007 5:49 AM PST
Hmmm... you say potato, I say puh-tahto. I don't consider this advertising at all, but rather my presentation of some really killer deals you might not otherwise find. But your point is taken: I'll try to focus more on the product/service and what makes it worthwhile and less on the particulars of the purchase (like rebate details, etc.).
by htmlfan December 5, 2007 8:36 AM PST
seems like a scam of some sorts
Reply to this comment
by GadgetConsumer April 19, 2008 8:45 AM PDT
BEWARE of BUY.COM promos. They are currently taking $50 off on a $51 purchase when signing up for a RevolutionCard account. They don't mention that all sales are final when using a coupon. They gave me a return authorization for an unopened product. Buy.com confirmed that they received the product back, and promised a refund to my credit card within 7 business days. 3 weeks later, they said "no refunds" and won't even send the unopened product back to me.

If they aren't going to follow their own refund policy, they need to give the merchandise back to the buyer. BUY.com is obviously getting some kind of financial benefit from RevolutionCard. At the very least, they should send back the item to me, and not just keep it, re-sell it, and double their profit. As of this writing, there are over 600 consumer complaints logged with the Better Business Bureau regarding Buy.com?s handling of refunds. Buyers beware!
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About The Cheapskate

The best things in tech are cheap. "The Cheapskate" scours the Web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets, and all the other tech stuff that makes life worth living. Send your own cheapskate tips to thecheapskate@gmail.com. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.

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