FAQ
Nearly one
million served!
| This remnant will be replaced soon. The FAQ is back, with a new design! What are Max points and why should I use them? Why was Maxell the standard choice of tape among Phish fans? The MaxPoints Bonus: Maxell XLII have long been the recommended brand and tape, primarily because Maxell used to offer a rebate program that gave you, for instance, a blank 90 minute XLII tape for every 150 "Max points" (and you got 25 points in each tape, making it a "buy 6 get one free"). No More MaxPoints: By the end of 1997, some shipments of tapes no longer included the max points stickers, though some (presumably older stock) still do. As Jon <kingfish@voicenet.com> reported, "Maxell issued an official statement saying that the points program is over. Why are the points still on the labels? Nobody knows, but Maxell says they aren't anything but a proof-of-purchase now." Here's what their web page said:
Concerns about Maxell:
The Peoples' Challenge: There have been a few petition efforts to drive Maxell to reinstate the MaxPoints program. Andrew Harrison <harrison@frontiernet.net> ran the most recent one, started 2/3/97. The TDK Challenge: Since Maxell bagged their program and don't seem inclined to start it again, there's a movement afoot to get people to recognize the quality of TDK tapes. To help push that realization, TDK offered a 10 pack of 100 minute tapes in exchange for 1000 "Max points" (or a "buy 40 Maxells, get 10 TDKs free"). TDK's offer did, however, require that you pay $5 shipping and handling -- still, for "points" that are supposedly only garbage now, TDK let you get good, long tapes for 50 cents each. The offer expired in mid-August 1997. (See form.) More info needed: To Maxell's credit, however, there are plenty of folk who swear that Maxell just makes better tapes. And if anyone, particularly someone from Maxell or TDK, would like to offer a substantive analysis of why either brand is (or might be) better, I'll happily include such an argument here. -- In fact, a Michael Westermeier emailed (11/28/98 and 12/4/98) saying he manages "sales and marketing for the United States, Mexico, Latin America, and the Canadian market" for Maxell and asked me to call, but he hasn't since returned either of my calls. 8/98 Update: I called the number that Russ posted (1-800-533-2836; ask for audio department customer service when you call). The woman who answered first suggested that the 110s have "the same kind of tape inside them" but then acknowledged, thrice, that the 100 minute tapes DO contain thinner tape than the 100s. She indicated that she's already received a number of calls the day that I called and, although she said that more calls would not change Maxell's intentions at this time, I sense that the calls already made have at least given them pause and that additional calls would stress the concensus of concern. She did say that those who have already experienced breakage of 100 minute tapes should contact Maxell's Tony Capes at 1-800-525-2797 for a refund.
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