Jun 20, 2008 4:20 pm US/Eastern
Percy's Customers Cash In On Celtics Promotion
WORCESTER (WBZ) ―
Some Celtics fans in the heart of Massachusetts are seeing green in more ways than one. They're cashing in on an appliance store promotion.
"It's fantastic. You can see Kobe Bryant missing shots, which is great," customer Chris Tivnan told Ron Sanders as they gazed upon a replay of Game 6 on the flat screen model he bought.
What's greater? The 50-inch plasma Chris Tivnan bought will now be free, which gives his family a $1,500 rebate to spend on something else.
"We'll put it toward our bathroom that we're doing over that we don't have enough money for," says Tivnan.
Tivnan is among hundreds of Percy's customers who spent $1,000 dollars or more on selected TVs or audio systems between Dec. 14 and Dec. 24, and are now eligible for total rebates, minus sales tax, because the Celtics won the NBA championship.
Alan Lavine, who runs Percy's, says, "We have an insurance company that's backing us but we will be giving away hundreds of thousands of dollars in product."
As KG became a Celtic this season, these Percy's customers became Celtics fans.
"I became a huge Celtics fan this year," says Ken Simoncini of Worcester, who also bought a 50-inch plasma.
"I like them even better than before," says cabinet maker Roger Riani of Sutton.
"Oh yeah, I love basketball now," says Bonnie Waxman of Holden.
If Percy's faces the challenge of getting the insurance company to go along with future promotions because Boston sports teams always win, they might consider the Bruins.
"I'm a huge Bruins fan. I go back to the 60s and the 70s, probably like yourself. That's how we were weaned, on the Bruins," explains Lavine, who says the winning customers will get their rebates in a month or so, which some are ready to spend.
Waxman says she'll buy the kids new bikes. Riani says he may buy another TV for another room because he's building a new house. It all builds business for Percy's where Ken and Mary Jane Simoncini are already shopping for a new fridge on which to spend their rebate.
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