Canadian bank hands out free Eee PCs

It used to be if you signed up for a new checking account, a bank might throw off a toaster, alarm clock, or in extreme modern cases, a 1GB iPod shuffle. Well times, they are a'changing, and boy do we wish we lived in Canada right now. Up north, RBC Royal Bank is offering a free ASUS Eee PC when you switch to their checking account service. That's right, you get an actual computer after completing the move (and dealing with a lot of red tape). Sure, it's only the 7-inch, 2GB version, but it still runs Xandros way better than this solar calculator we got from our bank.

[Thanks, Matt]

[maxz @ May 1st 2008 11:57AM]

That's pretty damn cool. Sure would love to have one just for the heck of it, even though I already have a 12" thinkpad.

[Alex @ May 1st 2008 11:58AM]

Digg it!!

http://digg.com/gadgets/Canadian_bank_hands_out_free_Eee_PCs

[wesg @ May 1st 2008 2:13PM]

No.

[Aguiluz @ May 1st 2008 3:11PM]

Buried!

[JAmerican @ May 1st 2008 11:58AM]

Funny how Engadget didn't reference their previous article regarding the ATM EEE scam ordeal.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/22/thieves-use-eeepc-in-brazilian-atm-scam/

[Matthew @ May 1st 2008 11:59AM]

2GB. man, I can store like 3 movies on there.. and nothing else.

[John @ May 1st 2008 12:01PM]

...or you can store several thousand documents on there, as it's not supposed to be your personal portable media center

[CosterMonger @ May 1st 2008 12:38PM]

or you could simply stick in a $40 8GB SD card

[emailtabs @ May 1st 2008 12:54PM]

Or you could get 250gig external hdd and quit whining.

You can then use it with other computers to you know!

[tha-don @ May 1st 2008 1:41PM]

or you can just save clips from pr0n instead of the entire movie

[vdogg89 @ May 1st 2008 2:32PM]

or you could keep complaining about getting a free laptop

[Baz @ May 2nd 2008 8:09AM]

And it beats trying to watch a move or access a document on the aforementioned free iPod shuffle....

[Low Ranked @ May 1st 2008 12:01PM]

Get the checking account, sell the laptop, put said money into new account.

[Matt @ May 1st 2008 12:02PM]

in Canada, it's a chequing account ;) our checking takes place on the ice.

[Ryan Trevisol @ May 1st 2008 12:08PM]

Not according to RBC's website . . .

But in Soviet Russia, the bank gives YOU to the EEE PC.

[jorvay @ May 1st 2008 12:14PM]

Sadly, 'cheque' is just one more word that is losing its meaning here in the great white north. I already have to re-add 'neighbourhood' and 'colour' every time i install something with a spellcheck (or is that spellcheque?)

However, I'll keep using 'cheque' just as I'll continue to address the Rogers Centre as the Skydome.

[NHAnimator @ May 1st 2008 2:07PM]

At least you still have tuques.

(Or is that toque...? Or touque?)

[wesg @ May 1st 2008 2:14PM]

SkyDome >>>>> Roger's Centre

[slarity @ May 1st 2008 12:06PM]

It says you COULD get a laptop... then its got a * type thing that explains the stipulations else where.

[DrunkMonkey @ May 1st 2008 12:40PM]

Go to the website. The "* thing" just says it is a limit 1 deal and you have to keep the account open through the end of the year.

[i.c. weiner @ May 1st 2008 4:33PM]

the open up a account on December 30th

[Neoprimal @ May 1st 2008 5:33PM]

So, you have to wait a year to get it? Because I don't see how they'd make a person give it back if they broke the deal and closed the account.
By the end of the year the EEE will be like $100. You'll run up WAY more in overdrafts by then...,

[The_Steven @ May 1st 2008 12:09PM]

How about some bank+eee love for those of us not in Canada!

[devGuy @ May 1st 2008 1:47PM]

bank +eee for the yankees?

sry 'bout that...

[XGM @ May 1st 2008 4:56PM]

Yea right, as soon as we stop getting screwed over with the ludicrous pricing of stuff up here, you may get some E's. Till then I think ill save about 20,000$ on my next car by importing it.

[Mark @ May 1st 2008 12:15PM]

no one cares.

[phanbouy @ May 1st 2008 1:19PM]

great comment history there

[Andrew @ May 1st 2008 12:20PM]

We have RBC here, I wonder if it would work for me, haha.

Then again, I'd rather keep ING and make good interest off my money than get a cheesy half-laptop that isn't worth a damn.

[Bhavish @ May 1st 2008 12:23PM]

Cold, ICE COLD!

It'll cost $111.60 in total assuming you open an account now, at the lowest rate option running $13.95/ month and it states in the contract the account must be valid till Dec.31.2008. so 8 more months

Hence: 13.95 x 8 = $111.60

It's ice cold deal! Unless you can get senior discount account linked with this, and then it could be flaming deal.

Note: click more information blue link at RBC to see all account information.

To all the Canucks!

[Tamer Brad @ May 1st 2008 12:51PM]

$13.95 a month? Holy shit! No wonder they need to give away stuff to get customers ...

I'll just stay with my current bank.

[Jim @ May 1st 2008 12:35PM]

It says you COULD get it. Does not say you WILL get it.
Just like any promo they have one and out of all the people that qualified they will draw a name for one lucky winner.

[moej0j0j0 @ May 1st 2008 1:58PM]

If this were a drawing they would have to state it as such. The "could" comes in because if you don't follow all the rules (leave the acctount open through the end of the year, etc...) they will take it back or more likely charge you for it.

[Wilson @ May 1st 2008 12:39PM]

This is a sweet deal. Come on JPMorgan Chase...get with the program!

[The New Guy @ May 1st 2008 2:14PM]

Trust me!! We get raped by our Canadian banks!! They have little to no competition and banks are a BIG business. They will NEVER give things away to us if they weren't going to make twice as much from us in return.

[Johnny @ May 1st 2008 2:37PM]

Trust me, Chase is the US equivalent of your description of Canadian banks. I dumped them a couple of years ago when my butt started to hurt from how often they raped me.

[Jon @ May 1st 2008 1:03PM]

But the cheapest account that qualifies for it is $13.95/month. That's nearly $168/year. Compare that to my Coast Capital account which is free - no monthly fees, no cheque fees, no debit fees.

Canada has been really backward with banking for a long time. I moved here from the UK and the banking industry was one of the biggest retrograde steps (that and cellphones). No simple/free interbank transfers, no free banking... it's like living in the 70s. Finally we're starting to have some banks offering free accounts (Presidents Choice, Coast Capital Savings). But we NEED people to desert the main banks so they take notice and cut their own rates. If everybody stays with them or, heaven forbid, opens new accounts like this then they think fees aren't an issue and will continue to charge them.

So COME ON Canadians... for the good of ALL Canadians please leave these overcharging rip-off merchants and make the move to free banking.

Oh, and for the record a) I don't and never have worked in the banking industry b) I get better service with my free Coast Capital account than I ever did at HSBC.

I guess you could think of this like buying the Eee with a loan... you get the PC up front and pay $13.95/month towards the loan!!

[Fall-Apart @ May 1st 2008 1:22PM]

Despite the fact that Canadian banking practices are somewhat behind the times, there are advantages to the Canuck system. Our Interac system, for instance, would not have become nearly so widespread so quickly had we had to deal with hundreds of banks in thousands of jurisdictions - five banks, all national, makes for easy implementation of interbank technology.

[Donald @ May 1st 2008 1:28PM]

"Account and card must be open & active until Dec. 31, 2008."

So you close the account on January 1/09 and get the PC for $120.

If I didn't have a no-fee bank account already, I'd be on this like fanboys on a Stevenote.

[Mike @ May 1st 2008 6:13PM]

I'm on President's Choice and it's not worth it for me to switch, there's a ton of requirements to get the computer, it's a lot of work. My dad is still confounded by my PC account, because he's always counting how many debit transactions and such he gets a month. He can't really fathom having a whole bank online.

I don't want all of Canada to switch to PC, because then they would have the ability to lessen the great services I recieve right now

[Kaitlyn @ May 1st 2008 1:12PM]

Actually RedFlagDeals.com got it first:
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=583610

[ddub @ May 1st 2008 1:14PM]

This isn't anything new, my parents opened a savings account for me almost 20 years ago so they could get a free Apple IIc+. Too bad it was one of the lamest computers ever made.

[RCanada2008 @ May 1st 2008 1:25PM]

I Think this is a *****FAKE*****
I use RBC all the time and if you try to search for Eee PC or
the 1-866-756-1110 phone# given to call. it cannot be found?
if you go to www.rbc.com and try to access the same page you
cannot find it??
***Just a heads up for all us in Canada***

[devGuy @ May 1st 2008 1:51PM]

http://www.rbcroyalbank.com/products/deposits/nolimit/index.html

[moej0j0j0 @ May 1st 2008 1:58PM]

The URL ends with ?ProspectID=B6776..............

which probably means this was received via email and a lot of email/web specials are not accessable on the home page as quantities are limited. (which it does state.) They probably have 100 or 500 or 1000 to give out and once those are gone that's it.

[tom @ May 1st 2008 1:58PM]

See for yourself, call em' up, it is not phishing
http://www.rbc.com/greatoffer

[Andrew Prashad @ May 1st 2008 1:52PM]

Well it works. I got it. They're sending it to me. And you only have to pay 9.95/month if you use the MultiProduct deal.

[FRZ @ May 1st 2008 2:06PM]

Dam, my bank didn't give me scrap. WAMU sucks.

[phanbouy @ May 1st 2008 2:15PM]

their billboards suck too. i mean seriously.... "Whooooo hoo!" what the fuck does that mean?

[schmitty338 @ May 1st 2008 2:16PM]

Uhhh...to all those people saying you COULD get one, the stipulations are quite easy actually, you just have to sign up, have an autodeposit, and pay 2 bills, which most people will do and then some anyway...

Also, it's $11/month for the account, yes, but if you have another RBC product, like a VISA, or PLC, or investments, then it's free! I already have two of those things, so all I have to do is switch to that account and get a free EEE :-D

[theMediaman @ May 1st 2008 2:32PM]

It's funny that you say "times, they are a'changing". RBC used the Bob Dylan song in an ad campaign a few years ago. Horrible irony that a song with such a message would be appropriated by a monolithic bank.