DON'T EVER EVER EVER EVER buy anything that has a Compaq/HP Rebate on it EVER. I bought a computer from Circuit City (whose escalation line has been nothing but sympathetic and extremely helpful in getting ANY of my money back) on August 1. I then proceeded to look over a $150 rebate from CCity, $100 rebate (look at the $100 there) from HP, and another $50 rebate from HP. I made sure to look over the forms very carefully because I know so much as a smudge of ink anywhere would make the rebate null and void so I proceeded to the post office with my three rebate packets and mail them certified to make sure I could track it and show that they received it. Week 1 goes by and all three rebates are shown as received. All is good and well.
Week 2 rolls around and my monitor begins to have pixels on the screen go out. So with the 14 day-return policy at Circuit City I return the model for the EXACT SAME ONE. I even CALL HP/Compaq to inform them of the EXCHANGE not RETURN and they say it should be no problem with the rebates. I leave with my new monitor, and so far all is calm. Week 5 or 6 rolls around and I already received the $50 rebate from HP and I'm thinking man that's awesome, the $100 rebate from JP that was sent in on the exact same day must be on its way... (WRONG!)
Week 8 rolls around and there is my $150 Circuit City rebate, no problems. About a day or so later I get an envelope that looks like another HP rebate... I'm thinking, this cannot possibly be true, all my money before it was even promised... And then my sweetest dream became one of my biggest nightmares. I open up the letter and there sitting in from of me is a letter stating "We appreciate your purchase, but your submission for the * Rebate offer was declined for the following reason: Our records indicate that one or more of the serial numbers provided was returned for refund at the business of purchase."
Ok so I kept my cool, minor screw up... Even though I did verify the exchange with them. I called them back and they were extremely rude and told me there was nothing they could do about it. So of course not being one of those customers that just bites their tongue and lets it slide... I call up Circuit City's Customer Service desk. There was a Manufacturer's Rebate Escalation Line 800-241-1343 that I could call for denied claims.in fact THERE WAS something that could be done about it so the lady on the phone contacted HP and got everything squared away for my $100 rebate (NOTE $100 AGAIN) and I should receive it within the next 2-3 weeks. I was pissed about the wait but I figured it was worth it.
Week 12 rolls around AND STILL NO CHECK. So I call the escalation line again and the lady was nothing but nice and calls HP again ONLY TO FIND OUT that the check had been returned nearly 3 WEEKS AGO... But no one ever bothered to contact me about it. So she gets on the phone with a supervisor at HP's rebate department and has them verify my address (THAT THEY HAD SENT 2 PREVIOUS LETTERS TO) only to find out that MY ADDRESS HAD BEEN CHANGED... They had taken my apartment letter off, making it impossible to get to me. FUMING AT THIS POINT I demand for them to cut me another check but apparently there is some 30 day waiting period for them to put a stop payment on a check. At this point I LOST IT demanding to have another check cut and sent to the RIGHT address. Luckily for them they complied and I verified my address SIX (YES SIX!) TIMES to make sure it was going to get to me. Yet it was going to be another 2-3 week wait.
WEEK 14... Ok my roommate brings the mail and here is another envelope from HP... I'm looking at it, she is looking at me... It feels like I'm waiting for a freaking acceptance letter from my dream school or a ransom note for my dog... I'm dreading opening it, she's dreading me going ballistic and burning the entire building down (yes it's $100 but to a college kid it means food on the table for the next month and a half)... So I rip off the sides, fold open the check to find... *DRUM ROLL PLEASE* that the check is for $50... Not $100... (refer to the references made above if this is not shocking to you)... Ok... I've had it officially at this point... I will speak to no one except for a supervisor when I call back... I call the escalation line... They can't do anything... I call HP and the lady tells me it's only for $50 even though it says $100 on the rebate form... I then proceed to talk to someone else and apparently there are 2 separate $50 checks... I WANT ONE CHECK IN THE AMOUNT OF $100..."no can do" so I expressed my dearest gratitude at this point and told the woman what I really thought of her and her rebates and told her to do whatever she needed to do to get ANOTHER $50 check... Guess what??? 4-5 freaking weeks to cut another check... Even though this is attempt NUMBER 4 at trying to get this check... And it only took 2-3 weeks for the past 2 attempts... Needless to say I was not a happy camper... It was the same rebate as the other $50 check I got... Why another four weeks you may ask? BECAUSE IT WON'T BE PROCESSED UNLESS YOU CALL AND COMPLAIN ABOUT IT... It's their way of scamming you out of $50 i suppose.
I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER COMPAQ OR HP PRODUCT EVER AGAIN... Hopefully you won't either... Don't put yourself in a position to go and spend $300 more on a computer that you think you will be getting the $300 back for anytime soon... Maybe by this time next year I can actually enjoy this computer I am pounding the keys away on now... But I don't see that happening anytime soon in the near future. Go for the less expensive model with no rebates or legitimately spend the $300 on a more expensive machine and don't fiddle with this rebate bull crap.
Not
Nowheresville, New Jersey
U.S.A.
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