Complain about a product or service

Compaq Rebates

Norma of Williamstown WV writes (4/1/03):
I purchased two Compaq computer systems at Circuit City on 11-17-02. One system was purchased for the company I work for. The other for my personal use. The date is now 04-01-03 and I am yet to get my rebates. I followed their instructions to the "T" and have copies of every thing. The company is giving me a real runaround about them. They now want me to resubmit each claim. I want to make the public aware of this practice. They have lied to me on several issues. This is a crime and I am willing to join any group to right this wrong practice. I believe that this company thinks they will wear the purchaser down until they give up on the promised rebate. Shame on this company.

John of Binghamton NY (3/17/03):
I bought this compaq presario 6000 computer for my son for christmas and mailed in the rebates for the computer, monitor and printer. I have received my rebate for the H/P printer, but I have not received anything from compaq. I have called and they told me they never received it. I did what they asked and I faxed compaq copies of the receit not once but twice and the answer I get is that the information is not right. I am calling today to get an answer and then I am calling New York State Consumer Fraud.

Lori of Winnemucca, NV, writes (9/26/00):
In June of 2000, I submitted all necessary paperwork to receive a rebate. I sent everything certified and have my return receipt acknowledging they received my rebate information. I have not received my rebate as of today, 09-25-00. That is almost three months when average is 8-10 weeks. I sent a second request certified, and and they sent it back stating rebate had expired. I have proof I sent everything on time and have copies of everything. I need help contacting them so this can be corrected.

Using my credit card to purchase this system, each month I cannot apply money, is that much more interest I pay.

Denise of Essex, MD (9/20/00):
I purchased a computer from Staples one year and a half ago and I submitted my rebate 5 times over. I sent a letter to president. No return.

I was really looking forward to my rebate to spend on my son for his birthday.

Mary Anne of Plano, TX (7/3/00):
Young America is the rebate fulfillment company for Compaq Computer. I purchased a Compaq Computer from CompUSA in October of 1999 offering a $150 rebate if purchased with the printer. I have submitted the necessary paperwork and forms four times over the course of the eight months and each time I call to see where my rebate check is, they apologize, tell me it was a mistake on their part and if I send it in one more time they will "expedite" the check.

The last time I spoke with a Crystal F. who assured me that if I faxed her the serial numbers, she would take care of it. She did not. I then escalated it to Compaq's rebate center to a Bridget Harley who apologized for Young America. I have not heard anything since. I have not received my $150 after eight months and have spent hours of my valuable time working on this.

Barbara of Landover Hills, MD (6/14/00):
Back in January Compaq was running a $200.00 rebate special on the Compaq Presario, which was called the Compaq Winter Savings Rebate Offer. On February 9, 2000 I purchased my Compaq Presario from Circuit City in Landover, Maryland. The salespersons name was very helpful. He let me know that in order for me to qualify for the rebate that I must sign up for the CompuServe online, which I did. He told me everything that I needed to do in order to get my rebate, by mailing off the proper forms and keeping copies of my records, so I did.

On February 23,2000 I mailed my rebate and info that was needed to Compaq Winter Savings Rebate P.O. Box 8019 Young America, MN 55551. On March 30, 2000 I received a letter from the Compaq-Retail Division stating that they were unable to process my request because I did not write the 12-digit serial numbers on the rebate form with the bar cods. First of all I did what the salesperson told me to do. Cut the serial numbers off all of my boxes, being the monitor, printer and CPU and send them in along with the rebate from Compaq. Nowhere on that rebate form did it say to hand write the serial numbers above the bar codes. Plus I could not understand why they needed me to write anything down when the bar codes were cut from the boxes and sent to them. All the information was there.

Second: As I said they sent me this letter and everything back, all bar codes except the bar code and serial number from my monitor. On April 10,2000 I spoke with Mr. Mike P. who would not give his full last name from Compaq Customer Service Rebate Center. I went on to let him know that the instructions on mailing the rebate was not clear and that changes should be made because I did everything that I needed to do. I just did not hand write the serial number above the bar code which was sent in so they could see that the purchase was made along with my register recept. Mr. Mike P. told me to resubmit the information back within 14 days to Compaq Winter Savings Rebate PO Box 8100 zip 55551-8100, a diffrent address from the 1st. He stated that the PO Box had changed.

The information was mailed mack on April 10, 2000. I made a follow-up call the first week in May of 2000 to find how far they gotten in processing the $200.00 rebate. They said it would take about another 10 weeks. Well I once again made another phone call. Now June 14, 2000 and spoke with Customer Service Rebate Center and that stated that thay never got any of my information. I then asked to speak to a supervisor who name is Crystal who would not give her last name. This lady was very rude and was of no help at all. She stated to me that she could not do anything for me. I went on to let her know that I sent my information back for the 2nd time and have yet to hear anything from the rebate or from anyone. Once again the rude person that she was stated that there was nothing she could do for me because she did not have my rebate info there. I went on to let her know that I was tired of having to spend money on postage and I did not want to have to pay for long distance faxes to get this info resubmited again. Well she really did not seem to care.

I wrote a letter to Mr Bo McBee (Vice President Quality & Customer Satification) to let him know that I was treated very wrong and made fell like trash. I along with many other consumers took time to purchase this item spending my hard-earned money just to be treated unfair. If they are not going to stand up to their sales or rebates thay should stop offering it to the consumer. Two Hundred Dollars is not a lot of money to my but it is the principle of the thing. I don't care if it was a $10.00 rebate you should send it and not give the consumer a hard time.

Ravit of East Windsor, NJ, writes:
I had bought a Compaq PC from Best Buy on July 23, 2000. I received a second receipt and a mail-in rebate form at the cash register. The rebate was for $200. I sent all the information for the rebate to Compaq on July 27, 2000. I received $100 from Compaq in late September. Inside the stub I found a telephone number for Compaq. I have called several times throughout the day,to no avail.

I have e-mailed Compaq and their response is that rebates take three to four months. No one is giving me a direct answer. I would like to warn customers of this.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.