Just wanted to clue everyone in on a supposed glitch on this week's officedepot printed ad (from the Sunday newspaper).
I placed an order online yesterday for the 256mb pc2100ddr ram chip (needed one fast, and that was the best deal I found anywhere for namebrand ddr ram) and an "adjustable secretary task chair" (item # 536-888) that was advertised as $24.99, with a $12.02 mail in rebate, or $12.97 after rebate (nice enough price for a cheap-o chair).
My order arrived today, while I was at work, so when I get online, I go to the OD website to print out the rebate forms. No problem finding the rebate form for the ram, but lo and behold, no joy on finding one for the chair.
After an hour and 15 minutes on the phone with:
1. OD customer service, who says they can't find it either, please call the rebate center (also an 800 number)
2. The rebate center number that OD csr gave me, which says no one answers this number, call this other number (also an 800 number)
3. The second rebate center number, where, after 10-15 minutes, I finally get to talk to someone that says I have to talk to a rebate center csr that deals exclusively with OD rebates, and can you please call this other 800 number?
4. The super-special rebate center csr that deals exclusively with OD rebates, who tells me, "we don't have the rebate forms here, you'll have to call OD customer service"!!! ACK!!!! :|
5. Back to OD customer service, where I ask for a manager, and get Sheila the csr that knows for sure she can help me. Okay, it's only been about 45 minutes on the phone now, I'll be nice and see what she can do for me. Sheila looks and looks and looks, and finally says, "OH! That's an IN STORE ONLY deal!!". No, it's not, says I.......I have the ad right here in front of me, and nowhere does it say that near that item. We argue back and forth for a minute or so, then she finally tells me that she's going to call my local store and see what she can do for me. Sheila comes back about 7 minutes later, and says she spoke with the manager at my local OD, and they're going to do me a favor, and print out a copy of the mail in rebate from the register for me.
However, without a register receipt to go with that, I just KNOW it's gonna get rejected. Oh, and I either have to drive across town to pick up this useless rebate form, or they'll mail it to me (oh, and by the way, it has to be postmarked by the end of the week, in order to qualify for the rebate). She makes certain to tell me that this is a one time good deal she's arranged for me.
Gee.......uh.......thanks, but no thanks!!
I hold my temper, and tell her that while I appreciate all the hard work she's done for me, I'm still screwed. Nowhere in the ad does it say this rebate is for an in-store only purchase. The rebate form, while welcome, is useless to me. Oh, and if I had wanted to drive across town to get the stupid rebate form, I would've gone there to get the chair and the ram in the first place!!
Here's what you're going to do for me, Sheila. You're either going to provide me with an internet address where I can download and print a rebate form, or you're going to credit back my card for the $12.02 that I'm due from the rebate. She tells me she's not authorized to do that, as only a manager can do that. Gee, didn't I ask for one of those 20 minutes ago, when you first got on the phone with me?????? Why don't you go find one now, and get them on the phone?????
Finally, about 8 to 10 minutes later, she tells me that the manager has authorized her to credit back my card for the $12.02, once again, and a one time courtesy to me. Gee, Sheila, thanks ever so much for bending over backwards for me (and obviously getting your head stuck up your A$$ when you did so!!).
So........if you're looking to get one of these chairs, make sure you either have an hour and 15 minutes to argue with the OD csr's on the phone, or you just drive over to OD and pick one up in store........and save yourself the headache I had tonight!!
Gee.....maybe I'll drive over to OD tomorrow, and pick up one of those nice $12.97 after rebate chairs!! LOL :evil: