Just for the record: I also bought in Cincinnati, in the tri-county store.
3 laptops, all of them get $100 off.
I got the base system + the DVD upgrade = $999.
So, my total was:
$999
-$100 coupon code 7***7
-$200 off BTO
-$100 HP rebate #1 (CONFIRMED BY HP AND STAPLES CSR-THESE WILL ALL BE VALID)
-$100 HP rebate #2 (CONFIRMED BY HP AND STAPLES CSR-THESE WILL ALL BE VALID)
-$100 Staplesrebate(CONFIRMED BY HP AND STAPLES CSR-THESE WILL ALL BE VALID)
-$100 instant compensation
+$41 tax on $699
=$340 for each laptop
x3 laptops = $1020
Sold one on ebay before the rush for $900 incl shipping etc (I had to: my wife bought one on top of the two I had already bought for me and her--I guess she just got confused)
=$120 total for two laptops
-3 $30 instore gift certificates if someone can find the form
=$30 total for two laptops.
Overall, this seems to have been a very good deal. It wasn't fun waiting all that time, but it's well worth $100 compensation on each laptop for such a wait.
Congrats to everyone who got in.
Also, if anyone wants to know, there is a deal at FW to get 256MB DDR sodimm at dell for $54, the best we could find so far. With the extra money from this I have two upgrades in the midst, one to get to 384MB memory and one to sell the current hard drive in my system and pay an extra $100 for a 7200RPM or 5400RPM hd.
I will post any deals I see on FW or AT for these here if you want, please do the same.
I feel in a light mood today.
Woohoo for AT and FW hot deals.
Let me explain why the rebates are valid
First of all, do not do this until Wednesday at least, because they are flooded with calls right now.
I was talking to the CSR on the phone yesterday (this was when I found about the compensation and posted it at FW) and he told me he was the Staples HP representative. After talking to him, he said that they were offering $100 back onto your credit card for each order, and that he would go ahead and do mine (three orders) right away. I said that that was fine, and thanked him kindly.
I then approached him about the rebates. I told him about the Staples and HP rebate dilemma, about how all three required the original UPC. I also told him about how the UPC was just a series of barcodes for different products. In addition, I told him that although the HP rebates said "Combinable with other HP offers", some HP reps were saying that only one was valid. Here is how he explained it to me:
"Send in your original UPC code to the "Celebrate the Savings" HP rebate program. When you send in for your "Maximize your Savings" rebate, write a note about how the rebate says "Combinable with other HP offers" and send a copy of the Celebrate the savings, circling the same phrase, and the phrase that requires the UPC. For the staples rebate, a copy is fine for all the parts. What's really important is that you include the serial number: they run that through a database and that is how they check who has and who hasn't redeemed the rebates for what parts. If you do all this, you'll be fine and get all three rebates. Any rebates that you don't receive, call up the staples rebate HQ and tell them about the problem, and send them the rejection letter. They will take care of you instantly."
He then went on to say that he had marked my account with this information, and if there should be any problems, just ask for him.