HP cashback - help!

boombox

Hello. I put this in Techie but might be more at home here. Any help appreciated.

I bought a laptop from Saveonlaptops.co.uk which was £400 with a £100 cashback available to claim direct from HP. After I bought the laptop, I tried to claim the cashback only to find that I had to wait 30 days before claim.

I have now waited 30 days and tried to claim again. It now says on the claims page that any orders before Aug 1st need to claim within 30 days and any orders after need to wait 30 days and then have 30 days to claim. My order was at the end of June. This means I've missed the 30 day window.

Really really annoyed. I have tried to call HP cashback support only to be put on hold for 10 mins (on an 0845 number).

My question is, I have a feeling they're going to be ****** about this. Is there any way I can complain to someone about this? Or at least have a regulatory authority to threaten them with on the phone? Or is there any way I should go about this or things I should say?

Really unhappy that they have essentially conned me out of £100 by changing cash back claim dates. I only bought the laptop because I could stretch to £300 but not £400.

Any help would be great. Cheers.

arcon5

How did you try to claim the first time?

Please say email or some written form.......

Also, what does it say about the cashback deal in their terms or on your receipt? As if they have changed the terms after you have formed the contract without notifying you it may well be classed as an unfair terms.........

boombox

Hi arcon. Thanks for your post. They have a claims page here - http://www.hpcashback.com/uk/laptops/

The first time I started to claim and it said that I shouldn't claim until 30 days have passed. I tried to claim the day after I received the laptop. I saw point 2 on the link and set a reminder on my phone to try again in 30 days. Point 2 states:

"Once you have purchased your new notebook simply complete the claim no sooner than 30 days and no later than 60 days from the date of your invoice, making sure you upload your proof of purchase".

I'm sure the bit below wasn't there. The bit that says:

"See Offers
For purchases made before the 1st August 2011 please claim within 30 days of the date of your invoice
For claims made from 1st August 2011 (inclusive) please claim no sooner than 30 days and no later than 60 days from the date of your invoice
This is due to a change in the terms and conditions of this promotion affective from 1st August 2011
Please select the date on your invoice to see all laptop offers available to you".

I even remember reading one of the FAQs (because I thought waiting 30 days to claim followed by "up to 56 days" to receive the cashback was ridiculous). The FAQ says:

"Q.
Why do I have to wait 30 days to claim?
A.
this is to account for any returns/refunds of qualifying products."

I have an invoice from Saveonlaptops but this doesn't mention cashback as the cashback is directly with HP. It just states the full price.

BigGing

I am in a fairly similar position,

Bought 2 Probooks via Misco on 28th July (Invoice date), went on HPcashback to claim on 2nd August and could not find that invoice date.

Been back and forward to them on that day and have a decent email chain where I have complained that they can't change a customers rights retrospectively. Went back on today to make a claim between 30 and 60 days as per my email instruction from them and am unable to do that. Another email off to them today.

My thought is that they have not thought through the change in terms process but will be loathed to revisit it unless someone takes it up the chain, especially given this months developments at HP and their future exit from this part of the business.