Did HP rob me?

I'm getting worried with my situation here...

Back in July I ordered an HP 8510p through HP's higher education sector. The order went alright, but there were some issues that arose with the order and HP had to cancel it, which was fine by me. I just planned on either getting another HP or getting a laptop from another manufacturer.

The problem was they let me know this 4 days before the computer was supposed to ship. They said the "Request to cancel was denied"...so they couldn't cancel my order, even though it was they who told me it had to be canceled. So they said they would intercept the UPS shipment and have it returned after it shipped.

So sure enough it shipped, made it all the way to my hometown, where it was intercepted and returned to the warehouse, all within 3 days. Problem solved...or so I thought.

My credit card was charged the day it shipped. I called HP and they said it was just a formality, and that everything would be refunded in a few days when it got back to the warehouse. Fine I thought....

I tracked it and watched it get back to the warehouse, and yet my money was not refunded. So I called later that week, about 3 days after it got back to their warehouse, and I was told it just takes a few days to register in their computers. So I waited a few days....

Still nothing...

So I called the next week, and I was told there may be a problem, but my issue would be "prioritized", and it would be resolved in a day or two....

Another week passes, still no refund. I called again and was told it was being processed, but there was some kind of hold up in the warehouse, and that I should try back later on that week.

So I waited until this week. I called yesterday and was given no information. Nothing about a hold up, nothing about taking a few days to register in their system, nothing. The woman on the phone said she would check it out and call me tomorrow (today). I had heard this before from them, and sure enough...no call today.

My credit card bill came on Friday (4 days ago) and its due in 2 weeks. I'm a grad student living off federal loans, I can't afford this fraudulent expense. Any suggestions? Did HP rob me? Am I going to see this money ever again?

 

Hmm, yea that does sound like quite a problem... Why not call and ask to speak with a supervisor/manager?

Not for anything but, if you can't afford the expense they've given you, then why did you order the laptop to begin with?

 

I would definitely get in contact with your Credit Card company and explain the situation to them and also email HP corporate and explain the situation to them.

 

Yea Doug has a point that I forgot as well. I was recently a victim of fraud from www.classiccloseouts.com. They took money out of my bank account 2 months ago randomly, didn't even show up as an order. Contacting them resulted in nothing but frustration, so I filed a claim with my bank and they contact them, I was refunded temporary credit in the mean time, then the bank decided to give me a refund for whatever reason. Moral of the story: have others breath down their neck.

And if it really becomes a problem, the Better Business Bureau is a filed complaint away.

 

I agree, either that or suggest that legal action may be taken.

 

Call your credit card company and explain to them also.

 

Yes, just call the credit card company and protest the charges. Even if HP keeps dicking you around, you will not be responsible for the charges once you file the paperwork with the credit card company. You can have fed ex send you copies of all the package tracking to prove they got the computer back.

 

Yep, just do a chargeback, don't waste any more time messing with HP, contact your cc company asap.

 

Ask the security guard at the nearest Wal-mart. They are highly trained in these types of situations.

 

The advantage of having a credit card is the ability to cancel payment to the credit card company if a product is not good. So you have plenty of legitimate reasons to cancel the payment and make your cc company deal with HP rather than you.

 

Not quite. If a product is not good, it is YOUR responsibility to assess the problem with the seller. They don't have any other affiliation except as the merchant. If a purchase was made using your credit card without your knowledge, they could credit you back and deduct the amount from the seller of which the illegal transaction was made. The seller would then files charges for theft and pursue it through the legal system. Since you would still have the product and you would have them reverse the charge, it could be considered money fraud. Usually the easy way out isn't always the best. :/

In this particular case, Roger was told he'd get a refund for a product in which he paid for in full. HP has continued to delay the refund. Since nothing was received by Roger, Roger has two ways to go about this dilemma. He can continue to contact HP about his cancellation, which would result in more time loss and increased stress or he can claim fraud or unexplained charges on his credit card bill.

 

yes- hp is gangsta. it robbed you.

seriously though - call HP again and if they dont credit you back the cash, tell your bank that they took it fraudulently. the transaction will then be disputed.

for me, i ordered a laptop then returned it. as they told me when i got the RMA number to return it - once they recieve the unit, the cash will be credited back into my account within 5 to 7 business days - something like that.

so i shipped my unit back, waited i think about 5 days, and saw that the money had been returned into my account.

since your situation is a little similar, i would definitely dispute this a final time with HP and, if the same thing happens (no action on their part), i would call your credit card company and report this.

 

I ran into a similar situation before. You can easily dispute the charge with your credit card company and they will call hp and take care of it.

They might ask you to fax any communication details or other tracking information you have. UPS tracking etc.

 

Just an update in case anyone is wondering:

First off, the reason I was so worried about this money is because I'm a student living off loans. I can afford to pay the $1300, but it would have really hurt to have paid that with nothing to show for it except grief.

Anyway, I got in contact with a person at HP who I had talked to last week, and I was promptly informed that no new information had arisen. She knew, and their warehouse knew, that they had recieved the computer. She acknowledged that. But neither she, nor the warehouse, could tell me why I wasn't being refunded. I could get no information from anyone. Not even a lame excuse. Every person I talked to, I got the same answer: I don't know. Over and over.

No one seemed to have the power to just refund my money, even though they knew right where the computer was sitting. Even though the tracking through UPS clearly shows it arriving at their warehouse and being signed by some guy with a last name Miel or something.

I was assured it would be worked out and that HP would get in contact with me today. So today came, and I got a curt email saying no new information had come up.

So I called my bank, told them the issue, gave them the tracking number, and they took the money off my credit card. It took 5 minutes, sooooo smooth.

I have no idea what HP's deal is, but I'm glad this was so easy to resolve through my bank.

 

Glad it worked out for you

 

Did I or did I not tell ya so? It looks bad for HP as well, if HP gets too many chargebacks, CC companies can choose to stop allowing consumers to purchase their products through those cards as well. It doesn't happen very often with large companies like HP, but I have witnessed it happening with smaller companies that have poor reputations.