Compaq honors $175 rebate

By NANCY PARADIS

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 30, 2000

On April 1, my husband and I purchased a Compaq computer system. Compaq was offering a $175 rebate at the time. I diligently filled in all the information requested in the fine print of the rebate offer, cut out the UPC codes from the original cardboard boxes and mailed everything, along with the receipt, to the address provided on April 4.

I received a letter from Compaq dated May 1 that stated I failed to provide serial numbers with my rebate request and that I needed to respond with this information within 14 days. I did not receive the letter until May 22 as I was out of town. However, the serial numbers Compaq said I omitted were not omitted. I had written the 12-digit serial numbers on the form plus they were on the UPC codes I had cut out and sent in. I nonetheless sent the requested information to the consumer affairs department of Compaq again on May 24. On June 12, my letter was returned unopened to me with a huge red stamp stating the offer had expired.

Because I followed all the requirements of the rebate offer, I would appreciate any assistance that Action could provide in getting my rebate. Tracy Rich Mohon

Response: In your words: "Five days after I mailed my letter to you, I received a call from Compaq's customer service representative Tina Thomspon, who was extremely apologetic and assured me she would look into my case. Upon reviewing her file, she contacted Young America and a check was issued on July 17. Thank you for your prompt assistance regarding my rebate."

Grant or ripoff?

My wife and I have invested all our savings in a small business and taken out a second mortgage on our home. We are going down the drain quickly and could use a small grant to help get us going. We received some information from a company that says it can help us get a grant. Our small tool repair business is open, but we could use some cash to stay afloat. This company requires a processing fee of $39.95. Can you check this out? I can't afford to be ripped off. M. Peeno

Response: Since the "grant" offer requires you to pay money up front, we suggest you steer clear of the company before checking it out thoroughly with the Better Business Bureau and consumer protection folks or attorney general's office in the state in which it is located. Chances are that all you would get for your money is information about sources for grants that you can locate yourself, for free, at your public library. We suggest you contact a legitimate group such as SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) at (727) 532-6800 or the federal government's Small Business Administration at (727) 893-9686.

Missing order

I sent a check to Ann Trenton on May 15 for $9.97 for a back support and never received it. I failed to keep the address when I clipped the coupon out of an out-of-town newspaper. The library tried for nearly a day to find the address and somehow came up with your name through the Internet. Apparently you recently resolved a problem with the same company or person "Ann Trenton." If you have any information on this company, I would certainly appreciate it if you could let me know. Verna Gerber

Response: The company is Ann Trenton's Value Shoppe and can be reached at P.O. Box 7703, Valley Village, CA 91617-7703; (800) 867-6285. If your check was cashed, we suggest you write a note to the company to ask about your order. Be sure to include a photocopy of the front and back of the check. If this does not result in either your order or a refund, you may contact us for help. Follow the instructions at the end of this column.

Computer needs help

I am writing to ask for your assistance regarding service for my computer, which is under warranty. When I purchased the computer, I bought a one-year, in-house warranty from the manufacturer as well as an extended warranty to run through Aug. 22. I have had a number of conversations with various technicians from the warranty service.

Their stock answer is that since they had me shut down and reboot the computer and it works, there is nothing wrong with the hardware. They all told me that the warranty does not cover software problems, but nowhere in my warranty can I find such information. Thank you for your assistance. Peter Restante

Response: Unfortunately, the only assistance we can give is to point you to item number 5 of your warranty, "service limitations." If you take a close look, you'll see "software problems" included under "other exclusions."

Perhaps you have a computer-savvy friend you who can turn to for help. Problems that can drive a novice user to the point of utter frustration often offer interesting and entertaining challenges to the more experienced.

Action solves problems and gets answers for you. If you have a question, or your own attempts to resolve a consumer complaint have failed, write Times Action, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or call your Action number, (727) 893-8171, or, outside of Pinellas, (800) 333-7505, ext. 8171, to leave a recorded request.

Requests will be accepted only by mail or voice mail; calls cannot be returned. We will not be responsible for personal documents, so please send only photocopies. If your complaint concerns merchandise ordered by mail, we need copies of both sides of your canceled check.

We may require additional information or prefer to reply by mail; therefore, readers must provide a full mailing address, including ZIP code. Names of letter writers will not be omitted except in unusual circumstances. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

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