[Eee Pad Transformer General] Hack.Me:
Through hell and High water

Hello all, Just wanted to take a moment in rejoicing in finally obtaining my Transformer tablet this afternoon. This is more of a rant in regard to the horrible experience that took place to bring me here.

So yesterday I saw a post that stated Staples was offering $100.00 off tablet purchases. Link to the thread here: http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/iuuqa/100_off_any_tablet_at_staples/

Someone within the thread stated they had success in taking this coupon to their local Office Depot to have it redeemed via the Price Guarantee. This sounded awesome after seeing the transformer was only available online and would take some time to be shipped. Additionally I could not find the docking station sold at the Staples store at all. I contacted Staples to verify the coupon, and they offered to have me come in and redeem it in store. But because they did not offer the docking station I decided I would give Office Depot my business if they had both in stock. And so I began my journey

I contacted the local store, explained the situation and the kid I spoke with said he did have both the docking station and keyboard in stock, and that it should be no problem honoring this coupon. However because it was for such a large amount he would need to have the assistant store manager authorize it before I came down. So I waited on hold for around 10 minutes and when he came back I was told " Well the manager does not want to authorize this coupon as it could potentially be photoshopped. I explained how he could search for the coupon to verify it was from the staples URL, and also advised him to try entering the code on the Staples website after the check out process. The kid did so and verified it once again, and actually went on to place me back on hold to contact a friend of his who worked at the local store who also confirmed it was legit. Still afterward in reassuring his manager it was real, she refused to accept it and advised him to inform me that it would need to go through the store manager the next day ( this morning )

Not really sure what to do about this I agreed, and after hanging up I returned to the Office Depot website. I connected to a live chat support agent who after explaining the story and showing him the coupon agreed that it was valid and that they should be honoring it without hesitation. He explained he would be escalating this issue to his level 2 agents to have them further research why I was denied and to contact the store to advise them it was valid and needed to be accepted upon presentation. He then took my name and number down and said one of the level 2 reps would be calling me within the next 4 hours. Needless to say I have still yet to hear from anyone.

So this morning rolls around, I contact the store manager Tim and explain the situation to him. Only to be told and I quote " I'm sorry but I will not be able to honor this in store. Our corporate office sent out a news bulletin this morning stating that we can only accept this coupon on 4 select types of tablets, the transformer is not one of the ones we are allowed to redeem for. " Flabbergasted at this point I asked " So, you mean to tell me, that even though the coupon clearly states the models in which the offer is not valid, Office Depot is not honoring the same deal, but rather picking and choosing which tablets they will accept it for?. What sense does that make? " He had no reply for me other than an apology.

More than disgruntled at his point I then proceeded to call the customer service number for Office Depot. After wading through the god awful automated system I finally reached a live person, who told me I had the wrong department though I had carefully followed the voice prompts. So I redialed, again finally reaching someone who told me that yes, they could assist me. But after 30 seconds in, they hung up on me. HUNG UP as in not wearing a headset, but I heard the distinct sound of the phone being placed back onto the receiver.

Infuriated at this point, I gave it one more chance. This time after reaching someone, It was all I had not to reach threw the phone and adjust his tie for him. After explaining that I had just been hung up on, he reassured me he would not do so. And proceeded to listen to all 20 minutes of my pissed off rage of the story as it had unfolded until this part. Afterward he asked for the coupon and I provided it to him. He verified it on the Staples website and for the 3rd time I was told that yes, they should be honoring this without problem. And going even further, that it should be honored as it is printed. Not as they interpret it. So this agent called the local store and after a brief hold returned to advise me he had spoken with the store's assistant manger and explained the situation. And that after some argument she agreed to accept the coupon. He advised me to go ahead and go to the local store and speak with Amy and that she would be glad to take care of this transaction. But if they should have any issues, to have them contact him back as I had already been inconvenienced enough.

So I printed it off, and headed down to the local store about 20 minutes away. Before entering the store I started the voice recorder on my Incredible just as a gut feeling. I walk into the store and am immediately greeted by one of the employees. i explain that I need to speak with Amy. What came next was the final straw. The employee proceeds to tell me that Amy is not working today. So I think maybe he got the name confused. I ask " well, what by chance is the assistant manager's name on duty and is she available? " The girl replies with her name that is no where near close to Amy( can't remember as things started going black around this time), and goes on to add that This manager is off today. I ****ing lose it. I explain that this customer service agent had spoken to someone at the goddamn store and that I just need to find the person he spoke with. She says " Oh, I heard about that.. and see here's the problem... We can only honor it on THESE tablet's, while handing me the corporate news bulletin and pointing at the brands.

I go off on her, and just let the entire bad experience dump. The store manager I had spoken with earlier in the morning approaches and catches the tail end of the conversation. He says, " Oh you must be the guy I spoke to this morning about this huh? " while pulling me off to the side. I respond " yes, and I have been promised 4 ****ing times now, that this issue has been taking care of, and the last came from the customer service guy who suposidly spoke with your assistant manager who isn't working today. He asked " which Assistant Manager? and I tell him Amy. He says, " Who told you that? She is working today, she is just on lunch." And in the most half-assed sigh of defeat he sighs and says, " Well fine, if she agreed with this customer service agent that she would do it. Then I'll go ahead and do the override."

We then walk back to the tablet Aisle, he gets the model number and while we are there two kids show up looking at the docking station. The only docking station on the shelves. I snatched that ***** up with the force of a thousand suns, as the manager went to the back to retrieve the tablet. Finally after returning he guides me to the return center, and starts in on that bull**** like " Well since you're getting such an awesome deal you're gonna want to get that in store warranty right? ... Right? He tells me it's only 99 dollars for a year, and I reply with a solid " **** NO, I doubt I'll ever come back to this place. To try and earn me back he says " well on the coupon corporate sent down to us this morning, they are offering a 25% toward the reward program if you will sign up for this card, for the reward club. That will be around an additional 100 dollars towards anything in the store. " i end up agreeing to take the damn reward card, he scans my ****. And i walked out of the store and never looked back.

So in closing, if you have made it through this far and survived my giant walls of text, What can you tell me about this device that will blow my mind? Please for the love of god tell me something, anything to remind me why I went through all of this bull**** just to avoid waiting 3 weeks and ordering the damn dock from somewhere else.

TL;DR Office Depot tried to **** me out of the $100 off rebate for tablet purchases. I finally got it, Plus an extra $100 through the reward program. Yet I still feel like I'm the one that got the **** end of the stick in the deal.

New update to the post I originally made at Reddit. Now after the online reward center has authorized my transaction, The site now says "Non-Qualified Purchase" so they are not giving me the 25 % I was told I would receive by the store manager and the employee. I checked the voice recording I made as a CYA in case **** went bad again, and it can be clearly heard that they both tell me this would be valid for the 25% reward back. Is there anything I can do/ should do about this to try and fight it? Or am I just screwed?

And as the original post reads, can you please cheer me up, post some positive things to remind me why I've gone through all of this hassle before I just say **** it and return the damn thing. Please... I really want to believe, but it's getting harder by the minute.