Live.com Will NOT offer Make Good for HP 40% Cash Back Disaster
It’s been a week since Live.com kicked off its 40% Cash Back on HP products Black Friday promotion and things just went from bad to worse. On Monday a Microsoft spokesperson told CNet that there would be a do-over so customers who couldn’t access the HP store via Live.com ads on Black Friday could receive the deals they were promised. I’ve just learned from an inside source that Microsoft will NOT be be rerunning the promotion in any way, shape or form.
A Microsoft spokesperson was quoted by CNet as saying:
“We deeply regret customer inconvenience with respect to the outage,” Microsoft said in a statement provided to CNET News. “The spike in traffic in combination with a technical glitch led to the outage. The promotion will restart in the next day or so. Again, we apologize for our customers’ inconvenience.”
But today Microsoft will officially announce that they will not be restarting the promotion…ever.
This means all of the HP customers that spent hours trying to access the Cash Back deal, but couldn’t get past the CAPTCHA screen to activate the discount are out of luck. Those that received the elusive 3% discount will get the full discount by the end of this weekend, but based on Microsoft’s promises I’m not holding my breath.
I did receive my 40% Cash Back notice yesterday, but this leaves a bad taste in my mouth to say the least. Hundreds of Notebooks.com readers have commented that they had difficulties with this promotion and skipped other Black Friday deals in favor of this one. Those who didn’t at least get the 3% discount and ordered their products anyways will need to return the products to HP unless they want to pay full price. I advise you to re-order through one of HPs other promotions as they are having a Holiday sale where you can probably get a better deal using coupons (the Live.com promo forbade the use of coupons).
UPDATE: This is the official blog post I mentioned was coming
from Rajat at Microsoft. I used to work in the PR world and releasing bad news when reporters/customers are ready to pack it in for the weekend is a common damage-control tactic. Nice move guys. Here’s the text from the blog post. As you can imagine there are some unhappy customers commenting over at MSDN:
Update on the Black Friday cashback outage
Posted Friday, December 05, 2008 5:01 PM by livesearch
We want to apologize again for the outage on Friday and the inconvenience it has caused. We deeply regret that many users were unable to access the Live Search cashback service.
We’ve been working diligently to correct the issues. We’ve been in constant communication with the customer support team about those orders that were incorrectly processed, and we have now reached out to all affected customers whose email addresses and purchase details we have on file. These customers should see the correct cashback amount reflected in their accounts by the end of the weekend.
There have been lots of questions on whether the 40% off HP promotion on Black Friday will be restarted. While we were hoping to be able to do that, we are sorry to report that it will not be restarted.
If there are any remaining customers whose cashback purchases haven’t yet been acknowledged via email, whether from HP or any other merchant, we invite them to contact us at cashbk@microsoft.com with their order number and email address. We are committed to responding to all remaining inquiries within 48 hours and to ensuring the appropriate cashback amounts are credited for all eligible purchases.
Wishing you a stress-free remainder of your holiday shopping season,
Rajat Taneja, General Manager, Worldwide Commercial Search
Category: News
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Another frustrating aspect of this blog post is his claim that:
“we have now reached out to all affected customers whose email addresses and purchase details we have on file”
This is completely untrue. I followed instructions for making a Cashback purchase through HP’s store that day and I have not heard from Microsoft since. I have emailed them three times and not had one response. I purchased this laptop as a gift and now I may need to find an affordable replacement before Christmas. He really had the nerve to type out the words:
“Wishing you a stress-free remainder of your holiday shopping season,”?!?
c- can you please tell me if you received the 3% cash back or went through the CAPTCHA/Word verification screen? I’ll try to help you if I can.
Another frustrating aspect of this blog post is his claim that:
“we have now reached out to all affected customers whose email addresses and purchase details we have on file”
This is completely untrue. I followed instructions for making a Cashback purchase through HP’s store that day and I have not heard from Microsoft since. I have emailed them three times and not had one response. I purchased this laptop as a gift and now I may need to find an affordable replacement before Christmas. He really had the nerve to type out the words:
“Wishing you a stress-free remainder of your holiday shopping season,”?!?
c- can you please tell me if you received the 3% cash back or went through the CAPTCHA/Word verification screen? I’ll try to help you if I can.
Xavier, if you really want to be of service to your readers you should advise them to abandon Microsoft and go buy a Mac.
I like Macs, and think they’re great for a lot of users, but I don’t think that’s the answer for a lot of people. Like it or not, Microsoft Windows is the largest PC platform in the world by a wide margin and you can get a better value from PCs (at leat hardware-wise).
I completely understand your sentiment though and it’s actions like this debacle that create ill-will towards Microsoft.
I’ve been a PC user for 20 years, but on Wednesday I canceled my HP order and ordered a Macbook Pro. I’m tired of inferior software and poor customer service. When people stop rewarding MS for mediocrity (at best) maybe MS will be forced to start doing things right.
I completely understand. For a lot of people this will be the straw that makes them go Mac….
Xavier, if you really want to be of service to your readers you should advise them to abandon Microsoft and go buy a Mac.
I like Macs, and think they’re great for a lot of users, but I don’t think that’s the answer for a lot of people. Like it or not, Microsoft Windows is the largest PC platform in the world by a wide margin and you can get a better value from PCs (at leat hardware-wise).
I completely understand your sentiment though and it’s actions like this debacle that create ill-will towards Microsoft.
I’ve been a PC user for 20 years, but on Wednesday I canceled my HP order and ordered a Macbook Pro. I’m tired of inferior software and poor customer service. When people stop rewarding MS for mediocrity (at best) maybe MS will be forced to start doing things right.
I completely understand. For a lot of people this will be the straw that makes them go Mac….
Xavier, thanks for your reply. No, I never received 3% or any change in my Cashback account. I did go through the captcha screen and the url indicated MSNCashbackDirect, etc., but I am afraid I do not have a screenshot of that as it was only a few minutes before 7p Pacific when I got in and I was rushing to complete the order in case going longer negated the offer. Thanks for posting follow-ups on this story. This is a gift for my sister from my mom, dad, and I, so we all really hope it works out! ; )
c- can you elaborate on your story? How long did you spend trying to get in? What did you actually buy? I’ll try to help if I can.
Xavier, thanks for your reply. No, I never received 3% or any change in my Cashback account. I did go through the captcha screen and the url indicated MSNCashbackDirect, etc., but I am afraid I do not have a screenshot of that as it was only a few minutes before 7p Pacific when I got in and I was rushing to complete the order in case going longer negated the offer. Thanks for posting follow-ups on this story. This is a gift for my sister from my mom, dad, and I, so we all really hope it works out! ; )
c- can you elaborate on your story? How long did you spend trying to get in? What did you actually buy? I’ll try to help if I can.
I bought a dv5t and a Deskjet 6988 printer. I first noticed the offer on notebooks.com at about 1p-2p PST and tried to access the site from then until I was able to get in at about 6:50p. I still have the order confirmation page up and it says it was completed at 6:54PST. I followed comments on your site and on another forum, so I was really careful not to inadvertently hit the option to go directly to the store from the little captcha screen and I made sure the URL indicated MSN/Cashback, etc. so I feel confident I did everything correctly. Thanks again!
c- could you please email me your order #, name and phone number? I’m going to see if I can call HP on your behalf.
My email address is Xavier(at) Notebooks.com
I bought a dv5t and a Deskjet 6988 printer. I first noticed the offer on notebooks.com at about 1p-2p PST and tried to access the site from then until I was able to get in at about 6:50p. I still have the order confirmation page up and it says it was completed at 6:54PST. I followed comments on your site and on another forum, so I was really careful not to inadvertently hit the option to go directly to the store from the little captcha screen and I made sure the URL indicated MSN/Cashback, etc. so I feel confident I did everything correctly. Thanks again!
c- could you please email me your order #, name and phone number? I’m going to see if I can call HP on your behalf.
My email address is Xavier(at) Notebooks.com
Xavier, any luck with getting to the bottom of this with Microsoft? I hope they make things right and either rerun the promotion (preferable) and offer those who got stuck/couldn’t click thru trying to get complete the transaction a coupon or discount code.
nope- Microsoft is releasing very limited info and the only official word is what’s on the blog post. I’d bet my life that the re-run won’t happen this holiday season. Other promos /discounts via HP might happen though.
Xavier, any luck with getting to the bottom of this with Microsoft? I hope they make things right and either rerun the promotion (preferable) and offer those who got stuck/couldn’t click thru trying to get complete the transaction a coupon or discount code.
nope- Microsoft is releasing very limited info and the only official word is what’s on the blog post. I’d bet my life that the re-run won’t happen this holiday season. Other promos /discounts via HP might happen though.
That’s one seriously inefficient system they have at HP. I called on Wednesday morning to cancel my order. Got an e-mail late last night that it had been shipped from Shanghai. Called them this morning and they issued a return authorization # and are e-mailing me a label. So rather than just canceling the order, they are going to pay to ship a laptop from China to PA and then back to wherever returns go. How ridiculous is that?
That’s one seriously inefficient system they have at HP. I called on Wednesday morning to cancel my order. Got an e-mail late last night that it had been shipped from Shanghai. Called them this morning and they issued a return authorization # and are e-mailing me a label. So rather than just canceling the order, they are going to pay to ship a laptop from China to PA and then back to wherever returns go. How ridiculous is that?
Looks like the snafu continues. Kinda hard to believe that they have contacted everyone as the blog says when many have not been. I spent hours on 11/28 and finally got in at 6:30 pacific and completed my order by 6:50. No cashback email or reply to my email sent to MS on 12/2 except for the generic canned response. Called HP and they asked me to wait a while longer and that if things did not work out they would gladly accept the return. At least I can say the HP merits a plus for their return policy and being able to actually reach someone. Please keep us up on how resolutions are going.
Looks like the snafu continues. Kinda hard to believe that they have contacted everyone as the blog says when many have not been. I spent hours on 11/28 and finally got in at 6:30 pacific and completed my order by 6:50. No cashback email or reply to my email sent to MS on 12/2 except for the generic canned response. Called HP and they asked me to wait a while longer and that if things did not work out they would gladly accept the return. At least I can say the HP merits a plus for their return policy and being able to actually reach someone. Please keep us up on how resolutions are going.
I am confused by their statement that they have “reached out to all affected customers whose e-mail addresses and purchase details you have on file.” Is the following automoated letter I received below what they mean by reaching out?
Hello,
Thank you for contacting Live Search cashback Customer Support. We have received your service request.
We want to assure you that your issue is very important to us. Our agents respond to all service requests in the order in which they are received. We appreciate your patience. Please note that submitting another ticket on the same issue will not expedite service.
You should receive an e-mail from a Customer Support agent within 3-5 business days. In the meantime, please review our FAQ’s here
Thank you for your patience.
The Live Search cashback Customer Support Team
* Please note this is an unmonitored mailbox
OR Is this letter from Microsoft that I received this morning what they mean by the term “reaching out”?
We apologize that we have not responded to you regarding the ticket that you opened with us. We are diligently working to reach everyone as quickly as possible.
Please bear in mind that we work on the oldest issues first. Therefore, opening a new ticket about an existing issue will not expedite the process. Your original ticket should be your only point of contact. We appreciate your continued patience while we work through these issues.
Thank you,
Ellen L
I would like some clarification on this “reaching out” issue because neither of these letters tells me that my order will be processed correctly and I will recieve the 40% Cashback from Microsoft. That is what I really want to know. Especially since my computer shipped this morning from HP. How hard is it to tell us that? Microsoft hasn’t reached out to me because I still don’t know anything.
Ellen, I understand your frustration. I suggest that you wait a bit longer. I received my Cash Back (40%) on Thiursday and there are a loto of people who’ve yet to receive a proper response.
HP does have an excellent return policy, so worst case scenario is that you’ll have to return your order. Still a crummy deal…..
I am confused by their statement that they have “reached out to all affected customers whose e-mail addresses and purchase details you have on file.” Is the following automoated letter I received below what they mean by reaching out?
Hello,
Thank you for contacting Live Search cashback Customer Support. We have received your service request.
We want to assure you that your issue is very important to us. Our agents respond to all service requests in the order in which they are received. We appreciate your patience. Please note that submitting another ticket on the same issue will not expedite service.
You should receive an e-mail from a Customer Support agent within 3-5 business days. In the meantime, please review our FAQ’s here
Thank you for your patience.
The Live Search cashback Customer Support Team
* Please note this is an unmonitored mailbox
OR Is this letter from Microsoft that I received this morning what they mean by the term “reaching out”?
We apologize that we have not responded to you regarding the ticket that you opened with us. We are diligently working to reach everyone as quickly as possible.
Please bear in mind that we work on the oldest issues first. Therefore, opening a new ticket about an existing issue will not expedite the process. Your original ticket should be your only point of contact. We appreciate your continued patience while we work through these issues.
Thank you,
Ellen L
I would like some clarification on this “reaching out” issue because neither of these letters tells me that my order will be processed correctly and I will recieve the 40% Cashback from Microsoft. That is what I really want to know. Especially since my computer shipped this morning from HP. How hard is it to tell us that? Microsoft hasn’t reached out to me because I still don’t know anything.
Ellen, I understand your frustration. I suggest that you wait a bit longer. I received my Cash Back (40%) on Thiursday and there are a loto of people who’ve yet to receive a proper response.
HP does have an excellent return policy, so worst case scenario is that you’ll have to return your order. Still a crummy deal…..
I just wanted to post again with an update. I was emailed last night by MS. I recieved my 40% cashback confirmation and it is showing in my cashback listing at Live. MS did come through so if you are waiting, hang in there.
I just wanted to post again with an update. I was emailed last night by MS. I recieved my 40% cashback confirmation and it is showing in my cashback listing at Live. MS did come through so if you are waiting, hang in there.
Hi all- just wondering whether anyone’s actually been paid the cashback yet or is it still ‘pending’ on the cashback at Live?
Thanks
Tara
It’s pending for me. You have to wait 60 days to withdraw it.
Hi all- just wondering whether anyone’s actually been paid the cashback yet or is it still ‘pending’ on the cashback at Live?
Thanks
Tara
It’s pending for me. You have to wait 60 days to withdraw it.
Thought so. Thank you!
Thought so. Thank you!
I finally received the 40% cashback pending in my cashback account. I sent a 3rd email yesterday to the cashbk(at)microsoft.com address and this morning I had an email from one of their employees saying I received the rebate and sure enough, it is now showing in my cashback account. I am not sure if my 3rd email spurred them to take action of if I was simply in queue waiting to be helped, but either way I am very happy to have this resolved. This morning’s reply and subsequent cashback rebate were the first time I received any feedback from Microsoft (except for the canned automated reply). Prior to today I never had 3% or any other amount pending in my cashback account. Now I don’t have to return the HP items I purchased as a Christmas gift for my wife. This has left a bittersweat taste in my mouth about the live.com cashback program, but I can’t say I wouldn’t use this service again should such a sweet deal come around again (40% off your HP order is hard to turn down). For those still waiting, hang in there, you have until after Christmas to return your laptops, and if you can I suggest waiting a while longer before sending back your hardware (assuming you really want the hardware and aren’t itching to stick it to HP by returning your purchases).
I finally received the 40% cashback pending in my cashback account. I sent a 3rd email yesterday to the cashbk(at)microsoft.com address and this morning I had an email from one of their employees saying I received the rebate and sure enough, it is now showing in my cashback account. I am not sure if my 3rd email spurred them to take action of if I was simply in queue waiting to be helped, but either way I am very happy to have this resolved. This morning’s reply and subsequent cashback rebate were the first time I received any feedback from Microsoft (except for the canned automated reply). Prior to today I never had 3% or any other amount pending in my cashback account. Now I don’t have to return the HP items I purchased as a Christmas gift for my wife. This has left a bittersweat taste in my mouth about the live.com cashback program, but I can’t say I wouldn’t use this service again should such a sweet deal come around again (40% off your HP order is hard to turn down). For those still waiting, hang in there, you have until after Christmas to return your laptops, and if you can I suggest waiting a while longer before sending back your hardware (assuming you really want the hardware and aren’t itching to stick it to HP by returning your purchases).
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