Is this just my own mistake or has OfficeMax screwed up? Here's what happened.
Last Friday I received an email promotion from OM inviting me to preview their new website. As an inducement, there was a $25 off $100 coupon code good only for Saturday. One of the specials listed on the website was the SimpleTech 160 GB USB drive for $79.99. I went through the item description and was certain that it was the portable harddrive (spiffy red USB case containing 2.5" notebook drive, 5400RPM) that usually goes for $30-$40 more so I ordered one along with an SD memory card to reach $100 to use the coupon.
The package arrived yesterday and to my surprise and disappointment, I received the SimpleTech 160 GB USB External drive which is much larger containing a standard 3.5" 7200RPM drive, certainly not portable and also no deal at all.
When I went online, I could no longer access the URL included within last Friday's email. I then went to OM's regular website and found only SimpleTech 160GB drive portable drive. The larger 160GB "external" was not even listed. As I read the invoice closely, I noticed that the item numbers were the same except for the last two digits, one ended with an "01" and the other was "10".
I then called up OM customer service and explain the situation. They said that the error was on my part and that the item number on the invoice matched what I had received which would have been pulled from the website. I told them that the item number may match what they sent but did not match the description of what had been listed on their website. I was certain that what was listed the portable drive, regardless of what the item number may have been. My belief is that OM screwed up but can't prove it because I can't access the information the webpages (they couldn't pull it up either). They would not exchange for the portable drive so I am returning everything, including the SD memory.
Did anyone else receive this offer and go out to the trial website? Did anyone else see the SimpleTech deal and confirm one or the other if it was the portable or the larger "external" drive listed?
Hot Deals is not the place for this.
I will put in the brag and moan category.
esquared
Anandtech Senior Moderator