What You Need to Know about the $99 HP TouchPad

HP's fire-sale on the TouchPad tablet computer has exhausted inventories for good in Canada, while the U.S. is still waiting for the next shipments, but the company said on Monday consumers shouldn't hold their breaths.

An HP spokesperson said on Monday that there should be no expectation for more TouchPads, at least today.

Don't rush, said Mark Budgell, no availability today. Budgell also posted up a note in his official HP blog answering various questions with regards to the sale and inventories.

The company is ramping up production to get more TouchPads out, but here is what we know so far:

Q: When is HP getting more HP TouchPads? One week, two weeks, a month?

We will have more information available in the next few days about whether or not more will be available and if so, what the details will be about the situation.

Q: Will the notification/alert emails go out all at once so everyone has a fair shot?

All emails to those who signed up will be sent at the same time.

Q: What about retailers? Some retailers won't price match or drop their price to $99.

Each retailer will manage their own policy and process regarding pricing and price matching. Please contact the local retailer of your choice to see what their current position is.

Q: Please limit stock to 1 per person: some people are getting 20 and then selling them on craigslist and eBay for a major profit.

If more inventory is available in the future, there will be an order limit.

Q: What if you already own a TouchPad but want to get $99 pricing?

Please contact the retailer or the specific HP store where you originally purchased for their policy on this question.

Q: What about other regions, such as hp.ca, etc.?

At this time, other regions have limited to no inventory available. Please check with your chosen retailer or your local hp.com web site for more information.

Q: Any news on discounted TouchPad accessories or Pre2 or Veer phones or accessories?

Limited inventory remains on TouchPad and smartphone accessories. Please visit HP Home & Home Office or your chosen retailer for current availability as this situation is changing rapidly.

Online orders from HP Home & Home Office & Small Business stores...

Q: What does 'your order has been captured' mean?

If you received this message when placing an order, it means the order itself was captured. Because of the fast pace of orders being received, that order may not have been fulfilled once processed. If it was not you should have received a cancelation notice.

Q: The website had issues, so I couldn't place an order. Can I still order a TouchPad?

More information will be available in the next few days about whether HP's Home & Home Office Store will have more units available in the future or not. HP's Small and Medium Business team has sold out of HP TouchPads.

Q: I ordered from the HP SMB Store during the promotion but the discounted price was not reflected in my cart/order confirmation page/invoice. Is HP honoring the discount price?

Yes, some of our SMB customers may have experienced a pricing error while purchasing on August 20th and 21st. We are in the process of ensuring every order is honored at the discounted price. Most orders are being manually updated to reflect accurate pricing, prior to invoicing being sent. However, for those orders that have already shipped and invoiced, a credit will be applied for the difference and a revised invoice sent.

Q: Does my TouchPad order qualify for free shipping?

No other discounts or promotions can be applied to the TouchPad promotion. However, because a Free Shipping offer was on the website for a portion of the promotional period and some customers received Free Shipping as a result, we are waiving ground shipping charges for all customers who ordered the TouchPad after the reduced promotional pricing was announced on Saturday August 20. Ground shipping charges are being manually removed from all orders that had ground shipping. However, for those orders that have already shipped and invoiced, a credit will be applied for the standard ground freight charges and a revised invoice sent.

Regretfully, expedited shipping is not available on the TouchPad promotion orders. If you requested and were charged for expedited shipping, you will receive a credit for those charges. If your order has already shipped and invoiced, a credit will be applied and a revised invoice sent.

Q: Can I use an eCoupon or HP corporate discount to my TouchPad order?

No other discounts or promotions can be applied with the TouchPad promotion.

Q: What if your order status says approved but you haven't received an email yet?

You should have received either an email confirming your order, or an email canceling your order if we were unable to fulfill it. If you received no follow-up emails after placing your order online, please contact us at www.hpdirect.com/shop/liveassistance

Q: I placed my order online with HP's Home & Home Office Store. How can I check the status of my order from HP?

For Home & Home Office customers you can check your order status here. Once you follow the steps to either enter order number and phone number or sign into the site, you will be shown your order status:

• If it shows Shipped, then your order has already shipped.
• If it shows Item being processed, then your order is in queue to be shipped and all shipments should be complete by Wednesday August 24, 2011.
• If it shows Order Pending, then your order is in review and we ask you to please check your order status again the next business day.
• For all other order statuses, please contact our call center at 1-888-476-3988.

Q: I placed my order online with HP's SMB Store. How do I confirm that it was received?

For orders placed after 4am CT on Monday 22nd August, US SMB had already sold out of HP TouchPad. We are unable to fulfill these orders and they have been cancelled. If you saw a reserve hold for the amount of your order on your credit card, no actual charges have been made and this reserve hold will be released now that the order has been cancelled.

If you placed an order prior to 4am CT Monday, August 22, we are working through the large volume of orders, verifying payment details and seeking to source inventory for fulfillment. This process is taking longer than first anticipated. At this time, we cannot guarantee supply to all these orders but are working to supply as many orders as possible. If you saw a reserve hold for the amount of your order on your credit card and your order cannot be fulfilled, no actual charges have been made, and this reserve hold will be released if the order is cancelled.

You can check your order status here. If your order is not recognized, please check your order status again the next business day. When inventory has been allocated the status will change to shipped. Please note that planned ship and delivery dates on the order status page are not accurate for TouchPad orders. You can only be certain that we have identified a unit to fulfill your order once the order status shows a shipment tracking number.

Q: Why was my order canceled from HP Home & Home Office Store?

Because of the fast pace of order volume over the weekend, some customers placed orders which we were unable to fulfill. Those customers received cancelation emails informing them that we were unable to fulfill their order and that their credit would appear on their bank statements within 3-5 business days. If you have not received an email notification and are still uncertain, please visit www.hpdirect.com/shop/liveassistance for more details.

Q: Why was my order canceled from HP Small & Medium Business Store?

If you placed an order for a HP TouchPad on Monday, August 22^nd - Wednesday, August 24th this was after a Sold Out message was posted on our webstore. All of these orders are being cancelled. If you saw a reserve hold for the amount of your order on your credit card, no actual charges have been made and this reserve hold will be released as soon as the order is canceled.

There are several reasons that your order would have been canceled if you placed it on Saturday, August 20^th or Sunday, August 21^st, such as a duplicate order found or billing issues on the account. If you believe your order was canceled in error, please contact an HP Customer Service Representative at 1-866-625-0242 (Dial option #3) or via Email Customer Service option who will be happy to assist you. Please be aware that we are experiencing significant call volumes with extended wait times, so we ask for your patience.

Q: Can I return my HP TouchPad?

No. Any HP TouchPad purchased at the price promotion of $99 and $149 is not eligible for a return.

If you are having technical difficulties with your product or it was damaged during deliver, please contact HP Technical Support at 1-800-474-6836.

Q: What is the process for withdrawing my cancel request?

Unfortunately, if you requested to have your TouchPad order canceled, it is already in process and cannot be stopped. We are not able to reprocess the order due to lack of TouchPad inventory.