When Dave bought a monitor from OfficeMax he opted for the MaxAssurance insurance plan. His bet that the monitor would break paid off, but he’s been unable to cash out because OfficeMax keeps sending him gift cards that won’t work. He writes:

A few years back I bought a Soyo 24″ LCD monitor from OfficeMax after reading the stellar reviews it was getting — it was a quality panel at a very affordable price. Well the first one I received had problems so I had to take it back to get another monitor. This one too was plagued with problems. I should have probably known better right then and just kept my money but I decided to try a third time and finally I got a perfect monitor. I got the MaxAssurance Insurance plan on the monitor with hopes that I’d never need to use it…

…fast forward a few years and the monitor started having major problems. Vertical lines and a flicker that was more-or-less constant. I contacted MaxAssurance who promptly sent me a label to return the monitor with. Since OfficeMax couldn’t fix the monitor or because they didn’t carry the specific model anymore, they refunded my full purchase amount ($319.93) in the form of a MaxAssurance card which works like an OfficeMax gift card. I was surprised with how fast all of this happened and was quite pleased…

…until I actually tried to redeem the card for actual merchandise.

I’ve had this gift card for over six months now. Or should I say multiple gift cards from OfficeMax for over six months now. Let me explain.

After I received the card I looked on their website and didn’t see a monitor that could replace my 24″ screen so I found something else to buy with it. I purchased a laptop using the MaxAssurance gift card. About a week later I get an e-mail saying that the laptop isn’t available for purchase anymore. Hmmm, that’s strange. No biggie I thought, stuff happens, so I called up OfficeMax who then issued me a new gift card. I asked if they could refund to the MaxAssurance card to which they told me no, that they’d have to issue a new gift card.

TWO WEEKS LATER, I get a new OfficeMax gift card in the mail. I check the amount on it and see that it’s the right amount. I keep it on my desk a while until I see something that catches my eye on OfficeMax.com – a computer this time. I go through the checkout process and purchase the computer (which was IN STOCK, like the laptop was). I get no e-mail from OfficeMax this time so I figure it went through and I’d be getting in the computer in a few weeks. A week later, I still have not heard anything so I login to my OM account and check my orders.

This time, it says that the computer has been “discontinued” and that it would not be shipped out. Gee, thanks OfficeMax for letting me know. I check the Gift Card balance — which was $0.00 — and immediately called up OM and talked about the situation. Once again they couldn’t refund the money to the card and said that I’d have to wait for a new card to be re-issued to me.

TWO WEEKS LATER, I get yet another OfficeMax gift card in the mail. About a month goes by before I see anything else that interests me. This time it’s a computer again.

Any guesses what happened?

Is it:

A.) The order went through and I’m typing on the new computer right now!

B.) OfficeMax gave me TWO computers instead of one!

C.) The computer is DISCONTINUED and OfficeMax didn’t alert me via e-mail and now I’ll likely spend another two weeks waiting for another gift card to arrive so that I can play the OfficeMax LOTTERY yet again!

If you said anything BUT C.) may the Flying Spaghetti Monster have mercy on your soul.

OfficeMax.. if you are reading this.. PLEASE LET ME USE MY GIFT CARD!

As if you needed yet another reason not to purchase extended warranty and insurance plans with electronics purchases.

Does anyone have some advice for Dave to get OfficeMax to pay up?

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