HP TouchPad: HP and Best Buy to refund price differences for early buyers

In the HP TouchPad mess that was created when the company killed the tablet last week, early adopters were left in the cold. There weren't many of us if HP is to be believed, and the group was understandably upset when HP dropped the TouchPad pricing into the fire-sale bin. Those of you who did buy the TouchPad at full price or one of the reduced prices over the product's short life can rest easier. HP reportedly leaned on retailers to refund any differences in price that customers paid and the $99 clearance sale price currently offered.

HP was first to step up and offer a price match to any TouchPad customer who bought from the company's online store. Next Best Buy has stepped up and indicated through its community forum that price matching will be offered. Best Buy employees told me yesterday they were sending angry buyers away without honoring price matching, but that is supposed to change today. The retailer was already offering full refunds to TouchPad owners inside a 60 day purchase window, meaning all of them, but those wanting to keep the TouchPad with price matching refunds were turned away.

Note that the Best Buy information also indicates it will now sell TouchPads for the clearance sale prices of $99 and $149 for the 16GB and 32GB models respectively. The company was refusing to sell them as late as yesterday for the HP mandated prices.