I saw a really catchy advertisement the other day while reading a few of my favorite blogs. It was an HP ad for educators. They were offering discounts to public schools. I thought maybe I would email them since our printer has been a little sketchy lately, and it costs about the same to replace the printer as it does to replace all four ink cartridges twice. I wrote to them from their website and asked them if they offered the same discounts to homeschoolers as they do to public school educators.
Here was the reply:
” I have been advised that unfortunately we do not offer an educational discount to Home Schools.”
Translation: “NO”
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In their defense, I can understand why. How do you make sure the person is REALLY a homeschooler and not just scamming the system?
As it is, Microsoft has a HUGE problem with people not in school buying the educator version of software.
I know that a place called School Works asks to see proof of belonging to an ISP (California, you can’t homeschool) but then they give you the discount. Border’s also gives a discount, without proof. Maybe if we all call, write and lobby it will make a difference!
You can’t homeschool in California? Yikes!
I know a homeschooler in California. Actually, you can check out the HSLDA website to see that while it may be difficult and tedious to homeschool in California (compared to other states), it is still possible. You have to enroll in a satellite program or under a private school umbrella, and if you hire a private tutor, they must be certified to teach. They also allow you to enroll in independent study programs through the public schools… but then what’s the point, eh? I am glad I don’t live in California (although I’d love to visit). I couldn’t afford the houses there anyway. I knew a girl living in a trailer park there and she was forking out 1200$ a month for rent! She was homeschooling also.
myboaz’s ruth – I understand that they might have a hard time legitimizing everyone’s claims… but it would be nice if more big companies recognized the buying power of the homeschool community and accepted us on an equal scale with public and private schools. In a day and age when companies pander to the minority sexual-oriented groups, it is just really intollerant when they discriminate against homeschoolers by excluding us from discounts. I mean – if a company can sink money in to a gay parade, why not give homeschoolers a discount?? Of course, that isn’t to say that HP has done that (although who knows… maybe they have).
Hey nerdmom – good idea… but since we can find discounts through my husband’s work for computer hardware, I’ll probably just go that route.