Buying a computer on a tax free weekend

In the state of Georgia every year we have a sales tax holiday to help with school supply buying. It's a great weekend to buy computers (under $1500) because there is no sales tax. I really needed another laptop, so on Sunday evening, the last day of the tax holiday, I went to Dell's website to purchase a computer.

I finished the purchase and noticed that I was charged $46.72 in sales tax. I called Dell and got someone in India named Nirmal. I explained to her that I had bought a computer on a sales tax holiday and should not have been charged the sales tax.

"Oh," she said, "I see the holiday. Yes, you are right, you should not have been charged tax." She said she would follow the case and assigned me a number. Goodness, I wish they could have simply refunded the tax, but she explained that the business office was not open.

On August 11, my new computer shipped but the web page at Dell still showed an invoice that included sales tax. I got online customer help and was informed that I would have to call the tax department during business hours the next day.

I followed directions and the next day spoke to the tax department who cheerfully refunded the $46.72 which was finally credited back to my account on August 15.

I was assertive and respectful throughout these transactions, but I still feel frustrated that it took until August 15 (two weeks after the purchase) to clear this up and get my refund.