Just in case you missed it last night — or haven't been anywhere near the Internet all morning — HP has slashed the price of the TouchPad down to $99 for the 16GB mode and $149 for the 32GB variant. This surprise fire sale has thrilled folks that have even a slight interest in the webOS slate since its debut, but the price cut has left many current TouchPad owners wondering what this all means for them. Thankfully we've got some good news, as HP is reportedly refunding the price difference to any customers that call in and request it. If you do plan on calling HP, know that you may want to clear your schedule for the afternoon as you'll likely be on hold for a while. HP has also informed its retail partners to issue refunds, so if you picked up your TouchPad from someone other than HP, go ahead and give that particular company a ring.

Also, a quick heads up for anyone planning on rushing out to your local Best Buy to try and snag a TouchPad to call your own: don't bother. Best Buy has yanked the tablet from its store shelves and is shipping all of its stock back to HP. If you've recently bought a TouchPad from Best Buy and wish to return it, the retailer has extended its traditional 14-day return window to 60 days for owners of the device.

There's been a lot of bad news in webOS Land over the past few days, but it's good to see HP trying to appease early adopters of the TouchPad by handing out refunds. As for those of you currently in the hunt for a $99 or $149 TouchPad, all I have to say is this: good luck. If you do manage to pick up a TouchPad on the cheap, or if you've gotten one in the past and managed to get the price difference from HP or another retailer, be sure to share with us below!

Via Engadget, webOSRoundup