Anyone ever appealed an annual evaluation? How did it go?

I've tried to because I felt like I deserved a higher evaluation. The irony is that I just felt underappreciated and didn't want more money and once my boss explained that part it sort of helped put it into perspective for me as not worth my time. You're specifically interested in the money though so you're situation is different.

My company I did this at used a score out of 5 and were very strict about it being a bell curve. They were also strict about comparing across the entire company. When I would explain how I succeeded compared to folks on the same level as me within my team my boss said it needed to be across the whole company so it didn't matter. Another annoying aspect is that my boss explained that HR forces them to give someone on their team a 2 (or maybe even a 1, I don't remember) which is such bullshit because HR is saying every team has to have a 2 but to get a 4 you have to be one of the best across the whole company. Surely the logical approach would be to have every team have a 2 and a 4 to give or rate 2 and 4 across the whole company. In their defense I suppose they only do that because HR doesn't get enough 2s for their bell curve then folks have to give them out (not that that absolves them).

I don't think there is anything wrong with it but I'd say to not be too optimistic.

A sad reality of corporate America (not sure if you're in America but it may be true in other places) is that the only way to really get a big increase is to get a new job at a new company. They rarely give raises that will adjust you to your market value. Especially when they aren't tied to promotions.