[Nottingham] Reclaimng MS Tax on a new computer

[Jim Moore]

This gets sticky. What Asus will tell you is that the OEM version of 
Windows XP Home is worth about £6 to them; this is how much you can 
expect back off them should they choose not to instead insist that you 
return the unit to the retailer for an exchange for a Linux box or a 
refund (they are under no obligation to accept the COA in lieu of 
credit). If you instead go Microsoft, what they'll tell you is that to 
qualify for a refund (of the same amount if not less) you have to send 
them not only the COA, also the original purchase receipt for the unit. 
This has the unfortunate side effect of leaving you for up to nine weeks 
with NO comeback should you need to return the unit for warranty repair 
(as most places require the receipt before they'll honour a warranty).

A retail version of Windows XP Home is worth about £45 from a 
distributor. Microsoft will instruct you to return this in sealed 
condition to the retailer, who is under no obligation to accept the 
software for refund.

The upshot of all this is, Microsoft have already taken their cut of the 
sale before you even clapped eyes on the unit, and it would cost 
/everybody/ more than the license is /actually/ worth to process a 
refund. The test cases were only good for the lawyers who represented 
the class actions.

Simon Sleaford wrote:
> Has anybody done this before successfully? I've recently bought an 
> Asus EEE PC that was pre-loaded with Windows with the intention of 
> rejecting the EULA and writing to Asus quoting the terms saying that 
> it could be returned for a refund. Although it would probably be a 
> very long winded process, legal precedent has been set some time ago 
> and people are successfully doing this. I was just wondering if 
> anybody could give me a pointer or two if they have done this 
> themselves in the past.
>  
> The EEE PC is now running CrunchBang (Cruncheee edition) is works very 
> well in case anybody is interested.
>  
>  
> Simon
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