🚀 go-pugleaf

on Sat, 10 Apr 2010 05:47 am
in the Usenet newsgroup aus.computers.linux
Benji Z-Man wrote:

> On 02/01/10 22:36, Peter D. wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> A few years ago there was a fuss about getting a refund for an
>> an unwanted operating system that was bundles with a PC.
>>
>> What was the outcome of that?  What is the correct procedure
>> if you live in Australia?  How much can you get back, from
>> whom?
> 
> Step 1) Don't buy premade systems from the factory 
> (acer/gateway/dell/hp/nec/etc) if you can avoid it. Computer retailers 
> and repair premises will almost always produce better-quality machines 
> from the parts they put together, plus it's nice to be able to have your 
> own preferences assembled. One of those things is the choice of getting 
> Windows or not. Just be careful to screen your retailers for idiots and 
> ripoff merchants - though it's easier to do than for corporate 
> manufacturers.
> 
> Step 2) If you must purchase a premade factory system, talk to the 
> retailer selling them, and see if you can have windows removed from the 
> bundle. If not, shop around.
> 
> Step 3) If no-one within reasonable range is available to do it, or if 
> you have already purchased the system then call the manufacturer to ask 
> for their appropriate sales department. As advised elsewhere, be 
> prepared to be put on hold plenty, and to get plenty of people who don't 
> know where to send you. Keep in mind "then who should I speak to" is the 
> mainstay of phone-sales-rep-hell-survival.
> 
> Step 4) If you're lucky, you've been put through to a supervisor or 
> manager who can offer you a refund. If you're unlucky, the supervisor or 
> manager will try to tell you that you cannot return a product to them 
> (illegal in Australia under retail laws; NGID here, use austlii if you 
> need to research this). If you're real unlucky, you'll get one of their 
> legal team who will then proceed to try to convince you that the EULA is 
> watertight, that they do not need to reimburse you your purchase price 
> because they have done nothing wrong and have not supplied you with a 
> faulty product, and that they do not need to reimburse you for varying 
> other different reasons.
> 
> ^ I got them first go >_< Spent the next four hours in a debate with 
> them, while rapidly browsing through austlii to figure out wtf he was 
> saying. In the end, he was beaten into a reluctant agreement with me, 
> and then I was passed to a supervisor for refund.
> 
> Step 5) Hope that they send you the damn refund as opposed to trying to 
> be idiots.
> 
> ===
> 
> NB: This is my own experience, from seeking a refund for a redundant 
> copy of Windows that came with an Acer I had the misfortune to get hold 
> of. Ironically it went very similar when seeking a replacement CD-Key 
> for my old Windows 98 that got waterdamaged. Apparently I was trying to 
> get a CD-Key for a pirated '98 - despite having proof of purchase, and 
> despite that it was in 2007 that I wanted to get the CD-Key replaced. If 
> I was going to try to be a smartassed pirate, wouldn't I want to call in 
> about a more up-to-date OS?
> 
> Anyway, this just out there to show that there's more than what is on 
> the tuxmobil.org site for refunds out there.

Thanks.  

I was specifically looking for a small form factor computer for a 
TV tuner / personal digital video recorder - which tends to lead 
to the prepackaged machines.  

What does NGID mean?  

-- 
Peter D.  
Sig goes here...