The 'free' Windows 7 upgrade from HP...

[CarysW]

Does anyone know if there is a way of paying the £22 'administration and P&P' charge without having a credit card? I've been excitidly waiting for payday so I could order my upgrade and now I've been hit with this! Argh! I'm really unhappy...I feel I've been totally mis-sold a laptop with 'free' Windows 7 upgrade.

Has anyone else had these problems?

 

[Fifty2One]

If your pc meets eligibility requirements then you can go back to point of purchase and request they have it rectified and pay them the £22. Any reputable vendor will do this for you. Any sketchy dealer will also do it for you if you are loud about it and they feel you will cost them some business by diplomatic grandstanding... any deep deep deep discount back of a van outlet will just laugh at you.
I have similar challenges from time to time as I do not use electronic money to place me into unnecessary debt. I also decided to not downgrade to a Vista run PC because if I want to buy a MAC I will just get a MAC and not a wanna-be... which is why I got PC because I did not want a MAC that wished its apps were as open as PC programs.

 

[CarysW]

If your pc meets eligibility requirements then you can go back to point of purchase and request they have it rectified and pay them the £22. Any reputable vendor will do this for you. Any sketchy dealer will also do it for you if you are loud about it and they feel you will cost them some business by diplomatic grandstanding... any deep deep deep discount back of a van outlet will just laugh at you.
.

Hmm...interesting concept. I bought it from Staples....I will give them a call and see what they can do for me.

Thanks

 

[namliam]

Hmm...interesting concept. I bought it from Staples....I will give them a call and see what they can do for me.

Thanks

Tey will just charge you 44 to pay back the 22...

Seriously some business's in the NL actually have free upgrades, provided you pick it up at the shop you bought the computer. Which is OK-ish I guess...

But charging people to have their free upgraded shipped to them?? That is just nonsense... Free is free...

Oh I will give you a free car, but you have to buy the tires from me which I will have gold plated and platinum sided for you at only $ 1.000.000 each

 

[chergh]

If you already have a product key for windows 7 you could download the disk image via bittorent or similar and burn it to a dvd and then install. I'm not sure if this would be strictly legal but if you have legally obtained a product key then I can't see it really be a problem.

 

[namliam]

If you already have a product key for windows 7 you could download the disk image via bittorent or similar and burn it to a dvd and then install. I'm not sure if this would be strictly legal but if you have legally obtained a product key then I can't see it really be a problem.

In the NL we have "legaly obtained" a windows 7 key but it turns out to be an OEM key, which is deemed to be ILEGAL by M$ to be sold when not installed on a harddrive ...

 

[CarysW]

If you already have a product key for windows 7 you could download the disk image via bittorent or similar and burn it to a dvd and then install. I'm not sure if this would be strictly legal but if you have legally obtained a product key then I can't see it really be a problem.

Nope, don't have one. The 'free' upgrade contains the software and the license.

 

[CarysW]

Tey will just charge you 44 to pay back the 22...

Seriously some business's in the NL actually have free upgrades, provided you pick it up at the shop you bought the computer. Which is OK-ish I guess...

But charging people to have their free upgraded shipped to them?? That is just nonsense... Free is free...

True but it's still cheaper than buying it normally and better tahn staying with Vista!

 

[Rich]

Threaten Staples with a complaint to the local trading standards office, if that fails then proceed with the complaint to them

 

[CarysW]

Threaten Staples with a complaint to the local trading standards office, if that fails then proceed with the complaint to them

I'm already in the process of complaining to Staples after being mis-sold the 'Student Pack' with 50 'free' music downloads....you needed a credit card to activate the 'free' downloads which was then subsequently charged £25! The download company, emusic, of course have a 'no refunds' policy!

 

[Amar1]

If you have already called Staples, i would be grateful if you could let me know what the response was? I didn't realise i had to pay £22 for p&p either..

Thankyou!

 

[Fifty2One]

If you are already having problems with the product you purchased from Staples I would suggest you go to the outlet you got your PC from and have a nice sit down with the manager. Bring the bill for £25 for the Student Pack and ask if he would do the £22 upgrade for free and call it even.
If the manager is uncooperative then ask if he would perhaps want to either discuss it on the floor in front of potential customers. Or have a written copy of that proposal and ask him to put his rejection in writing on the back of the document, sign and date it...

I'm already in the process of complaining to Staples after being mis-sold the 'Student Pack' with 50 'free' music downloads....you needed a credit card to activate the 'free' downloads which was then subsequently charged £25! The download company, emusic, of course have a 'no refunds' policy!

 

[uie87]

been on mac os for 9 months and love it - i do have 2 pc's sitting around waiting on upgrades, or i can buy another mac (for the wife). I think i'm gonna wait until a service pack comes out. not sure yet.

 

[Fifty2One]

I am sure if you got a better job then just spamming you could afford to upgrade your PCs. Reported your signature by the way

been on mac os for 9 months and love it - i do have 2 pc's sitting around waiting on upgrades, or i can buy another mac (for the wife). I think i'm gonna wait until a service pack comes out. not sure yet.

 

[Minkey]

In the NL we have "legaly obtained" a windows 7 key but it turns out to be an OEM key, which is deemed to be ILEGAL by M$ to be sold when not installed on a harddrive ...

Just to clarify on OEM licence - it is designed to be a copy which is installed by the manufacture and 'sold' as part of a hardware purchase. You actually can buy a £5 mouse and an OEM copy perfectly legit.

OEM licence can not be transferred to another PC - however if you upgrade you can use it but crucially if you change the motherboard you are supposed to buy a new licence as this is deemed to be new PC. However I've done this in the past, reinstalled and reactivated without any issues.

On Windows 7 watch out because the OEM version is either 32 or 64 bit however the retail version has both - if you plan to upgrade to 64 bit later you might as well buy the retail version.

So in summary don't worry if you have an OEM version you can simply obtain a disk (even borrow someone else’s) and install using your OEM key that is perfectly legit.

 

[namliam]

Just to clarify on OEM licence - it is designed to be a copy which is installed by the manufacture and 'sold' as part of a hardware purchase. You actually can buy a £5 mouse and an OEM copy perfectly legit.

Not accoording to M$ (again hear say on the news) these OEMs were even sold as part of a whole package for self building a PC, incuding Grapics card, Mother board, memory, casing etc... Atleast mostly.
Some were sold with only Mother board + Drive or some other 'seemingly viable' combination.

M$ says it needs to be preinstalled on the computer, period.

OEM licence can not be transferred to another PC - however if you upgrade you can use it but crucially if you change the motherboard you are supposed to buy a new licence as this is deemed to be new PC. However I've done this in the past, reinstalled and reactivated without any issues.

This IMNSHO oppion is nonsense, I have bought 1 license of M$ Windows... Yes I cannot install this on 10 pcs at the same time. But if I scrap my pc or my motherboard blows out and I replace it or Buy extra memory + extra HD or new upgraded graphics... I shouldnt have to buy a new license.... total crapola nonsense... I bought one product that I am using once.

On Windows 7 watch out because the OEM version is either 32 or 64 bit however the retail version has both - if you plan to upgrade to 64 bit later you might as well buy the retail version.

Just another M$ money making pyramid scheme!!!

So in summary don't worry if you have an OEM version you can simply obtain a disk (even borrow someone else’s) and install using your OEM key that is perfectly legit.

Again, not accoording to M$

 

[Minkey]

Not accoording to M$ (again hear say on the news) these OEMs were even sold as part of a whole package for self building a PC, incuding Grapics card, Mother board, memory, casing etc... Atleast mostly.
Some were sold with only Mother board + Drive or some other 'seemingly viable' combination.

M$ says it needs to be preinstalled on the computer, period.

Your right as it is an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer - that wording itself is kind of wrong as technically all PC have different manufactures parts in it. It should be builder IMO) and is intended to be pre installed, apart form anything the manufacturer would need to make sure it works.

Now what if I buy al the parts I need to build a PC am I not a system builder (or OEM) ?

Again, not accoording to M$

Ok ok not perfectly legit as your not supposed to lend the software though you are paying for the software licence not the disk but there is no 'link' between the disk and your licence.

In reality MS are not going to care - each disk is identical, I've even heard stories of MS recommending this as a quick fix for an unreadable disk oh and this is a real face plant your allowed to make a copy and install Windows from that. WTF it would be identical to any other copy or original disk someone 'lent' you.

Oh just remembered you can even reinstall Windows if it was an OEM version without a disk depending on how the 'manufacturer' installed to OS (if there is a folder called i386 you should have everything you need) mad isn't it

 

[namliam]

Now what if I buy al the parts I need to build a PC am I not a system builder (or OEM) ?

Not accoording to M$, not that I share their view... Rather I share yours.

Ok ok not perfectly legit as your not supposed to lend the software though you are paying for the software licence not the disk but there is no 'link' between the disk and your licence.

The problem (again M$ problem not mine) seems to come from the fact that if (re)install it onto another machine/new harddrive etc.
Not the fact that your installing from a 'borrowed' cd

In reality MS are not going to care

M$ is fighting pretty hard for not caring

Oh just remembered you can even reinstall Windows if it was an OEM version without a disk depending on how the 'manufacturer' installed to OS (if there is a folder called i386 you should have everything you need) mad isn't it

That is the way a OEM is supposed to work, reinstall from a (part) pre-installed version.