How to get a refund for a pre-installed Windows operating system

When buying a laptop, the user is practically not faced with the question of which operating system choose. The manufacturer decides everything for him. Is it possible to refuse the pre-installed OS and get a refund?
licensed copy?

You can get your money back for a pre-installed operating system. Most likely, it will be from $20 for Windows XP and from $80 for Windows Vista Ultimate. However, this is extremely difficult to do - you will need a lot of free time and a strong nervous system to resist the existing bureaucracy.

According to paragraph 2 of Article 16 “Invalidity of contract terms that infringe consumer rights” of the Law “On Protection of Consumer Rights”, when purchasing a laptop with a pre-installed system, you must contact the “seller (performer)” of the product, but you should rush to the company’s main office to apply for a return - laptop manufacturer.

If you nevertheless decide on this difficult task, make sure that the following conditions are met (valid for Russians):

The most important thing: When you first started the system, you did not accept the Windows user agreement. If the system has been started at least once using the supplied license key- the money will not be returned.
You have not exceeded the manufacturer's deadline for filing a refund application. Companies give time for reflection in different ways, for example, Samsung - 14 days, Acer - 30 days.
The OS is pre-installed on a laptop that was purchased from a manufacturer-authorized location. Typically, such a list can be found on the manufacturer’s website, or you can find out by phone about the store you are interested in, through the contact number indicated again on the laptop manufacturer’s website.
The laptop was purchased new, i.e. your computer should not be refurbished or discounted by the seller.
You have a warranty card and a receipt for purchasing the laptop. Make sure that the receipt indicates the cost of the laptop, the place and time of purchase, and that the warranty card is stamped and all required fields are filled in.
The “Certificate of Authenticity” sticker on the laptop is not damaged; it is usually located on the bottom of the laptop and contains the license number installed version OS.
You can provide all discs in the original unopened (!) packaging included in the kit.

Once you have determined that you meet the above conditions, you should contact the manufacturer's main office.

In an ideal scenario, you will be asked to write an application for a refund for the OS, attach all available evidence that the OS was not used by you, and then provide the laptop to a service center for a while to remove the OS distribution from your laptop, and return it immediately after completing this procedure money for the OS.

In real life, most likely, you will have to remind the manufacturer’s contact persons more than once about yourself, make several requests to Microsoft to assure the manufacturer that it is he who is responsible for returning the money for the OS, and then rely on the manufacturer’s conscience that that in the end your computer will be rid of Windows, and your account will be replenished by several tens of dollars.

On this moment, both official authorities - the Federal Antimonopoly Service, and unofficial organizations - for example, Center for Free Technologies, are fighting for the rights of buyers. So, perhaps, in the near future, every buyer will have the opportunity to immediately receive their treasured banknotes when purchasing a laptop for refusing to use pre-installed Windows.

However, on currently trying to get money back for an operating system is a dubious pleasure.

Guided by federal law Russian Federation dated July 26, 2006 N 135-FZ "On the Protection of Competition", the Federal Antimonopoly Service opened a case against manufacturers supplying computers (including laptops) with a pre-installed Windows operating system (Windows) 8. FAS was able to prove that the computer and operating system Windows system (Windows) are two different products. As a result, in accordance with the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights (Article 16, paragraph 2), the seller is obliged to compensate the consumer for losses caused as a result of violation of the right to free choice. As a result, a procedure for returning the cost of Windows (Windows) through service centers appeared.

All major laptop manufacturers, such as Asus, Lenovo, Samsung, Acer, Sony, have developed their own return procedures, which can be found on their official websites. However, depending on the version of Windows, as well as the manufacturer, you can get back from $20 for Windows Home Premium to $140 for Windows Ultimate. The amount may vary greatly. So Asus returns only $2.88 for Windows Starter, while Sony will return $20.

Return conditions:

No more than:
- 7 days (Asus),
- 14 days (Samsung),
- 15 days (Lenovo),
- 30 days (Acer, Sony).

Did not agree to the terms of the End User License Agreement that appears on the screen when you first launch the product.

Not formatted HDD .

The Certificate of Appealability label is present and intact, as is the Microsoft product code sticker.

The product was purchased in Russia and documents confirming the purchase are present(check).

Return procedure

After purchasing a laptop, you need to write an “Application for a refund of the cost of pre-installed Windows.” You can download it from the manufacturer’s website or ask for a form at the service center.

Come to an authorized service center with a laptop, as well as documents confirming the purchase (a copy will not hurt) and submit the laptop for repair according to the procedure “Laptop repair: Windows removal".

Result of the return procedure

Service center removes Microsoft sticker and formats hard drive

Reimbursement of funds

The laptop is still under warranty

	Return procedure	List of service centers (SC)	Application
Acer	MS Windows family operating system return program if the buyer refuses to use it	Website	To be completed when contacting the service center
Asus	Procedure for returning a license to use Microsoft Windows OS and refunding the cost (document.doc)	Website	Application form in .doc format
Fujitsu	Via technical support	Website
Lenovo		Website
MSI	Through the service technical support [email protected]	Website
Samsung	Procedure for returning a pre-installed Microsoft operating system	Website	Filled out in the service center
Sony	Return conditions (.pdf)	Website	Form for reimbursement of funds for operating procedures Microsoft system (form in .pdf format)

Unfortunately, the downside is that it is impossible to get a refund for a pre-installed operating system. Windows system(although of course the price difference is so significant that it doesn’t make any difference). Moreover, for many, returning Windows is a matter of principle, and not just an opportunity to save, sometimes a very small amount. The more users return to Windows OS (Windows), the more likely it is that the manufacturer will offer computers without this operating system.

We only assumed that users would soon be able to receive refunds for OEM versions of the operating system, but from mid-September this is a valid fact. Money is returned for a pre-installed version of XP or Vista, although the final prices and regulations for such processes depend on the vendors and sometimes differ quite significantly. Let's look at the situation critically.

Description of the situation

At the moment, regarding the situation with refunds for OEM versions of Windows, there are as many as two trials going on, in each of which Lately two meetings were held. The first and most serious is in the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia. It was there, after carrying out control measures and analyzing the situation, back in early June, it was finally decided to initiate a case against the companies Acer, ASUSTeK Computer, Toshiba, Hewlett-Packard, Samsung Electronics and Dell on grounds of violation of clause 5 h 1 tbsp. 11 Federal Law "On Protection of Competition". According to the FAS, the above manufacturers, acting on Russian market, impose contract terms on buyers that are unfavorable for them or are not related to the subject of the contract. All of them are accused of pre-installing Windows Vista on more than 90% of their mobile PCs, which is why customers simply could not find similar model technicians without this OS or did not have the opportunity to refuse to use Microsoft products imposed along with the device. And the very imposition of an OEM version of Windows on users was considered unfounded, and the requirement to pay for a product (in this case, a copy of the OS) in which the user is not interested was illegal.

It's Real to Get Money for the OEM Version of Windows

The main problem is that even now many buyers are forced to overpay about 10% of the cost of a new PC for unnecessary OEM software. Previously, this worried a small proportion of buyers, mainly users of alternative operating systems. But since the beginning of the forced imposition of Windows Vista, the percentage of dissatisfied people has increased significantly: for example, according to CeST, no more than 15% of buyers are satisfied with pre-installed Windows Vista. The second process was initiated by representatives of the consumer rights protection society “Public Control”. In July, they filed a claim with the Preobrazhensky District Court of Moscow against the companies Samsung Electronics Co Ltd., ACER CIS Inc., Hewlett-Packard A.O. CJSC, as well as Infomash LLC, which produces computers under the trademark Rover Computers. The third party to the claim is Microsoft Rus LLC, the Russian representative of Microsoft Corporation. The main goal of this step is to, based on the provisions of the Federal Law "On the Protection of Consumer Rights", to prevent the practice of imposing software Microsoft Corporation when selling computers. This, according to Mikhail Anshakov, Chairman of the Company, does not meet the interests of those consumers who do not want to use the software of this company. Among the requirements set out in statement of claim, indicates the need to inform users before purchasing full text Microsoft's "End User License Agreement" (so-called EULA), which contains certain restrictions, as well as establish a procedure for refunds for the OS and inform the buyer in advance of the purchase the amount of such a refund if he wants to abandon the OEM version of the OS . In military tactics, such actions are called concentric attacks in converging directions. In this case, certain results were achieved even before the final decisions on both processes took place. The first and significant result achieved to date is that Microsoft Corporation is organizing in Russia a service for free exchange of the unpopular Windows Vista operating system for a fully functional Windows XP Home SP2. Moreover, such an opportunity in the very near future will appear not only for owners of expensive Windows versions Vista Business and Ultimate, where "rollback" to previous version was allowed by default, but also for those who bought a laptop with Windows Vista Home Basic and Windows Vista Home Premium. Formally, this proposal from Microsoft was made within the framework of the third process, also at the FAS, but the result is still obvious. Since there is no information about this process on the official Microsoft website yet, we were not lazy and called " hotline"company in Russia. As the call center operators told us, "the regulations for such actions will be posted on the company's official website closer to the beginning of October, and only those users who purchased the Vista OS after January 1, 2009 inclusive will be able to take advantage of this offer." . So far, it is assumed that this promotion should last at least until the end of 2009 (although its extension is not excluded). In addition, it will be free for users. The mechanics of the process in this case are quite simple - the subscriber just needs to indicate on the website of the software manufacturer your credentials and mailing address, then wait about a couple of weeks and receive a CD with the OS kit and a one-time key for Windows activation XP. However, there will be no other help from the software manufacturer - therefore, he will have to look for drivers for his computer that will “recognize” software components for Windows XP and reinstall this OS on his own - no smooth “rollback” is expected. True, this does not bother advanced users.

The boxed version of the OS costs 3-8 times more than the OEM version - with similar functionality.

There is another option for those who don't need XP or prefer Linux. As noted by the chairman of the board of the regional public organization Center for Free Technologies, Viktor Alksnis, “at the moment, without waiting for the verdicts of official bodies, eight laptop manufacturers have presented their regulations for the return of unnecessary OS: BenQ, Asus, Acer, FTS, RoverComputers, Lenovo, Sony and Samsung, Toshiba and several other manufacturers are preparing to introduce similar regulations, thereby effectively recognizing new order, namely the need to separate hardware and software." But the position of Dell and HP remains unshakable: according to their representatives who participated in the FAS meeting, they will introduce such a procedure only if the Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation makes an unequivocal decision that they are obliged to do this do. Now companies are ready to return the user's money only for the computer along with the OS, and only if a defect in the conveyor is discovered when assembling the device. What does this situation mean for the user in practice? If you bought a computer a long time ago, there will be a return situation for you mythical. Although you can try - the key point will be the need to prove to the service center specialists that Windows Vista was not activated upon purchase and was removed from hard drive computer. But if you plan to buy a computer “here-and-now”, then everything is quite simple - you need to fill out the relevant documents and comply with the return regulations of a particular manufacturer (see more about this below). Up to this point, although the EULA text hinted at the possibility of returning unnecessary OEM Windows to the manufacturer, and Microsoft company Such refunds are formally provided for in contracts with vendors; in reality, achieving compensation for the cost of a pre-installed OS turned out to be impossible or, to put it mildly, an extremely difficult problem.

Refund program for the MS Windows operating system from Acer.

Let us note one more point, which in this regard remains in question. The fact is that to test a mobile PC during the purchase process, you must at least turn it on. But the regulations of all vendors without exception require that the EULA license agreement is not accepted by the user - and meanwhile, without this, the system will not download. Thus, it becomes impossible to check the functionality of the system (for example, USB ports, built-in camera, CD/DVD drive, etc.) directly in the store. Therefore, the most correct thing would be to go straight from the store to the required service center, without even unpacking the system - if any components do not work there, the official “repairers” will repair them or issue a certificate of defective assembly on the assembly line.

Motivation to return

There is no doubt that the vast majority of regular Windows users prefer to get a ready-made and fully working solution. A certain (and very significant) part of users is completely satisfied with the “Windows Vista + mobile PC” combination. But very often in models of the lowest price group, as well as in solutions for business users, Windows Vista is installed “by default”, without regard to system parameters devices, and not all even new computers meet the recommended system requirements this OS (particularly puzzling is the attempt of some manufacturers to install Vista on netbooks). “Simply put,” specialists from the “Center for Free Technologies” at the FAS once wrote in an appeal, “working on a PC with less volume random access memory, lower processor frequency, etc. running Windows Vista is very difficult."

The confirmation request to remove pre-installed Microsoft Windows from a Fujitsu Siemens Computers computer is a secret document, according to the company.

Manufacturers could be “saved” by an option in which ordering a laptop directly from the manufacturer would be possible in an individual configuration (similar to the automobile market). But even if the representative office has its own virtual store with a version for Russian customers (like, for example, Samsung), it does not differ in any additional service from the usual “virtual storefronts” of retail chains (although, in theory, it should) . Thus, advanced users, instead of the expected working “bundle” of hardware and software, receive Windows Vista, and all this together does not always work satisfactorily. “Everyone remembers well how the market accepted Windows Millenium. About the same thing happened with Windows Vista,” Victor Alksnis is sure. “But in the first case, Microsoft quickly withdrew its product and offered a replacement. In the case of Windows Vista, Microsoft recognized its failure only after Windows 7 loomed on the horizon. The vast majority of computers are now sold with Windows Vista pre-installed; not counting “self-assembled” netbooks and nettops, the choice of computers without this OS is extremely limited. massively consume a low-demand OS."

ASUS service centers that are authorized to remove OEM versions of Windows.

“If Windows had a competitor in the OS market comparable in terms of market share, or better yet, two or three such competitors, Windows users“We would benefit both in price and in quality,” said Leonid Krivoshein, coordinator of the CeST Internet project. - Microsoft would be forced to release to the market an OS that is more polished and constantly reduce prices rather than raise them. Peripheral manufacturers would have to take into account other operating systems and make drivers not only for Windows, but also for competing operating systems. This would somewhat complicate the process of creating drivers and firmware, but the output would be more compatible and higher quality solutions, and all sorts of deficiencies would be identified at an early stage." Good examples in this regard, says Mr. Krivoshein, are a significant reduction prices for Microsoft Office after the establishment of OpenOffice.org or stricter adherence to W3C standards in new versions Microsoft browser Internet Explorer after losing a significant market share to its main competitors - Mozilla Firefox and Opera. “However, competition is not beneficial for a monopolist,” he is sure. Microsoft is trying to maintain its position at any cost. Manufacturers are also partly interested in the current state of affairs. Their support for the Microsoft monopoly is beneficial for PC manufacturers, since the “constant change of innovations” forces users to update their fleet machines or buy more expensive hardware. This is also beneficial for peripheral manufacturers because it is cheaper, faster and easier for them to release a product that is compatible with only one version of the OS from the Windows family." For a more accurate picture of the situation, in addition to familiarizing yourself with this material, we recommend reading the forum on the CeST website, OZPP, as well as on this topic on 3DNews.

The vast majority of modern laptops come with Windows 10 pre-installed, and in general, this is convenient for most buyers: you don’t need to install the system, drivers and a bunch of junk software yourself - the device is ready to work right out of the box. But there are always those who are not averse to saving money and “activating” the system themselves, or those who are going to use Linux at all, and have no need for a Windows license.

In any case, you can get your money back for the system if you followed all the rules - this is written in black and white in the Windows 10 license agreement:

Depending on how you obtained the Windows software, this document is a license agreement between (i) you and the device manufacturer or software installer that distributes the software with your device; or (ii) you and Microsoft Corporation (or one of its affiliates, depending on where you live or have your principal place of business) if you purchased the software from a retailer.
...
By accepting this agreement or using the software, you agree
with all these terms and conditions, and also agree to the transfer of certain
information during activation and use of the software in
in accordance with the privacy statement described in Section 3. If you not
accept these terms, you may not use the software
or its components. Contact your device manufacturer, installer, or retailer.
seller if you purchased the software directly for rules
return of goods and, in accordance with these rules, return the software or
device for receiving reimbursement of its cost or crediting an equivalent amount
to your account. You must act in accordance with these rules, within the framework of which
refund or credit of an equivalent amount to your account may
You must return the software along with the device on which it was installed.
established, if applicable.

So you have no right to refuse a refund, but, alas, often you still have to prove this. But first, here are the points that you must complete in order to be able to return money for the system:

The device must be purchased from an official reseller in Russia.
If you bought it through Amazon or Ebay, or in the nearest basement store, or your friends brought it to you from the USA, you will not be able to return the cost of Windows in Russia.
The device must have been purchased no more than 10 days ago.
Previously, the period was 30 days, now it has been reduced to 10. It seems that soon there will be only an hour left for a refund. In any case, it is better not to hesitate and immediately begin the refund procedure (more on it below).
You should not format the hard drive or tear off or damage the COA label (the Windows sticker on the case).
Apparently, laptop manufacturers don't bother and are simply copying the old rules. Starting with Windows 8, the key is hardwired into UEFI (a modern analogue of BIOS), so formatting or even replacing the hard drive does not remove the license, and there is no longer a product key on the sticker. But in general, it is not difficult to comply with these requirements.
You must have a warranty card, the device itself and the recovery disk included in the kit..
Well, everything is logical here: the warranty card confirms the date of purchase and allows you to check where you bought the laptop, the recovery disk contains Windows image, which you can no longer legally use.
The device must not have been repaired and the warranty seals must not have been damaged.
Another crazy point to complicate the return of the license. The maximum number of elements that can be changed in modern laptops is a video card, RAM, wireless module and storage. And even the joint replacement of all this does not in any way affect the license that is tied to motherboard and the processor that is soldered to it. But, in general, again, for 10 days you can be patient and not go inside the device.

Refund procedure

Now the most important thing is the procedure for returning money for a Windows license. To do this, you need the set from point 4 above, and all conditions must be met. If this is the case, you should contact the official service center of the laptop manufacturer in Russia (all addresses and phone numbers can always be found on the official website, for example, here they are for ASUS - ASUS Service Center in Russia). After this, the label is removed from the device, the recovery disk is taken from you, and Windows is also uninstalled. The operation usually takes no more than 1-2 days (and it happens that they do it in front of you), after which the same service center returns your money for the license.

Cost of various Windows licenses 10

The most pleasant moment is how much money will you get back? Alas, I did not find accurate information on Windows 10 on the Internet, but the service center of one company suggested that the price has hardly changed since Windows 8 - they will return it to you near$30 for Windows 10 and $70 for Windows 10 Pro. However, there are a lot of pitfalls here - for example, at Acer the procedure for uninstalling and deactivating the OS costs... $100. Yes, yes, in the end you are left without a system, and still owe 30-70 dollars for it. Other manufacturers do not have this, but it is still better to clarify this by phone before going to the service center.

For comparison, the cost of licenses for previous versions of Windows is lower:

Tips before buying a laptop

So, you are about to buy a laptop and have definitely decided that you will return the money for the system. And there is one pleasant point - there are quite a lot of laptops on sale without a system (usually they say that DOS is installed, but this is not entirely true), or with Linux - in both cases, such solutions are cheaper than with pre-installed Windows. But if the laptop you need without a system is not available, and you take a laptop with Windows, then it is extremely important to follow one point - Do not under any circumstances agree to the Microsoft license agreement when you first start the system- otherwise, you confirm that you want to use Windows, and no one will return your money. But then the question arises - how to check a laptop? It's very simple - just bring a flash drive with portable version system, and boot from it - this is quite enough for a basic check of all components of the device.

Another important point- Is it possible to return this license later? Alas, there’s no way: if you refused it, then the only option is to return to licensed Windows- is to buy it in a store, and there the cost will be 3-5 times higher than the money that was returned to you (no, this is not because of the “redneckness” of the company - it’s just that laptop manufacturers are given different licenses, OEM, and there absolutely different scales - the count goes into hundreds of thousands of copies, therefore the cost of each copy turns out to be significantly lower).

And finally, my personal opinion: you shouldn’t bother with returning money for the system. Firstly, most laptops come with regular Windows 10, for which they will return you about 1,700 rubles at the exchange rate - of course, this is quite serious money, but the problem is that you will have to go to the service center, wasting your time, and in the vast majority of service centers you will have to fight to prove that you still have the right to a refund. Secondly, Microsoft will support Windows 10 for an extremely long time, releasing major updates several times a year. And in order not to have to worry about activating and reinstalling the system, it’s easier to use the license. But this is just my opinion, as I wrote above - you have the right to return the money for the license, and if you really need it, go for it.

Description of the situation

At the moment, regarding the situation with the return of money for OEM versions of Windows, there are as many as two proceedings going on, each of which has had two meetings recently. The first and most serious is in the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia. It was there, after carrying out control measures and analyzing the situation, back in early June, it was finally decided to initiate a case against the companies Acer, ASUSTeK Computer, Toshiba, Hewlett-Packard, Samsung Electronics and Dell on grounds of violation of clause 5 h 1 tbsp. 11 Federal Law "On Protection of Competition". According to the FAS, the above-mentioned manufacturers, operating on the Russian market, impose contract terms on buyers that are unfavorable for them or are not related to the subject of the contract. All of them are accused of pre-installing the Windows Vista OS on more than 90% of their mobile PCs, which is why buyers simply could not find a similar model of equipment without this OS or were unable to refuse to use Microsoft products imposed with the device. And the very imposition of an OEM version of Windows on users was considered unfounded, and the requirement to pay for a product (in this case, a copy of the OS) in which the user is not interested was illegal.

It's Real to Get Money for the OEM Version of Windows

The second process was initiated by representatives of the consumer rights protection society “Public Control”. In July, they filed a claim with the Preobrazhensky District Court of Moscow against the companies Samsung Electronics Co Ltd., ACER CIS Inc., Hewlett-Packard A.O. CJSC, as well as Infomash LLC, which produces computers under the trademark Rover Computers. The third party to the claim is Microsoft Rus LLC, the Russian representative of Microsoft Corporation. The main goal of this step is to, based on the provisions of the Federal Law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights,” to prevent the practice of imposing Microsoft software when selling computers. This, according to Mikhail Anshakov, Chairman of the Company, does not meet the interests of those consumers who do not want to use the software of this company. Among the demands set forth in the statement of claim, it is indicated the need to inform users before purchasing the full text of Microsoft’s “End User License Agreement” (the so-called EULA), which contains certain restrictions, and also to establish a procedure for returning money for the OS and inform the buyer in advance of the purchase the amount of such compensation if he wants to abandon the OEM version of the OS.

In military tactics, such actions are called concentric attacks in converging directions. In this case, certain results were achieved even before the final decisions on both processes took place. The first and significant result achieved to date is that Microsoft Corporation is organizing in Russia a service for free exchange of the unpopular Windows Vista operating system for a fully functional Windows XP Home SP2. Moreover, this opportunity will soon appear not only for owners of expensive versions of Windows Vista Business and Ultimate, where “rolling back” to the previous version was allowed by default, but also for those who bought a laptop with Windows Vista Home Basic and Windows Vista Home Premium . Formally, this proposal from Microsoft was made within the framework of the third process, also at the FAS, but the result is still obvious.

Since there is no information about this process on the official Microsoft website yet, we were not lazy and called the company’s hotline in Russia. As the call center operators told us, “the regulations for such actions will be posted on the company’s official website closer to the beginning of October, and only those users who purchased the Vista OS after January 1, 2009, inclusive, will be able to take advantage of this offer.” So far, it is assumed that this action should last at least until the end of 2009 (although its extension is not excluded). In addition, it will be free for users. The mechanics of the process in this case are quite simple - the subscriber just needs to indicate his credentials and mailing address on the software manufacturer’s website, then wait about a couple of weeks and receive a CD with the OS kit and a one-time key to activate Windows XP. However, there will be no other help from the software manufacturer - therefore, he will have to look for drivers for his computer that will “recognize” software components for Windows XP and reinstall this OS on his own - no smooth “rollback” is expected. True, this does not bother advanced users.

The boxed version of the OS costs 3-8 times more than the OEM version - with similar functionality.

What does this situation mean for the user in practice? If you bought a computer a long time ago, the return situation will be mythical for you. Although you can try, the key point will be the need to prove to the service center specialists that Windows Vista was not activated upon purchase and was deleted from the computer’s hard drive. But if you plan to buy a computer “here-and-now”, then everything is quite simple - you need to fill out the relevant documents and comply with the return regulations of a particular manufacturer (see more about this below). Until this point, although the text of the EULA hinted at the possibility of returning unnecessary OEM Windows to the manufacturer, and Microsoft formally provides for such returns in contracts with vendors, in reality, achieving compensation for the cost of a pre-installed OS turned out to be impossible or, to put it mildly, an extremely difficult problem.

Refund program for the MS Windows operating system from Acer.

Motivation to return

There is no doubt that the vast majority of regular Windows users prefer to get a ready-made and fully working solution. A certain (and very significant) part of users is completely satisfied with the “Windows Vista + mobile PC” combination. But very often in models of the lowest price group, as well as in solutions for business users, Windows Vista is installed “by default”, without regard to the system parameters of the device, and not all even new computers meet the recommended system requirements of this OS (which causes particular bewilderment attempt by some manufacturers to put Vista on netbooks). “Simply put,” specialists from the “Center for Free Technologies” at the FAS once wrote in an appeal, “working on a PC with less RAM, a lower processor frequency, etc., running Windows Vista is very difficult.”

The confirmation request to remove pre-installed Microsoft Windows from a Fujitsu Siemens Computers computer is a secret document, according to the company.

“Everyone remembers well how the market accepted Windows Millenium. About the same thing happened with Windows Vista,” Victor Alksnis is sure. “But in the first case, Microsoft quickly withdrew its product and offered a replacement. In the case of Windows Vista, Microsoft recognized its failure only after Windows 7 loomed on the horizon. The vast majority of computers are now sold with Windows Vista pre-installed; not counting “self-assembled” netbooks and nettops, the choice of computers without this OS is extremely limited. massively consume a low-demand OS."

ASUS service centers that are authorized to remove OEM versions of Windows.

“If Windows had a competitor in the OS market comparable in market share, or better yet, two or three such competitors, Windows users would benefit in both price and quality,” said Leonid Krivoshein, coordinator of the CeST Internet project. - Microsoft would be forced to release to the market an OS that is more “refined”, constantly reduce prices, and not raise them. Peripheral manufacturers would have to reckon with other OSes, make drivers not only for Windows, but also for competing OSs. This would complicate things somewhat the process of creating drivers and firmware, but the output would be more compatible and higher quality solutions, and all sorts of deficiencies would be identified at an early stage."

Good examples in this regard, says Mr. Krivoshein, are a significant reduction in prices for Microsoft Office after the formation of OpenOffice.org or more strict adherence to W3C standards in new versions of the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser after it lost a significant market share in favor of its main competitors - Mozilla Firefox and Opera. “However, competition is not beneficial for a monopolist,” he is sure. Microsoft is trying to maintain its position at any cost. Manufacturers are also partly interested in the current state of affairs. Their support for the Microsoft monopoly is beneficial for PC manufacturers, since the “constant change of innovations” forces users to update their fleet machines or buy more expensive hardware. This is also beneficial for peripheral manufacturers because it is cheaper, faster and easier for them to release a product that is compatible with only one version of the OS from the Windows family."

For a more accurate picture of the situation, in addition to familiarizing yourself with this material, we recommend reading the forum on the CeST website, OZPP, as well as the discussion of the first material on this topic on 3DNews.

Basic steps for a return

It is pointless to judge the effectiveness of the money-back schemes offered by vendors for OEM versions of the OS - such regulations will a priori be bureaucratic and “confusing”: in fact, this is an extra barrier on the user’s path to abandoning the OEM version of the OS. In previous years, not a single vendor offered such a path (even if it was “crooked” in execution) on a voluntary basis - so it is natural that the need to introduce such a system does not bring them joy. True, for PC manufacturers this is rather a lesser evil - the introduction of regulations on a voluntary basis gives them the opportunity to “fight off” well-founded claims from regulatory authorities and not bring the matter to large fines.

Procedure for returning pre-installed Microsoft OS from Samsung.

Even with the current regulations, users will still have to try to get back the money they overpaid in vain. In any case, you should carefully read the documents offered by mobile PC manufacturers - they are all different, we will consider both the general part and the nuances. Most of these documents are present on the websites of PC manufacturers - Acer, ASUS, Samsung, Sony, and Lenovo have them.

True, not all vendors have such documents posted online. For example, there is no such section on the BenQ website - the help desk operator at the other end of the line sadly stated that “such a section has not yet been created,” but, nevertheless, he promptly told us all the conditions for returns on a printed copy of such a document. There are no such documents on the Russian website of Fujitsu. True, when calling the hotline, call center employees prefer to play secrecy - to an oral question about the procedure for such returns and prices, the operator replied that “this regulation is in front of me, but I have no right to tell you the exact compensation figures , this will only be possible after purchasing a mobile PC, when we are convinced that you are our buyer." It’s an extremely strange position, to put it mildly - we still received the texts, but such a response from the most ordinary buyer who is just planning to purchase a mobile PC will cause a completely negative reaction.

A program to refund the price paid for the Microsoft Operating System for owners of Sony VAIO desktop and portable laptops.

True, a positive thing can be considered the fact that in the call centers of most vendors that we called, in principle, they knew about such regulations, and there were no surprised exclamations like “what is this?”, as before. And in retail chains they have heard about this problem, and in their information systems standard return procedures have already been prescribed - there is a clear directive to direct users with such requests to vendor service centers, whose telephone numbers and addresses are ready to be provided directly over the phone. However, in some retail outlets (for example, in “White Wind Digital” or “ION”) they could not help us - according to call center operators, when purchasing mobile PCs, sellers only inform users about the coordinates of service centers where it is possible to make a return . But MVideo said that when purchasing equipment from Acer, ASUS and Samsung, an application to refuse the OS will be provided to the buyer directly on the sales floor, then the user takes the computer with him, and the customer department will contact him trading network, which helps to understand this procedure further. True, you won’t be able to avoid visiting the service center (but more on that below).

The main condition for a refund for the OS is not to accept the terms of the EULA when starting to work with the computer.

When returning an OS, it is necessary, firstly, for new users, to comply with the deadlines for submitting such an application - they are different for all vendors. From 7 days for ASUS to 30 days for Acer and BenQ. On average - 14 days (for example, Samsung). Moreover, the user of some vendors presents a mobile PC to the service center only in person, but someone (for example, Sony) meets halfway and gives the opportunity to send it by mail. In this case, the date of application is considered to be the date of dispatch of the parcel with the hardware. In any case, these parameters should be clarified before purchasing a PC - they tend to change over time.

So far, there are only two companies on the market that postulate a refund for the OEM version of the OS to those users who, at the time of purchasing the device, for whatever reason, did not receive sufficient information about the procedure for returning money for an unused pre-installed OS. Fuiitsu regulations state that the statute of limitations for such claims is 36 months. And the ASUS document clarifies that upon written request, the situation will be reviewed and the return mechanism will be applied to everyone, regardless of the date of purchase of the device.

DVD with OEM version of Windows - it can be returned if you refuse the OS.

Secondly, it is necessary to clearly understand the return object. This can be not only a laptop, but also a netbook and nettop. Purely theoretically - and desktop computer produced by one of the vendors that support OS return. But in order to “demolish” the OS and receive compensation, the vendor can only be presented with hardware that was purchased in Russia, produced specifically for our country, and also supplied through authorized sales channels in the Russian Federation. Phew - not easy, but logical. That is, it won’t be possible to bring, say, a mobile PC to return the OS from the CIS - all equipment in representative offices and service centers is “checked” through centralized databases: for this they use serial number PC, and the identifier on a sticker with the name of the OS, which must be present on all PCs with the OEM version of the operating system.

But the documents that the user will have to submit to get a refund are the most common - the actual confirmation request to remove the pre-installed Microsoft Windows OS from the computer (the form of such a document is different for each vendor). By signing such a document, by the way, the user undertakes to “not use the Microsoft Windows Operating System on the specified equipment in the future without purchasing an official licensed version”, in addition, he “accepts the fact that the company... will not provide support on its own software installed by me, including the Operating System, and is not responsible for their compatibility with the hardware of my equipment." The second required document is a warranty card for the equipment (the only note that can be made there is that the OS has been removed) and a receipt confirming the date and place of purchase of the computer. That is, the removal of the OS will take place at the service center or (which is much less common) at a retail partner. The most reasonable rules for returning money for a version of the Microsoft Windows OS that the user does not need exist only in BenQ and Lenovo: the companies postulate that their buyer can apply for a refund not to the service center, but to the retailer from whom he purchased the equipment (though for now we did not find a single store where this would be possible).

A typical type of Certificate of Authenticity.

Thirdly, the package - to get a refund, the user must present the mobile PC itself with an intact COA (Certificate of Authenticity) sticker, the above documents, all documentation on the mobile PC, CDs (CDs, DVDs) and other storage media that turned out to be complete with laptop or netbook.

The service center and retail partner will accept this kit from the buyer and do the work to remove the OS within 3-4 days. Moreover, the user will receive back his mobile PC with a perfectly clean hard drive- no drivers for working with alternative OSs or the same XP (if the failure comes from Vista) will not be provided. Of course will not be returned and backups OS on disks (note - they should not be opened at the time of transfer to the service center).

Return cost

The main idea that vendors are implementing regarding refunds for operating systems is “exclusively non-cash payments.” That is, there is no cash desk where you need to show up with your passport - it’s more convenient this way, since it allows the user not to worry about this and not waste time traveling around the city. The buyer, after the procedure for removing the OS, will receive several hundred or thousand rubles only by bank transfer to his bank account, which he must indicate in the appropriate application. Alternatively, the money will be sent to a plastic card - a bank account still exists for it. True, this will not happen instantly, but a couple of weeks after the OS removal procedure is completed. The sender of this transfer will be either an authorized service center, which will then regulate its relationship with the Russian representative office of the vendor independently, or a regional wholesale partner. Specific prices for returns are indicated in Table No. 1. The data for filling it was obtained both from vendors’ websites, where the cost of compensation for returning the OS has already been posted, and through telephone requests to the hotlines of PC manufacturers.

Table No. 1. Amounts to be paid to users if they refuse to use pre-installed versions of the Microsoft operating system*.

	Acer**	ASUS	BenQ	Fujutsu***	Samsung	Sony	Lenovo
Microsoft Windows XP Home	3,3	6	-	-	5	20	10 (netbooks) 30 (laptops)
Windows XP Media Center	-	-	-	-	-	20	-
Microsoft Windows XP Professional	81	-	-	-	-	50	-
Windows Vista Home Basic	27	20	48	31 16 (Russian version)	18	20	40
Windows Vista Home Premium	36	33	73	57 (with DVD Playback Pack) 44 (Russian version)	26,8	40	60
Windows Vista Business	81	48	-	70 (with DVD Playback Pack) 69 (Russian version)	-	50	100
Windows Vista Ultimate	111	77	-	69	-	80	-

* Data as of September 21, 2009.
** In the table we indicate all amounts in USD. for ease of comparison, prices in Russian rubles were multiplied at the rate of 1 dollar as 30 rubles.
*** Prices in euros indicated in the return regulations are correlated with the dollar as 1 to 1.46 (Forex market data as of September 21, 2009).

Of course, when analyzing these prices, users have a legitimate question - why is it so low? Because in this table we definitely see an artificially created “price fork” for the same OS version. Here is a Russian specificity - in official sales channels, Microsoft Corporation offers a boxed OS product at a high price, and in fact the same product in the OEM channel costs an order of magnitude cheaper. For Windows Vista Home Premium, for example, this difference is noticeable to the naked eye - $216 for a boxed product and compensation from vendors for the end user - $26.8-73. The difference is approximately 3-8 times with similar software functionality. For Windows Vista Ultimate Russian, everything is even more significant - in the store, the "boxed" software costs $333, and compensation is in the range of $69-111. Again, the proportion remains the same - everyone can do the same calculations on their own. In addition, the service center charges a certain amount of money for the work: this is approximately $15-18 for each operation of peeling off the sticker, drawing up a report and “wiping” the user’s hard drive. Of course, this amount is deducted from the cost of the OS.

Rules for refunding the cost of the Microsoft Windows operating system if the Lenovo end user refuses to use it.

Note that the table presents all the data that vendors officially declare - if any operating system is not on the list, then either their products for Russia do not provide such an OS, or this issue requires additional clarification from the support service at the time of writing the answer to this is not known.

Let us separately note the situation with new Windows 7 - the cost of its return has not yet been determined, and this is unlikely to happen in the near future. In addition, as always, the refund scheme for the OS is determined by the manufacturer itself: either a complete computer with OEM software, or only OEM versions of the software. Of course, all vendors in this case will only offer a return option with a computer in order to “cut off the oxygen” to users. The fact is that back on September 2, Microsoft introduced new DOEM agreements specifically for Windows 7, where vendors could choose the following wording for the end user agreement (EULA): “if you do not agree with the terms of this license agreement, do not use this software, return the computer with the pre-installed software to the manufacturer."

Reasons for refusals

Despite the fact that the procedure for rejecting an operating system is, in general, not that complicated, there are certain reasons why an application for a refund of the cost of an operating system may be rejected. Fortunately, the list of these reasons is limited: the user has already registered the installed copy of the software with Microsoft; Certificate of Authenticity (COA) label is damaged; the recovery disk has been opened or the integrity of its packaging has been damaged; there are no documents confirming the date of purchase, or the period specified by the vendor from the date of purchase of the product has already passed. In addition, no refunds will be given for personal computers, resold - that is, restored or discounted (but the seller must declare this in advance and unambiguously). In addition, despite the varied amount of software that is included on new PCs, vendors only issue refunds for the OEM version of Windows. That is, there is nothing required for Linux or Free-DOS. In addition, there is no refund for other applications that are usually installed on a new PC - these are office suites (although trial versions have been installed lately), antiviruses, CD burning software, etc. In any case, if any service center behaves badly and refuses to return money for the OS, it makes sense to make a written request to the Russian representative office of the vendor - usually all complex and individual cases are resolved promptly there.

There are also certain features that are worth keeping in mind. Quite often, in oral conversations on support phones, call center operators “scare” users with the fact that in the event of a voluntary recall by a personal computer manufacturing company of a similar group of products as the computer purchased by the user due to a technical defect, the hardware with the removed OS may be excluded from such recall program. But there is nothing to worry about - such situations rarely happen, and reviews occur due to, for example, a defective battery or a defective screen: and this will be replaced for the consumer in any case.

Note that in the refusal procedures there is another interesting passage with the following content: “after carrying out the procedure for returning the cost of an unused operating system, you are deprived of any free technical support in authorized service centers and call center... associated with Windows OS." As if users knew that they had free help from the vendor. In Russian conditions, such support, which works from 9 to 18 Moscow time with a break for lunch and only on weekdays, is worth little, and such a service does not provide any significant advantages for owners of OEM versions of the OS.

In addition, the consumer should take into account that the hardware warranty set out in the warranty card remains in force, with the exception that the manufacturer disclaims any liability or responsibility for breakdowns and decreased performance that arise when using a mobile PC with different OS.

conclusions

Of course, the return procedures that exist today are not retroactive. For example, there is no talk yet about financial compensation for the lack of such an opportunity for buyers of mobile PCs who have done this over the previous couple of years. Unfortunately, our legal system is not so developed.

Unfortunately, it is unlikely that there will be a situation in which all or a significant portion of computers will be sold without any operating system that must be additional option for a fee, will be possible immediately. As well as the provision that OS removal will take place immediately in the store, and for any PC manufacturer. Despite the fact that these proposals are quite reasonable and feasible, the restructuring of the computer market so radically in a short period of time is, of course, unlikely - it took almost a year for vendors to present a procedure for returning the OS. But there is already some hope for change.

Popular

The largest public pages on VKontakte Cook it!

« 1. Collections of movies, Public films with those “save them on your wall so you don’t forget to watch them.” For convenience, in publications along with lists... »

Samsung Galaxy A9 Star Pro: the first smartphone with a quad camera Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device

« The Koreans presented the world's first smartphone with four cameras - Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018). The price at the start of sales is 39,990 rubles. Someday this... »

Samsung Galaxy J1 smartphone: specifications, instructions, reviews Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different transmission speeds

« In my review I will talk about the Samsung Galaxy J1 SM-J120F Smartphone. I chose black. I chose this model because it is relatively not bulky,... »