Vista upgrades not so 'express' after all Many voucher-waving Microsoft customers in Europe are still awaiting their promised free Windows Vista upgrades from the software giant's "fulfilment partner", ModusLink. As we reported in February, customers were persuaded to part with their hard-earned cash to buy XP-based computers ahead of the long-awaited release of Vista …
I know that you in the UK have been waiting and waiting but my Vista upgrade arrived two weeks after sending in the coupon. I'm living in The Netherlands and it was an English version of Vista and it was sent to me in mid March.
I'm not going to install it though, as the reason I got an XP PC was due to Vista-unsupported Logitech peripherals.
I have just had my email saying that the order had been shipped.
I placed the order on the 29th Jan, and they had the proof of purchase same day.
This is over 2 months later, and I wont get it for another week or so.
I would say that at BEST they are missing targets by a month!
Mind you, that may be what Microsoft consider as on target!
"all valid orders for PCs bought before 15 March, with claims registered by 31 March, will be fulfilled as per the agreed terms"
Total PR-speak. I purchased a Samsung laptop in November and started trying to register my claim in early January for a Vista Business upgrade.
Since then I've had 1 order vanish from their system, sent numerous emails to moduslink which have all been ignored (although the read receipts showed that they were being read) and made numerous phone calls, many at extortionate rates. It seems the only way to get a response to email is to threaten a formal complaint to head office - that got me a reply within 24 hours.
I've now had a validated and approved order showing on their system awaiting shipping for 6 weeks - in breach of their own customer service promises. Phoned them today to be told "check again in a fortnight".
Moduslink have to be the most unhelpful and incompetent "logistics" company I've encountered in over 10 years in the business. They were clearly completely unprepared for the volume of upgrade business.
So, buying a new laptop entitles you to a free upgrade? More like hassle to me!
I placed two orders on the system, one because i selected wired transfer by mistake and the other so i can pay by debit visa card, of which the site took these details and now cancelled my second order.
Cheque payment sent to the company and cashed, trying to proove this is a complete joke, you might as well ask a child to do the job for you.
Why did Microsoft use this useless bunch of W**nkers in the first place and not have a UK address and telephone numbers that actually worked?
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr so frigging fed up of it!
Moan over.
SBONE
I tried to order mine as soon as it was released. On what had to be the slowest website I've ever used. It took over half an hour. Apart from the time it took to tell me that my credit card details were invalid, that is. That was so fast that I found it hard to believe that they were checked. No replies to emails either.
I'm inclined to go after Comet. They promised the ugrade, not Moduslink.
I believe:
1. Your upgrade to Vista, when activated, will permanantly deactivate your XP license.
2. Microsoft deliberately "deferred revenue recognition" on the last 3 months plus of XP OEM that came with upgrade vouchers so that they could call them Vista-sales-with-temporary-XP-license in the accounts at the same time as calling them XP-sales-with-Vista-voucher to the customers. Remember to adjust your interpretation of the MS press releases about how well Vista is selling.
I bought a laptop with XP home and was shocked to see that in addition to the $85CDN for Vista Home Premium (Home basic? whats the use) I was billed an extra $27 for shipping!
My order is at 6 weeks since the full confirmation email was received (7 weeks since I submitted it) and the online order status still says "order received")
I could have paid $135CDN for an OEM version, without the upgrade headaches instead of $112 and waiting for months.
The /HP web site was down when I first tried to register for the upgrade. So I sent in the paperwork and 3 months later got back a letter telling me that I also had to submit by web site. So I did. Then I got a letter telling me that I needed to send in the paperwork. One day latter I got an e-mail telling me the order was on the way and I would get it in 7-9 days. That was only 3 days ago, we will see.
I bought a new Toshiba Laptop Satellite P105-6104 January 15th, 2007 and immediately filled out the forms for the Vista Home Premium upgrade I rated for purchasing the laptop. Three days later I received an email saying my order was received and processed and I should receive my CD in 4 to 6 weeks. April 2nd I get an email from Moduslink:
Thank you for submitting your order for Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit CD/DVD OEM.
Your order has been shipped. You should receive your order within 3 weeks. If you do not receive your order, please contact us via email MSTUPVISTANA@moduslink.com by May 1, 2007, for English language versions of the product and June 1, 2007, for non-English language versions of the product so that we may research your request and ship your order.
So here it is 11 weeks later, nearly double what they promised and now I am told I must wait another 3 weeks? How is that customer service? How is that fullfilling the orders in any kind of "reasonable" time frame? I honestly believe if I hadnt contacted them twice over the last two months I might never receive the upgrade, after paying them for shipping too...
PLEASE NOTE
The FREE Vista express upgrade by retailers in the UK is being challenged as the wording of the adverts stated FREE.
As a payment other than post and packaging is being charged this is contrary to the sales of goods act in the UK.
The word FREE in UK law means WITHOUT COST OR PAYMENTS.
Trading Standards have challenged retailers like PC World who advertised Vista using the word FREE.
Refunds have just started to be received by customers that contacted Trading Standards who then challenged the retailers on the advertising.
So if you have been charged more than the shipping and postage costs, contact your local Trading Standards office and they will assist you to get a refund of other monies paid.
the retailers are very unlikely to challenge this in the courts as other companies have used the word FREE in other advertisements and have lost on every occasion.
the ruling is based on the definitive meaning for the word FREE in the Oxford English dictionary, WITHOUT COST OR PAYMENT.
My order for the FREE Upgrade ($27.00 CDN charged to credit card) was placed in December. In fact it was placed three times as I did not get an answer as to whether any one of them had been received until the third one.
I have had them email me saying my "Proof of Purchase" was not good enough although it was a copy of the original bill with all components listed, even the bloody price.
I have was sent a letter saying they had not received a " Proof of Purchase", sent them yet another copy of the bill and asked what they thought was " Proof of Purchase"?
We are heading into the 15th week of this debacle - we shall see.
Andy
My original order for Vista Business 64 bit was canceled about a week before the end of March. I was notified officially by email yesterday (6th of April). The email suggested I re-order.... I take it that means they have extended the offer. Either that, or they are useless bunch of morons that don't have a working calendar.
Why was my order rejected? Well, it seems I picked an option that I was offered... 64 bit. I wanted that due to the fact that I run 64 bit everything else, so why not have a 64 bit version of Windows? Seems that I dared to be too different, and rather than notify me of my crazy ways, they just canceled the order. I guess they figured I didn't really want it since it might not work (<sarcastic> like say if my CPU was a 32 bit "Athlon 64" instead of a 64 bit one </sarcastic>).
Overall, I'm highly angry at Moduslink's total incompetence and lack of customer service. Simply emailing me about my canceled order would have saved me over an hour of my time in contacting them and Microsoft over the issue. I beleive the only reason Moduslink even notified me at all was due to Microsoft contacting them on my behalf!
Still waiting for my upgrade on a laptop bought in January. Recorded my request on 31sr January, and was under the impression that I had paid the £14.14 postage and packing (a bit exorbitant) but was told that I had not paid...
Information for payment moduslink sent was incorrect which involved me in sorting further problems, and I am still waiting either for an acknowledgement or my order. The irony is that a fortnight after buying the laptop, I bought a PC that had Vista installed at no extra cost....
Please note
You are being charged a stealth charge for your FREE Vista
This extra charge breaches the sales of goods act.
As any product sold as free can only charge legally for postage and shipping, NO cost must be taken for the product it self.
A unit price and tax is being charged for the Vista, this is being hidden in the shipping charge.
please see personal computer world's test bed for more information.
Finally got my copy of Vista, 16 April having submitted all the details in January.
The bit that really gets on my nerve. Having paid a frankly extortionate amount for shipping, guess what class of mail they used i'll give you a hint, it wasn't 1st.
It's here now though and you know what... I'm actually debating whether to bother installing it. I mean, what's the point...really. I'm thinking that and I've got a free copy sat next to my laptop. Imagine the apathy by people who have to pay real money for these things...
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