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No More Fair-Price Refund For Declining XP EULA
mark0 writes "Getting a fair-price refund from Amazon or Asus after declining the Windows XP EULA appears to be a thing of the past. In contrast to reports from the US and the UK from earlier in the year, Amazon simply refuses and provides information to contact Microsoft. Asus is offering US$6. Despite being confronted with publicly available information about the real OEM price of Windows XP Home Edition being $US25-US$30, Asus replies, 'The refund price for the decline of the EULA is correct in it being US$6. This price unfortunately is not negotiable. I do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Please be assured that it is not ASUS intentions to steer you away in any which way.'"
The reason people aren't mad as hell about it is because the whole thing is based upon a disingenuous argument. To wit, that there's this mythological person who both 1) has no idea that Windows has a EULA yet 2) is able and ready to install an alternative OS. For all intents and purposes, such a person doesn't exist. If you want a computer without Windows, order one from the factory without Windows. If there's enough demand, large manufacturers will start offering fairly priced OS-free computers again in the consumer retail environment. In the meantime, buy your system from a smaller, more cooperative OEM or build your own PC from components. But it's disingenuous to indignantly claim that "oh I had no idea when I placed my order that I was going to have to agree to an EULA on this machine laden with Windows stickers, so I want a full refund."
And bottom line, very few people care. At lesat at the consumer retail level, most people who buy a computer with Windows actually WANT a computer with Windows. See if you can get Apple to discount OSX from their macs. I know, "it's different, they're not a convicted monopolist. It's ok for them to price gouge me."