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| * Dave Mitchell (UK) gets refund from Dell UK: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2006/110706-dell-windows.html | * [[http://www.networkworld.com/news/2006/110706-dell-windows.html|Dave Mitchell (UK) gets refund from Dell UK]] |
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| * Strategy for getting a refund in the US (by Steve Qualline, Linuxjournal, 2003) http://linuxjournal.com/article/7040 | * [[http://linuxjournal.com/article/7040|Strategy for getting a refund in the US]] (by Steve Qualline, Linuxjournal, 2003) |
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| * Belgian attempt to get reimbursed for a Toshiba: http://wiki.open-minds.org/vente_liee:historique_remboursement_bundle_logiciel_portege_r500 | * [[http://wiki.open-minds.org/vente_liee:historique_remboursement_bundle_logiciel_portege_r500|Belgian attempt to get reimbursed for a Toshiba]] |
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| * CZ: Lenovo fails to silence GNU/Linux user on Windows refund: http://osor.eu/news/cz-lenovo-fails-to-silence-gnu-linux-user-on-windows-refund | * [[http://osor.eu/news/cz-lenovo-fails-to-silence-gnu-linux-user-on-windows-refund|Lenovo fails to silence GNU/Linux user on Windows refund]] |
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| * 2008-10-?: Hanno Böck failed with a Microsoft Vista refund http://hboeck.de/archives/658-Lenovo,-Linux-and-Windows-refunding.html with the same form as Matthias and Michael | * 2008-10-?: [[http://hboeck.de/archives/658-Lenovo,-Linux-and-Windows-refunding.html|Hanno Böck failed with a Microsoft Vista refund]] with the same form as Michael, Björn, and Matthias. |
Contents
A knowledge and experience repository on how to reclaim your "Windows Tax"
The "Windows Tax" has artificially increased hardware prices for users of GNU/Linux by a mandatory payment to Microsoft even though no Microsoft software is being used on these machines. The reason: Almost any computer and laptop is bundled with a Microsoft Windows licence. Most vendors will not sell computers without it because apparently their terms with Microsoft do not allow it.
The only way to counteract that "Windows Tax" on PCs and laptops is to ask for a refund, but details on this process are not easy to find, and there is no central repository to allow people gather and share their information with the process.
Changing that is the purpose of this section in our Fellowship page.
Please feel free to add your own experience or links to information about attempts by others!
General information
To prevent trouble with refund there are some tipps how to buy hardware without Microsoft Tax on the hardware vendor's page.
Fabian Thommen ordered a Dell without XP from the very beginning (no refund necessary). His report can be found here
Serge Wroclawski gives a counterpoint for any excuses the vendor might have
Information for specific countries
Please provide date, kind of Microsoft License, company you bought it, ...
France
Detaxe.org doing work on the refund in France: The AFUL (Association francophone des utilisateurs de Linux) put into action a working group on the refund issue. See also specific experiences with refund and a detailed refund procedure. There's also some info about refund in France concerning laptops purchased through Lidl.
UK
United States
Strategy for getting a refund in the US (by Steve Qualline, Linuxjournal, 2003)
Belgium
Refunding Windows-Tax in Belgium: Experiences of people seeking their Windows-Tax-Refund in Belgium
CZ
Germany
We are currently gathering information. Please add information here or write an e-mail to germany@fsfeurope.org .
Lenovo
2007-?: Michael Voigt reports a successful refund in Germany. The refund is 30€ and this forum entry describes how to handle the IBM/Lenovo refund procedure (german only).
- 2008-08-17: Matthias Kirschner got 30 EUR with the same form as discribed in Michael Voigt's refund for a Microsoft Vista License
- 2008-09-18: Björn Schießle failed with a Microsoft Vista refund and get the same response from Lenovo as Hanno Böck
2008-10-?: Hanno Böck failed with a Microsoft Vista refund with the same form as Michael, Björn, and Matthias.
Dell
Marcus Dapp (CH) got refund from Dell Germany.
Italy
Rimborso del Sistema Operativo Microsoft Windows preinstallato. (le iniziative giudiziarie dell'ADUC)
Rimborso per Windows: funziona anche in Italia (a cura di Paolo Attivissimo)
paolo del bene's blog entry about refund. (Has to be reviewed.)
Spain
http://devolucion.org (please add description, summary)
Portugal
http://nao.quero.imposto.ms (please add decription, summary)
Else
Site gathering interesting info (in catalan)