|
Size: 5283
Comment: added better source for Israel case
|
Size: 5426
Comment: Add switzerland link
|
| Deletions are marked like this. | Additions are marked like this. |
| Line 13: | Line 13: |
| = General information = | General information |
| Line 17: | Line 17: |
| * Serge Wroclawski gives a [[http://community.linux.com/community/07/01/03/227237.shtml?tid=12|counterpoint for any excuses]] the vendor might have | * Serge Wroclawski gives a [[http://community.linux.com/community/07/01/03/227237.shtml?tid=12|counterpoint for any excuses]] the vendor might have |
| Line 19: | Line 19: |
= Information for specific countries = |
Information for specific countries |
| Line 23: | Line 22: |
| == France == | = France = |
| Line 26: | Line 25: |
| == UK == | = UK = |
| Line 29: | Line 28: |
| == United States == * [[http://linuxjournal.com/article/7040|Strategy for getting a refund in the US]] (by Steve Qualline, Linuxjournal, 2003) |
= United States = * [[http://linuxjournal.com/article/7040|Strategy for getting a refund in the US]] (by Steve Qualline, Linuxjournal, 2003) |
| Line 32: | Line 31: |
| == Belgium == | = Belgium = |
| Line 36: | Line 35: |
| == CZ == | = CZ = |
| Line 39: | Line 38: |
| == Germany == | = Germany = |
| Line 42: | Line 41: |
| === Lenovo === | == Lenovo == |
| Line 48: | Line 47: |
| === Dell === | == Dell == |
| Line 51: | Line 50: |
| == Italy == | = Italy = |
| Line 56: | Line 55: |
| * [[http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/10/29/hp_windows_xp_preinstalled_software/|Italian court rules against HP on pre-installed Windows]], [[http://www.aduc.it/dyn/documenti/allegati/sentenza_hp.pdf| court ruling in italian]] (pdf) | * [[http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/10/29/hp_windows_xp_preinstalled_software/|Italian court rules against HP on pre-installed Windows]], [[http://www.aduc.it/dyn/documenti/allegati/sentenza_hp.pdf|court ruling in italian]] (pdf) |
| Line 58: | Line 57: |
| == Spain == | = Spain = * http://devolucion.org (please add description, summary) |
| Line 60: | Line 60: |
| * http://devolucion.org (please add description, summary) == Portugal == |
= Portugal = |
| Line 66: | Line 63: |
| == Else == |
= Switzerland = * The wiki's refund project from swisslinux.org (French) [[http://wiki.swisslinux.org/fr/association/projets/detaxe|wiki.swisslinux.org/fr/association/projets/detaxe]] = Else = |
| Line 69: | Line 67: |
| * [[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/04/dell_windows_eula_israel/|Israeli Linux fan squeezes Windows refund out of Dell]] ([[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3632861,00.html| more detailed original source from ynetnews.com]]) | * [[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/04/dell_windows_eula_israel/|Israeli Linux fan squeezes Windows refund out of Dell]] ([[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3632861,00.html|more detailed original source from ynetnews.com]]) |
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
Racketiciel.info 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 a detailed refund procedure guide, a summary of requests and a list of similar actions worldwide. 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.(Link not working, contacted Markus Dapp -- mk 2008-10-25 11:40:20)
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.)
Italian court rules against HP on pre-installed Windows, court ruling in italian (pdf)
Spain
http://devolucion.org (please add description, summary)
Portugal
http://nao.quero.imposto.ms (please add decription, summary)
Switzerland
The wiki's refund project from swisslinux.org (French) wiki.swisslinux.org/fr/association/projets/detaxe