Diff for "Activities/WindowsTaxRefund"

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A knowledge and experience repository on how to reclaim your "Windows Tax".
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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!
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 page.

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 page.

Please provide date, kind of Microsoft License, company you bought it, ...

Belgium

CZ

Denmark

France

Germany

We are currently gathering information. Please add information here or write an e-mail to germany@fsfeurope.org .

Dell

Lenovo

  • 2007-?: Michael Voigt reports a successful refund in Germany. The refund is 30€ and this mailing list posting describes the 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.

Ireland

Acer

  • 2009-08-10: Danny Riordan recieved a refund claim form. (Need to send Computer to Acer Repair Center on own expense, refund in British Pounds.)

Italy

Portugal

Russia

Spain

Switzerland

UK

Outside Europe

Australia

United States

Unsorted

Activities/WindowsTaxRefund (last edited 2021-09-09 18:50:34 by bittner)