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| 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. Details on how you can prevent to pay money for non-free software licenses are not easy to find, there is no central repository to allow people gather and share their information with the process. Changing that is the purpose of this page. |
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| 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. | = Short guide = |
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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. | First of all. Please in all your e-mails and in all your phone calls be polite, calm but persistent. Understand that you might be the first one with this request and that this process takes longer and most employees in the companies might not have a clue what you are talking about. It is also likely '''that you will not get a refund''', nevertheless you help us to improve the situation in the long run. (Thanks to all the people who wrote down their experiences with Windows Tax Refund, especially [[http://www.linux.com/articles/59381|Serge Wroclawski]], [[http://gwa.tumblr.com/post/213975024/get-a-refund-for-your-microsoft-windows-license|Graeme Cobbett]], and [[http://tuxmobil.org/ms_tax.html|Werner Heuser]]). |
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| Changing that is the purpose of this section in our Fellowship page. | == Buy hardware with Free Software pre-installed or without non-free software == |
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| Please feel free to add your own experience or links to information about attempts by others! | The best situation for you as a customer is before you bought something. So buy your hardware from [[Hardware_vendors|vendors who offer computers with Free Software or which sell it without non-free Software]]. Call the vendors ''before'' you buy and explain them that you want to have a machine without the Windows license. Especially the "buisiness" machines should be possible to get if you explain the situation. (Of course it is not sure if this is just a general discount, or if they really add this as "non sold Microsoft license" on their accounts.). Only if you really have no chance to get a computer without a non-free software license you should continue. |
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| = General information = * Article about refund strategy: http://www.linux.com/articles/59381 * To prevent trouble with refund there are some tipps how to buy hardware without Microsoft Tax on [[Hardware_vendors|the hardware vendor's page]]. * Fabian Thommen ordered a Dell without XP from the very beginning (no refund necessary) http://rca.snm-hgkz.ch/blog/windows-refunds/ * Serge Wroclawski gives a counterpoint for any excuses the vendor might have http://community.linux.com/community/07/01/03/227237.shtml?tid=12 |
== Do not start Microsoft Windows == TODO == Find out which license you are dealing with == There are a lot of different Microsoft licenses out there. Find out what Microsoft license is installed on your computer (add information where to find your license information). Read the details about the Microsoft license you want to get refunded on [[http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/useterms|Microsoft's software license terms page]]. == Reject your software license == After you have read your license there should be many parts in it which you will not like. We have also [[WindowsTaxRefund/RejectedMsEulaParts|put some parts together which we would not agree]]. Do not wait too long some vendors have policies to only accept this in the first week. {{{ I do not agree to the terms of the Microsoft Windows End User License Agreement (EULA) nor ADD OTHER NON-FREE LICENSES. I have not used any of the pre-installed software, I have not opened or broken the seal on any software packet. I have deleted all preloaded or embedded software from my computer. Please inform me a) how I may promptly return the disks and other software items to you? b) How you will refund the cost of the software? I note that YOUR LICENSE retails at INSERT COSTS FOR DIFFERENT SOFTWARE, which means a total reufund of XY is due. }}} == Argue the case == Most of the answers in [[http://www.linux.com/archive/articles/59381|Serge Wroclawski's article]] should still work (MK contacted the author so we can put the answers in our wiki and update them). There you find answers on * "You can't return the operating system because the computer can't work without it." * "You didn't pay anything for Windows." * "You bought the bundle.": License is clear, cite it. It says that you may choose to not accept the license and return it to the vendor. (On the phone have the passage in front of you.) Ask how you can return the whole machine. To get that information at last. * "How about a coupon?" Say no. It is easier for them. * "You need to return the CD." That's fine. But sometimes you do not have a CD and they ask you nevertheless to send it :) == Report == Please report back to us what came out. Best is to add the information to the wiki or to [[http://fellowship.fsfe.org/contact/|send your report to us]]. It is also a good idea to forward your experiences to your local consumer protection organisation. The more they hear about it, the more likely is an action from their site. == Donate part of the refund == If you had sucess and you want others to also have sucess in future, please consider [[http://www.fsfe.org/donate/|donating to FSFE]] so we can continue to help Free Software users, or donate to another Free Software initiative. If you want to place a sticker from FSFE or another Free Software initiative, [[http://tuxmobil.org/howto_remove_microsoft_label.html|here are some tipps on how to remove the Windows sticker]]. |
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| Please provide date, kind of Microsoft License, company you bought it, ... | |
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| == France == * Detaxe.org doing work on the refund in France: The [[http://www.aful.org/|AFUL]] (Association francophone des utilisateurs de Linux) put into action a [[http://www.detaxe.org/|working group on the refund issue]]. See also [[http://www.detaxe.org/spip.php?rubrique34|specific experiences with refund]] and a [[http://forum.framasoft.org/viewtopic.php?t=20785|detailed refund procedure]]. There's also some info about [[http://jlerhun.free.fr/detaxe/index.html|refund in France concerning laptops purchased through Lidl]]. |
Below, there is a list of countries (in alphabetical order) from which we either received interesting news or reports about people trying to get reimbursement. If you want to add a report, please provide date, kind of Microsoft License, company you bought it from and other interesting information. You can also attach your correspondence to your report. |
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| == UK == * Dave Mitchell (UK) gets refund from Dell UK: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2006/110706-dell-windows.html |
* [[WindowsTaxRefund/Belgium|Belgium]] * [[WindowsTaxRefund/Austria|Austria]] * [[WindowsTaxRefund/CzechRepublic|Czech Republic]] * [[WindowsTaxRefund/Denmark|Denmark]] * [[WindowsTaxRefund/France|France]] * [[WindowsTaxRefund/Germany|Germany]] * [[WindowsTaxRefund/Ireland|Ireland]] * [[WindowsTaxRefund/Italy|Italy]] * [[WindowsTaxRefund/Portugal|Portugal]] * [[WindowsTaxRefund/Russia|Russian Federation]] * [[WindowsTaxRefund/Spain|Spain]] * [[WindowsTaxRefund/Switzerland|Switzerland]] * [[WindowsTaxRefund/Turkey|Turkey]] * [[WindowsTaxRefund/UnitedKingdom|United Kingdom]] * [[WindowsTaxRefund/OutsideEurope|Countries outside of Europe]] |
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| == United States == * Strategy for getting a refund in the US (by Steve Qualline, Linuxjournal, 2003) http://linuxjournal.com/article/7040 |
= Other ressources = |
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| == Belgium == * Refunding Windows-Tax in Belgium: [[Windows-Tax_Refund/Belgium|Experiences of people seeking their Windows-Tax-Refund in Belgium]] * Belgian attempt to get reimbursed for a Toshiba: http://wiki.open-minds.org/vente_liee:historique_remboursement_bundle_logiciel_portege_r500 == CZ == * 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 == 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 [[http://www.heise.de/newsticker/foren/S-So-gehts-bei-lenovo/forum-124511/msg-13584630/read/|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 http://hboeck.de/archives/658-Lenovo,-Linux-and-Windows-refunding.html with the same form as Matthias and Michael === Dell === * Marcus Dapp (CH) [[http://www.thealternative.ch/tiki-index.php?page=Software-Refund-en|got refund from Dell Germany]]. == Italy == * Rimborso del Sistema Operativo Microsoft Windows preinstallato. [[http://www.aduc.it/dyn/rimborsowindows/|(le iniziative giudiziarie dell'ADUC)]] * Rimborso per Windows: funziona anche in Italia [[http://www.attivissimo.net/rimborso_windows/istruzioni.htm|(a cura di Paolo Attivissimo)]] * [[http://www.linuxsi.com/|LinuxSi]] |
* [[http://www.racketware.info/index|Racketware]] also collected refund cases. They also launched a new campaign aiming at students whose university has a deal with Microsoft: [[http://www.racketware.info/msdnaa/call-on-students|My University offers me my Microsoft Windows license Worldwide Campaign]] |
Contents
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. Details on how you can prevent to pay money for non-free software licenses are not easy to find, there is no central repository to allow people gather and share their information with the process. Changing that is the purpose of this page.
Short guide
First of all. Please in all your e-mails and in all your phone calls be polite, calm but persistent. Understand that you might be the first one with this request and that this process takes longer and most employees in the companies might not have a clue what you are talking about. It is also likely that you will not get a refund, nevertheless you help us to improve the situation in the long run. (Thanks to all the people who wrote down their experiences with Windows Tax Refund, especially Serge Wroclawski, Graeme Cobbett, and Werner Heuser).
Buy hardware with Free Software pre-installed or without non-free software
The best situation for you as a customer is before you bought something. So buy your hardware from vendors who offer computers with Free Software or which sell it without non-free Software. Call the vendors before you buy and explain them that you want to have a machine without the Windows license. Especially the "buisiness" machines should be possible to get if you explain the situation. (Of course it is not sure if this is just a general discount, or if they really add this as "non sold Microsoft license" on their accounts.). Only if you really have no chance to get a computer without a non-free software license you should continue.
Do not start Microsoft Windows
TODO
Find out which license you are dealing with
There are a lot of different Microsoft licenses out there. Find out what Microsoft license is installed on your computer (add information where to find your license information). Read the details about the Microsoft license you want to get refunded on Microsoft's software license terms page.
Reject your software license
After you have read your license there should be many parts in it which you will not like. We have also put some parts together which we would not agree. Do not wait too long some vendors have policies to only accept this in the first week.
I do not agree to the terms of the Microsoft Windows End User License Agreement (EULA) nor ADD OTHER NON-FREE LICENSES. I have not used any of the pre-installed software, I have not opened or broken the seal on any software packet. I have deleted all preloaded or embedded software from my computer. Please inform me a) how I may promptly return the disks and other software items to you? b) How you will refund the cost of the software? I note that YOUR LICENSE retails at INSERT COSTS FOR DIFFERENT SOFTWARE, which means a total reufund of XY is due.
Argue the case
Most of the answers in Serge Wroclawski's article should still work (MK contacted the author so we can put the answers in our wiki and update them). There you find answers on
- "You can't return the operating system because the computer can't work without it."
- "You didn't pay anything for Windows."
- "You bought the bundle.": License is clear, cite it. It says that you may choose to not accept the license and return it to the vendor. (On the phone have the passage in front of you.) Ask how you can return the whole machine. To get that information at last.
- "How about a coupon?" Say no. It is easier for them.
"You need to return the CD." That's fine. But sometimes you do not have a CD and they ask you nevertheless to send it
Report
Please report back to us what came out. Best is to add the information to the wiki or to send your report to us. It is also a good idea to forward your experiences to your local consumer protection organisation. The more they hear about it, the more likely is an action from their site.
Donate part of the refund
If you had sucess and you want others to also have sucess in future, please consider donating to FSFE so we can continue to help Free Software users, or donate to another Free Software initiative. If you want to place a sticker from FSFE or another Free Software initiative, here are some tipps on how to remove the Windows sticker.
Information for specific countries
Below, there is a list of countries (in alphabetical order) from which we either received interesting news or reports about people trying to get reimbursement. If you want to add a report, please provide date, kind of Microsoft License, company you bought it from and other interesting information. You can also attach your correspondence to your report.
Other ressources
Racketware also collected refund cases. They also launched a new campaign aiming at students whose university has a deal with Microsoft: My University offers me my Microsoft Windows license Worldwide Campaign