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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. |
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| * [[http://www.linux.com/articles/59381|Article about refund strategy]] | * [[http://www.linux.com/articles/59381|Article by Serge Wroclawski (January 2007) about refund strategy]] |
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| = Denmark = * Poul-Henning Kamp, FreeBSD developer, sues Lenovo [[http://www.linuxtoday.com/developer/2009081400635NWMSLL | Linuxtoday (English)]], [[http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Klage-gegen-Lenovo-wegen-Microsoft-Steuer--/meldung/143530| Heise (German)]] |
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| = Ireland = == Acer == * 2009-08-10: Danny Riordan recieved a [[Windows-Tax_Refund/Ireland-Acer| refund claim form]]. (Need to send Computer to Acer Repair Center on own expense, refund in British Pounds.) |
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| == Australia == * ''[[http://www.muftor.com/blog/?p=12|Windows Vista refund or credit?]]'' (Australia) |
== Australia == * ''[[http://www.muftor.com/blog/?p=12|Windows Vista refund or credit?]]'' (Australia) |
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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. 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.
- General information
Article by Serge Wroclawski (January 2007) about refund strategy
Refund cases are also collected at http://www.racketware.info/index
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
Read the details about your license on Microsoft's software license terms page. Information for specific countries
Please provide date, kind of Microsoft License, company you bought it, ...
Belgium
Refunding Windows-Tax in Belgium: Experiences of people seeking their Windows-Tax-Refund in Belgium
CZ
Denmark
Poul-Henning Kamp, FreeBSD developer, sues Lenovo Linuxtoday (English), Heise (German)
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.
Germany
We are currently gathering information. Please add information here or write an e-mail to germany@fsfeurope.org .
Dell
Marcus Dapp (CH) got refund from Dell Germany.(Link not working, contacted Markus Dapp -- mk 2008-10-25 11:40:20)
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
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)
Portugal
http://nao.quero.imposto.ms (please add decription, summary)
Russia
http://www.fas.gov.ru/english/news/n_25502.shtml Russian anti monopoly agency demands easy tax refund procedures
Spain
http://devolucion.org (please add description, summary)
Switzerland
The wiki's refund project from swisslinux.org (French) wiki.swisslinux.org/fr/association/projets/detaxe
20090318: HP refunds 520$ for unused software (short article on linux-community.de about it in German)
UK
Outside Europe
Australia
Windows Vista refund or credit? (Australia)
United States
Strategy for getting a refund in the US (by Steve Qualline, Linuxjournal, 2003)