Complaint Review: Microsoft Corporation - Redmond Washington

Linux is a Free, user friendly (especially Ubuntu) OS that doesn't require a Product Licensing Key and is downloadable online. just got to google and search Ubuntu , or PCLINUXOS

I hate to say it but you did this to yourself. Microsoft has never allowed standard consumer full package product versions of Windows to be downloaded from a website. And if something is a volume license and available for download from a website then you must have the credentials and license keys provided by Microsoft in order to use the product. Despite what you think they should be doing or how they should be acting; Microsoft is very careful about their actions and offers in the consumer space. They would not want another EU lawsuit on their hands. To be on the safe side you should never download a copy of Windows XP home, pro or any version of Vista. There's no telling what could be embedded in the code.

Check some of the ROR here. You'll see that I'm a self-employed computer consultant. I am somewhat familiar with some of the procedures MS uses for licensing XP Pro. I have "downgraded" numerous laptops and desktops for my enterprise customers in the manufacturing industry. Several of my clients purchased new laptops with VISTA installed, and at that time, many industrial programs used to communicate with the various manufacturing machines, such as RSLogix, were not compatible with Vista so the laptops had to have XP PRO installed. The vendor who sold you this troubled license key should have no trouble convincing MS to replace your "troubled" key with a key MS will support. That's assuming, of course, that they sold you a VALID license key that THEY were authorized to sell to YOU. This is a key issue (pun intended.) If I were to sell you (joe private person)a license key that is for ABC Manufacturing, there is a very good chance that at some later point in time, MS is going to catch it and STOP PROVIDING YOU WITH SUPPORT BECAUSE YOUR LICENSE IS BOGUS-it isn't for you and should have never been sold to you. You continue to refuse to identity the vendor. Where is your ripoff report for the vendor who sold you this "troubled" license key? You claim the vendor is still in business selling MS products. One would think that you would wish to alert the world to this vendor, who for whatever reason, is not resolving your license key issue for you. I don't need a "bulb moment" to comprehend your issues and the other readers here don't either.

Check some of the ROR here. You'll see that I'm a self-employed computer consultant. I am somewhat familiar with some of the procedures MS uses for licensing XP Pro. I have "downgraded" numerous laptops and desktops for my enterprise customers in the manufacturing industry. Several of my clients purchased new laptops with VISTA installed, and at that time, many industrial programs used to communicate with the various manufacturing machines, such as RSLogix, were not compatible with Vista so the laptops had to have XP PRO installed. The vendor who sold you this troubled license key should have no trouble convincing MS to replace your "troubled" key with a key MS will support. That's assuming, of course, that they sold you a VALID license key that THEY were authorized to sell to YOU. This is a key issue (pun intended.) If I were to sell you (joe private person)a license key that is for ABC Manufacturing, there is a very good chance that at some later point in time, MS is going to catch it and STOP PROVIDING YOU WITH SUPPORT BECAUSE YOUR LICENSE IS BOGUS-it isn't for you and should have never been sold to you. You continue to refuse to identity the vendor. Where is your ripoff report for the vendor who sold you this "troubled" license key? You claim the vendor is still in business selling MS products. One would think that you would wish to alert the world to this vendor, who for whatever reason, is not resolving your license key issue for you. I don't need a "bulb moment" to comprehend your issues and the other readers here don't either.

Check some of the ROR here. You'll see that I'm a self-employed computer consultant. I am somewhat familiar with some of the procedures MS uses for licensing XP Pro. I have "downgraded" numerous laptops and desktops for my enterprise customers in the manufacturing industry. Several of my clients purchased new laptops with VISTA installed, and at that time, many industrial programs used to communicate with the various manufacturing machines, such as RSLogix, were not compatible with Vista so the laptops had to have XP PRO installed. The vendor who sold you this troubled license key should have no trouble convincing MS to replace your "troubled" key with a key MS will support. That's assuming, of course, that they sold you a VALID license key that THEY were authorized to sell to YOU. This is a key issue (pun intended.) If I were to sell you (joe private person)a license key that is for ABC Manufacturing, there is a very good chance that at some later point in time, MS is going to catch it and STOP PROVIDING YOU WITH SUPPORT BECAUSE YOUR LICENSE IS BOGUS-it isn't for you and should have never been sold to you. You continue to refuse to identity the vendor. Where is your ripoff report for the vendor who sold you this "troubled" license key? You claim the vendor is still in business selling MS products. One would think that you would wish to alert the world to this vendor, who for whatever reason, is not resolving your license key issue for you. I don't need a "bulb moment" to comprehend your issues and the other readers here don't either.

Check some of the ROR here. You'll see that I'm a self-employed computer consultant. I am somewhat familiar with some of the procedures MS uses for licensing XP Pro. I have "downgraded" numerous laptops and desktops for my enterprise customers in the manufacturing industry. Several of my clients purchased new laptops with VISTA installed, and at that time, many industrial programs used to communicate with the various manufacturing machines, such as RSLogix, were not compatible with Vista so the laptops had to have XP PRO installed. The vendor who sold you this troubled license key should have no trouble convincing MS to replace your "troubled" key with a key MS will support. That's assuming, of course, that they sold you a VALID license key that THEY were authorized to sell to YOU. This is a key issue (pun intended.) If I were to sell you (joe private person)a license key that is for ABC Manufacturing, there is a very good chance that at some later point in time, MS is going to catch it and STOP PROVIDING YOU WITH SUPPORT BECAUSE YOUR LICENSE IS BOGUS-it isn't for you and should have never been sold to you. You continue to refuse to identity the vendor. Where is your ripoff report for the vendor who sold you this "troubled" license key? You claim the vendor is still in business selling MS products. One would think that you would wish to alert the world to this vendor, who for whatever reason, is not resolving your license key issue for you. I don't need a "bulb moment" to comprehend your issues and the other readers here don't either.

You still don't get it, do you Robert. I'll not be responding to you again. A waste of time. This report is about "Microsoft". It is not about the internet software retailer. This report is about the problems at "Microsoft". Let's put this another way so you fully understand, and your problem with my report is placed squarely at the feet of "Microsoft". I discovered the software retailer was still providing windows. I informed Microsoft. I think I sent them proof. Microsoft already knew about this retailer years ago. Microsoft knows but the software still flows. Microsoft, you name the internet software vendor here on this Ripoff Report. With that sentence in place, it really emphasizes the content of my Ripoff Report. If you don't understand the Ripoff Report, please read it again until you do. Until you have a light bulb moment. Again, my problem is with Microsoft and that is why there is a Microsoft Ripoff Report. Any complaints about the software vendor will be at their page or a BBB page and will be specifically about them to focus on their problem only.

Based on your continued refusal to identify the merchant (alleged certified Microsoft partner) that sold you this "troubled" license, I have to conclude that this report is as bogus as the "license key" you purchased. Identify this alleged "certified Microsoft partner." I can think of only ONE reason for you to refuse to identify the merchant-this report is bogus. ""It amazes me there are so many willing to be ripped off by a MICROSOFT CERTIFIED partner. Are we supposed to buy software from the MICROSOFT WE HAVE AN OFFICE NEXT DOOR TO THEM AND WATCH THEM SO YOU'RE SAFE partner, if MICROSOFT CERTIFIED isn't good enough.""

It amazes me there are so many willing to be ripped off by a MICROSOFT CERTIFIED partner. Are we supposed to buy software from the MICROSOFT WE HAVE AN OFFICE NEXT DOOR TO THEM AND WATCH THEM SO YOU'RE SAFE partner, if MICROSOFT CERTIFIED isn't good enough.

You can BUY pirated software, it happens all the time. What more than likely happened is a company bought a no (or high) limit volume corporation license that was NOT made for resale and then they resold them, which was why they offered it by download only instead of offering a CD. So, name the company you bought it from, and say how much you paid. Either you were scammed and Microsoft owes you nothing, or you knew it was illegal and you are trying to get something for cheap/free.

Your problem is with the company who sold you the software, not with Microsoft. You are not a customer of Microsoft. Microsoft already conducted their business -- with that company, not with you. That other company is the customer of Microsoft. Microsoft is probably doing what they can to go after that company. Part of stopping the problem is disabling the counterfeit copies the company sold. Another part is invalidating that company's volume license. You're doing the equivalent of complaining to Boeing when an airline company loses your luggage. Sure, you rode in a jet made by Boeing, but your problem is with the airline, not with Boeing. That's what everyone keeps telling you, but you stubbornly refuse to understand this. And inexplicably, you refuse to even divulge the name of the company that REALLY ripped you off, so there's nothing anyone here can do to help, except keep repeating that until you understand it.

WHY do you continue to refuse to identify the merchant that you purchased the license key from? Identifying this merchant will help prevent some other consumer from experiencing the same difficulty you are having with a bogus license. The merchant that sold you this license is someone folks should stay away from, yet you don't seem to want to identify the merchant for some reason. I have explained that it takes TIME for MS to track down all the bogus licenses being sold and take action against the merchants who sell them. Kindly post the URL of the website and the merchant info that appeared on your credit card/bank card statement. Also include the amount you paid for the license. Your continued refusal to identify the merchant that sold you this bogus license convinces me that you knew or suspected that you were purchasing a bogus license. Your gripe is with the merchant, not with Microsoft.

Many of these suggestion comments are a waste of effort that have clearly not understood the text written. John's comment is a complete waste of Ripoff Report text and must be removed (I wrote that I purchased it). Has John learned to read yet? He should really be banned for stupidity. John Califon, New Jersey U.S.A. That's if it was actually, really 'bought'

Which I doubt as there are many torrents offering software for free and I guess torrents are all the rage. He has to use the excuse that he 'bought' it for anyone to even begin to listen to him. You are just taking a chance that it will work.

I finally found one of the articles I had read about bogus licenses in WNY. It took 3 years to investigate and then SUE the bums in district court. These types of outfits hurt the consumer and other legitimate businesses (such as myself) when they sell bogus software licenses. The outfit that was sued here was Black Cat Computer Wholesaler of Amherst. I remember this case well because I warned many of my co-workers (worked at an autoplant at the time-2000) who were buying computers from these bozos that something wasn't right-the MS software they were getting was WAY to cheap to be legitimate. You can read one of the articles at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2000/Mar00/NYpr.mspx Since you seem unwilling to identify the website and the merchant that sold you this bogus license, I must assume that you knew or suspected that you were purchasing the license under shady circumstances at best. As the saying goes: ""If it seems to good to be true, it probably is."" I don't see any ripoff by MS. Seems to me you should be shouting RIPOFF against the merchant who SOLD you the software license.

that sold you this software license please. I'm a computer consultant and I KNOW that it can sometimes take a year or 3 to track down bogus software licenses. There was a small PC builder/seller in Amherst some years back that was building computers and selling them dirt cheap with Windows installed. It took about three years before MS SUED them in District Court for copyright infringment. The outfit was selling BOGUS OEM licenses to their PC customers. At first, MS provided ugrades to these purchasers but the problem was brought to a head when MS finally REFUSED to provide upgrades/support to the folks who purchased PCs from these bozos. The outfit was shut down - when bankrupt because they couldn't pay ordered restitution to MS or pay the heavy fines imposed by the court. I believe the name of the outfit was Black Cat Computers. There was an article in the Buffalo News about it when the owner was arrested and his business shut. My point to you is that even though MS was providing you with upgrades doesn't mean that the license you pruchased was legitimate-it takes time to track down all the BOGUS operations selling MS software all over the planet. So, I'm asking again for you to identify the website (URL) and the business (name of business that appeared on your CC/debit card) that sold you this license, which now MS is claiming is bogus. I'd like to check into the vendor who sold this to you.

Boys and Girls, be calm. Read the Ripoff Report and understand it properly before posting. Also expect that a store that does this does already or will have it's own page at Ripoff Report. Thank you.

Boys and Girls, be calm. Read the Ripoff Report and understand it properly before posting. Also expect that a store that does this does already or will have it's own page at Ripoff Report. Thank you.

As with another poster here I am strangely curious as to why you have not yet named, or provided any information on this "other" company that you purchased the software from. It's just hysterical that you are making it a personal vendetta against Microsoft, because you purchased illegal software. If you were to purchase say a stolen car unknown to you that is was stolen. You may avoid citation or arrest, but that doesn't mean you get to keep the car. Nor does that mean you go after the manufacture of the car company for compensation. The sheer though is ludicrous. This is simply another case of a person taking advantage of the fact that Microsoft is a large company. If the person complains enough they will get whatever they want. I find it sad that grown adults cannot act any better than two year olds. You should be going after the company that sold you the product, because it was an invalid purchase from the get go. Again, you don't go after the manufacture of a product if the vendor is selling wrongfully appropriated or stolen property.

BAD website where you purchased this Windows XP Pro under a clouded volume license. I don't understand why you don't identify the retailer who sold you this now bogus license.

I was pleased to finally, after all this time and the above posts, to receive a response from someone that seems closer to the type of person I would have expected to be working hard on the problem from the very start. Unfortunately by the time of their response I have been tied up for a few days, which I have wanted to post here on Ripoff Report, so Microsoft isn't accountable for those few days delay. Unfortunately (again), during this delay I sent brief replies and I received increasing intensity replies which I didn't like considering what had happened recently and prior to this. Possibly we're both reading the wrong things into the e-mail text, which is often one of the hazzards with e-mail communications (but it's still the best). I'll make it clear. I am still pleased to be working with a person that seems closer to the type of person I would have expected to be working hard on the problem from the very start, even though there are issues with the responses that I list below: 1/ You did not answer my questions, but I'll provide what I think are your answers based on your reply: Don't you think this issue should be addressed by an actual Microsoft employee. NO. I don't want there to be any chance of Microsoft being able to say "Oh well, the person that addressed this was not a Microsoft employee". I AM AUTHORIZED TO DO ANYTHING A MICROSOFT EMPLOYEE CAN DO FOR A CUSTOMER. Does Microsoft not have their own support employees, and could you move this issue over to one of their high level support people? UNANSWERED (AND UNKNOWN) AND NO. I think it is in Microsoft and my interest to have this issue addressed by Microsoft itself. I DON'T THINK IT IS IN MICROSOFT'S INTEREST. 2/ Quotes "Microsoft has provided you with a speedy response to your complaint" "Microsoft has done its due diligence". Microsoft has been abysmal, and had an absolutely terrible response time to my complaint until you finally arrived on the scene. I did pick up on your increasing comments related to my being unable to respond to you which I didn't like, as I'd just had nearly 2 weeks of abysmal service and long waits (of many days) from MIcrosoft in addition to all the phone calls to MS and the Certified partner (and the continuing problem). I do hope you aren't trying to turn this delay on the customer, as there is only one of me, but there were thousands of Microsoft Customer Service contractors during that nearly 2 weeks of abysmal Microsoft customer service, and I was waiting and completely ready and available during that 2 week period. If you really beleive your quote "Microsoft has provided you with a speedy response to your complaint", and can't see that it actually provided an abysmal response, we do need to move the issue sideways (or above) to someone that does. Quote "if you remain unwilling to work with me". Did I say that? All I'm suggesting is to work with an actual Microsoft employee if one exists. I'm sure if you had a company and something very important to your company came up, you would want your external contractor to handle it? Not! I think most companies would want it handled by their own employees.

I wonder if I'd get this slow/bad a customer service with Linux? I suppose I will never know, as I wouldn't have this problem if I were on a Linux platform. I could run the operating system for free if I ran an open version. Maybe I will know if they rip me off and tell me to keep running the operating system in this crippled mode switching state. Having paid for XP Home for this machine, then paying for a full blown XP Pro to overwrite it, and ending up with a crippled mode switching OS isn't good. Then being told to buy another XP Pro? I'd like to move away from any chance of that happening to me ever again. One of the Linux's might be the way out. I've tried Ubuntu Linux and SUSE. I wonder if Microsoft is working from the point of view that correcting this licence issue (especially in the way they have handled it up to now) repays me for all the trouble I listed in the ripoff report?

I quizzed customer service a little more about the poeple handling the Ripoff Report. Kripesh said: First, let me assure you that your issue is being handled by the appropriate team at the required level and is given top priority. Please note that the team handling the issue would contact you regarding the issue. Also, I am a Customer Service Representative for Microsoft, but not employed directly. If I was the owner of this company, I would insist that anyone contacting corporate with a Ripoff Reports (or its imitators) should be immediately handed to skilled Microsoft employed staff. I'll have to ask if the Team is employed by Microsoft. Yawn!!! It's been 12 or more days. Don't count on Microsoft for rapid assistance...

I've received a few replies since my last Ripoff Report update. I initially sent the following to Microsoft: I asked for Microsoft to resolve a problem I have a week ago. I received poor customer service. I asked for much better. I received another customer service rep that clearly doesn't understand the whole problem for me or Microsoft. I want the problem escalated, but not to the next level up, I mean to the top, someone that WILL comprehend the problem and have the capability to solve any problem provided to them. I also want someone that fully understands what Ripoffreport.com is about. My current case number is: NUMBER1 Please fully read and understand the ripoff report and the current status. I've just updated my ripoff report: and I provided the link.... Then I received the following: Thank you for contacting Microsoft Customer Service again. I apologize for the delay and inconvenience caused to you. Please contact Microsoft Support Professional Tanya at: somee-mailaddr.microsoft.com for assistance as she has taken the ownership of your issue. I hope you will receive the information you need at the earliest. If you have further questions, please do contact us. Thank you, Praveen Microsoft Customer Service Representative Tanya, my initial customer service rep also contacted me. I replied and indicated I needed better help than the help I'm currently receiving from from Corporate. Then I receive another e-mail: Thank you for contacting Microsoft Customer Service. I appreciate you for writing back to us. I am currently working with my colleagues to resolve your issue. Typically, we hear from them in 24 to 72 hours, depending on the complexity of the issue. If you have not received a reply within 3 business days please respond back to this email for follow-up. I appreciate your patience. Thank you, Kripesh Microsoft Customer Service Representative I replied to this e-mail confirming his role: Dear Kripesh, So you are the lead customer service rep at Microsoft. You know all about ripoff report and what it means, and you are representing Microsoft on it. You represent Microsoft at the highest level. I'm glad to be working with you. I hope you solve my problem in the next day or 2. Thanks for your help.

I'm getting some amazing (not in the good sense) Microsoft customer service, so let's briefly review why I wrote the ripoff report. I have a Microsoft Windows XP license that worked fine for years, then around a year ago the operating system started to produce messages indicating this may be counterfeit software. I contacted Microsoft who told me the license was valid. I tried several times, as the messages were still appearing, but each time they told me it was valid. I tried another Microsoft Dept and finally found out it was a volume license issue and the only ones who could help were the people I purchased it from. I tried to resolve the problem through them, a Microsoft Certified Partner, but they are now not providing good enough reliable support to risk fixing the system. Although they still promote they are Microsoft's Certified Partner, they appear to no longer sell their software. I eventually got to the point where I needed to receive the value of the Microsoft updates I'd paid for but was being denied by Microsoft, so I wrote a ripoff report to resolve the big problem. During this time I looked into the other piece of software I purchased from Microsoft's Certified Partner, and I discovered I was sold an invalid serial number / key. I contacted this Microsoft rival company and they solved the problem in 24 hours with no pushing or ripoff reports. My ripoff report outlines my losses, but it also outlines the more major issue that needs to be addressed. Microsoft fixing the problem, skillfully and carefully, and converting it so I can trust it and rely on it. My Ripoff Report was received by a general inquiries person who didn't bother with the contents, and sent me a response telling me to do what I had already wasted days on. I responded, asking for someone that can process the problem. I am currently working with someone else. I don't feel like the rep knows what Ripoff Report is or what it represents. I don't think the rep is working at this problem from the same angle that I am. I came here after a year of frustration with the problem, with Microsoft and with the Microsoft Certified Partner. I came here for Microsoft to instantly fix the problem. I wanted Microsoft to work on any time consuming work this problem might invlove, not me again. The replies have been very slow. Questions are ignored. Some things make little sense. The current rep asked me to go through the running of various Microsoft Genuine software diagnostic routines. The Ripoff Report had outlined that I had gone to a lot of trouble to find out what the problem was. I didn't want to re-diagnose what the problem was. I humor them and go through the long list of instructions, hoping the next step would be problem gone. One step had me download diagnosis software and running it. It downloaded but it wouldn't run, I received a MGAdiag.exe is not a valid Win32 application message. I let Microsoft know it failed (and failed to provide the information they so badly needed) and asked what the software was that I downloaded. Now comes the amazing part. She finally tells me what I had already written in the Ripoff Report and what I'd already discovered from Microsoft a year ago. The license has been blocked by Microsoft (at least I'm back to where I was!). She also totally ignored the fact the diagnosis program failed and ignored my questions regarding it. Se suggests 2 options. And here is the amazing line of it: Option 1 Contact the Microsoft Certified Partner website, and let them help to change the key, if they can't do that, we can do No.2 option. I'm not going to write the other option. Let's look at this amazing line. They've been trying to solve this for more than a week. They know I've gone to a lot of trouble to discover the problem and have had to waste more time repeating the diagnosis. They know they have blocked their currently existing Microsoft Certified Partner's Win XP Key/serial no. I have noticed the Microsoft Certified Partner doesn't seem to be selling Microsoft Windows software anymore. They know I have no reliable form of contact that with their Microsoft Certified Partner that I can trust. They know I purchased another manufacturer's piece of software from their Microsoft Certified Partner and the manufacturer instantly told me the software/key was invalid. I'd been ripped off by their Microsoft Certified Partner. Let's look at that again. Everything indicates Microsoft didn't trust the Microsoft Certified Partner and pulled the plug on the Microsoft Certified Partner's Win XP Key/serial no, and also most likely stopped the Microsoft Certified Partner from selling Microsoft software for some reason. And let's look at it once more with regard to the Option 1 presented by Microsoft customer service. For a customer who brought a Microsoft Windows XP Pro (what the customer truly understood to be Genuine, and from a Microsoft Certified Partner) problem to Microsoft, Microsoft suggests using what looks to be a Microsoft Certified Software Pirate/Counterfeiter to resolve the problem. Read that again if you didn't quite get it. Amazing. I will contact them again for much better help.

I checked the other piece of software I purchased from the retail software company that I purchased Windows XP Pro from. This package is made by one of the other large software companies (their first letter is in the last third of the alphabet) and this software cost (and still costs) substantially more than Windows XP / Vista. This serial number turned out to be invalid too. They said call the Sales department. I called and they asked me to e-mail my sales receipt. I did and added a little note that I was hoping to resolve it before the weekend, as they had originally suggested it might take a day or 2. This other large software company went out of their way to resolve the problem. They sped up the resolution to match my time requirement and did it all for no charge. They understood that it was not just the customer that was being ripped off, but it was themselves too and they prefer the customer having what they intended to have from their purchase. They also want customers continuing to use their software (for years to come). This other software company resolved the problem from start to finish with no pushing or ripoff reports or the like, within a day. I almost want to produce a positive ripoff report for them, but I think it's best if a company name doesn't appear on rippoff report. I've just searched, and they're not on the system. I understand why. In the process of checking the receipt I clicked on the link that took me to the web page of the baaaaaad software retailer I purchased the software from. They still promote their BBB reliability, various shopping site and financial company certifications along with what I described in my earlier description, Microsoft Cetified. I didn't describe it well enough, as it isn't just Microsoft Certified, it lists MICROSOFT CERTIFIED PARTNER. So I have received this year of treatment from the partner of the baaaaad online retail software company. Mcrosoft's Status: I received another reply from MS. It said it was NAME again. I had received no initial contact from the person called NAME, so why they said AGAIN I have no idea. Their message left me with a puzzle as to whether they had closed the whole case, or if they are still working on it, or if they had already sent a message I didn't receive. I replied asking these questions and for a resolution time estimate if possible.

I'd explained everything in the ripoffreport I sent to Microsoft. I receive a response. Thank you for contacting Microsoft Customer Service. I understand that you are experiencing technical issues with the Microsoft Windows XP edition. For technical assistance regarding this issue, I recommend contacting our Microsoft Customer Service Team who will be in a better position to assist you. You can contact them at: (800) 936 5700, Monday - Friday, 5:00 A.M. - 9:00 P.M. Pacific Time and Saturday - Sunday, 6:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. Pacific Time. I hope your issue is resolved soon and appreciate your patience in this regard. Thank you, M Why do I not think this is good customer service? My ripoffreport explained to them I had spoken to many people at Microsoft, mostly wasting lots of my time. Why would I want to start again from scratch? I explained this to them and asked them to direct the information to a supervisor in the correct department that has the ability to understand the problem and capability to deal with it.

What price did you pay for this "valid" copy of XP Pro.