PCworld free Win7 upgrade offer issues

JasX

Well basically for the last 5/6 months microsoft and their UK 'partners' have been running an offer where if you buy vista at the time you'll get a free upgrade copy of Win7 when it launches.

Its basically the one single offer thats let them sell anything vista-wise for the last 6 months except to chumps who knew nothing about Win7 being imminent...

Its even still on their website next to every vista box they're still selling (i bought a home premium ed and ultmate ed retail software box for some self built PCs)

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/editorial/win7-upgrade

would it be too much to ask they brief any of their staff on the offer in case a customer has the audacity to want to redeem said offer on said launch day

After spending an hour with various staff invluding the manager in one of their 'larger inner-London' branches I managed to walk away with one of the 2 upgrade boxes I was entitled to as ultimate had already sold out at by 4pm... it was far more hassle than it should have been and I was given a string of excuses why it might not actually aply to me (fortnately all countered by pointing them to their own website....)

anyone else had trouble getting their free copy? -i'm hoping PCW haven't tried to pull a stunt on the *while stocks last* front here assuming some fanciful 0.002% uptake of the offer?


/rant off

fiddiwebb

Don't complain, you are very lucky to pick up Windows 7 upgrade in person, I thought you could only get the upgrade via the post?

Also did you pay anything for the upgrade as if it is being sent out via the mail then you have to pay shipping & handling charges, mine from Dell is costing £15 others are charging more.

JasX

fiddiwebb wrote: »

Don't complain, you are very lucky to pick up Windows 7 upgrade in person, I thought you could only get the upgrade via the post?

Also did you pay anything for the upgrade as if it is being sent out via the mail then you have to pay shipping & handling charges, mine from Dell is costing £15 others are charging more.

nope, as per the offer on their site I "kept my receipt" and "went to my nearest PC world store to pickup" as directed...

Unfortunately then learned nothing's ever that simple

fiddiwebb

Interesting as I had a quick look at the link in your first post and all the Windows 7 upgrades are supposed to be shipped out by post!

What is the make of your computer/laptop which is eligible?

John_Gray

JasX wrote: »

PC World...

This is simply another example of why they are the "PC Retailer of Choice" for all right-thinking individuals.

And that's not just Any Old Irony... :rotfl:

fiddiwebb

So get down to PC World and demand your "totally" free copy before they twig :money:

JasX

fiddiwebb wrote: »

Interesting as I had a quick look at the link in your first post and all the Windows 7 upgrades are supposed to be shipped out by post!

What is the make of your computer/laptop which is eligible?

With a slightly more lingering look you might have noticed the line:

"Collect your free copy at your nearest PC World store after the launch day."

(I bought a retail vista box rather than a computer so clicked the other link with a picture of the box, I believed it eligable due to the big "windows upgrade offer" sign they had, and still do have, next to any boxed copy of vista on their website)

lol fiddiweb this is exactly what i had to go thru with pcworld time and time again yesterady, have you considered a career there?

fiddiwebb

Ah, sorry.

Didn't realise you just bought the Vista software :rolleyes:

elfen

I did this at Staples, and it was just a matter of going in with the receipt, waiting for them to take a copy then going through it at the till. Done in five minutes....so I don't see why PC World have to have a big hoo-hah about it. (And I bought the Vista software as well, and got like for like)

doctorfloppy

Hi JasX - I bought a nice new Quad core Compaq on Saturday that qualified for the free upgrade to Win 7. The nice 15 yr old salesman in PC World even assured me that all I had to do to claim my upgrade was to bring the receipt in on/after launch date and I would walk away with the upgrade pack in my hand. I pointed the salesman to the sign in-store which said post and packing charge may apply and he re-assured me that this was only if you didn't want to collect it from the store.

Up until yesterday the PCW website very clearly said the very same thing..." just take proof of purchase to you local store and collect your Win 7 upgrade...." BUT yesterday they changed the website so this only applied to boxed software and not pre-installed OEM Vista software. If you look at the link to Win 7 upgrade as in the original post it has clearly been changed in a hurry and it was not like that when I bought the PC.

So yesterday I went into local PCW with receipt in hand and the assistant got me a copy of Win 7 upgrade (from Fort Knox) and started to input my data on the system. She said had previously handed out the Win 7 upgrade earlier in the day but now there was a new massage which said: (something like...) " some customers have been misinformed and may expect to collect the upgrade to Win 7 software from the store. Instead they should claim their free upgrade via the website....."

When I demanded to see tha manager it turned out she was/is the store manager and had only just heard about the change of policy. I even showed her the sales assistant that dealt with me on Saturday. I was told there's nothing that they can do and I need to pursue the matter with Head Office.

HQ have replied to my email advising me to claim the upgrade via the website and to pay postage.

I am so angry with PCW that I'm tempted to return the PC for a full refund. The system is still boxed unopened. Or I would like to persue the matter with Trading Standards. But to do the latter I would need more proof that the offer of a free instore upgrade also applied to PC's purchased with Vista installed and not just retail boxed Vista purchases.

If anyone out there has any screen dumps of the original offer I would be most grateful. Or if you've a similar story please let me know how or if you have resolved it.

Sorry for the long post.