Nothing Like a Microsoft OS Upgrade

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I bought a computer for the girls over the holiday. I was going to buy two, one for my buddy Gerhard’s kids, but he argued that it would be better to wait until Vista was shipping on the boxes. Honestly, I don’t know what I was thinking…

I’ve jumped through the hoops emailing scans of my bills of sales to ModusLink (one of the few remaining children of dotBomb CMGI) who is handling the fullfillment on behalf of Gateway/eMachines. The process utterly bogged down with Moduslink requesting the same information I’d sent again and again. Finally on Feb. 7, they said I was all set. They even provided a nice link where I could check the status of the order.

The problem is that link has never changed, and I haven’t gotten my disks. The tool they are using for tracking is utterly pathetic, not providing anticipated ship dates or anything. What I do recall is that Best Buy had promised the disks would arrive prior to March 1, without fail. It’s now Feb. 28 and there’s absolutely no chance they’ll arrive today.

This should have been expected. In the spirit of the old Monty Python skit, I ask this of ModusLink “You don’t actually have any Vista installation CDs, do you?”

Officially, and for all the search engines, I say this: Gateway sucks and has made promises they haven’t kept. Emachines sucks and has made promises they haven’t kept. Moduslink sucks and has made promises they haven’t kept. Ship me my darned Vista upgrade already.

Let’s see if anyone in this group has a clue and watches the blogs…

Comments

15 responses to “Nothing Like a Microsoft OS Upgrade”

March 16, 2007

Teresa

March 16, 2007

I have to warn you not to get too excited when they tell you the Vista Upgrade has shipped.

I received shipment notification on March 5th and receied a tracking number. When I go to the site and try to track the product, it appears Mail Express (MEXP) got it on the 8th and gave it to USPS on the 9th. Information includes a USPS receipt number. The USPS site says that they received a notification of intent to ship on the 9th, but have not yet received my package.

I sent emails to Moduslink and HP inquiring about when I might expect my disks since it had been several days since they allegedly shipped. HP has not responded. Moduslink responded with two emails.

First –
“Thank you for your interest in the Upgrade Redemption Program.

Unfortunately that is out of our hands here. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

Second –
“Dear Customer,

Thank you for submitting your order to upgrade your Microsoft® Product.

You should receive your order within 4 to 6 weeks. If you do not receive your order, please contact us via email”

So…
I’d like to add that HP sucks and has made promises they haven’t kept and that ModusLink SERIOUSLY sucks and claims to have shipped disks that seem to have mysteriously disappeared.

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March 16, 2007

Mark Cahill

Funny, I emailed them yesterday and they just replied with exactly the same text as the second email you quote saying it had been shipped and that I would get it “in 4 to 6 weeks.” The pony express could have gotten it here quicker.

Total elapsed time from first contact: 12/25/06 until 3/16/07 and I am now told it will be another 4-6 weeks. Emachines sucks, moduslink sucks.

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March 24, 2007

Jason

I bought 2 Acer’s, 1 laptop, 1 desktop on January 9th. It is now March 24th, and Moduslink still has no idea what the hell is going on with my upgrades. I have sent at LEAST 15 emails inquiring about the status of my order, because that damn upgrade info page is no hell, and I think I have had 15 different responses ranging from “we have received your COA and POP proofs” in one email, to “the delay is due to a lack of COA and POP proof”, to “your order has been shiped, please allow 4-6 weeks for your order to reach you”, to “for unforseen circumstances, your order has been sent to back office, please re-apply for your upgrades”, and finally, “your order has been shipped, please allow 1 week”. Some of these emails from them are even within the same day!!! Meanwhile, when I go to the upgrade website to check the status of my order, if that’s what you can call what you see on the lame website, it says that “Order Received”. When I call the useless 1-800 number, NO ONE can tell me what that means.

I have had it with Moduslink. They have to be the most disorganized outfit I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with, so I went out today and bought a full Vista Premium version because I am sick of waiting. I figure in the year 2011, when my upgrades finally do arrive I can sell them on ebay, and make up some of the $299 I spent on Vista.

MODUSLINK, MICROSOFT, ACER AND FUTURESHOP, YOU SUUUUUUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

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March 31, 2007

marlin

i have been down this road also with mudoslink and there bull shit i cannot believe how long this process takes and how bad there server sucks!

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April 4, 2007

Someone

Anyone know of a class action lawsuit? I would defiantly be interested of joining and losing their depositions and making them come in again and again and again to make statements. Where is the justice? They are getting paid and they are not delivering. Must be nice to be them sitting in their office laughing their A#& off at us while cashing their FREE upgrade fees and charging them two or three times. Also they are most likely getting paid by the companies they represent and losing business for gateway , Acer etc. What a bunch of lying losers. I hope Karma bites them in the (insert word of choice here)!

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April 5, 2007

Mark Cahill

My upgrade stuff came in yesterday. Computer bought on Dec. 12, stuff sent to them on the 4th of January, and finally arrives April 4th.

The next joy will be the upgrade itself. That will happen Saturday. Oh joy…more to come.

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April 9, 2007

Noah

What the F^(%! I looked at Mail Express (mailexpress.com) and have to say something is very wrong when Moduslink uses a foreign company in MEXICO to send it to UPS and then UPS can’t get the item to ship to the person it belongs to.

Microsoft and all other companies that are doing business outside of the US need to be punished for what I call ‘STUPIDITY”.

Where is saving money when it comes to paying two mailing services to out one CD upgrade disk (VISTA).

You waste time, money and energy when consumers are calling your dumbass 1-800 numbers trying to get a live individual to talk to. Then you get someone that can’t speak English well and are constantly having to repeat the comments and questions over and over in order for someone in India to understand you. Then when they cannot help you they then reroute you back to the USA that actually speaks and understands the English language.

Everyone should call moduslink and microsoft as well as the computer manufacturers that offered you the free Vista disk that actually cost $10.77 (shipping).

Be blunt and speak your mind once you get a live person to talk to. Don’t bother leaving a message. They do not return the calls until after midnight, in some cases NEVER!

Buy an Apple computer and F^(% Microsoft and all the Crappy Ass PC computer manufacturers that only take your money and leave you hanging. At least with Apple, you actually get your restore disks with your computer and don’t have to burn your own. You actually get a computer that has an OS built for it and it’s hardware, and tech support is much, much better tham HP, Compaq, Dell, Gateway (sucks),Emachine. The only computer that comes with a restore disk these days are Apple and Toshiba’s laptops.

F^(% the others!

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April 12, 2007

Curt

Just looked at my transactions at teh Bank. Moduslink charged me $10.64 when I ordered my “free” vista upgrade CD in Feb and charged me AGAIN YESTERDAY! I still have not seen the CD and probably will get charged every couple months. Thanks for nothing HP and Moduslink!

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April 14, 2007

John

This is what I have done.
Everyone needs to do the same to get this resolved.
Print out all contact you have had with Moduslink. That includes all online regestration information.
File a complaint with the Department of Commerse in your state. In my state they have 15 days to respond. If they do not respond, or if they get enough complaints It will be turned over to the state attourney general for legal action.
PS. Moduslink has an ofice next door to where I work. (has not helped) Our parking space is limited. My company has had to issue parking permits because their employees use our parking lot. I can’t wait for one to be towed!!!

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April 14, 2007

David McKee

I am not sure what a blog is, but it is nice to know that I am not the only one rowing the Vista OS
upgrade problem by myself.

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April 18, 2007

Vanessa J.

My brother was one of such customers who bought a “Windows Vista Capable” PC but could only run the Home version. We’ve been following this case for awhile now. Kudos to that lady in Seattle for picking a fight with Microsoft.

here are a few articles that may be of interest:

http://www.class-action-finder.com/consumer-products/microsoft-vista/

Seattle Post Intelligencer article Microsoft sued over Windows Vista marketing

Info World’s story

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April 27, 2007

Vario Creative Blog » Stupid Blog Tricks and the Traffic Stats of the Damned

[…] On the content side of the analytics, I’m surprised to find that my snarky “Nothing Like a Microsoft OS Upgrade” post is the top performing post; which is somewhat startling since it went up in late February. That’s points to the fact that while getting traffic to your site is good, not all traffic has value for your site. […]

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June 15, 2007

Vario Creative Blog » Boston Globe Magazine – Social Networking Changes Presidential Elections

[…] happens when someone launchs a blog campaign against your products because it took you 4 months to ship a promised […]

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June 19, 2007

peeved

I have also had problems with Microsoft/Moduslink, I wanted the “cheap” upgrade to Vista Business with the purchase of new Toshiba laptop, would never have bought laptop otherwise. I followed instructions provided by TOSHIBA/MODUSLINK websites.

From what I understand Microsoft has “outsourced” this process to MODUSLINK, I captured new laptop/payment details on website, I received a confirmation of order from MODUSLINK, MODUSLINK confirmation email said it was likely to take some time to be shipped (6+ weeks). Towards end of May I checked the status, order had changed to “cancelled”, whereas previously it was “to be shipped”. I had received no notification of cancellation.

Ironically my problem is that Moduslink have not deducted payment, due to this I dont have a leg to stand on as there is no payment. I still want the upgrade, both moduslink/microsoft are saying there hands are tied, offer no longer stands, “tough” contact manufacturer (Toshiba). To me they all have a hand in this, it is easy to fob a customer onto someone else.

Contact Citizens Advice Bureau, Watchdog, Which and raise the profile on this shocking treatment, theres a lot of us out there not very happy ….

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June 30, 2007

Doogie

I worked for Moduslink or it’s previous entities for 13 years. It went from a good company that tried to serve customers well to a black hole being run by a bunch of idiots after the merger with CMGI. Joe and his gang are clueless fools who have not the faintest idea what is going on on the ground. They have thier heads buried so far up powerpoint presentations they will not see the light of day until fired for incompetence. Good luck getting your upgrades.

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