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BREAKING: Microsoft Removes Free Vista Offer (But Forgets To Put It On Their Site)

News Type: Event — Wed Dec 12, 2007 11:44 AM EST
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XP's been acting up lately. So when I read on Engadget that Microsoft is giving away a free copy of Vista Ultimate, I immediately signed up. But as I was waiting for the client to download, I tried to find out more about getting my free copy. To my chargin, there was nothing on the Windows Feedback Program site. So I dug a little deeper. Still nothing. This seemed fishy. So I emailed the WFP email address. I got an automated response back:

Thank you for contacting the Windows Feedback Program. This is an automated message just to let you know that we have received your email. Below are some answers to common questions.

What happened to the free product option?

Thank you for your interest in the feedback program. Due to overwhelming response, the supply of gifts have been exhausted so we have closed our free product offer on 12/11/2007 at 2pm. Thanks to everyone that participated!

[a lot of other FAQs]

How long does it take to receive the free product?

If you are a Windows Vista or Windows XP user and decided to join and participate in both programs, we will send you a free Microsoft product when you participate in the program. Limit one gift per person. This offer is non-transferable, while supplies last, and is not redeemable for cash. Taxes, if any, are your sole responsibility. Note that you will receive your product only after we have confirmed that you have:

• Entered a valid e-mail and shipping address.

• Fully completed the survey.

• Downloaded and installed the software on Windows Vista or Windows XP.

• Used our software for at least 3 months on a Windows Vista or XP computer that is periodically connected to the internet.

We will verify that you've used the Windows Feedback Program software for three months, and then we'll send your gift to you. If we detect that your computer does not send data, we will notify you.

[some more FAQs]

THANK YOU

The Windows Experience Team

So basically, they ran out. But they forgot to mention that on their home page. Talk about bait and switch.

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{"commentId":1262858,"authorDomain":"onlineapps"}
Andy Min

BTW, if anyone cares, I was six hours too late to sign up. Dangit.

{"commentId":1262858,"threadId":"188267","contentId":"1158826","authorDomain":"onlineapps"}
  • 3 votes
Reply#1 - Wed Dec 12, 2007 11:47 AM EST
{"commentId":1262973,"authorDomain":"Brad-Leclerc"}
Brad Leclerc

Classic M$ lol.

{"commentId":1262973,"threadId":"188267","contentId":"1158826","authorDomain":"Brad-Leclerc"}
  • 1 vote
#1.1 - Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:34 PM EST
{"commentId":1262979,"authorDomain":"damiankd"}
DamianKD

Guess it just goes to show that folks will go for anything free, even if the general opinion is that it sucks.

{"commentId":1262979,"threadId":"188267","contentId":"1158826","authorDomain":"damiankd"}
  • 4 votes
#1.2 - Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:35 PM EST
{"commentId":1263341,"authorDomain":"onlineapps"}
Andy Min

Actually, this was going to be for my brother who needs Windows. Besides, it was a free Christmas present!

{"commentId":1263341,"threadId":"188267","contentId":"1158826","authorDomain":"onlineapps"}
  • 1 vote
#1.3 - Wed Dec 12, 2007 2:33 PM EST
{"commentId":1263379,"authorDomain":"damiankd"}
DamianKD

Actually, this was going to be for my brother who needs Windows. Besides, it was a free Christmas present!

I wasn't talking so much about you as I was talking about everyone else. I'd do it to, for a free Christmas present.

{"commentId":1263379,"threadId":"188267","contentId":"1158826","authorDomain":"damiankd"}
  • 1 vote
#1.4 - Wed Dec 12, 2007 2:44 PM EST
{"commentId":1264623,"authorDomain":"SuperUnspecial"}
SuperUnspecial

I'd do it to, for a free Christmas present.

That's just mean. Why not just give him a tape worm.

{"commentId":1264623,"threadId":"188267","contentId":"1158826","authorDomain":"SuperUnspecial"}
  • 3 votes
#1.5 - Wed Dec 12, 2007 9:52 PM EST
Reply
{"commentId":1264188,"authorDomain":"janeway77"}
Michael the Great

You are better off without it. Vista would only have made you angry and frustrated.

{"commentId":1264188,"threadId":"188267","contentId":"1158826","authorDomain":"janeway77"}
  • 2 votes
Reply#2 - Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:54 PM EST
{"commentId":1264215,"authorDomain":"Brad-Leclerc"}
Brad Leclerc

It's not so bad...once you turn off everything you don't need (which is almost everything it tries to run on startup), and you have all vista compatible hardware (which you almost certainly don't), and have the ability and desire to troubleshoot at least an issue or two a day just to keep things running.

On the other hand, until there's a stable way to get Direct 10 working properly in XP, Vista sure makes for some pretty gaming...that's about it though really lol

{"commentId":1264215,"threadId":"188267","contentId":"1158826","authorDomain":"Brad-Leclerc"}
  • 2 votes
#2.1 - Wed Dec 12, 2007 7:08 PM EST
{"commentId":1264256,"authorDomain":"spiffie"}
spiffie

You've never worked in sales, have you? ;)

{"commentId":1264256,"threadId":"188267","contentId":"1158826","authorDomain":"spiffie"}
  • 2 votes
#2.2 - Wed Dec 12, 2007 7:28 PM EST
{"commentId":1264282,"authorDomain":"Brad-Leclerc"}
Brad Leclerc

I could sell sand to Tuskin Raiders lol...but sales annoys me to no end. Convincing people to pay for @!$%# they don't really need is the only way to make decent money at it, since everyone else is doing just that...and I just can't stand that sort of bull@!$%#. I've quit a few such jobs within a week rather then be disgusted with myself :P

{"commentId":1264282,"threadId":"188267","contentId":"1158826","authorDomain":"Brad-Leclerc"}
  • 2 votes
#2.3 - Wed Dec 12, 2007 7:36 PM EST
{"commentId":1264459,"authorDomain":"onlineapps"}
Andy Min

Michael, you didn't see the XP junk we had on the laptop that I was thinking of upgrading. It's a former work laptop, but they didn't take off the company corporate stuff, so it's overly secure. Furthermore, something's corrupted and we don't have an XP disc.

{"commentId":1264459,"threadId":"188267","contentId":"1158826","authorDomain":"onlineapps"}
  • 1 vote
#2.4 - Wed Dec 12, 2007 8:51 PM EST
Reply
{"commentId":1273050,"authorDomain":"TheInspector"}
Dana Bostick

LOL, I got "stung" too! I @!$%#ed to them and the replied and admitted that they should have madeit clear that the offer had ended but didn't do so.

Here's their reply;
" Thanks for your note, I appreciate it. The free product offer went active on Halloween. Only this week there was a sudden flood of interest, which made us hit our "while supplies last" limit and we removed the offer off of the site, bringing it back to original form before Halloween. The site has been accepting feedback program participants without any free product offer for many years. We realize now that instead of just removing the offer, we should have noted on the site that the offer was no longer available. Please note that when you opted in, there was no verbiage mentioning a free product offer anymore. Unfortunately, this happened to quite a few customers who went by information that they read on another site, a blog post, or newsgroup. I am sorry that you perceived this as confusing.
I was two days too late.

Sneaky Bastards as usual.

{"commentId":1273050,"threadId":"188267","contentId":"1158826","authorDomain":"TheInspector"}
  • 2 votes
Reply#3 - Sat Dec 15, 2007 12:20 PM EST
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