News paper article.

[badpolarbear]

Though some of you may be interested in reading an article I sent to a couple of our local paper here and it was published. Think Im going to be a very disliked guy.After doing a little investigating and listening to people I believe I have found one of the most corrupt if not the most corrupt industries in existance. I am talking about computer stores. Consumers are being taken advantage of to the point of lies and theft. They think they are dealing with reputable dealers but in reality they are being used beyond their belief.

I started a small business in the area of telephone and in home support. When I talk to my clients and ask them if they have particular cd’s for their systems they tell me “no we didn’t get that with the system. Here’s whats happening.

People are going out and buying computers from stores and taking them home. When they buy this system it has an operating system (Windows 98,NT,ME,XP etc) on it and the dealer is not providing the consumer with an operating system disk. Also when they buy the system there should be a mother board disk with it.

So here is where the plot thickens. These dealers are selling a computer to these people without an operating system disk or motherboard disk and using this to make money from the unsuspecting public. There are times when the operating disk is required to perform certain tasks on the computer and if you don’t have it you have to take the machine back to where you bought it and pay $60.00 an hour to have it repaired.

Everyone wonders why Microsoft procucts are so expensive and after a telephone conversation with them here is what they told me. They calculate that for every licensed copy of Windows XP they sell there are about 50 illegal copies made. These are the copies that are not being provided to consumers. The Windows operating system is being placed on the computer but it is not a licensed copy nor is it registered.

I remember not long ago I went out and bought a keyboard for my system and a couple days after I got it I went back to the store and asked for the software. The keyboard was one that had soft keys , ( keys that perform a task with a single touch). The store was adamant that there was no software that came with the key board. But when I contacted Microsoft they were happy to send me the appropriate software to make the keyboard work. And then I tried to show the store the software and they tried to deny that it was the software for the keyboard.

Its about time the general public was stopped from being taken advantage of and here is some advice. When you go to buy a computer ask the dealer if it comes with an operating system disk and a mother board disk. If it does come with a Windows disk ask for the license. If the system does not come with the two mentioned disks do not buy the system. If you have purchased a system in the past and did not receive these two disks go back to the dealer and ask for them. Its your right to have them. If they do not give them to you they are commiting piracy. Piracy is theft. You are buying a system from a thief. In the event that you do not receive these disks contact C.A.A.S.T (Canadian Alliance Against Software Theft) and report these people.

You are the consumer and deserve to be treated with all due respect. Don’t be taken by thieves. Its your money, don’t be sucked into spending it unwisely. I think it is time that the computer business was one of honour not deception. It is illegal to sell drugs on the street and it is also illegal to sell computers without the proper software. Daniel Barrys Bay Ontario

[PCguy]

Every business has those that mistreat people who don't know better in order to futher their own interests. It is a shame that people feel the need to prey on those that know less then them.