AstroBoy Online Forums

So about 4 months ago we bought a new laptop to replace an aging desktop (a 2001 model) that seemed to suit our needs quite well. The sales representative assured that it had all the programs already installed that we were in high need of (being students we required microsoft office primarily) and required no additional expense. Upon looking at its description it seemed to be legit as well.

And now suddenly Microsoft Office is claiming that it's only a trial version and I have to BUY it to keep using it. Not only that but most of the programs are doing the same thing that are not essential and basic (wordpad and the like).

Now I have to spend over $300 to get the programs installed 'properly'.

Needless to say I am MAD.

You should file a complaint against the store for misrepresenting the computer.
BTW Microsoft does offer a student version of Office at a reduced price (or at least they did). A few years ago we got a "family" version that would install on up to four computers. If that is still available, perhaps you could find three other students that would share it with you.

The same thing happened to me a few years ago. I was in college too. While Microsoft works is okay, it's not a great substitute - especially for students. That's why I took it upon myself to pirate what I need. 2 wrongs don't make a right, but it's a solution.

the sails people at big box stores don't know anything about the computers other then what is on the side of the box and half the time they will lie to make a sail because there on commotion and if you don't buy they don't get paid.

sorry you got ripped off.
I like linux for that among other reasons that there are no trial software on it it is all the full versions and most of the time free to boot, or rather open would be a better term.

ooh ooh you may also want to try libreoffice atleast as a stopgap till you can get a real copy of M$ office, it is compatible with M$ office fetures and files atleast the important ones that everybody uses and the price is right lol

http://www.libreoffice.org/

grate program too.

I bought a GATEWAY laptop 7 or 8 years ago, & it, too had the trial versions of the software on it. The end of the box lists the pre-installed software, WORD & two others are clearly listed as 60 or 90 day trial versions. I suspect your laptop also listed those items as trial versions.

Regardless of what the salesman says, the responsibility for reading the fine print is yours. You cannot expect him to remember everything about everything. Besides that, you should consider if it seems too good to be true to get all those features for that one price. Perhaps you heard only what you wanted to hear. In your enthusiasm, you disregarded the part about "trial versions."

I know a guy who had a trial version of a program he used extensively, & simply reinstalled Windows every time the trial expired. He did eventually buy it, though. I am not saying you might try that also, as some software insists you register with the manufacturer's website, & I doubt simply wiping clean your registry & such would work.

I am sorry for not being supporting or empathetic.

I've never gotten a computer that came with Microsoft Office on it. I always end up using OpenOffice because I never expect to lay down the extra stack of fat cash.

Open Office is an EXCELLENT substitute - you can open the files in MS Word (you can even save them as .doc files) and it is FREE.

Another possibility - can you migrate the existing programs on your old computer to the laptop? (Or, even better, do you have the original install discs for Office?)

"jeffbert" wrote:Regardless of what the salesman says, the responsibility for reading the fine print is yours. You cannot expect him to remember everything about everything. Besides that, you should consider if it seems too good to be true to get all those features for that one price. Perhaps you heard only what you wanted to hear. In your enthusiasm, you disregarded the part about "trial versions."

I don't know about the law in the US, but where I live, a salesman should not make any unsupported claim. However, consumers rights may be different even in between the provices.

Even if a salesman does make an unsupported claim, try proving it. Consumers: Read the fine print, or resolve to keep gripes to oneself.

It might be hard to prove, but I would definitely complain to the store anyway. Earthshine is probably not the only one in this situation. You never know, perhaps the store will want to avoid an unhappy customer. It's always harder to gain a new one than to retain one.

Earthshine might not be the only one in this situation, and if enough people complain about it, perhaps they'll get the message. I would definitely complain to the customers association if it happened to me here, and, if there were enough complaints, the store could be fined.

In different circumstances, when a store wouldn't give me something they were supposed to according to the law, I did insist last year. When that didn't work, I filed an official complaint, the higher manager gave me what I was supposed to get and even refunded me the remaining of the bill for my other purchases. On top of that, I learned that there could actually be a lawsuit from the association months later, resulting in the store possibly be fined.