Another example that M$ lies to their customers

"I post information that I thought might be useful to users of this forum, ..."

Exactly how did you think anyone else would find this useful?

"2. The person lied to me, are you denying as such?"

Exactly which statements by the MS rep were lies? I'm not disputing that MS does indeed lie, but it doesn't look like you have any evidence of it here.

"3. If I don't have a telephone, ..."

Geez, go to work and use one there. Use a pay phone at Wal-Mart; the activation number is toll-free.

I suggest you edit your original post and replace the license key with x's. Posting a license key in a public forum is a great way to have it stolen. If you won't be able to edit it today, for your protection I'll flag your post as spam. That will get the attention of the site moderators so they can edit the key.

by kjell_andorsen Nov 27, 2007

As pretty much everyone who responded has pointed out, you were being a jerk to a cupport person who was trying to help you by providing the correct solution to your problem. You refused to let her help you and demanded she do something she did not have the ability to do. She certainly did not lie to you, in fact she showed great patience.

If you don't have a phone, find one. It's not like it's hard. Quit being a whiner.

As for MS interfering with your life, well you agreed to their EULA which outlines the activation terms. Again, quit whining,\
As for the definition of asshat, try this: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=asshat

by phillipscomputers Nov 27, 2007

In a parallel universe:
You contact Walmart's online Pharmacy and ask them about their shoes; the pharmacist tells you that department doesn't do shoes. In your diabolical mind, because he works at Walmart and Walmart sells shoes, you add 2 and 2 together and realize he is lying to you!

So now, you are furious! You won't be wronged, lied to, or have your time wasted. You demand satisfaction! The nice pharmacist tires of your tirade and gets someone from shoes to come to the pharmacy to help you. Now that proves it, you say! He was lying all along!

You are the type person that Tech Support and Customer Service personnel get together and talk about at the end of the day..."Hey Dave, I had the 'Asshole of the Year' during a chat today."

Quitchurbitchin'...or do you need a dictionary?

by fregeus Nov 27, 2007

All i see is a customer service representative possibly going behond the call of duty to help a customer in need. A customer who seems to be a little ticked off to begin with and is not open to proper procedures. You were a little rude in the fact that you did not seem open to suggestions and your comments were dry and made you look stubburned.

TCB

Is this some kind of joke?

The world now has that XP key - expect your copy to deactivate really soon. Don't bother complaining, you posted it on we web!

by rdubrey Nov 27, 2007

Seems like someone got up on the wrong side of the bed.
The MSFT rep seemed to do a good job. Take it easy... You
are the customer that all support people giggle about after
the call is done..... you are the "my drink holder isn't
working on my computer..." person......

To have internet access of some sort yet lack the communication tool of a telephone line, land or mobile?

Yes you can get cable but normally a telephone line comes with it.

ADSL - Telephone Line

3G or a like- Mobile.

Strange

.. did you really think it was real? It doesn't even have the required number of characters.

C'mon give the listees some credit.

Les.

Even instructional CBTs' in which they demonstrate the installation of MS products skip over that section so as not to divulge Windows product keys. And this schmuck calls himself an IT consultant? More like Insultant to the rest of us and our intelligence.

Message was edited by: beth.blakely@...

by tig2 Nov 27, 2007

And I agree with Palmetto- replace your key information with just about anything else.

But clarify how you were lied to.

I will admit that it is difficult to read the chat with the time-stamp breaks. Perhaps I am missing something.

I will agree that to assume that everyone on the planet has a phone and is willing to go through the process of re-activating a legally owned product is a major PITA. But your options are limited. That is the price of doing business with Microsoft.

As you suggest in your chat, perhaps a good path- either now or in the future- is to consider a Linux distro. There are a number of people on this forum that can give you good direction on what is available and may be a good choice. And many have "live CD" options- a "try before you buy" kind of thing. Perhaps that would be a path to consider.

by jamesrl Nov 27, 2007

You have a process that doesn't work.

MS offers a way around that process - call the activation line.

You refuse and act like a WATB.

And you expect my sympathy?

I don't see any lying. I see more patience from them than you deserve. The agent was trying to help you and you were trying to be a jerk. I'd give her an award fro not telling you where to go.

I've used the activation service a number of times. Mostly when trying to fix friends PCs when they didn't have the original XP disks but did have the key on the back of the box. Every time I've called the activation line I've received decent service.

I would prefer not to have activation at all, but I'm not going to blame the people answering the phone for activation or badly written activation code.

Get over yourself.

James

Because with my temper and intolerance for such difficult people, I would have told him to go stick his license activation code where the sun don't shine. Yes, I can be professional, but my patience can wear out very quickly for such pricks and my Brooklyn, NY toughguy upbringing will kick in and result in a barrage of profanity laced phrases being directed at the rude customer which I would rather not mention here. I too fail to see where and how MS failed to provide adequate support here, as I too have called their "TOLL FREE" number many times to get the activation code because I had no web access at the time. This guy is an IT consultant and can't use his own cell phone to make a simple call? For crying out loud...if you're gonna piss and moan about your airtime minutes for a toll free number, then bill it back to the client. Some IT consultants should be called IT Insultants because they insult the intelligence of every other consultant than has been in this business.

Tell me...how does it feel to suck like a used, Hilton made, sink plunger?

How does it feel to live life as a moron?

I can equally trade pathetic insults.

by the listed 'g man' Nov 28, 2007

yours...well as you quite rightly describe.

More along the lines of "suck like a 15-amp Oreck", or "suck like a draining bathtub", or "suck like a bottom-feeding catfish in a septic tank", or possibly even "suck like the head cheerleader on prom night."

(BTW, changed the title to something more appropriate, hope no-one minds)

You really can't see it for yourself .. how blind are you?

1) When someone at MS tells you the only way to activate Windows is to make a phone call - THEY ARE LYING TO YOU - duh! When someone lies to me (and I know it and especially when they know it too) I get pissed off. I don't care that they are 'only doing their job'.

2) Go to work, use a payphone - maybe you thought I was installing the software on a laptop, no it is very large desktop and the 42" screen won't even fit in a phone booth never mind the logistics of getting power to the booth.

3)As for buying a phone - That's why I wanted my windows activated - so I could buy a bleeding phone online.

Does it really say in the EULA that after 6 years Microsoft reserves the right to force you to make a phone call to a customer representative or else your windows will not work? I'm not going to bother looking it up, not worth wasting my time, I certainly don't remember reading the EULA when I bought to SW.

Les.

P.S. Removed the pretend licence key that was in the post as recommended.

P.P.S. How do know that I am not deaf? Does XP include a disclaimer that this software will stop working for deaf people?

I have never had to reactivate Windows, so I don't know what the options are. At work the systems I deal with are under an enterprise license agreement and don't have to be activated. I've had my home system over five years and don't remember anything about the activation process when it was new. I've never reinstalled Windows on it, so I've never had to reactivate it. As far as I knew, she was telling the truth when she said the only way to reactivate was to call the phone number.

Geez, you can get a cheap cell phone at Wal-mart with 30 minutes on it for $10. You could have had this thing up and running a couple of days ago.

by jamesrl Nov 27, 2007

She made an assumption that you followed the logic.

IF - you tried internet activation
AND - it failed with the message "..."
THEN - automatic activation will not work and you have to call the phone number for a "manual" method.

And having done this myself, you could have done this by payphone, written down the instructions and made it work.

Or you could have asked Leela about your scenario - What do I do if my phone line isn't working? Which to me would have been the logical course of action.

Instead you showed that you can get made at a huge corporation. Big deal. How many windmills do you tilt at in a day.

And you could have been activated a while ago instead of pissing and moaning.

James

.. yes it is rare, but not for me, it happens quit often.

See I like to buy the latest and greatest toys. Problem is just like buying a brand new version of MS software they tend to break, before my contract expires.

So it is not unusual for me to find myself without phone service for a weekend, or if I have to return the phone, it can be weeks before I get a replacement.

So the weekend that my phone is down I upgraded my computer and now I need to reinstall my copy of Windows XP that I bought 6 years ago.

Did I mention that I Live by myself with the exception of my cat?

In fact one of the first tasks I am going to do when I get my computer back up and running is search for new phones on the internet (I prefer to shop online, why should I have to drive to a mall and pay more for the same thing).

Are you with me?

So when XP tells me that after 6 years of ownership I am not going to be allowed to activate it, one is a little peeved. So I get hold of a CSR and I was quite polite I believe. That is until the CSR lies to me, and I realise that he knows he is lying to me.

So the Question is, what would you do at this point?
1) Say thankyou for lying to me, I will drive to the mall, pay extra for a phone just so I can activate my windows today, thankyou for your help?
2) Insist that you know Windows can be activated in other ways and keep hassling the CSR until they admit that you are correct?

2 is my option everytime, I don't put up with BS. That's my problem and I live with it.

Enuff on this thread already .. moving on.

Les.

I'm apparently more interested in getting it working; you appear to be willing to sacrifice functionality for your principles. I would have borrowed a cell phone from a friend and made the call.

How are you getting to this site? You obviously have web access in some form. Buy a phone on the web and then use it to activate XP.

by cmiller5400 Nov 27, 2007

The agent did NOT say that you could not activate XP, they stated that [b]"you can activate your copy of Windows any number of times" [/b]they basically said you need to TALK to some one in the activation department. Relate it to the following:
You drive your car to an oil change place, and tell them that you want the windshield replaced. That is not their job for one and two, they do not have the tools required to replace the windshield. Same thing applies here. The person you were chatting with probably did NOT have the privileges and or the SOFTWARE to activate your "Genuine" copy of XP. So, how are they suppose to help you?

Mind you the way you post your XP key around I'm not surprised it has been activated a 'number of times'.

under the sun. MS is keen on this and will immediately take the proper steps to make his copy of XP illegal by his own doing.

by locrian_lyric Nov 27, 2007

I can't... too easy

Theres a place in the world for the angry young man
With his working class ties and his radical plans
He refuses to bend, he refuses to crawl,
Hes always at home with his back to the wall.
And hes proud of his scars and the battles hes lost,
And he struggles and bleeds as he hangs on the cross-
And he likes to be known as the angry young man.

Give a moment or two to the angry young man,
With his foot in his mouth and his heart in his hand.
Hes been stabbed in the back, hes been misunderstood,
Its a comfort to know his intentions are good.
And he sits in a room with a lock on the door,
With his maps and his medals laid out on the floor-
And he likes to be known as the angry young man.

I believe Ive passed the age of consciousness and righteous rage
I found that just surviving was a noble fight.
I once believed in causes too,
I had my pointless point of view,
And life went on no matter who was wrong or right.

And theres always a place for the angry young man,
With his fist in the air and his head in the sand.
And hes never been able to learn from mistakes,
So he cant understand why his heart always breaks.
But his honor is pure and his courage as well,
And hes fair and hes true and hes BORING AS HELL,
And hell go to the grave as an angry old man.

by jamesrl Nov 27, 2007

Fooling Yourself....(from the Album Grand Illusion)

You see the world through your cynical eyes
You're a troubled young man I can tell
You've got it all in the palm of your hand
But your hand's wet with sweat and your head needs a rest

And you're fooling yourself if you don't believe it
You're kidding yourself if you don't believe it
How can you be such an angry young man
When your future looks quite bright to me
How can there be such a sinister plan
That could hide such a lamb, such a caring young man

You're fooling yourself if you don't believe it
You're kidding yourself if you don't believe it
Get up, get back on your feet
You're the one they can't beat and you know it
Come on, let's see what you've got
Just take your best shot and don't blow it

You're fooling yourself if you don't believe it
You're killing yourself if you don't believe it
Get up, get back on your feet
You're the one they can't beat and you know it
Come on, let's see what you've got
Just take your best shot and don't blow it

by techexec2 Nov 27, 2007

.
I was RIPPED OFF because Microsoft never lied here at all. I came to this thread hoping to read a juicy Microsoft dishonesty story. I always enjoy a great Microsoft dishonesty story. They're EVERYWHERE! Everywhere but here that is.

I was robbed! :0 :^0

by phillipscomputers Nov 27, 2007

You need to call customer support immediately and complain. Tell them that you heard they had lied to someone and you want them to lie to you so you won't feel left out.

To make the experience even more painful, I don't have toll-free number.

by shellbot Nov 28, 2007

Why did Raggedy Ann get thrown out of the toybox?

Because she was found sitting on Pinoccio's face saying "lie to me..lie to me"

by hal 9000 Nov 28, 2007

[b]WGA Is good for you and helpful![/b]

Now who else wants to lie to TechExec2? :D

Col ]:)

"Windows Disk Defragmenter has determined your hard drive does not need to be defragmented."

by phillipscomputers Nov 28, 2007

VISTA is the best operating system Microsoft has ever released!

Linux will never be a viable alternative for the business desktop or server.

"Macs are cool and they get you laid". I know. I read it on the internet...

.
[i]"...WGA Is good for you and helpful!..."[/i] :0

LIAR! Ow! Ow! It hurts!

by jaqui Nov 28, 2007

Hello,

Thank you for contacting Microsoft Online Customer Service.

I understand that some of the Microsoft web links are directed to your
web site.

The information you have provided in not sufficient, I request you to
provide the following information to understand the issue better and to
assist you further:

- Mention the exact web link in the specific web site you are
referring to:

- Clear description of the issue:

We appreciate your patience and look forward to reply with the above
information.

Thank you,

Anuradha

Microsoft Customer Service Representative

If you have any feedback about your Online Customer Service experience,
please send them to my manager, Seetha Lakshmi, at
http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=6998852
Please do not forget to
indicate the name of my manager in the subject field.

_____

--- Original Message ---

Sent : Sunday, November 25, 2007 3:40:42 PM UTC
To : CNTUS.GNCS.NA.00.EN.TRA.BGL.CS.T02.CUS.00.WB@css.one.microsoft.com
Subject : Why is Microsoft Downloads linking to my website?

CUSTOMER PROVIDED SYSTEM PROPERTIES
Country/Region: Canada

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS
Message: Links from an external page (other web sites except search
engines) - Full list
- https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html 20 3191
- https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-10878-0.html 20 122
- https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-7343-0.html 17 50
- http://nodata 10 22
- http://www.chipsquips.com 3 3
- https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-12844-0.html 3 121
- http://www.technorati.com/account/blogs/edit/1 2 2
- http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx 2 2 <<<<<<<

since I don't have any software for windows available for download on
the website is does seem odd for microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx to
be listed in the server stats as linking to my site.
[ http://jaqui-greenlees.net ]

point one: top posting shows a complete lack of thinking ability, there is no history or reference to any TOP POSTED email reply.

point two: where does the term "server stats" indicate there is more information than what is presented?

point three: MS is sending people to my site from their DOWNLOADS site, when there is nothing for windows on my site that just shows a complete lack of intelligence in whoever linked to my site from microsoft.com/downloads/

point four: where do they get the idea that tons of whitespace is needed between pragraphs?

I recommend OpenOffice and Firefox.

Now I'm not saying that we are all hardcore MS supporters and won't bash MS when it's warranted, but we all fail to see how the MS Licensing rep failed to assist you beyond her capabilities when you were being difficult and rude from the start. Also, what the hell kind of "consultant" are you if you don't even have your own cellphone to use? I suggest you change your title to "junior trainee" because I'd never hire you to work for me if this is how you handle problems.

by phillipscomputers Nov 28, 2007

You make a real good point. If one of my employees went on a job site without a cell phone, he or she would not be one of my employees. To be a successful consultant or technician, a cellphone is one of the most valuable tools in the toolkit, not an afterthought.
Please note, though, from Leslie's posting:
"12:49:41 PM Customer leslie
i do not want to call"
At first Leslie did not say anything about not having a phone. The chat started out confrontational by "i do not want to call."

I find it hard to believe that someone has a computer with a 42" monitor, but no phone. I think that was a BS excuse not to call Microsoft.

Anyone take note of LMunday's location?

I used to live in the land of 24x7 rainfall. I happen to know that a large share of Microsoft employees live there.

Perhaps LMunday knows some insider information that is lost on the rest of us?

Just tossing out the idea...

by hal 9000 Nov 28, 2007

So you are claiming that because you couldn't activate XP you where some how adversely affected right?

But the reality of the situation is that you can use XP for 30 days without activation and the only loss of function is the fact that you are unable to receive Microsoft Updates for the OS & other M$ Software installed. So what was preventing you jumping on the Internet buying the phone and ringing them up latter and Activating Windows and Office Presumably?

I can say with out the slightest problem that M$ activation Service is a Royal Pain but their Phone Activation Staff are very helpful and I've never had a single problem when calling them ever. I do not try to use On Line Activation as I don't expect it to work as it's marginal at the best of times and can lead to things like the above happening reporting that the OS has been activated X Number of Times when several of those have been failed Activation Attempts. But even if you bought a phone on the Internet just how would you be any better off and be activating the product? More importantly how much would you have lost in income by being unreachable to save a few $ that may not have even eventuated. Shops need to charge more because they have staff and Rent to pay where as a warehouse without a shop front doesn't have the same expenses but also lacks the ability to walk in pickup the required item and walk out with a working product and be immediately in contact with everyone of any importance.

As others have said why not use a public phone? All you need is the Activation Code that comes up on the screen and read this to the person at the Activation Centre and they will give you a string of Numbers/Letters which you can enter into your computer to activate the copy of Windows. So you don't have to carry a [b]Big Desktop[/b] into a Phone Booth to activate the product.

The facts of life with M$ are that you can activate over the net some times but to do it properly you need to ring M$ Activation Centre. So I'm at a loss to any lies told to you in the above but maybe I missed something though I doubt it strongly.

So the facts are that you where in no way limited in using Windows XP in your stated purpose though you may have got a request to Activate Windows every time that you opened it but there was no need to. There was nothing stopping you buying the much needed Cell Phone over the Net but even then you would still have been waiting to get the phone wouldn't you.

You where not stopped from doing anything at all by M$ but maybe by your own inability to comprehend the situation that is brought about by Piracy that is commonly found with M$ products.

Now where is Rickk to jump in to bash me over the head again for continually Bashing M$ at every opportunity?

[i][b]The Number 1 M$ Hater.[/i][/b] :^0

Col

.
[i]"...Windows Disk Defragmenter has determined your hard drive does not need to be defragmented...."[/i] :0

LIAR! Don't tase me, bro!

.
[i]"...VISTA is the best operating system Microsoft has ever released!..."[/i] :0

LIAR! LIAR!

.
[i]"...Linux will never be a viable alternative for the business desktop or server..."[/i] :0

LIAR! FUDmistress of evil, you are!

.
Oh no! All I need is a computer with self-awareness, that thinks it is "insanely great" because its creator told it so, that "just works", and is on a mission, and I am the object if its "affection"! :0

Skynet! :0

It IS "insanely great", it DOES "just work", and I am absolutely certain that it loves me as much as I love it.

And while I could dual boot it to run Windows, why in the world would I lobotomize it???

I love my Mac!

Noticed that you couldn't hang "liar" on my statement. Could it be true? Are Macs cool and get you laid? Are you willing to hang out with a MacBook Pro and find out???

.
Mac has won your affections and now you come along willingly, I see... :^0

P.S. Nope. Not a lie. Macs [u]are[/u] insanely great and they [u]do[/u] just work (a lot more often than any other computer). And, now they run Unix and on fast Intel processors! Oh! Oh! Heaven!

I still like my current ThinkPad, but I think it knows its days are numbered. Sad eyes. Going overboard trying to be helpful all the time. Reminding me daily how great the "pointing stick" is. You know. I'm still planning to replace it with a MacBook Pro when the time comes. :^0

https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=101&threadID=245815&messageID=2371626

Is yours getting you laid?

by w2ktechman Nov 28, 2007

that was an almost solid red bar. After 3 hours of defragging I was told by it that it could not be defragmented further.....still a solid red bar (almost solid).

I downloaded wininternals page file defragmentor and it cleaned it right up.

by phillipscomputers Nov 28, 2007

What is this "Getting Laid?"

I seem to remember a term something like that from back in the sixties, seventies, eighties, and nineties, but now I can't for the life of me remember what it means. If I can remember if I'm married or not, I'll ask the female unit if she has been getting laid since she has a Mac. Then she can remind me of what it is.

Lately I'm so forgetful that I can hide my own Easter eggs.

by boxfiddler Hot topic Nov 28, 2007

by boxfiddler Hot topic Nov 28, 2007

"...does not need to be defragmented."

No matter how much 'red' shows up in the analysis pane, Windows knows best!