http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10137393&catid=#
I basically want to purchase this notebook pc.
As you can see at the bottom it says:
This model comes pre-installed with Windows 7 Starter for small notebook PCs
| Pre-loaded Operating System | Windows 7 Starter for Small Notebook PCs |
Which to me, and everyone else I spoke to, means when I open up my pc, I can select the language of preference and use my computer right away. So on Monday I went to Future Shop at the Forum in Montreal looking for this exact computer which is advertised on their website & it states that it is available at this specific store.
To my surprise, this computer was no where to be found on display. I did find another Gateway which was priced at 349$ . I finally find a salesperson. I tell him about the Gateway on their website priced at 299.99$ with a better processor and he tells me he doesn’t know what we’re talking about. He tells us to test out the laptops on display to find one with an internet connection, go to the FS website and find the Gateway pc at 299.99$. Fair enough. After 10minutes of wasting our time trying to find an internet connection, we get the salesperson to look at the advertisement. He says, “OOOOH that one! We just received a shipment and we didn’t put it on display yet. I’ll go get it for you.”
That’s fine.
He comes back with it and tells me that “You have to format the hard drives to install Windows 7 – it’s preloaded but not actually installed per se, it could take up to half a day to properly install the operating system. You could try to do this at home but we don’t usually recommend it if you’re not good with computers. Future Shop offers this service for 100$, plus we’ll give you a recovery disc in case you ever need to reinstall Windows.”
I refused, I didn’t want to pay 450$ for a notebook pc, at that price I might as well invest in a laptop. So I went home really pissed off and disappointed and told myself I’d buy one from Dell for a little more expensive but definitely less than 450$.
I decided to visit the FS website because I wanted to see if this 100$ service charge was mentioned anywhere. I also found it weird that he would give us a backup disc – notebook pcs are too small to support CD Drives, so there’s no point in backup disc. And what if I decided to purchase the pc from the FS website? Would it warn me that Windows isn’t installed on it and I’d have to go to the store to get someone to do it for me since I suck with computers?
Then I thought to myself, they’re not legally allowed to charge me 100$ if it isn’t displayed anywhere on their website or in store and the fact that it says “comes pre-installed with Windows 7” is totally misleading.
I decided to call the FS Customer Service. I spoke to a sweet woman called Louise. She was shocked at what I told her and she verified with the “computer experts” at the Helpdesk and they all confirmed that there is no need to “format hard drives” because Windows 7 is already installed on the pc. At this point, I’m fuming.
The salesperson at FS blatantly lied to me and tried to charge me 100$ for a useless backup disc.
So today, I’m going back to the store. I’m gunna buy my notebook pc, “install” Windows right then and there and make a complaint to the store manager.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Hello,
The salesperson was a jerk to sell a service with little knowledge about what it does. It’s obvious he isn’t trained about what a setup means.
All computers sold at Future Shop are pre-loaded with Windows. You do not need to format the drive with any of them however you do need to set them up.
Future Shop will do the setup for you (the charge starts at $99) and will do the following:
Removal of Bloatware programs and trials to unclutter your computer and make it run faster.
1) Put in the account name and timezone. (This is what most people do and then stop).
2) Install Windows Updates
3) Install BIOS and driver updates
4) System Tweaks for Performance and Use
5) Install AntiVirus Software (sold separately.)
6) Install devices like printers and cameras (if you bring them in)
7) Test for things like dead pixels or features (like a webcam or keyboard) that are not working up to spec.
9) Create system recovery discs in case you need to install a new hard drive in the future and need to re-install Windows.
It’s an optional service but it’s usually recommended for computer users who want to take a computer home, turn it on, and have it working right away.
Left by Prions on January 15th, 2010