am I being ripped off?

A

ameyer

New member
Aug 13, 2012
196
3
0
I bought some new Samsung laptop yesterday.
it's really nice and light/soft and came with windows 8.

i'm actually a mac user and haven't bought any pc/laptop since ages, but I was a little suspicious that the laptop didn't come with any kind of recovery disc (but I didn't think too much off it since it hasn't any disc reader anyway).

However, Windows asks me all the time to activate my product, and I actually don't have any key(!).
Now, the shop told me I don't need a key and don't need to activate windows and that I could recover the system by pressing F4 on boot (works).
Are they fooling me? Do PCs really ship without any keys nowadays?
 


have a look on the bottom for a genuine windows sticker with product key on it....otherwise id be a little concerned because you only have 45 days to activate it from memory ??

Plus do you even get updates if its not activated??? something smells a little fishy.

If it is a dodgy copy ring up the business piracy people...they normally pay a reward bounty for info on companies abusing software LMAO
 
ameyer said:
don't need to activate windows
Click to expand...
What a load of bs. Run for the hills. Take it back, ask for a full refund, if they start getting funny about it, call up Microsoft on the spot. (Personally, until I got a refund I'd refuse to leave, too, as well as informing any potential customers of the shit they pull, but that's just me)

Sounds like either they're pirating, or they're reusing OEM discs, which is against MS' EULA. If they offer to give you a free copy of Windows/store credit, turn it down, just because that's the only thing you've found that's wrong with it so far, doesn't mean it'll be the only thing.
 
-joe- said:
What a load of bs. Run for the hills. Take it back, ask for a full refund, if they start getting funny about it, call up Microsoft on the spot. (Personally, until I got a refund I'd refuse to leave, too, as well as informing any potential customers of the shit they pull, but that's just me)

Sounds like either they're pirating, or they're reusing OEM discs, which is against MS' EULA. If they offer to give you a free copy of Windows/store credit, turn it down, just because that's the only thing you've found that's wrong with it so far, doesn't mean it'll be the only thing.
Click to expand...

This. Plus, if you think they might give you trouble, pay the smelliest, drunkest Hobo you can find $50 to come into the shop with with you and wait with you until the comply. Nobody wants a hobo in the shop, but if he's with you, they can't throw him out.
 
If they won't refund you call the BSA.

amateursurgeon said:
This. Plus, if you think they might give you trouble, pay the smelliest, drunkest Hobo you can find $50 to come into the shop with with you and wait with you until the comply. Nobody wants a hobo in the shop, but if he's with you, they can't throw him out.
Click to expand...

Holy shit is this the truth. I worked in a computer shop in downtown OKC for a while when I was younger and bums were everywhere and would occasionally wonder into the store. One guy come in with google maps print outs asking us for help. He said that's where the government were hiding the people that had implanted something in him and he got hella pissed when I told him to kick rocks. It was kinda funny and sad at the same time.
 
ameyer said:
I bought some new Samsung laptop yesterday.
it's really nice and light/soft and came with windows 8.

i'm actually a mac user and haven't bought any pc/laptop since ages, but I was a little suspicious that the laptop didn't come with any kind of recovery disc (but I didn't think too much off it since it hasn't any disc reader anyway).

However, Windows asks me all the time to activate my product, and I actually don't have any key(!).
Now, the shop told me I don't need a key and don't need to activate windows and that I could recover the system by pressing F4 on boot (works).
Are they fooling me? Do PCs really ship without any keys nowadays?
Click to expand...

Any Windows PC that comes from a vendor should have a windows sticker on it, that sticker would have the key. At least I thought that's how it works.

HOWEVER, as I'm typing this I'm doing research, and it seems Windows 8 uses OA 3.0 and they key should be stored in the BIOS. Seems they are doing away with the stupid stickers. It seems that it should auto activate. Maybe stupid, but is your lappy connected to the internet? It would need to be to activate.
 
crackp0t said:
If they won't refund you call the BSA.



Holy shit is this the truth. I worked in a computer shop in downtown OKC for a while when I was younger and bums were everywhere and would occasionally wonder into the store. One guy come in with google maps print outs asking us for help. He said that's where the government were hiding the people that had implanted something in him and he got hella pissed when I told him to kick rocks. It was kinda funny and sad at the same time.
Click to expand...

In the 80s in London, there was a legendary debt collector called "Mr Smelly" who got money out of media agencies who didn't pay their bills. He's turn up and sit in their reception until he got the cheque, for a fee, and often the receptionist would threaten to resign if the boss didn't pay because he smelt so bad.
 
Thanks for all your replies...

Rage9 said:
Any Windows PC that comes from a vendor should have a windows sticker on it, that sticker would have the key. At least I thought that's how it works.

HOWEVER, as I'm typing this I'm doing research, and it seems Windows 8 uses OA 3.0 and they key should be stored in the BIOS. Seems they are doing away with the stupid stickers. It seems that it should auto activate. Maybe stupid, but is your lappy connected to the internet? It would need to be to activate.
Click to expand...

Good hint, this might be the case.
It's connected to the internet however when I try to activate it it gives me this error message:
"The activation server determined the specific product key has been blocked."
But in fact I can see that some key is stored there already (even though I recovered/re-installed windows this morning).
Shop says this is normal
 
The shop gave you a pirated version of Windows 8 that Microsoft already knows about, and has blocked from activation.
 
ameyer said:
Thanks for all your replies...



Good hint, this might be the case.
It's connected to the internet however when I try to activate it it gives me this error message:
"The activation server determined the specific product key has been blocked."
But in fact I can see that some key is stored there already (even though I recovered/re-installed windows this morning).
Shop says this is normal
Click to expand...

If it tells you that you might need to call Microsoft and have them activate it. I've had to do that before.

Read this: How to contact a Microsoft Product Activation Center by telephone
 
Kiopa_Matt said:
The shop gave you a pirated version of Windows 8 that Microsoft already knows about, and has blocked from activation.
Click to expand...

Maybe, maybe not. It's possible pirates could have generated the key and used, spread it already. But a call to Microsoft should clear it up. I had it happen with my Windows 7 when I first got it.
 
On a related note, does anyone else hate windows 8? Maybe because I don't own a PC with windows 8 so I'm not used to it.
 
thanks again everybody.
I will do what Rage9 suggested and call microsoft.. let's see what they say
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back