Groupon South Africa has backtracked on its previous promise that the product which they are offering is the full version of Windows 8 Pro, and not an upgrade copy.
Earlier this week Groupon South Africa announced that it “will be the first to offer the long-awaited Windows 8 Pro Microsoft software at up to 70% off the recommended retail price”.
The company said that the recommended retail price for Windows 8 Pro was R2,000, and that they are offering the product at R599.
Consumers were quick to question whether this was the full version or the regular upgrade version as it made a significant difference in value.
When Groupon was asked whether their deal was the “full Windows 8 Pro”, or whether it is a Windows 8 Pro upgrade copy which needed a previous version of Windows, the company’s response was clear: “The Windows 8 Pro deal is the full package that gets delivered in a box to the customers address”.
This feedback from Groupon South Africa put most consumers’ minds at rest that they are getting a full version of Windows 8 Pro, but comments from Microsoft revealed that this is not the truth.
Colin Erasmus, business lead at Microsoft South Africa, told MyBroadband that unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows 8 will not have retail copies that can be installed without owning a license for an older version of Microsoft’s operating system.
This means that users will need a version of Windows XP with Service Pack 3, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 to use their copy of Windows 8 bought on launch day.
Groupon Windows 8 Pro deal
Groupon South Africa has now changed its tune on which version of Windows 8 Pro they are offering consumers.
The Groupon SA website now clearly states that their Windows 8 deal is “for an upgrade and you will need either Windows 7, Vista or XP to upgrade”.
Consumers are not happy about being provided incorrect information by Groupon South Africa, partly because they can get a Windows 8 upgrade in digital format from Microsoft directly at US$39.99 (±R350), instead of Groupon SA’s R599. Be warned that Microsoft is advertising this deal in Rand, but will bill you in US Dollars.
Windows 8 Pro upgrade from Microsoft
It is not clear whether Groupon South Africa will refund customers who feel they have been misled by the Windows 8 Pro deal.
Here is some pricing of Windows 8 upgrade version from various companies:
- Microsoft – US$39.99
- Esquire(wholesaler) – R399 (ex VAT)
- Groupon SA – R599
- Incredible Connection – R699
MyBroadband contacted Groupon South Africa to clarify the confusion and whether consumers will be able to claim a refund, but the company did not respond by the time of publication.
MyBroadband also tried to contact the Groupon helpline to ask whether the company will refund unhappy clients, but the waiting period for calls to be answered was so long that the call was terminated.
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I’m not an expert on the law, but I’m pretty sure they can be sued for false advertising, but they will definitely have to refund people who were mislead according to the CPA