Computers & Electronics

Help! How to contact Microsoft to report counterfeit to exchange for legit copy?

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Dec 1, 2005
285 posts

Help! How to contact Microsoft to report counterfeit to exchange for legit copy?

I have a friend who is not very computer savvy, and purchased a copy of Windows 7 from craigslist. The purchase was made in person. The box with shrinkwrapped and even has a certificate on it.

She showed it to me, and I spotted it immediately to be a fake. It is an extremely well produced counterfeit, even with a fake hologram.

The seller, obviously, no longer asks the phone or email. I suspect the person is a scammer who likes to take extremely high risk to meet buyers and not worry about getting busting (sooner or later).

I recall that it is possible to report this to Microsoft and show them the counterfeit. If there is a reasonably looking counterfeit, you are supposed to get a free genuine copy for reporting this.

Is this correct? If so, how do I do this for her?
24 replies
Deal Addict
Jan 13, 2007
4831 posts
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I think in this case you shd contact the police too. Counterfeits and scams are criminal activities.
Deal Addict
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Jan 4, 2006
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arm2000 wrote: I think in this case you shd contact the police too. Counterfeits and scams are criminal activities.

Would they really care though? The stores at Pacific Mall and various other Asian malls sell counterfeit movies on a mass scale with little resistance.

Would the police really care enough to investigate a one off counterfeit?
Deal Addict
Jan 13, 2007
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kennyhohoho wrote: Would they really care though? The stores at Pacific Mall and various other Asian malls sell counterfeit movies on a mass scale with little resistance.

Would the police really care enough to investigate a one off counterfeit?
I don't know. AFAIK the movies sold in those malls are not exactly counterfeits (they are not fakes of the real movies, not even the package) and they are not scams (they are the real thing)
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Jan 4, 2006
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arm2000 wrote: I don't know. AFAIK the movies sold in those malls are not exactly counterfeits (they are not fakes of the real movies, not even the package) and they are not scams (they are the real thing)

A lot of them are actually. Right down to the packaging and printing of the movie covers on the discs themselves.

The dead giveaway is the price of them, usually $5 a piece or less. So people buying them are well aware they aren't the real thing.

As far as getting a genuine copy of Windows because of this, I'd have to say your chances are slim to nil. If they did, wouldn't everybody just buy counterfeits, report them, and claim a free genuine copy?
Deal Addict
Aug 15, 2006
2599 posts
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buying a counterfit version doesn't somehow make her entitled to the real version for free, so don't be surprised if your request doesn't get very far.
Deal Addict
Jun 8, 2005
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Toronto
mariokarter wrote: buying a counterfit version doesn't somehow make her entitled to the real version for free, so don't be surprised if your request doesn't get very far.

"Oh hi, Birk's Jewlery? Yeah, I bought a Birk's 15 carat diamond ring off craigslist and it turns out it was a fake. So, please exchange it for a real one at your earliest convience. KTHX!"
Deal Addict
May 1, 2006
3863 posts
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Toronto
0xffff wrote: "Oh hi, Birk's Jewlery? Yeah, I bought a Birk's 15 carat diamond ring off craigslist and it turns out it was a fake. So, please exchange it for a real one at your earliest convience. KTHX!"

seriously. the request makes absolutely no sense. why in the hell would MS just give you a free copy of windows because you happen to have a fake one???
Deal Fanatic
Jul 5, 2005
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Free replacement of counterfeit copies is a myth (I asked a Microsoft Evangelist and he laughed).

This falls under the "if it's too good to be true" umbrella of life lessons.
Deal Addict
Jan 13, 2007
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kennyhohoho wrote: A lot of them are actually. Right down to the packaging and printing of the movie covers on the discs themselves.
Right, but they are copies not counterfeits and they are not presented/sold as being originals. They don't say: "this is the original movie, the same as the one in BBV".
Deal Addict
Jan 13, 2007
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kennyhohoho wrote: They don't have to say they are the original to be considered counterfeit.

Well, apparently they are not, as you noticed the police isn't (or rarely) taking any action
Newbie
Aug 2, 2010
88 posts
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arm2000 wrote: Well, apparently they are not, as you noticed the police isn't (or rarely) taking any action

so its legal for some chinese guy to make a copy, print out fake labels and sell it, but its illegal for me to download the same copy for personal use?
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Sep 12, 2007
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Greely
arm2000 wrote: Well, apparently they are not, as you noticed the police isn't (or rarely) taking any action

So you haven't seen the numerous raids taking place at these places?

Come on, seriously. You don't have an argument here.

Oh - and to OP - yeah that's never gonna happen.
Deal Addict
Jan 13, 2007
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steve-0101 wrote: So you haven't seen the numerous raids taking place at these places?
Come on, seriously. You don't have an argument here.
Argument for what? And I wasn't the one who said police is doing very little about this.
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Jan 4, 2006
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arm2000 wrote: Well, apparently they are not, as you noticed the police isn't (or rarely) taking any action

That's precisely my point. The police hardly ever go after anybody selling counterfeit games, movies, software, etc.

They don't go after the people selling movies at pacific mall, so why would they go after some guy on craigslist selling Windows?

The only counterfeits I think the police really take seriously, is if you're counterfeiting money.
Deal Addict
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Jan 4, 2006
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steve-0101 wrote: So you haven't seen the numerous raids taking place at these places?

Come on, seriously. You don't have an argument here.

Oh - and to OP - yeah that's never gonna happen.

Those "raids" are a bit of a joke. They get a slap on the wrist at most and are back in operation in a week or so.

And that's for MASS counterfeiting. So imagine how much they would care if it's some guy selling a copy or two of Windows on Craigslist.
Deal Addict
Dec 31, 2003
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mikeinaus wrote: so its legal for some chinese guy to make a copy, print out fake labels and sell it, but its illegal for me to download the same copy for personal use?

when you download, you're only borrowing on the interwebs from some friend in another part of the world! :lol:
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Jun 8, 2003
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Scarborough
OP, if you report to Microsoft, they may think you try to scam them ;) Buying stuff from a Microsoft authorized dealer, then that is different story.

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