dellvistaupgrade.com MAY recognize a dell outlet computer

So this is annoying...I bought two m1210's from the outlet -- one on 10/28 and another at the end of november. For awhile neither service tag was being recognized for a vista upgrade at dell's website, so I figured I was out of luck.

Today I receive an email from dell that I qualify for a free vista upgrade. I go to the site, type in the service tag from my November m1210 (which was a refurbished) and no problem -- easy ordering of the vista upgrade.

I go back to the website and type in the service tag from my 10/28 m1210 (which was a previously ordered new outlet purchase) and no luck -- the website doesn't want to recognize it.

I think dell is now splitting hairs with when outlet computers were first ordered by the original purchaser and when it was manufactured -- if it was after 10/26 then you're fine (which is the case with my Nov. laptop), but no luck if the computer was ordered and manufactured before 10/26 -- which probably was the case with my 10/28 outlet purchase.

This now really annoys me enough to contact Dell, but which division/phone number do I use -- anyone know? The way I look at it is that either all outlet purchases qualify if done on 10/26/later or none qualify -- that's why I didn't mind when neither of my laptops were being accepted for upgrade.

I'd recommend to anyone who purchased an outlet from dell after 10/25 to just annoy the hell out of them, because this apparent new policy is lame from a customer point of view (my .02).

 

believe it or not its microsoft not dell it goes by the coa on your machine and when it was registered originally to the original purchaser or manufacture date

 

Orig. no dell outlet computers were being covered on the vista upgrade, which now has changed. So, these "rules" are not written in stone, because no outlet purchase from dell was being allowed to use the free upgrade (except on a case by case basis I suppose) until now, since I got an email.

If you look at my Oct. 28 purchase -- it was a "prev. ordered new" which implies that the orig. purchaser never accepted the dell or microsoft agreement (or it may not have even left dell if the order was cancelled prior to shipment). Therefore, there was no acceptance by an end-user for the windows operating system until after 10/28 when I purchased and received the computer.

My whole contention is that my Nov. outlet computer was accepted for the upgrade, even though it was "refurbished" which implies there was an acceptance of an end-user microsoft agreement by someone else before I received this computer. If dell or microsoft is willing to bend the rules to make this situation acceptable for an upgrade, then I have a hard time understanding how my 10/28 purchase doesn't qualify either.

From a practical point, the only reason I'm being so picky is that my nov. computer is windows media center for my use so I doubt that I'll upgrade it to vista anytime soon. But my 10/28 laptop has windows professional which my son is using for college -- this one most likely will be upgraded sooner then later.

 

Sorry to drift from the topic.saw the URl in topic name and so posting here..
Is dell-India registered for the free vista upgrade? The sales manager i talked to, says negative while the URL "dellvistaupgrade.com" says, an inspiron 6400 in Asia-Pacific is eligible.Can any of you confirm this please?
thanks