Another Evil Giant In the Electronics Industry

I know I really ought to change the name of the blog, but since I still love Portland Soccer I guess I will keep it as the spring season looms. Ah, but there's the rub as in Frye's Electronics rubs people the wrong way. You might recall, I was trying to recover from a computer crash days before and loss of all my cyber life from the last 10 years or so. I finally got over the Saturday Night Live, Stuart Smally I can fix this computer because "I am good enough" syndrom.

I finally realized that computer surgery and the purchase of OEM software from The Evil Empire Microsoft (TEEM). So now I am running XP Professional with no apps. That means no Office Suite; ie Word, Excel, Outlook or that program that makes the slideshow presentations.
I can get my email again which is good and bad (spam). After getting an operating system running again I almost embarked on a rabid get my apps back ASAP, but the feeling subsided as I looked at my blank desktop and marvelled how fast things worked clickty click. I might go open source Office which is for free which is a logical thing to do after spending all my money at the TEEM pusher Fryes.
Have you ever tried to return open software to Fryes. Let me walk you through it. First, you take bag packaging and receipt and queue up in the customer service line and tell the clerk I need to exchange this software (not asking for a refund BTW). She gave me one horrified look and said we don't take returns on open software. I calmly explained that the software was never installed or activated so just send it back to TEEM and get a new product. Obviously the harried clerk got the manager with a minimum of argument. Obviously she had been over this ground many times before and had decided she was not paid enough to go through this again.
Second, ever hopeful, I thought getting the manager was a good thing as they ususally have "a customer is always right kind of approach" and I was glad to see the swarthy little guy warble to the counter. Before I could open my mouth I could see he had much training on how and why Fryes won't take back open software. You see there are a number of scoundrels who would take the Product Key and make a copy of the disk and return it for the money. I again reminded him I was asking for an exchange and not my money back. But the TEEM training was thorough as low level CIA brainwashing and he was convinced the transaction I was proposing was a sinister plot to defraud Fryes and TEEM although he was assured I was not such an individual. That covered the potential lible lawsuit. He was was slick.
Even after I explained that I was not asking for any money back and only for TEEM to replace a defective product which costs them pennies to make. Sure R and D was steep for Vista but I am sure they have made this back by now plus a hefty profit. So there was simply no economic reason for denial of my request other than plain meaness. TEEM's emmissary at Fryes round head started to look like a soccer ball and I wanted to bend it like Beckham (see how I got a cheesy soccer reference in there). I knew I couldn't because the only person able to kick some sense into a ESL manager was law enforcement who probably could care less about the inate unfairness of the company policy than about whether I was parked properly in the parking lot. Law enforcement, ha! Remember, after the TSA Hitler youth experience at PDX , I am left with utter contempt for those over fed and over paid "first responders." Mind you I have a couple good friends who fight fires and takes chances with their personal well being for the public good. But, pardon me they are way overated with the herioic thing. A hero is a homeless guy who risks his life for no money and with no training to fish out an unfortunate dog out of the LA River. There is no commendation, or pay raise or gainful employment for that matter. Delayed props for you homeless person.