I have been trying for 3 months to get the "free" Windows 7 upgrade for the HP laptop I bought in August from Arvato. Apparently, HP contracted with Arvato to handle this service. Within a week of Windows 7 arriving in stores, I dutifully submitted my information, including a $12 fee and proof of purchase for the "free" upgrade, to Arvato thru their website. After waiting patiently for several weeks, I received an automatic e-mail saying my order had been cancelled. I immediately called Arvato at 1-877-280-2279, and was told to ignore the e-mail. The customer support person told me it was automatically generated and had been sent in error. I waited a couple more weeks, and received a similar e-mail saying my order had been cancelled. I called Arvato again, and asked for a supervisor, who told me he would personally take care of the isssue (he supposedly verified that I had sent in the correct proof of purchase and the $12 handling fee). He told me to expect my shipment in 3-5 business days. I then waited 10 business days, and no Windows 7. I called Arvato again, again asked to speak to a supervisor, and was again told I would receive the product in 3-5 business days. As of today, 10 days after that last call, I still have not received my "free" upgrade, which at this point has cost me more in my time and frustration than Windows 7 Ultimate would have cost at retail.
If you have a choice, and I believe most consumers do, I would avoid Arvato like the plague - they clearly have no clue what they are doing, and apparently missed the sessions on customer service which are compulsory in most companies these days.
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