Registered Refurbisher with problems obtaining Windows OEM

[Janim]

Hi,

I just sent an email to Microsoft support, and asked for their advice. They really couldn't help me, but maybe you guys can.

Here's my problem:

"Hello,

I have just been approved to Registered Refurbisher program and in order to do some pricing plans and budgeting I'd need pricing details from OEM Distributors, but I am facing problems with them.

As initially I am not doing this as full time and when I am still in the starting phase I don't have yet any sales - and sales figures, I don't get prices from the OEM distributors in Finland.

They don't give out any prices or sell anything without making a reseller contract with them, and they require their customers to buy products for the worth of several thousand euros per month. As a rough estimate I would need to refurbish at least 150 PC's (a guess, since I don't know the pricing details) monthly to meet their requirements for customers.

Without having access to legal copies of Windows I can't really start advertising and buiding up my business. Do you have any other sources than those 3 Finnish distributors where I could buy the Windows licenses for refurbished PC's or would it be better that I will start to sell only Linux PC's and those where I can use Citizenship Licenses?"

And here's an excerpt from answer from Microsoft:

"We understand that you are having issue with get the prices from the OEM distributors, we would be grateful to provide you more distributors but unfortunately the only distributors in Finland are those, which you can find in the following link:

http://www.microsoft.com/oem/en/pages/distributors.aspx

Its possible that you find other distributors in other countries and get from them the products."

 

[Kitten Kong]

Hi @Janim.

I seem to be the ms refurb goto guy on our forum.

I will write a full detailed answer for you later on if this is ok with you.

That is, unless one of our other refurb members can answer before I can get back to you.

 

[Janim]

Hi @Nige

I would greatly appreciate any advise from senior MS RRP members. Thanks in advance.

 

[Kitten Kong]

Hi,

I just sent an email to Microsoft support, and asked for their advice. They really couldn't help me, but maybe you guys can.

Here's my problem:

"Hello,

I have just been approved to Registered Refurbisher program and in order to do some pricing plans and budgeting I'd need pricing details from OEM Distributors, but I am facing problems with them.

Firstly well done and congratulations on being a Refurb member .

As initially I am not doing this as full time and when I am still in the starting phase I don't have yet any sales - and sales figures, I don't get prices from the OEM distributors in Finland.

You are looking at the wrong side of distributors here. What your are currently looking at, is costings for all the usual parts, ie drives, memory, motherboards etc. Rather than the traditional 3 pack windows licences for refurb machines.

They don't give out any prices or sell anything without making a reseller contract with them, and they require their customers to buy products for the worth of several thousand euros per month. As a rough estimate I would need to refurbish at least 150 PC's (a guess, since I don't know the pricing details) monthly to meet their requirements for customers.

Well, well off the mark here. You do not have to refurb a single machine in 12 months if you don't want to. Although to keep up being a refurber, and not be removed from the program, it is advisable to at least refurb a couple during the year.

Without having access to legal copies of Windows I can't really start advertising and buiding up my business. Do you have any other sources than those 3 Finnish distributors where I could buy the Windows licenses for refurbished PC's or would it be better that I will start to sell only Linux PC's and those where I can use Citizenship Licenses?"

What you are actually looking for here, is to contact the 3 x disty's for your country, and see which of them actually sell the 3 x pack licences.
Or you can contact a disty in a country local to you, and see if they have any licences. (This is a new one on me. I wasn't aware you could do that, so thank you! ).

Re linux machines. Remember, in order to class a machine as a refurbished one, it requires all 3 parts of the refurb circle. There are three components to check for on a refurbished PC to ensure it is properly licensed.

If you are selling refurbished PCs to customers with Microsoft software, you must provide your customers the following items or you could be liable for copyright infringement*:

• The original recovery media that was shipped with the PC when new. Chances are you will never have this.
• The original Certificate of Authenticity (COA) associated with the exact PC, as well as a Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher (COA) when original recovery media is not available.*

• The original manuals.

If the original hard drive is still installed in the machine, AND it has the recovery partition. OR you have managed to image / clone said drive to a n other, *** then in my eyes you do not need the refurb coa. ***
NOTE *** is authors own views, and NOT the views expressed by the forum owner.

There is also NOTHING to stop you from purchasing refurbished machines off of suppliers, and reselling them to your clients, now you are a reg'd refurber. This will greatly aid you, if you are unable to either purchase the licences required, or do not have that much good stock to actually refurb, where it won't cost you the earth to do..

Hope this helps. Sorry it is wrote out this way. But its the fastest I can get the answer out to you.

 

[ianh21]

i had the same issue too. i could have got them through ms website but it never worked. i could have got the citizen ones but that wouldn't have been right. i'd appreciate any advice too.

 

[Kitten Kong]

@ianh21 Ian. From memory, there are only a few UK suppliers of the refurb media.

These being
Enta
West Coast
VIP
And I think Spire were on the list.

Enta usually have them in stock, and are my no1 goto place for them.
Westcoast.. Well if you have a spare few hours attempting to trawl through the site, go for it.
VIP. Hardly have any in stock.

 

[ianh21]

thanks Nige. i approached enta but they turned me down as im not vat registered. will check the others.

 

[Moltuae]

thanks Nige. i approached enta but they turned me down as im not vat registered. will check the others.

I had the same problem with Enta. I don't know why they make it so difficult; it's not like their prices are particularly low. In fact, I think I've only ever used them for the refurb packs; pretty much everything else they sell is cheaper elsewhere.

They initially threw that hurdle at me, wanting a company registration and/or VAT number. Instead I gave them my website address and sent copies of a few recent invoices that I had raised (to my business customers) and they approved the account.

 

[Kitten Kong]

I'm not vat reg'd either, but have an account with Enta.

If you have a cash account, or COD, I can't see any reason why they wouldn't sell to you.

 

[ianh21]

thanks guys, i will try again with them. i was actually going to register for vat voluntarily because they allow you to reclaim all the vat you have paid for the last 4 years without having to pay any. but the hassle wasn't worth it. i am seeking purchases from brokers abroad for bulk stuff and they all want vat numbers. may just stay small.