[AusNOG] Vendors back charging on support and maintenance.

[trs80 at ucc.gu.uwa.edu.au]

On Tue, 24 Apr 2018, Peter Tiggerdine wrote:

> Seems to me it's a "just in time support" tax. If a business doesn't need support for 2 years but then decides to get support
> and use the TAC service, then they're paying for what they're using. To charge customers a tax because they didn't require the
> service or support for 2 years is just large Multinationals pork barrelling and over-inflating their annuity numbers.
> 
> I've spoken to the Office of Fair trade on this matter and they seem to share my view (that's its unreasonable, however fair
> trade is really a mediation service it appears) Hoping to have a conversation later in the week with the ACCC. I do seriously
> question the legality of the charge under Australian consumer law. I suspect this is a North American policy.

What if the vendor then just refuses to sell you support at all? They're 
under no obligation to do so. I don't like it either, and second-hand 
hardware is certainly different to having let support lapse then trying to 
reinstate it, but really how can you force them to the table since you 
didn't transact with them originally? Have you considered just selling 
what was bought and then buying new or second-hand hardware from a 
different vendor without such a policy?

-- 
# TRS-80              trs80(a)ucc.gu.uwa.edu.au #/ "Otherwise Bub here will do \
# UCC Wheel Member     http://trs80.ucc.asn.au/ #|  what squirrels do best     |
[ "There's nobody getting rich writing          ]|  -- Collect and hide your   |
[  software that I know of" -- Bill Gates, 1980 ]\  nuts." -- Acid Reflux #231 /