Microsoft has decided to do the practical thing. With consumers taking advantage of an unintended rebate loophole, the company is suspending the program.
The deal allows customers of electronics stores to take $400 off their tab if they sign up for Microsoft Network Internet service. In most states customers have to repay the money, or a portion, if they cancel the service. In California and Oregon, that wasn’t necessarily the case due to a state law that may or may not govern this situation.
In any event, lots of consumers decided to take advantage of the deal. They’d buy expensive stuff, get the $400 rebate and then plan to cancel the MSN service.
I don’t like these Internet-service rebate deals in any event. They lock customers into service for three years, when the Internet market is changing so quickly that three years is almost forever.
And maybe Microsoft was sloppy to put itself in this position. It clearly didn’t do enough homework. But all the evidence is that the company made the offer in good faith.
Bottom line: Any customer who uses this loophole — defying the clear intent of the rebate program — is not doing the ethical thing. And all the Internet chat room language about how it’s okay to screw a big, unethical company is plain old hooey.