BBCWatchdog On Three: Windows 10 #FAIL - are you due compensation?
Upgrading your computer, tablet or smart phone to the latest operating system is supposed to enhance your experience by making things simpler, slicker and speedier. But for some people who have installed Windows 10 onto their device, it's had the opposite effect and things are a lot more complicated.
Jack Bowden, age 21, is one of the unlucky ones. He works as a chocolatier in south-west London, and uses his computer on a daily basis to research recipes, play games and watch movies. Jack contacted Watchdog shortly after his computer automatically downloaded Windows 10. He tells us that he was quite happy using Windows 7 and didn’t want to upgrade to Windows 10 when it launched in July 2015.
Jack Bowden
Each time his computer prompted him to upgrade, he declined. However, in June 2016 he says the upgrade took place automatically, without his permission. Since the upgrade, Jack’s computer began crashing every 15 minutes. He says he contacted Microsoft and was passed through various different teams to try and fix the problem. But the problems got worse. Eventually, his computer didn’t work at all.
Jack says, "As it stands I’ve lost everything - photos, videos, Word documents, my apps and all my music. Not to mention software I’ve had to pay for." He says Microsoft advised him to take his computer to an electronics team, which is what he did. The result? To get his computer up and running he has been quoted £275.
Jack also complains about Microsoft’s poor customer service. "No one at Microsoft seems to care. I’ve spent 27 and a half hours on the phone to Microsoft, albeit most of that time I’ve been on hold. At one point, I was on hold for two hours 45 minutes. In the end, I hung up."
Unfortunately, Jack isn’t alone. Consumer magazine Which? has received hundreds of complaints about the update. Which? conducted a survey, and hundreds of people who downloaded the new Windows 10 reverted back to their original operating system, with many of them saying it ‘adversely affected their PC’.
Complaints include lost files, email accounts no longer syncing, Wi-Fi cards and speakers no longer working with their PC, and like Jack, computers breaking and Windows 10 installing itself.
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So, will Microsoft compensate disgruntled Windows 10 users?
Consumers have been given new protection when it comes to purchasing digital products. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, if you buy software, music, videos and apps etc, they have to be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described.
If it’s faulty, you’re entitled to a repair or replacement. And get this - if the digital content causes damage to a device or to other digital content, you are entitled to have it repaired or be compensated. See here for more details.
Which? has received hundreds of complaints about the Windows 10 update and is calling on Microsoft to honour consumers’ rights, including paying compensation where it’s due.
Alex Neill, Which? Director of Campaigns and Policy says, "We rely heavily on our computers to carry out daily activities so, when they stop working, it is frustrating and stressful. Many people are having issues with Windows 10 and we believe Microsoft should be doing more to fix the problem."
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Jim Martin, Editor of PC Advisor tells Watchdog, "Microsoft should be bending over backwards for people whose systems don’t work after the upgrade." He says some problems can be easily rectified whereas others remain a mystery. He points out that it is possible to ‘roll back’ to your original operating system.
For further help, head to Windows 10 quick fixes and Which? Guide to Windows 10.
Microsoft says: “The vast majority of our customers have a high-quality, positive experience with our updates and our goal is an issue-free experience for everyone. For those who don't, we want to hear from them so we can address any issues as quickly as possible. If a customer has any issues, we offer customer support at www.microsoft.com/support or by calling 0344 800 2400.
“Ensuring our customers have a positive experience with our products and services is incredibly important to us and we take the quality and reliability of our software seriously. When we deliver updates to more than 400 million devices, those builds have gone through extensive internal and external testing.”
If you’ve had a similar experience or got a story you think we should investigate, we want to hear from you. Email us at Watchdog@bbc.co.uk with ‘Three’ in the subject heading.
