Win7 Discount: To Expire Soon + Info Update on Deal

Infopackets Reader Barry G. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

In regard to the Windows 7 super discount (set to expire soon) --

I am a non-USA resident. You mentioned previously that the link for purchasing the Windows 7 discount was problematic for non-USA customers.

I was wondering if you had an update for this? I would like to purchase Windows 7 before the discount expires. "

My Response:

The short answer is that we were not able to resolve this issue using the Amazon Associate Support system, but we have a workaround.

The workaround applies to non-USA users. If you are USA-based user, please skip this page and go straight to the details regarding the offer (which we believe will expire in the next week or so). If you are a non-USA user, keep reading below.

Windows 7 Family Pack for Non-USA Users

To reiterate the deal in short: Microsoft has officially re-introduced its Windows 7 Family Pack, a limited-time offer that drastically reduces the price Windows 7. The Family Pack and allows you to install Windows 7 on up to 3 PCs, and saves you approximately $180 USD. It is currently the lowest price available available via Amazon.com and our website. Any purchases made through our site go directly to support our website and staff of writers.

That said, we expect the limited time offer to expire in the next week or two -- just as it did last year, and will be pulled without warning with a message reading "out of stock".

3 Viable Workarounds for Windows 7 Family Pack for Non-USA Customers

The issue at hand is that since Amazon ships from different Amazon headquarters around the world, and since they want you to buy and ship items to your area (in order to keep shipping costs and the overall price as low as possible), the Windows 7 Family Pack offer may or may not be available to you (depending on where you live) and unless you're a USA resident, the prices listed on your Amazon portal won't be listed in USA dollars.

There are ways around this, however, and it would allow you to purchase the Windows 7 Family Pack for the advertised / discounted US dollar price.

My suggestions:

1. Have the Windows Family Pack shipped to a USA address of someone you know, and have them forward it to you. I have personally ordered from the USA Amazon portal, even though I'm living in Canada (as we live in a border city), and there have been no issues.

Caveat: Any laws and warranties are likely void for your purchase. But since we're dealing with software on DVDs, and since the Windows 7 software DVD looks and operates exactly the same all around the world, I don't think you're going to have any problems.

2. As a slight alternative to suggestion #1, you can sign up for a mail forwarding service that allows you to have your parcel forwarded to you from a USA address. Unfortunately, I have no experience using these services, but I did spend about an hour researching various places online. I found "BongoUS.com", which from what I understand only charges $5 on a per-use basis, as opposed to some other sites that charge a monthly membership to use their service. You can even use their cost calculator to get an idea on how much it might cost to ship.

When using their calculator, you can insert the following info below to get an idea on the costs (see example picture here).

• Amazon USA weight for Windows 7 Family Pack = .56 ounces = .35 pounds, based on the description from the Amazon USA portal.
   
• Size / dimensions of a standard jewel case = 190mm x 135mm = 7.4" x 5.3" x .5", based on the dimensions from Wikipedia.
   
• Price of $129-149 USD for the goods.

Caveat: The numbers are approximate and may not be correct, but I did double check and I believe they are relatively accurate. You may or may not get stung with import fees on top of the total cost (after using BongoUS.com) when the item crosses the border.

3. Purchase the Family Pack using the Amazon Portal in your area, in non-USA dollars, with or without the discount using the links below. Each link directs to the Windows 7 Family Pack online Amazon:

• Windows 7 Family Pack: for Amazon UK
• Windows 7 Family Pack: for Amazon Canada
• Windows 7 Family Pack: for Amazon France
• Windows 7 Family Pack: for Amazon Germany
• Windows 7 Family Pack: for Amazon Austria

If you don't see your link for your country, it's because we couldn't find the product in your area (including: Amazon Australia and New Zealand).

I hope everyone has found this information to be useful. Please note that any purchase of Windows 7 Family Pack through the provided links on our site provides us with a small commission (around 6% of each sale), which goes directly to support our website and staff of readers. Thank you for your support.