- SAN FRANCISCO (PRNewswire)
-- The California Microsoft anti-trust settlement case owes millions of
computer users up to $1.1 billion in refunds, yet most of the estimated
14 million people eligible have not filed claims.
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- The deadline for filing is only weeks away and critics
charge that the process is too confusing, time consuming, and thus discourages
people from filing.
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- Microsoft agreed to refund up to $1.1 billion to California
consumers and businesses, settling class-action lawsuits that alleged the
software giant overcharged for products.
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- Although a Bay Area firm debuted a website to help individuals
conveniently file their claims, only a small percentage of the millions
eligible have done so. With the filing deadline fast approaching, the company
has decided to get the word out through a new game located at http://www.RedmondRaid.com
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- "What people don't realize is that this is their
money and they are owed a refund," said Howard Yellen, CEO for Settlement
Recovery Center in San Francisco. "With the deadline only weeks away,
there is still hundreds of millions of dollars sitting on the table. If
no one claims the money, hundreds of millions of dollars will go back to
Microsoft."
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- "The best way to get the attention of those that
are actually owed the money is to entertain and educate at the same time,"
said SRC's VP of Marketing Scott Hunter. "We are hoping that the game
gets passed around to millions of Internet users who may be due money from
Microsoft."
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- The object of Redmond Raid is to get your money back
from Microsoft. Redmond Raid features a disgruntled penguin flying a bomber
over Redmond, Washington. Using actual satellite photograph images of the
Microsoft campus, players get a realistic sense of where their money has
gone. There are a variety of enemies to keep trigger fingers busy including
nerdy engineers on flying scooters, helicopters and enemy jets. Game play
involves dropping "Happy Bombs" on Microsoft targets to recover
gold coins and money.
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- Upon completion of the game, players are sent to http://www.ClassActionMoney.com
where they can complete their refund claim against Microsoft. Up to $100
can be claimed with no documentation required.
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- "It's a win-win situation," said SRC's Hunter.
"Consumers need to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
After all, when else does one have the opportunity to pluck their $100
back, right out of Bill Gates' wallet?"
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- When asked, why go after Microsoft? Hunter responded,
"It's like Willie Sutton's answer to why he robbed banks...it's where
the money is."
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- SVBIZINK2.story&STORY=/www/story/07-13-2004
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