Microsoft Vista "Free" Upgrade Scam -- Shipping and Handling $76!!!

So I bought a new laptop a while back for work (a nice LG S1) which came with the free upgrade for Vista when it came out. Well, it has come out now and I quickly applied online to get it. After completing the incredibly overly complex system (there have been many in the blogosphere complaining about this so I won't bother) to apply for the upgrade I finally managed to get to the shipping info and cost. I assumed it would be about $12.00 (cdn) which I had seen advertised in various places. To my horror I found that it was, in fact, $76!

So, who's getting the $76 bucks? MS or LG? I'm actually not too sure.

So, it's now obvious that I'm not that bright. Thinking it was a glitch of some kind, I went ahead and ordered it. It wasn't a glitch. My bulb grows dimmer.

(Click the picture for the high resolution version).

Obviously MS or LG has figured out that many more users are as dumb as I am and will be milking them for exorbitant S&H prices. This is straight out of the back of comic book type scamming.

By the way. After going through this process I was still not done! I had to fax/scan my original receipt and the MS confirmation number (was on the form above...at the top). I fear that many folks are going to think they are done and not do that last step.

I must go kick myself some more now.