I have contacted Microsoft (phone, email & web form) & sent the dodgy software to them this morning. If you look at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/howtotell/cfr/FAQ.aspx, Microsoft will send you a "complimentary kit" by way of compensation though what they send depends on the product sent.

I would recommend anyone suspicious of their software to look at the links I posted previously ( http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1574858 and http://i53.tinypic.com/2zgt3q9.jpg )so they know if they've been ripped off too!

I'll update you all on my progress once I've had my reply from Microsoft.

Incidently, the software I bought was the original release Windows 7 & not SP1 hence I wouldn't have expected to pay full price for it.

Just a quick update but Microsoft have informed me that the "Complimentary kit shipped to customer".

I'll update this post once I've received the software.

The good news is that I’ve finally received my ”free” replacement Windows 7 Ultimate from Microsoft yesterday. I say ”free” because firstly I paid for what purported to be genuine software plus I had to pay several more quid to send it “Tracked” to Dublin, where Microsoft have their nearest anti-piracy office.

Here is a summary of what I did. Firstly, I submitted the online Counterfeit Software Report on Monday 30th April. I then sent the software, together with a cover note, a print out of the original auction page and a copy of my receipt, on Tuesday 1st May and it arrived in Dublin on Friday 4th. The replacement software was approved on Sunday 6th and duly sent to me on Tuesday 8th May. Sadly, Microsoft used one of those delightful mail delivery companies to send the package (anyone living in the countryside will know the ones; they hang on to bills & bank statements for at least a week before finally passing the post on to Royal Mail to get delivered!) which is why it took until the 26th for me to receive it!

I have to admit that I’ve not tried it yet as I’m still in the process of building my new PC but, apart from it being covered in reminders that it is a replacement for a counterfeit product (Microsoft use the expression “Get Genuine Online Kit”, though what that is supposed to mean is anyone’s guess!) it looks like the full version

Finally, to correct a typo in my original posting, the US Version I received was X15-29510 and not X25-29510 like I said. The replacement has X16-73756 on the COA and whilst some retailers show that as an upgrade part number, there is no mention of upgrade on the box or DVDs (it has both the 32 & 64 bit disks) and appears to be the full retail copy of Windows 7 Ultimate. It also has Service Pack 1 (which my original purchase did not; incidently, this is the reason I used to justify the price that I paid for the original software to Microsoft) so all I need to do now is build my new pc!