Microsoft Educational Pricing

I've decided to buy the new Microsoft Office 2007. More and more of my students are using it and I figured it's time to get up-to-date. Besides, it'll take care of the questionable "legitimacy" of my current Office Suite.

Being part time faculty at Pima Community College, I figured I'd take advantage of the educational pricing that Microsoft offers on their products. In order to do so I needed a faculty ID. I was told to go to the cashier's office and they'd fix me up. Great. I went down and all I had to do was write down my name and what I teach. They told me to stand on the "X" and they took my picture (no one told me I was supposed to be pretty for this thing!). A minute later I had an ID with my photo on it and a barcode and all that good stuff. As I was leaving I asked the girl, "How do you know I am who I said I am? Shouldn't you have asked me for a photo ID or something?" She giggled and that was that. But seriously, shouldn't she have?

Anyway, I ended up trying to order the software over the phone because I didn't know how they'd handle proof of ID and all of that. Turns out you copy your ID and FAX or email it to them. As I was having one of the guys in our prepress department scan my ID, one of the other guys asked me why I needed it. I told him. He asked how much it was. I told him. He wondered why I didn't just order it online. Of course, I explained to him that Microsoft, being mindful of how difficult it is for a student to afford these things, offers great educational pricing. He popped up the OfficeMax web site who had it for $20 less.

Instead of confirming my ID and ordering, I of course canceled the order and told them why. Then, out of curiosity, I checked a few more sites and found it at Amazon.com for $30 less, no tax, and free shipping. In the end, by buying my software from Amazon.com instead of through the college/educational system I saved myself $60! Sixty bucks!

So, my question is this--who the hell is coming up with this "educational" pricing? Dick Cheney? It's a shame when companies take advantage of students or anyone else by advertising "special" pricing. It's special all right--no child left behind special!