Frequently asked questions

We are happy to explain!

It is important to us that no questions remain unanswered. That's why this page contains many questions that are frequently asked.

For whom are partnerships offered?

We offer these partnerships for public sector organisations. These can be social welfare offices at communal, regional and cantonal level, but also organisations that are responsible for the integration of refugees, for example, or relief organisations/foundations.

Our partners must be able to ensure that the service is only offered to people living in poverty.

For whom may devices be applied for?

Basically, we distinguish between three possible target groups:

  • Social assistance

    Persons who receive economic social assistance or supplementary benefits from a municipal, regional or cantonal social welfare office or social services.

  • Migration / Asylum

    Persons who are in an active asylum or migration process. The cantonal offices or other organisations responsible for the integration mandate are responsible for this.

  • Working Poor

    All other people, for example families who live just above the subsistence level or deliberately forego social welfare benefits. Here we work together with various aid organisations.

The majority of the partners work exclusively in the respective area.

What does the process look like?

As soon as the Partnership laptops can be ordered from us if this has been mutually agreed.

  1. A need for equipment is identified;
  2. You check the application according to your guidelines;
  3. The request is recorded on our portal (Instructions);
  4. We will send you a suitable device;
  5. Your organisation pays the contribution towards expenses as agreed.

We already work with many organisations throughout Switzerland. We are also happy to help you set up the relevant processes if necessary.

How much do laptops cost with us?

We currently charge a one-off contribution towards expenses of CHF 250.- or CHF 150.- per laptop for each device handed in. This contribution towards expenses is required to cover our own costs.

The actual laptop is "donated". We receive laptops as donations from private individuals, companies and administration and therefore do not calculate a price on a model basis.

How is the invoice issued?

Invoicing can either be per order (individual invoice) or per month (collective invoice). The invoices are sent by e-mail to the contact person or office specified to us.

By default, one invoice is issued per order. If you would like to change the invoicing method, please contact us. For larger organisations, different cost centres or a central invoice dispatch can also be set up.

Which is better?

Individual invoices are particularly suitable when contributions to expenses have to be booked to specific customer accounts. This is usually the case with social services.

If no client allocation has to be carried out, a collective invoice makes more sense - then only one payment has to be entered and released. 

Why provide laptops at all?

Just think what the opportunity costs might be if someone is in a predicament longer than necessary due to lack of equipment.

A job-seeker may remain unemployed longer than absolutely necessary because applications cannot be made at home.

A person in the process of migration has a longer integration time because our national language can only be learned in face-to-face courses.

Working poor people have to buy laptops for their children, possibly take out micro-loans, and then they already have one foot in the social welfare office.

Many of our partners have the leeway to decide on procurement at their own discretion. A small contribution towards costs can make a lot possible.

Every worker who can handle digital devices will be more attractive in tomorrow's labour market - and this also means potentially higher tax payments and a smaller burden on social security systems.

Who pays the expense contributions?

As a rule, a partner organisation bears the full costs itself. We issue the invoices directly to our partners, who also owe us these amounts and are liable for them.

Particularly if cost sharing is envisaged, we recommend that the corresponding amounts be requested before the order is placed so that no credit risk arises.

Can private individuals also order directly?

Equipment orders can only be placed by partner organisations. This is a necessity to which we cannot make any exceptions. This results in a clear division of tasks:

  • The partners take care of the means test and ordering;
  • We see that laptops are professionally set up and shipped.

Enquiries from private individuals are only triaged by us. Enquirers are asked in these messages to contact the relevant office in order to obtain a laptop.

How and when are units delivered?

We dispatch parcels from Merenschwand every fortnight. This means that the delivery time can take a few days to a maximum of three weeks - depending on when the order is placed.

A clean order entry makes our work much easier. If documents are missing or parcels cannot be delivered, delivery will of course be delayed.

Is there a guarantee?

All warranty conditions can be found on this page:

What are the expenses for partners?

The expenses are manageable and include the following points:

  • Examination of applications (depending on the type of organisation);
  • Enter the order via the Service Desk.
  • Transfer of the contribution towards expenses.

Assuming that many people seeking help are already known to you and that the individual cases can be discussed quickly, this minimises additional work. It usually takes just a few seconds to enter the order.

Are there alternatives to wLw?

The simplest alternative would be to purchase new laptops for our own clients. However, in many places this is neither economically viable nor necessary. Every organisation must therefore ask itself whether the following work is possible for less money than the contribution towards expenses per laptop:

  • Procurement of second-hand laptops
  • Data deletion
  • Preparation (staging)
  • Shipping
  • Support

According to our experience, this is not possible anywhere else, as we specialise in the above-mentioned work and can exploit very large economies of scale; and we also do our work with a great deal of expertise.

What is the support like?

Our laptops are already pre-installed and equipped with the most important applications. Nevertheless, we are happy to help with any questions or problems. Our instructions and our Whatsapp support hotline are happy to help those affected directly. This saves time, but also a lot of money - because this help is free of charge.

We deliberately want to enable end users to acquire their own skills. Especially when dealing with computers, it is important to learn that you are never actually the first person with a problem - and relevant information can usually be found very quickly on the Internet.

How are the laptops set up?

Devices

We exclusively process laptops that we receive from private donors and companies. The devices are tested for functionality and various performance features.

Further information on the unit types can be found on this page:


Operating system

All our delivered laptops have an operating system: either Zorin OS or Windows 10.

Zorin OS

An operating system from the Ubuntu family. It offers extremely similar operation to Windows 10 and is also visually very reminiscent of it.

Zorin OS is installed on laptops that are used, for example, by job seekers or people in migration processes. These laptops can be used for all everyday tasks that are also possible with Windows 10.

A variety of useful programmes are also installed on these devices, such as a free alternative to Office365. It is important to us that there are no follow-up costs for the users.

On this page you will find more information about the setup:

Windows 10 can also be installed on all our devices. We have developed an installation routine for this that massively simplifies the installation: Use Windows 10 instead of Zorin OS

Windows 10

We also offer laptops with Windows 10 for apprentices and students. However, no other software is installed on these devices. However, many schools provide Office365 free of charge, for example.

Specific requirements?

If a device with specific requirements is needed for someone in teaching or studying, the official school requirements can be sent to us. We will then take these specifications into account.

If we do not have a suitable unit in stock, we will contact you with procurement alternatives. We do not ship units that do not meet the requirements submitted to us - unless this is requested.

Due to the nature of our work, it is not possible to request specific device models.

May we continue to purchase equipment from other service providers?

Sure! We don't issue gagging contracts, we simply want to help. Once the contract is signed, your organisation has a possible solution for missing IT hardware. If the offer is not used, there are no costs.

What if a client no longer wants/needs a laptop?

If an order has only been placed but nothing has been dispatched yet, this is not a problem. In this case, we can simply cancel an order.

However, the situation is different if a laptop has already been dispatched. Expenses already incurred are non-refundable and therefore we will still issue an invoice in these cases. The laptop can of course also be passed on to another person.

If the laptop has already been used by the client and is no longer required, the device must be cleared of all data before it is passed on. Some instructions are available for this purpose.

In many cases, it is almost more economical to order another device from us. Clean data erasure requires expertise and time.


Further questions?

Do not hesitate to write to us. We will be happy to be at your disposal:

Was this article helpful?

Related Articles

en_GBEnglish (UK)