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  #37  
Old July 11th 18, 08:11 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Rene Lamontagne
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Posts: 2,549
Default Buying Windows 7

On 07/11/2018 1:37 PM, VanguardLH wrote:
PeteCresswell wrote:

Per Ed Cryer:

I want Win7! I want Win7!

This site offers Win7 Pro for 13.99 GBP.
https://goo.gl/rBddg4


No clue as to that site, but I found out the hard way that some retailers
sell "Bad" copies of 7.

i.e. You pay your money, they send you a key, the key works.... but sometime
later MS tells you that key is invalid and your copy of 7 starts slowly
committing suicide until you supply a valid key.

Been there, done that.


Me, too. Bought Office 2013 from an eBay seller. The key worked (got
the ISO from Microsoft). About a month later, I noticed eBay had
refunded the purchase. I didn't ask them for that. The key worked for
about 3 years at which time I found out why eBay refunded me. It was a
sliced key out of a volume license and Microsoft had invalidated the
license when they discovered the pirate. The seller disappeared from
eBay (probably started a new identity there). Windows updates had no
problem.

It was when I did a fresh install of the OS and then tried to install
Office 2013 that the key got rejected. I don't remember how but that's
when I checked the key against someplace at Microsoft to find out it was
one seat from a volume license (all seats are to remain within the
custody of the organization that got the volume license). Oh well, time
to upgrade to Office 365 (but I spent a couple months trialing
alternatives before deciding to get Office again).

I got 3 1-year subscriptions to run consecutively from another eBay
seller who I required send me the keys via e-mail (instead of wait for
the license cards by postal mail) immediately after my eBay purchase was
authorized, tested them (and that I got 3 years of subscription), and
checked with Microsoft that they were good. I did not want to wait for
the license cards to arrive in the mail before I could check they
worked.

I have used the Buyer Protection at eBay about 3 times: once for a
product that was never delivered (that seller never responded, so I got
eBay to refund), once for the wrong product (that seller simply refunded
without requiring me to ship back), and once because the product was
defective (that seller didn't require me to ship back the defective one
for which I gave him pics of the damage and sent a new good one).

You have to know what you're buying at eBay (or Amazon or Newegg or any
etailer, especially those that operate frontend stores for sellers other
than the entity whose web site you originally visit). I've seen
counterfeit CR2032 batteries sold at eBay. You can tell by the missing
bubble packaging features and mismatched markings but you have to
research what the legit packaging looks like. When the price is
exceptionally cheap, you have to be exceptionally careful. There are
some good sales there but way too many scammers, and eBay isn't robust
in proactively policing their site (mostly they are reactive to buyer
reports, especially if they have to dole out a refund) since their
imperative is to get a bite of every sale.

The OP said he wants Windows 7. Could be he wants to image his old Win7
host, copy it onto a new host, and update the key to one that he just
purchased. For 14 GBP, he isn't risking much to find out if the key is
good.

http://softwaregeeks.co.uk is registered through GoDaddy. Yet GoDaddy's
WhoIs does NOT list the domain registrant. Doesn't seem to be a private
domain registration (where the registrar usurps IANA's requirement the
domain registrant be identified by listing GoDaddy as the registrant).
Just no info in the domain registration as to who is the registrant.
Seems iffy to me. If an etail is handing monetary transaction, they had
damn well be identified by their domain registration. Look at the WhoIs
for newegg.com and you get plenty of real data on the domain registrant.

Could be the site is dumping their backstock of old Windows versions
hence the low price versus some sites charging a premium, like full
price, or higher, for old software they've had to shelve for many years.
If you look at the site's ad for Windows 7 (using the URL that the OP
gave), notice what they say is the SKU number: Win7ProCOA. Is that a
valid SKU number? Why would a site feel the need to disable mouse
scrolling forcing the visitor to use the scrollbar or page/arrow keys?

Using the London street address the sites gives for their location, I
could find anything on the buildings using Google Maps that noted their
presence. Looks like an office complex and they're buried inside; i.e.,
the only way to find them is to go inside and read a directory placard.
From a few samples of "products" sold at their site, all they are
selling are license keys that are sent via e-mail (that have URLs to a
Microsoft download site). In their About Us web page, they say "All of
our software is available via instant digital download.". Well, don't
need much of an office to process electronics orders and send e-mails
with strings in them for keys. Their physical presence could be the
equivalent of a 1-cubicle office with a desk, one computer, and Internet
access. They aren't selling any physical products, just text strings
(aka digital goods). They operate a digital storefront. Anyone can get
those setup for cheap.


I wouldn't **** on Ebay if it was on fire!

Rene


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