LinkBack URL
About LinkBacksThe one on the left is actually the real one.
The one on the left is actually the real one.
The fact that you have had to ask this question should tell you all you need to know
□ΞVΞ□
Stay clear to be honest - even with positive feedback.
In all likelyhood it will be a genuine key and windows product, if the price is within £50 or so of the average retail price.
It is incredibly likely to be an invalid licence however, which is a different issue..whilst the key may well activate its actually no better than using a forged/pirated/illegally obtained key, your windows is still unlicensed and there is still an (admittedly tiny) chance of getting in to trouble for it.
Buy a legal version, with a correct licence (avoid student software if you are not a student..thats legal piracy, and odd concept).
A big issue with copies of anything on ebay is that many people don't realise that they are buying fakes - this is one reason why you see so much positive feedback for sellers which are obviously selling fake software, sunglasses and the like. I've taken to reading every single negative feedback from any seller now, and if I think its genuine (ie not a buyer with an axe to grind) then I will stay clear.
The 1st pic showing the COA is fake. I can usually tell the genuine article from a fake just by looking at the COA.Originally Posted by Fornowagain
snootyjim is right. It's worth a try even if it's not guaranteed to get you a free copy (these things never are).
The details can be found in these links: Production Identification service & FAQs
In order to make a claim, the third-party seller should have sent you an invoice / packing slip with their details on it:
Microsoft may also accept a printout of the transaction page (also called the 'Printable Order Summary' @ Amazon) - contact Microsoft about this prior to sending them your claim.Q: What can I use for proof of purchase?
A: Because purchase documentation varies widely, we are flexible. Proof of purchase can be a purchase order, the original supplier invoice, or some other store receipt. The proof of purchase must show the supplier’s name and address, the date of purchase, and a reference to Office.
Without even opening it I knew it was a fake instantly from the COA. Aside form the bogus serial/barcode, closer inspection of the strip portals and the printing makes it obvious.
Real vs Fake
I registered a complaint and gave the retailer time to pull the market seller, but they're still listing the fake weeks later. I find the amount of people leaving great feedback for a counterfeit product quite depressing. What's odd is the retailer even removed a negative review, clearly stating the product as fake, I assume because a refund was given. The market seller won't respond to me now, so foiled my attempts to get a return address. I may just trying printing off a copy of the order from my account details and trying that with MS.
Last edited by Fornowagain; 15-10-2010 at 12:10 AM.
Antagram (22-10-2010)
I took onboard the general consensus to wait for Windows 8 release and the possible cheap pre-order prices that happened with Windows 7.
I have been looking at Office 2007 or 2010 since posting this thread, so it' worrying how the master retailer sites allow third parties to use them for selling fakes. But the problem is if people don't realise they've been sold a fake (going by Fornowagain's pictures I wouldn't be any the wiser) and leave positive feedback. So unless Microsoft starts blacklisting product keys the end user won't be any the wiser and never hassle Play or Amazon to take action.
Wait for Windows 8?
Could be a very long time until it's released
Hi Everyone,
I was thinking of buying on EBay for my laptop, Windows 7 Ultimate, as the price seems better than Best Buy, what is your advice?
Honestly, don't. Its so full of fakes it's not real.
Hi baxa, & welcome.
1. Ask every seller to provide you with a photo of the COA of the actual product they are selling (i.e. the sellers who don't display clear enough COA pics in their listings).
If they don't reply, or the pics are not clear to determine one way or the other, do NOT buy. If they do reply with reasonably clear pics, go to step 2...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Compare the COA pics with actual fake & genuine COA pics. Here are examples of genuine & fake ones. Notice the difference in the 'Port Holes' - circled in red & green?
In addition, here is Microsoft's official 'how to tell' [the genuine from the fake] for Win7 Ultimate.
I can also supply some photos via email (so pm me if interested), & here are more photos about all aspects. I can now pretty much tell which are genuine or fake just by looking at the COA.
Right, so imagine you've determined it is genuine from the COA & gone ahead & purchased it - see step 3...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. If it looks fake on arrival, do not even open it but simply request a full refund & return it to the seller via RM Special Delivery (so fully trackable). By not opening it, they should accept it back as Win7's Product Key can only be found inside the sealed case.
If it looks genuine, then soon after installing & activating it, request for a MGADiag analysis of Win7 (instructions here / thread example here) at the official Microsoft Forums (relevant subforum here) after registering as a member there.
This test alone will ascertain whether the Product Key is genuine or not. If this is genuine, then you can be almost sure that the rest of the product is genuine as well.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have purchased a genuine & fake from eBay (no prizes for guessing in which order!), so there are genuine ones to be had - you need to be patient & vigilant as above. I can offer further help on determining which ones are genuine/fake on this thread or via pm (for privacy reasons) if need be.
Other places you'll also want to avoid (or do similar to the above) are marketplace sellers on Amazon & Play or similar sites.
Btw, in the past Microsoft had a Complimentary Replacement Program, by which they would provide a good Product Key free of charge to anyone who sent in a 'good-quality' fake (there are many fakes of this type, especially on eBay & Amazon). But unfortunately they have abandoned the scheme several month ago, as I suspect, they were getting too many good-quality fakes than they bargained for! Anyway, here are screenshots of this offer when it was live (the original webpages have since been edited or no longer exist):
Microsoft Forums thread 'sticky'
Microsoft's official webpage
Any further questions, just ask.
Last edited by Crossbow; 11-02-2011 at 08:58 PM. Reason: Added content for better clarity
Are you sure you need Ultimate at all? I know a lot of people who have splashed out to get Ultimate, not really fully understanding the extra features it offers. From what I've seen, it's geared towards business use rather than home use. Microsoft have done a great job of including everything a home user would need in Home Premium this time... I've had Professional for a while but not once have I touched any of its features, and I'd consider myself a power user...
Obviously though, if you know you need it feel free to ignore me :3
Ultima2876, people are going for the Ultimate edition mainly because of the attractive price they can get it for on eBay & similar sites. So if you can get Ultimate for the price of Home Premium, why not go for it is what they are probably thinking.
i would not risk it
Ah yeah, didn't see it that way. Sucks that people take advantage of someone looking for a good bargain =|
I bought a couple of W7 keys a while ago, turned out to be MSDN keys. They work at first and then become blacklisted. To be fair the seller replaced them both times, but they went the same way again, gave up at that point
Microsoft should of closed the MSDN account instead. As it's being used for fraud with no comeback it seems.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
