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Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.

Software on EBay is often deeply discounted and very lucrative. The problem is that those deep discounts sometimes indicate issues to be wary of.

by Leo A. Notenboom, © 2009

I'd like to purchase another legal copy of Windows XP at a discount. Looking at EBay seems a good idea but how do I know if they are actual Genuine ones? Do I just have to take their word for it?

My question is...is it safe to purchase via Ebay and would you recommend it or not?

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It is possible to safely purchase software on EBay. I've done it.

It's also possible to end up with unusable or illegal software, or simplyget scammed out of your money.

In exchange for the money you're saving, you need to invest a littletime.

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The key to successful purchasing on EBay is, in my opinion, spending timecarefully reading and understanding the description of the product you areconsidering purchasing, and carefully reading and understanding the feedbackleft for the seller you're considering purchasing from.

I did a quick search for 'Windows XP' on EBay for this article.

All the versions I found were 'OEM', meaning that they were originally intended tobe sold with a new computer by a manufacturer such as Dell, HP or others. Infact, if you look at the photos of the Windows XP product, you can see thatthey're shrink-wrapped envelopes that look very similar to the exact sameenvelops that come with many OEM machines. If the operating system ispre-installed, many people take the shrink wrapped media and sell them onEBay.

I would avoid OEM versions of Windows on EBay for several reasons:

• The seller is likely in violation of the operating system license, as theOEM disks are for sale with a new computer only, and may only be installed onthat one computer. Some vendors try to get around this restriction by includingsome piece of hardware with your purchase that may or may even not be workingor useful. (I was surprised at how blatant this was.) Thereby they've not soldWindows XP alone, but rather 'with non-peripheral hardware' which they believecomplies with the rules.

• If these are in fact OEM disks from pre-installed systems, the product keyis, presumably, already in use on those systems. You run the real risk of notbeing able to activate Windows once you install it, as the activation processchecks.

• The OEM version might have differences and/or customizations specificallyfor the vendor it was originally intended for. It may not work completely onyour hardware.

While it's conceivable that some of the OEM versions of Windows XP might belegitimate, the reselling of OEM versions is just too risky for my blood. Iwould avoid it, period.

Make sure you read the product descriptions carefully. Make sure youknow exactly what it is you're purchasing. Unlike a standard retailer, youoften have little recourse if the product isn't what you expected. Read theshipping and return policies as well and make absolutely certain that they'reto your liking.

And if they seem to be playing games (like shipping unnecessary hardware),to be dancing around some rules, walk away.

Which leads us nicely into feedback.

Almost all feedback on EBay seems to be positive, which in my mind negatessome of its value - it's hard to believe that every seller, or everytransaction is perfect. That being said, there are a few things to watch for inevaluating the feedback logged against a seller you're considering doingbusiness with:

• Make sure that you're looking at 'Feedback as a seller'. The total feedbackscore appears to include both selling and buying transactions, so it's easy toget what looks to be a stellar reputation simply buying things. One of theWindows XP sellers I located had lots of positive feedback, but none as havingsold anything. That makes this person look good, but tells you nothing abouthow he behaves when selling.

• Make sure that the feedback is recent, and that there's enough of it.Several hundred items of sales feedback is typically good, but it's concerningwhen they were all last year, and only a few or infrequent sales occurred within the last3 months.

• Make sure that the seller's been around a while. An account created lastweek hasn't had enough time to build the positive reputation you want in orderto feel comfortable doing business.

• Watch for feedback stuffing. A series of feedback entries that appearidentical, or are all from the same buyer should be taken skeptically.

I'm certain that there are great deals out on EBay. I know that many peoplehave made a lot of money there, and have purchased valuable, legitimate itemsat substantial discounts.

Particularly when it comes to software, however, I think it's important tobe extra cautious because we know that there are several ways that the systemcan be abused.

Yes, I've purchased software on EBay - exactly twice, and specifically topurchase versions of software that were simply no longer available any otherway. I much prefer to pay perhaps a little bit more to do business withtraditional, reputable retailers like Amazon, Fry's, Newegg and others, withwhom I have direct and repeatedly positive experience.

I want to know what I'mgetting, and know who I'm getting it from.

Article C3892 - October 16, 2009 «»

You may also be interested in:

• What's OEM software? Is it safe to buy? OEM Software is heavily advertised, often in spam, at prices much cheaper than retail. The problem is that OEM software is often illegal.

• I don't have an installation CD for Windows XP - what if I need one? At some point you'll need your Windows installation CD. If you don't have one, you could be out of luck. Be sure to get one and keep it safe.

• Can I install Windows XP using one manufacturer's CD on a different PC? Installing Windows XP using one manufacturer's CD on a different manufacturer's PC might sometimes work but it's not guaranteed at all.

Continuing with what Leo stated, you may also be protected by EBay/PayPal. If you do all of the pre-sale research Leo suggested, make your purchase and still have an issue, you still have another option... EBay/PayPal have a counterfeit department which specializes is helping you get justice when wrongly sold an illegal item. I have bought hundreds of items on EBay with several being software (including a Windows XP OEM set). I have gotten quite good at knowing how EBay works and will continue buying and selling there.

Remember, do your research on the product/description and on their feedback. If you are still pleased with the seller after that, you should buy.

Also, a few of the sellers with tons of feedback are big stores themselves. With huge warehouses filled with stock.

Hope this has helped in your future EBay endeavors.

Jon

A word about feedback... you may want to cross-check the other buyers' feedback as well. Some eBayers have deals with each other to cross-post great feedback (as buyers) in order to fluff up their ratings. If you see multiple feedback from a buyer, go read their feedback and see if the seller has posted feedback as a buyer, too.

Just so you know, Ebay and PayPal do NOT cover your loses from software sales, as they are classified as an intagiable good

Pookey, you're wrong. I got burned in August for counterfeit XP Pro SP3 disc. As mentioned above, the item came with a memory chip, but I wasn't warned about the validation deal upon updating. I got this 'nag' in the right corner of my laptop screen that I may be a victim of piracy or counterfeiting. After I notified eBay, they tried to get the man to refund my money, but he fled town. His friend that he was living with said he went back to Mexico. eBay promptly refunded me my money and told me never to worry, they have a strong counterfeit policy. They do not tolerate it, and if reported, the customer will be refunded. Just remember, if the deal sounds too good to be true, it usually is. I paid $83 for a $250-$275 item. I'm a proud member of eBay and I'll vouch that there are many fantastic deals on their site, just be careful about software. I've bought many Linux and Microsoft products on their site with only one bad deal, and they promptly refunded me.

your blog is really nice and use full for me...thanks

I purchased a number of Microsoft Office 2003 on EBay and when I went to install them on new machines they all failed to bring up teh End User License Agreement and did not register with Microsoft. They were good counterfeits but they were a fraud. I got my money back and the seller did refund PayPal. It is safe to shop on EBay but with software the advice on this page should be followed.

In my opinion purchasing products from ebay is good because i also purchase some products and software from ebay. These are original no duplications. I agree with that also some times some sellers are there on ebays are doing scams with buyers and that's why peoples are not going to buy products there. But it has rarely done. I know about a website which provide online electronics products and software & hardware. If anyone interested to buy then visit on http://www.ordercomputer.com

DON'T EVER buy software on eBay - you are completely unprotected. Here is my situation. I purchased an Adobe product on ebay. It installed fine and worked for years, but then I decided to de-activate it and install it on a different computer and found out that it was a fraudulent serial number. Adobe refers me to eBay and eBay's buyer protection plan only covers 45 days. So if you buy software on eBay you are never know if your software is valid. And eBay refuses to do anything about it.

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Not to mention these jerkwads wanting top dollar for abandonware 75 bucks for win 98 or 2000 pro. With?? Greedy little jerks!

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