Windows 8 'digital' keys on ebay as low as $30 (even lesser maybe).. legal?

death_relic0

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Sep 18, 2009
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Hey guys,

When something looks to good to be true, it usually is.

I have been seeing really cheap windows 'digital' keys being sold on ebay and other places, i.e right now theres a $30 windows 8.1 pro key on ebay here

Something doesn't smell right. Are these legal? I know for a fact that for people who buy them, the keys work for them and they are identified by windows as being 'genuine' (a friend of mine bought one and hes happy). so just wanted to confirm before I get one.

THanks in advance
 
Solution
according to the seller his friend is a "certified reseller"
Yeah, right.
You can always point MS at that ebay posting and see what they say.

Amazon and Microcenter are 'certified resellers'. If they were able to sell Win 8 Pro at that price and still make a profit, don't you think they would do that?

Generally, cheap 'keys' you find online are either:
1. Corporate licenses not meant for resale
2. Edu keys not meant for resale
3. TechNet or MSDN keys not meant for resale
4. Otherwise pirated or generated keys, not meant for resale, or fully illegal

It may be a 'valid' key (an edu license, for instance)....but that does not make it legal to sell.

death_relic0

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Sep 18, 2009
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18,690


well I did and according to the seller his friend is a "certified reseller" of keys and had a few spares. It is a retail key. It's hard for me to understand why it's so cheap, but if its genuine, if it works, if it activates, if Microsoft says the key is ok, I dont see any harm?
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
according to the seller his friend is a "certified reseller"
Yeah, right.
You can always point MS at that ebay posting and see what they say.

Amazon and Microcenter are 'certified resellers'. If they were able to sell Win 8 Pro at that price and still make a profit, don't you think they would do that?

Generally, cheap 'keys' you find online are either:
1. Corporate licenses not meant for resale
2. Edu keys not meant for resale
3. TechNet or MSDN keys not meant for resale
4. Otherwise pirated or generated keys, not meant for resale, or fully illegal

It may be a 'valid' key (an edu license, for instance)....but that does not make it legal to sell.
 
Solution