Software purchase advice

[William Benson]

Some of you know I want to (affordably) enhance my software tool chest.
Below is a conversation with a seller based on an ebay transaction. Is the
seller's reference to a "approved software vendor" a valid concern so long
as the software has not been activated issue? Is it possible that the
software as described could be something which Microsoft doesn't let me
activate for some reason? Note: payment method is only cashier check or
m/o, so no "buyer protection" ... however, they offered to cancel
transaction if I desire it, which seemed noble.

Product Desc as advertised: " Microsoft Office 2000 Professional, sealed in
jewel case with product key. never acitvated or used"

Here is what I wrote the seller, their response is below:
Please contact me by telephone which is required prior to my sending
payment. I will also need assurance that this is not part of a corporate
license or existing MSDN license, so that there will be no hassles from
Microsoft when I register this. I plan to use it as a commercial enterprise
and cannot afford activation issues from Microsoft simply because I did not
buy from their approved distribution chain. Thanks.

Response: hi bill, i have no idea about corporate license or existing msdn
license, but to be on the safe side, since you are using it in a commercial
enterprise, i think you should buy it from an approved vendor. we can cancel
transaction and i'll give you postive feedback anyway.

 

[Norman Jones]

Hi Bill,

Over a period of years, I have purchased multifarious MS software from a
variety of sources ranging from MS approved resellers, internet discount
suppliers through to Ebay. I have always registered and used the software
without subsequent problem. In the latter case, I have only constantconcern
has been to ensure that the software was a shrinkwrapped, full retail
version.

This is based purely on personal experience and is not intended to represent
non-existant expertise in this area,

 

[William Benson]

They advertised as "full version", and apparently are not able to say
whether it is retail version, MSDN, corporate-multiseat-license ... but
based on the fact that it is in its own jewel case with product key, doesn't
it have to pretty much be retail version? BTW, I bid 112 + 11 shipping.
Seems like they have another buyer in mind if I don't want it, but I just to
feel generally assured this is probably a safe purchase. More advice welcome
.... anyone? Bueller?

 

[Tom Ogilvy]

If it is sealed (never been opened) in the original jewel case, then it
wouldn't be MSDN (not distributed that way) and probably not a
corporate-multiseat-license (not distributed that way either from what I
have seen). So your risk is really that the seller is telling truth. That
said, I don't think MS has a problem with a legitimate owner selling their
copy of the software as long as it is only in use by one person.

If it has the product key on the back, then you should be good to go I
would think.

On my Office 2000 Premium it says
The authenticity of this CD-ROM can be verified by the presence of a
holographic image near the center of the disc. The image is fully embedded
in the CD-ROM and is not a sticker on the surface. The image contains the
MICROSOFT logo, which changes to the word "Genuine" when tilted under proper
lighting. On the bakc the product key sticker is orange with black type.
In the lower right corner, on the back, ther is a sticker that says CD SET:
X04-84306-M. My version is from Office Premium as opposed to professional,
and it was an upgrade but I woudn't expect the form of the labelling to be
much different.

Also, I would call Microsoft. As I recall (and I have never done it), if
you have xl2003, they might be willing to send you 2000 and/or other
previous versions at a nominal fee. I believe I read that somewhere - and
although I might be mistaken, it is worth a shot.

By the way, in an earlier post, I believe someone said xl2000 is better
working version of xl97 or words to that effect. Not true. xl97 use VBA5
and xl2000 and later use VBA6, so there are differences in the version of
VBA used in the products.

 

[William Benson]

Tom - you gave really detailed info, which I appreciate! Although I have
concluded purchase of Office 2000 Professional via ebay, and the seller says
it is Retail version and never activated, I now have the means to verify his
word. When I get the disks I will check for the characteristics which you
described. Now I just need to find Developer Tools for Office 97 and 2000,
plus Visual Tools for Microsoft Office 2003 plus Visual Basic 6 plus Visual
Basic .NET and I will have quite a collection of tools, ready to bid any
job. Seriosuly, thanks for the advice of everyone who offered guidance here
and in other posts of this nature! I hope to be able to go to the Excel User
Conference and meet some of you if you go.