Associate
- Joined
- 4 Apr 2020
- Posts
- 41
I just purchased a copy of MS 'Office home and business 2016' from an... online auction site (as I've done before for similar products, with varying success).
Years back, I've fallen for the 'keycode software download link sent by email' scams, and consider myself wise to these. But this was a still shrink-wrapped, all legit looking, box with key inside. I entered the product key on my Microsoft account, everything fine, downloaded the software from the link provided on the microsoft site. All fine... requires activation once installed, as expected.
Both online activation, and telephone activation failed. the first with 'try again later'. The second with 'The product key is not valid for the product specified' (or something similar).
The box is an 'EU' version - some of the box text is in German. I was aware of this; The UK is in the EU microsoft region and I thought the worse I'd have to do is change the default language to English. So I tried using a VPN (through a Dutch server) to register - again, no joy.
Finally - I called Microsoft support. The support person initially confirmed the product key was valid, and spent the best part of an hour, taking remote control of my PC aided by her supervisor, before telling me the product key was 'not valid'. I did see one response to some of the scripts she was running - 'This product key has been blocked by the activation server', although she did seem to keep trying even after that.
What I'm after is an opinion - is this a sophisticated 'fake' product, perhaps using a legitimate product key to get through the initial check? Or is it just that I failed the 'regional' activation maybe. Just what to take back to the seller in a probably vain attempt to get my £50 back.
Years back, I've fallen for the 'keycode software download link sent by email' scams, and consider myself wise to these. But this was a still shrink-wrapped, all legit looking, box with key inside. I entered the product key on my Microsoft account, everything fine, downloaded the software from the link provided on the microsoft site. All fine... requires activation once installed, as expected.
Both online activation, and telephone activation failed. the first with 'try again later'. The second with 'The product key is not valid for the product specified' (or something similar).
The box is an 'EU' version - some of the box text is in German. I was aware of this; The UK is in the EU microsoft region and I thought the worse I'd have to do is change the default language to English. So I tried using a VPN (through a Dutch server) to register - again, no joy.
Finally - I called Microsoft support. The support person initially confirmed the product key was valid, and spent the best part of an hour, taking remote control of my PC aided by her supervisor, before telling me the product key was 'not valid'. I did see one response to some of the scripts she was running - 'This product key has been blocked by the activation server', although she did seem to keep trying even after that.
What I'm after is an opinion - is this a sophisticated 'fake' product, perhaps using a legitimate product key to get through the initial check? Or is it just that I failed the 'regional' activation maybe. Just what to take back to the seller in a probably vain attempt to get my £50 back.