Windows 10 for £1.79, what's the catch?

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Feek

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A friend of mine has just called me, ever so excited because he bought a couple of Windows 10 keys from eBay for £1.79 each.

I'm sure this comes under "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is"

I don't use Windows, I have no idea how the licensing/registration works so can someone tell me what the catch is here? He said they worked, what are the chances they'll stop working at some point and why?

Thanks.
 
I may or may have not bought one of these today and it worked fine. To be fair it was mostly because I couldn't be bothered to phone MS after changing a motherboard.

Not quite sure on the legality mind.
 
I got one no long ago for 4.99 for my new build, came on a pen stick and a letter containing the instructions, activation code and a few Microsoft window 10 metal stickers that you get

Everything works fine updates etc!
 
Personally, I'm not surprised.

I mean Windows 10 was deployed in a virus-like fashion if anyone remembers the GWX virus. I don't think Windows itself is worth much money these days because it's reached its pinnacle, Windows is just "there" now if you get what I mean, nowadays software is worth data and it's data which is being exploited.

Plus I'm sure Microsoft have a dedicated counterfeit software department who check (or should be checking) ebay every single day and investigate counterfeits all the time?

I've just done some quick searching and there's a seller who's been selling various types of keys/serials for almost a year now. Surely if they were fake keys they would be shut down within a few hours at most but these people have been going on for years.
 
they always work some for a long time some forever. it'll be volume licensing and such isn't really a genuine copy.

and no for whatever reason Microsoft does not site on ebay doing this, people have been selling these sort of keys for decades. also it is not a virus at all.
 
He received two different keys by email, no USB, no paperwork or anything like that.
 
There are still many different ways to get it for absolutely nothing £0, if you know how, these people are probably getting free keys and selling them on for a profit even £1.79 is pure profit and people buy it for a quick and easy option. The amount of people buying these a little soon adds up to a lot

The £4.99 I payed probably was to cover the pen drive and postage more than anything else.
 
They are most likely volume licensiing or MSDN keys that shouldnt be resold. Chances are they will be disabled anytime in the next couple if years.
 
Glaucus said:
they always work some for a long time some forever. it'll be volume licensing and such isn't really a genuine copy.

and no for whatever reason Microsoft does not site on ebay doing this, people have been selling these sort of keys for decades. also it is not a virus at all.
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asim18 was referring to the "Upgrade to Windows 10" popup from microsoft as a virus, it acted like one and rubbed many up the wrong way. I bought my copy of Microsoft from a retailer originally but in the future I'll just buy it from wherever is cheaper, at under £5 for a key even if it stops working you've not really lost out on much.
 
Begbie said:
I may or may have not bought one of these today and it worked fine. To be fair it was mostly because I couldn't be bothered to phone MS after changing a motherboard.

Not quite sure on the legality mind.
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It's an automated system now, you don't actually have to speak to anyone. At least for that problem it is.
 
I do wonder how much MS actually care about these kind of things, sure they have to say they do and take a bit of action from time to time but I'd hazard a guess they are more worried about you actually using Windows 10 and the MS services within as opposed to where you got your key from.
 
MS don't care about residential copies of windows and licensing. They make the money from businesses buying large license packs and volume licensing.

They audit random companies on licensing requirements and if you are found to be unlicensed you have to pay up a huge bill. Money is made through business licensing not residential.
 
Wizzkidy said:
MS don't care about residential copies of windows and licensing. They make the money from businesses buying large license packs and volume licensing.

They audit random companies on licensing requirements and if you are found to be unlicensed you have to pay up a huge bill. Money is made through business licensing not residential.
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Most residential will be through prebuilt desktops and laptops so will be a fair chunk of money from that (although of course nothing compared to how much a retail copy would make them) and its a steady / guaranteed income too.
 
Bought a couple of these and had no problems. Even if one day it suddenly becomes dodgy i'll just buy another.
 
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