Solved Buying a "discount" Windows 10/11 Pro product key experience

NavyLCDR · Jan 3, 2023

UPDATE: After contacting this company's customer service regarding the problem with the original product key (see below), they immediately sent me a new product key which did, in fact, activate Windows 11 Pro with no issues at all. Their customer service responded immediately to my communications with them!

There has been much discussion about what you get when you purchase a deeply discounted product key from an online source. Well, here is my experience. I purchased this:

The total charge was $6.21 on my paypal account. This company is located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). I received a link in email to go back to their website and obtain the product key, which I did. I entered the Product Key into Showkey Plus:

Then I attempted to activate a new Windows 11 Pro VM with it and got the error message that the product key was in use on another computer. I notified ElectronicFirst that the product was already in use, they told me to call MS, which I did (the MS software activation number provided by Windows). I eventually got to the heavily Indian accented customer support guy, gave him the installation ID from the activation window. He had me cancel that, and then click on Troubleshoot and Windows 11 Pro activated.

Final verdict: they are selling reused product keys, but MS is honoring it if you call them. I am now going to dispute the $6.21 charge to my credit card via paypal.

Archigos · Jan 3, 2023

I've bought discounted keys (not THAT discounted) in the $10-15 range from Stack Social and their sites (Macheist, etc.) and never had a problem, the key activated fine as a retail key. Never had one that was already used.

cereberus · Jan 3, 2023

Archigos said:
I've bought discounted keys (not THAT discounted) in the $10-15 range from Stack Social and their sites (Macheist, etc.) and never had a problem, the key activated fine as a retail key. Never had one that was already used.

It's basically Russian Roulette.

Archigos · Jan 3, 2023

yes and no... I'm sure if they were on the more shady side, SS wouldn't deal with whoever/wherever they get the keys

Edwin · Jan 3, 2023

Sometimes I don't get it!!!
Often a user will spend $1200.00 on the latest Nvidia card, or a 49" curved gaming monitor, yet too damn stingy to spend more than 20 fecking dollars on a software key!?!?!?

jimbo45 · Jan 3, 2023

Edwin said:
Sometimes I don't get it!!!
Often a user will spend $1200.00 on the latest Nvidia card, or a 49" curved gaming monitor, yet too damn stingy to spend more than 20 fecking dollars on a software key!?!?!?

Agree !!!!

Cheers
jimbo

Wynona · Jan 3, 2023

I guess I'm just a little paranoid . . . I always buy from what I absolutely know is a legitimate source. Guess that's a result of my always being blamed for anything going wrong when I was a kid.

NavyLCDR · Jan 3, 2023

Edwin said:
Sometimes I don't get it!!!
Often a user will spend $1200.00 on the latest Nvidia card, or a 49" curved gaming monitor, yet too damn stingy to spend more than 20 fecking dollars on a software key!?!?!?

Well.... you can spend $10 or $200 for the exact same product. Just saying. All of the Windows I use came pre-installed on the computers I have. I was just conducting an experiment to educate others what to expect.

pparks1 · Jan 3, 2023

Edwin said:
Sometimes I don't get it!!!
Often a user will spend $1200.00 on the latest Nvidia card, or a 49" curved gaming monitor, yet too damn stingy to spend more than 20 fecking dollars on a software key!?!?!?

Yeah, I love it when I quote somebody to build a computer and put in the cost of the OS and they are looking at $2500 and they are concerned about why Windows is $149.

Edwin · Jan 3, 2023

NavyLCDR said:
Well.... you can spend $10 or $200 for the exact same product. Just saying. All of the Windows I use came pre-installed on the computers I have. I was just conducting an experiment to educate others what to expect.

I hear ya!

I didn't intend to ridicule your original post, just an observation, really.

I don't think I've purchased a copy of Windows since Windows 7!

TairikuOkami · Jan 4, 2023

There are trustworthy cheap eshops and then there is the rest. When I need Windows licence, I buy a key for $2 and it is activated seconds later. MS makes money from Bing, not from selling licences to individuals. They really want people to use 11, even if it is for "free" (upgrades, insider). They said that if the key activates, it is valid, they can not verify it due to EU laws, which makes re-selling OEM licences possible at ridiculous prices. But with Windows 365 Cloud, it might change to an yearly subscription. Game is Afoot.

Garyte · Feb 22, 2023

I bought one about three months, it still works well.

badrobot · Mar 26, 2023

Edwin said:
Sometimes I don't get it!!!
Often a user will spend $1200.00 on the latest Nvidia card, or a 49" curved gaming monitor, yet too damn stingy to spend more than 20 fecking dollars on a software key!?!?!?

Ouch! You got me hard!
I've been using FREE license keys but they were given by MS when I was still a Microsoft Windows Insider MVP. :ROFLMAO:

Canz · Mar 26, 2023

I bought windows 10 Pro from Kinguin, 4 or 5 years ago. My first ever legit copy of windows. It wasn't discounted as much as yours, but it cost me 30$ Canadian, which was amazing at the time. I was worried but it ended up great. Still using it today.
Since then I've bought a few things there. I did get a pirated key for aida 64 once, but I complained and got a refund when I found out and the seller gave me a refund. Everything else has been great. probably 15 or so items since the win10.

badrobot · Mar 26, 2023

I do have access to these cheap keys (just a message away) but never needed one.

MisterEd · Mar 27, 2023

Microsoft has official paid-for subscriptions that allow development team members to install and use software to design, develop, test, evaluate, and demonstrate other software. These are currently called Visual Studio Standard subscriptions. It was formerly call MSDN subscriptions. These subscriptions come with retail product keys for most if not all their products. They keys are special in that they can be used more than once for a limited number of times. I don't know what the limit is but it might might be something like 100 or 200. If the subscriber exceeded that limit he can ask Microsoft to increase that limit. Note these keys are only to be used by the subscriber and are not to be given away or sold.

I suspect some of these keys have been obtained by online sellers to resell. "Reputable" sellers try to limit the number of times they sell the same key. That is because the Microsoft activation servers might catch on to the same key being activated too many times and block it.

Some of sellers of these questionable Microsoft Windows and Office product keys have been around for a number of years. As long as the keys keep working and the seller replaces any problem keys without question these sellers will continue to stay in business. Note, for some reason Microsoft has made no effort to shut down any of these sellers.

jimbo45 · Mar 31, 2023

NavyLCDR said:
UPDATE: After contacting this company's customer service regarding the problem with the original product key (see below), they immediately sent me a new product key which did, in fact, activate Windows 11 Pro with no issues at all. Their customer service responded immediately to my communications with them!

There has been much discussion about what you get when you purchase a deeply discounted product key from an online source. Well, here is my experience. I purchased this:

View attachment 49053

The total charge was $6.21 on my paypal account. This company is located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). I received a link in email to go back to their website and obtain the product key, which I did. I entered the Product Key into Showkey Plus:

View attachment 49054

Then I attempted to activate a new Windows 11 Pro VM with it and got the error message that the product key was in use on another computer. I notified ElectronicFirst that the product was already in use, they told me to call MS, which I did (the MS software activation number provided by Windows). I eventually got to the heavily Indian accented customer support guy, gave him the installation ID from the activation window. He had me cancel that, and then click on Troubleshoot and Windows 11 Pro activated.

Final verdict: they are selling reused product keys, but MS is honoring it if you call them. I am now going to dispute the $6.21 charge to my credit card via paypal.

Hi there

To others buying ONLINE

-- Note -- in the EU / EEA, and the UK (still in line with this EU reg at least until Dec/23 (and I think in Canada and USA) if you get a product on a CREDIT CARD -- note it must be a CREDIT and not a DEBIT card the BANK or Credit Card ISSUER has to refund your money if you can't get it back from retailer / seller.

Not sure if there's a minimum amount - but that's why it's always better to use CREDIT CARDS rather than DEBIT cards when buying online especially for large purchases. --The USA and other jurisdictions might also have DEBIT card protection but I've no idea and it's probably unlikely.

(I'm still using keys from the old Technet program -- the W8.1 etc upgrade to W10->W11 still works !!!!!).

Cheers
jimbo

IownAmoneyPit · Sep 11, 2023

Edwin said:
Sometimes I don't get it!!!
Often a user will spend $1200.00 on the latest Nvidia card, or a 49" curved gaming monitor, yet too damn stingy to spend more than 20 fecking dollars on a software key!?!?!?

I bought 2 retail and 2 OEM keys (Full Price $860.00) for my 2 new builds that are Triple/Dual boots but went overboard buying keys because I thought I needed a key for each windows installation in a dual boot (Like Win Vista/7 days) but it turns out I only needed 1 Key for each PC. However the good news is that I only activated 1 OEM Key and can still use the other one on a future build and the Retail ones can be transferred to a new PC/Motherboard without issues anyway.

NavyLCDR · Sep 11, 2023

IownAmoneyPit said:
Retail ones can be transferred to a new PC/Motherboard without issues anyway.

The digital licensing scheme for Windows 10/11 now allows OEM licenses to be moved to new PCs and motherboards with no issues as well.

Solved Buying a "discount" Windows 10/11 Pro product key experience

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