Windows 7 Serial numbers on eBay for under $20

ScottDaMan said: If it sounds too good to be true...........

From what I understand, people are getting CD Keys in bulk and are reselling them. eBay isn't shutting down the auctions, so who knows!

mikeres said: Either you are going to be honest or your not.
If you're going to "legitimize" your illegal software, why bother paying anything to someone on eBay.
Just go to any of the popular torrent sites and you can easily get keys and/or software that will make your copy of Window 7 "legal".

Like I said - either you're honest or you're not. But, paying for illegally obtained software just doesn't make sense to me.

Can you confirm for me 100% that the sellers that are selling their "illegal" serial numbers "directly from Microsoft with money-back guarantee" are warez/illegal? That's my whole point of this thread- is it legit or not.

Makes me wonder if they are technet, edu, or other keys from the various promotions going on.

UPdownLoAD said: mikeres said: Either you are going to be honest or your not.
If you're going to "legitimize" your illegal software, why bother paying anything to someone on eBay.
Just go to any of the popular torrent sites and you can easily get keys and/or software that will make your copy of Window 7 "legal".

Like I said - either you're honest or you're not. But, paying for illegally obtained software just doesn't make sense to me.

Can you confirm for me 100% that the sellers that are selling their "illegal" serial numbers "directly from Microsoft with money-back guarantee" are warez/illegal? That's my whole point of this thread- is it legit or not.You are really missing the point!
The question is not whether the keys being sold on eBay are legitimate keys (they may very well be legitimate). What you're proposing though is akin to purchasing stolen merchandise.

If someone offered to sell you a gold bracelet for $20, the question is not whether it is really gold, but rather is the seller the rightful owner.

Like I said earlier, and this time let me be perfectly clear, if you're going to be a crook why bother paying anything? If you're going to steal, just download the keys and/or software directly from a torrent or newsgroup. Don't pretend what you're doing is legit. The keys you purchase may be legit, but anyone that engages in these activities is a thief.
Let your conscience be your guide.

Now that Microsoft has actually made some of their prices reasonable, especially .edu deals, I think many more people (myself included) are willing to buy rather than only get a new OS when they buy a computer or source it elsewhere. Why would I buy a key on eBay for W7 when I can get one from Microsoft for $29.99 + tax? I'm downloading the ISO now and I already have the key which was emailed to me with my order confirmation.

MISTERCHEAP said: mikeres said: UPdownLoAD said: mikeres said: Either you are going to be honest or your not.
If you're going to "legitimize" your illegal software, why bother paying anything to someone on eBay.
Just go to any of the popular torrent sites and you can easily get keys and/or software that will make your copy of Window 7 "legal".

Like I said - either you're honest or you're not. But, paying for illegally obtained software just doesn't make sense to me.

Can you confirm for me 100% that the sellers that are selling their "illegal" serial numbers "directly from Microsoft with money-back guarantee" are warez/illegal? That's my whole point of this thread- is it legit or not.You are really missing the point!
The question is not whether the keys being sold on eBay are legitimate keys (they may very well be legitimate). What you're proposing though is akin to purchasing stolen merchandise.

If someone offered to sell you a gold bracelet for $20, the question is not whether it is really gold, but rather is the seller the rightful owner.

Like I said earlier, and this time let me be perfectly clear, if you're going to be a crook why bother paying anything? If you're going to steal, just download the keys and/or software directly from a torrent or newsgroup. Don't pretend what you're doing is legit. The keys you purchase may be legit, but anyone that engages in these activities is a thief.
Let your conscience be your guide.

hey dude, eBay/Microsoft could easily pull these auctions if bogus. Stop screaming "crook and stealing" unless you can 100% verify they are. There may very well be some legit loophole that these resellers obtained these product keys, it may not be 100% ethical, but that does not mean they are stolen by crooks as you say.

I haven't seen 1 of these auctions pulled yet. The only Windows 7 auctions I've seen pulled are for the Windows 7 CDs that were given away from hosting a party.

I can't believe that no one knows if these are coming from a legit loophole or not. Take a look at one of the closed auctions: Auction 1

handyguy said: I found no auctions for: windows 7 serial number

Search for Windows 7 Key

There's quite a few on there, but not as many as there were when I started this thread. I think I'm accidently giving a boost in sales to the sellers.

And I would have purchased a few when they were at under $10 BIN, but no one would comment if they could PROVE they were legit.......

UPdownLoAD said: Well, since no one could provide any more information, I gave in and purchased one: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270472878541

Had the key in about 5 minutes from winning the auction. I used my Windows 7 Professional upgrade CD to upgrade a PC from Vista Home Premium, and then after upgrading, I used the Windows Anytime Upgrade and entered the key I received from eBay. It registered and activated 100%.

So for those on the fence, this is a GO, but I'd still like to know where they're getting the keys from........

Probably from a TechNet subscription (you get 10 licenses from the start and can request more if needed) or from a MSDN account. Also the possibility of a MS ActivePack Subscription for businesses. All sorts of ways to get the keys ... problem is, they are not to be resold. And/or they may limited to one install (i.e. if you ever reformat and need to install again, MS will not give you a manual authorization to reinstall it.)

Wouldn't it work like a first-come-first-serve to activation? I activated first, and if anyone else tries it shouldn't go through, right?

Google the number and post the results.

S105dude said: Why would I buy a key on eBay for W7 when I can get one from Microsoft for $29.99 + tax? I'm downloading the ISO now and I already have the key which was emailed to me with my order confirmation.
Because Microsoft has very different price-structures around the world! Here in Denmark they have dropped the Family Edition of Windows 7 meaning that to equip my 3 computers with Windows 7 I have to buy 3 separate licences at 250$ each - a total of 750$!! I would like to use remote desktop as well for which I have to buy the Professional or Ultimate Edition which will cost me 400$ and in Denmark it's not possible to buy a cheap student edition of Windows 7 yet...

So far I've purchased 3 Windows 7 Professional Editions from 3 different sellers. All have activated fine, and all were less than $15

1 PC I upgraded from XP. I had to first upgrade it to Vista, then Windows 7 Home, then Windows 7 Professional. It wasn't as bad as it seems; when upgrading to Vista (as well as Windows 7), I did NOT enter in a serial number, which still will allow you to install. Finally, when I finished installing Windows 7 Home, I went to the Anytime Upgrade option (it's called something else in 7), chose that I already had a serial number, and entered the number that I received from eBay, and it took 10 min to "upgrade" to Professional.

just buy the key and don't worry about it it will only work for about a year until windows 8 comes out right

They probably get the keys off the sides of computers on display in stores.

handyguy said: They probably get the keys off the sides of computers on display in stores.Umm Handyguy, those are not keys. You can't use those things on the side for much. All of those machines use OEM activations.

Reselling a student key or a key from Action Pack violates the license, and selling any key without a COA is not allowed. If these are volume keys, they will very likely be disabled eventually. If it is actually a legitimate key from a bundle, then it should continue to work forever although it was illegal for it to be resold.

If it's XP, there's a patch out there that will get around the warning you'll start getting if they catch your "hot" key.

I'm glad your key works for you.
But don't delude yourself into thinking that just because it works for now that it is legit or legal.
These keys are provided by Microsoft (whether sold or given away) with specific conditions attached to their use.
That fact that a key you purchased happens to work doesn't mean that you are not violating Microsoft's terms of service.

Also, the fact that these keys happen to work now, and/or the fact that eBay allows these sales to occur does not mean that the keys are legit. One day, if Microsoft feels like it, the will blacklist these keys and have eBay stop such sales.

Lastly, warez and torrent sites are chuck full of downloads of working versions of WinXP, Vista, and Windows7 (this includes all versions, not just corporate versions).
There's no need to pay for any software if you don't want to.

The point that I have been trying to make (see some of my posts above) to you and to others is that purchasing a working key does not make your software use legitamate.
You are not the first person that has purchased such a key, you are not the only person that has purchased a key and you won't be the last person.
Just be aware that your activities are not above board and that Microsoft does not approve of the sales of these keys.
For anyone that doubts me, call or email Microsoft and provide them the key you're using and describe how you got it.
Let me know how long after that your operating system continues to function.

Cobalt1254 said: It is now Dec 18 and this deal is still being offered on eBay. I wrote to about 10 people who bought win7 this way and they all were happy and a few said it is very legit. There is no box, no disc and no little silver sticker to put on your computer. You must burn your own disk. Since its been quite awhile it seems to me that this must be legit or Microsoft would have shut it down. Even eBay would have shut it down. Someone here posted that you can buy a key or get the software from warez sites but I do not think that is true. That worked for XP because a corporate edition was leaked and since then Microsoft has found a way to deal with that. Im confident that this deal is legit and this key will be good for as long as I have it.

I'm surprised no one figured out what source of the keys is. Here's the deal: BizSpark provides companies with MSDN access. Many, many people "created" companies and somehow managed to slip through the BizSpark screening process in order to get MSDN access. Getting this access means that they can get HUNDREDS of keys at no cost to them, then easily flip them on eBay.