Are the keys legit?

[Kaleb Janzen]

I have been looking online for a Windows 10 pro key for My pc I'm upgrading and I found on Amazon 2 keys that are around 15$ CAD

 

[bellabichon]

The price of those seems suspiciously low to me. Windows 10 home keys on (relatively) reputable sites like G2A go for around $30 CAD, so $15 seems too good to be true. 

[Oshino Shinobu]

4 minutes ago, bellabichon said:

The price of those seems suspiciously low to me. Windows 10 home keys on (relatively) reputable sites like G2A go for around $30 CAD, so $15 seems too good to be true. 

There's many, many sites that have Windows 10 Home for around $5-$10. $30 is relatively expensive for keys from dubious sources. 

 

7 minutes ago, Kaleb Janzen said:

I have been looking online for a Windows 10 pro key for My pc I'm upgrading and I found on Amazon 2 keys that are around 15$ CAD

 

They will work, most likely and they're legit in the sense that they are genuine keys from Microsoft. What is less likely to be legit or completely legal is the method in which the seller first obtained the keys, or that they are selling MDSN or educational keys which are not intended for resale. 

 

There's lots of places to buy genuine keys for very cheap but they're almost certainly obtained in a manner that doesn't follow Microsoft's terms or sometimes obtained using stolen credit cards and the such. I wouldn't worry about the key not working, it's more of whether you want to support this kind of business. 

[Dawson Wehage]

I recommend kinguin.net

[TetraSky]

Why pay $15 on Amazon, when you can pay less than $5 on ebay and other stores?
https://www.dlcompare.com/software/100005894/buy-microsoft-windows-10-professional-key

These keys are the ones SI gets at a MASSIVE discount. They can also just be old keys that were on the side of recycled PCs since Windows 7 and Windows 8 keys still work as far as activating Windows 10.

 

 

There's also a chance that the key won't work, regardless of where you buy it, be it Amazon, Ebay, Kinguin, HRK, etc etc etc. The advantage of Ebay is that you're protected by Paypal and you will get your money back. With the others... You'd have to call your credit card company to get it back, but doing so will get you banned from these services. Especially Amazon.

That's how it is with cheap grey market keys.

 

If you don't want to deal with that stuff, either reuse a Windows 7/8 key that you already have or buy the "genuine" OEM key for $100~$150. (Or however much they charge these days)

[IcarusLSC]

They are not legit.

[LogicalDrm]

9 hours ago, bellabichon said:

The price of those seems suspiciously low to me. Windows 10 home keys on (relatively) reputable sites like G2A go for around $30 CAD, so $15 seems too good to be true. 

I find this funny. The site is Amazon Canada. Which I would see more legit than G2A. The keys are OEMs and seller is individual with new account. So there's no difference with buying one of these or using G2A.

 

Oh, sorry, yes there is. Amazon offers free protection whereas on G2A you have to pay for that. So why is G2A more legit than Amazon? Keys are same on both, so are sellers.

 

3 hours ago, IcarusLSC said:

They are not legit.

Please elaborate? The keys are most likely genuine. The ways they are squired for sale is the shady thing. But thats same for all of these marketplace/grey market keys. You have no way of knowing if they come from dead prebuilds, come from bulk/Enterprice etc. package of keys, are bought using stolen credit cards or are just what some keygen has spilled out.

[IcarusLSC]

This has been discussed before.

Many keys are made for the system they were installed on. Others are volume keys not meant for individual resell, MSDN, edu keys, sold for other countries, etc etc. Reselling them is technically illegal. Can they be used... sometimes sure, but still doesn't mean they are technically legal.

 

I.E. direct from Microsoft website:

Quote

With the exception of Product Key Cards (PKC’s) distributed with COA’s, Microsoft does not distribute products keys as standalone products. If you see a listing on an auction site, online classified ad, or other online page advertising product keys for sale, it’s a good indication that the keys are likely stolen or counterfeit. If you were to purchase and use a stolen or counterfeit product key to activate Windows installed on your PC, the key may not work for activation, may already be in use on another PC, or it might be blocked from use later by Microsoft when the key is reported stolen. The best way to get everything you expect up front is to buy genuine Microsoft software preinstalled on a new PC or genuine Microsoft software from an authorized reseller.

 

[Mling]

On 11/25/2020 at 8:58 PM, LogicalDrm said:

Please elaborate? The keys are most likely genuine. The ways they are squired for sale is the shady thing. But thats same for all of these marketplace/grey market keys. You have no way of knowing if they come from dead prebuilds, come from bulk/Enterprice etc. package of keys, are bought using stolen credit cards or are just what some keygen has spilled out.

I've seen the sales process. This is not the way OEM is meant to be sold and it would not surprise me if the seller was operating out of hong kong or singapore. If the seller is not doing things by the book then how do you know they are not going to sell your key to someone else in 6 months time? How do you think they get the price so low?