Is this Legit?

[Terminal23]

http://www.buysusa.com/
Photoshop 7 $49.99
I can't tell if this is legal or not.

[Bill in SD, CA]

Scary IMO.

Bill

[davidamarkley]

Well, my gut feeling says it's not legit...
If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

This paragraph is found under each description of the products:

(Please Read)
This is a cd only sale. All cd’s are brand new and still in the factory seal. This is the full version not a limited or trial version. As bundled software it qualifies for all online upgrades but does not qualify for technical support registration from Adobe.This is the Windows version only, sorry not for Mac.

Notice two key phrases, "bundled software" and "does not qualify for technical support registration".

What is the software bundled with? From what I saw on the site, nothing. It sounds like they somwhere aquired some OEM versions of the software that would have originally been bundled with some computer systems and/or hardware. As far as I know, it's illegal to sell/resell bundled software unless the company/publisher gave 100% approval in their EULA. Which I doubt Adobe would have done. The second phrase seems strange. Any version of software that I've used, whether it be the trial, demo, full, OEM, or bundled version, there's usually a registration form that they offer you to fill out. So, this company is asking you to not fill out the registration, since you, in essence, aren't getting the retail version.

The second phrase I could've just gone over the deep end with, but the first part about it being bundled software, is something to be very wary about.

HTH,

David

[willy_ph]

I woudn't trust it. Definitely looks like a bit of a shady deal. You could always contact Adobe and see if they consider it a legitimate deal or not.

Maybe they're selling just the cd's, without serial numbers, for 50 bucks. Even then, i'm still trying to figure out if it's a legit deal.

[MatrixmaN]

I'd buy it...

[davidamarkley]

Well, in their FAQ, it says:

All Software is brand new and still in it’s factory seal. All software has a serial number and can be upgraded. There is no retail box or manual included. Just a new sealed CD.

We can sell at such low prices because we not only buy in bulk but the software was to be bundled with hardware originally. Therefore it does not qualify for tech. support registration. However it will download all updates from the manufacturer. Some are purchased from bankruptcy sales, auctions etc. If you want tech support you need to buy the retail version at full price from a local software store.

Even though they say where they got it from, I'm still thinking it's not the best idea.

But, at least they do give you the still wrapped CD w/ serial number on it. So you can't be nabbed for using pirated media.

If you think it's too good to pass up, then grab your guts and go for it. But, I've seen too many scams to believe this one is any different.

David

[oolunchbox]

i'd steer clear of it.. MaximumPC had a letter a while back about a guy who got burned on a deal a lot like that.. they didnt mention any URLS or anything but this deal sounds way too close to the one in the letter....

[Terminal23]

OOH...This is so hard to pass up.I'll sleep on it tonight.The sites been up for awhile,so if it weren't legit I'd think it be down by now.I guess I'm trying to convince myself it's ok.

[Terminal23]

I called Adobe and talk to their customer service and yes it's bogus.Pirates ahoy captain.