Software Empire Fine print makes their 'instant delivery' of software not required Clearwater Internet, Florida

I needed a copy of Windows that evening, as I was helping a relative set up a computer, and I was leaving the next day. I purchased a key from softwareempire.com and Windows said it was invalid. Their site says you have to use Microsoft Phone activation, so I did that, which took a long time even if it did work. The Microsoft rep told me that this was a group liscense and it had already exceeded the number of activations alotted to this group. It was after hours for support at SoftwareEmpire (though I later found trying to contact them by phone was pointless), so I had to get a copy from a local store to put on the PC. They responded several days later with another key, and I had no PC on which to install it so I've been unable to use it. I had asked for a refund several times, and mentioned that I'd challenge it with my bank if one wasn't provided.

They told me to contact them by phone for further discussion, but I was never able to reach them by phone or have any messages returned. I was unable to test this new key as I don't have a PC for it anymore, and I doubt it still works. I don't know for certain, but it seems like they buy products at 'group' rates, intended for a school or company to use the same liscense over many computers. But instead of doing this, they sell the key until someone complains that it doesn't work. I imagine they count on many people giving up and never contacting them, allowing them to sell a key for 100 users to 200 for example. I don't know for certain that this is what they do, but it seems like it from my experience, and in the end was a rip off in my book.

They wait until the last moment to file a rebuttal to your bank claim, and then point out that amongst all their fine print is a clause saying you have to give them 10 days to resolve any issue. So apparently you can stick "Instant" in your main product description and "10 days" in your fine print, and only be obligated to fullfill the 10 day one.

Even if they key had worked instantly like they said, it would have required a lenghty phone call to Microsoft, and support that can't be reached at SoftwareEmpire.com. They are (legally apparently) ripping people off, and should be avoided when there are many more reputable software providers out there.