Microsoft Office 2010

[brendajchil]

I purchased Office 2010 in 2014, installed and used with key provided by supplier, SoftwareAU who claims to deal in genuine products. Okay, now in 2018, Windows 10 had to be reinstalled due to a partitioning problem. Somehow that prompted Microsoft Office 2010 to ask for activation all over again. When code provided and going to Wizard screen and in phone call to Microsoft, they claim that key could never have activated the program. What is going on!!?? I used it fine for 4 years, the supplier says the program and key never expires. Paid $239+ for it!
Have tried work arounds unsuccessfully. Also SoftwareAU is not responding to emails.

 

[Barty1884]

Unfortunately, this is going to be an issue that SoftwareAU needs to address.

FWIW, they claim to be an authorized seller, but I can't find any info on MS's site to verify this.
IF they are, then MS support should be able to help you recover your money, if you cannot get it to activate.

As for why it could never have activated..... what did they say, specifically? What kind of key was it?

 

[brendajchil]

The wizard that comes up and takes the standard format 5 x5 digits then brings up another 8 box set of numbers, which goes back to microsoft. When you try ti enter that code with Microsoft, the first 2 digits are 0's and their boxes only allow 1 to 9 in numbers. So then you proceed to phone call registry and can get an actual person..who repeated back numbers using alpha substitute to be sure you are getting g it right. I got in shouting match with her over it. She flat out said her 'tool" can't verify iit as a valid key! How can it become not valid after 4 years of being fine and if not valid how did it ever work? Was for 3 computers btw and 239 fairly high priced, I feel.

 

[Barty1884]

Did you still have this activation code via email? Or did you pull some kind of log of your activation keys? If the latter, chances are you pulled an incorrect key.

If the former, I have no clue. But if MS are telling you a key starting "00" is not valid.... it's not valid.

Again, this is an issue for SoftwareAU.... who may or may not be legit/authorized. Lots of claims of enterprise keys being sold by this company.
To quote one claim I've found via a 2 second Google search:

I purchased Msft Office 2010 & received a Product Key. Everything worked fine for 2 years when I had to reinstall the app after a system failure. The key was no longer valid. Msft said that it was an enterprise key & is blacklisted because it had been provided to other customers. I notified softwareAU of the situation & have received no response. It appears that the software you will receive will activate with the product key provided, but once softwareAU exceeds the limit for the distribution of the key, the key is then blacklisted as pirated. Don't buy from this company!

Sounds a little familiar.

FWIW, Office 2010 (Home & Student) was available as a "family pack", where you could install on 3 systems.
The individual cost was $149 MSRP..... I assume the "family pack" had a break in pricing but, even assuming it didn't....
3x $149 = $447

https/arstechnica.com/information-technology/2010/01/microsoft-reveals-office-2010-retail-prices/

If you bought this in 2014, 2010 had already been replaced (by Office 2013) so would've been either discontinued for sale, or heavily discounted by MS - I'd be relatively confident that an authorized MS reseller would've been selling Office 2013 in 2014, not 2010.

Ultimately, the price paid is irrelevant. Whether it's $2 or $200 doesn't actually matter here. IF bought from an an unscrupulous outlet, selling a volume licensing key that has since been blacklisted (which, based on information I can find, sounds like the case),.... that money, for all intents & purposes, is gone.


You could try talking to MS again. Perhaps they'd take pity on you and offer a discount on Office 2016? No guarantees, but wouldn't hurt to ask. A shouting match won't work in your favor though, but a more reasonable approach might.

 

[USAFRet]

From their site:

"Any questions for the installation and uninstallation process can be solved by reaching Microsoft.It's irrevalant to Softwareau.com for any legal issues of the software."

:lol:
Yeah, right. If I purchase a software license from you, and it does not work....you are 100% responsible.

And they're not responding to you? Heh...they already have your money. Why should they?

Looks like a typical grey market seller.

 

[ron2456]

This is what happens when resellers sell volume licences to more number of people than the max number of activations supported by the key. You should lodge a complaint with Microsoft about the reseller or get a not from them that the license is not valod and then contacting your local authority on the case of mislead and fraud.