Have you wondered where those cheap Microsoft Windows and Office activation keys come from? Have you noticed that all these third party sites you've never heard of always claim that they're 100% genuine? Well, they're not. While the keys are very likely to activate and do come from Microsoft, in every single case they are certainly not legit, because somewhere along the line, Microsoft's EULA has been violated. This video explains the details of how this works.
Now the first question becomes: do you care that a trillion dollar company (that continues to get wealthier) is getting ripped off? The answer is likely not.
The second question is why do they allow it when it would be quite easy to stamp out this market with a little enforcement action? The answer is market share to ensure that their competitors don't gain a foothold, so don't feel too guilty about buying one of these keys.
The third question is the most important for the consumer: how do you know which one of these sites isn't a front for credit card harvesting and fraud? The answer is you don't and it could be, so try researching that site and if you can't satisfy yourself completely that at least one of these sites is ok, then just buy it at full price from Microsoft themselves, or Amazon (not Marketplace), where it's guaranteed to be 100% legit and your card details won't get stolen.
Here's an example Amazon UK page where the key for Windows 11 is 100% legit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BDRW28CW
Notice how it's being sold by "Amazon Media EU S.à r.l." which is your guarantee of legitimacy.
Now the first question becomes: do you care that a trillion dollar company (that continues to get wealthier) is getting ripped off? The answer is likely not.
The second question is why do they allow it when it would be quite easy to stamp out this market with a little enforcement action? The answer is market share to ensure that their competitors don't gain a foothold, so don't feel too guilty about buying one of these keys.
The third question is the most important for the consumer: how do you know which one of these sites isn't a front for credit card harvesting and fraud? The answer is you don't and it could be, so try researching that site and if you can't satisfy yourself completely that at least one of these sites is ok, then just buy it at full price from Microsoft themselves, or Amazon (not Marketplace), where it's guaranteed to be 100% legit and your card details won't get stolen.
Here's an example Amazon UK page where the key for Windows 11 is 100% legit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BDRW28CW
Notice how it's being sold by "Amazon Media EU S.à r.l." which is your guarantee of legitimacy.
