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General discussion

Cnet Certified Store "Authorized Software Resellers" scam?

Feb 4, 2010 12:48PM PST

Does anyone have experience with a site called "Authorised Software Resellers" "www.softwarelink.mobi"? I downloaded a Corel program, was charged $69 for the service. The activation program appeared to contain a trojan virus according to my security software which blocked the download. I have contacted their customer service, but have received no response. If this site is a scam, I'd like to warn others and be sure that Cnet is aware that the site is representing they are a Cnet Certified Store.

Thank you for your help!

Discussion is locked

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I couldn't find that web site
Feb 4, 2010 7:45PM PST

My browser couldn't find www.softwarelink.mobi

But unfortunately this does happen. Sites pop up with lists of software at 'hard to believe' prices, and they will have various certificates, apparently from CNET and other recognised web sites. Usually the certificate icon is just an image and is not clickable, a sure sign this is a scam.

But for myself it is that "Hard to Believe" prices that is the warning. There is a general axiom; If it "looks to good to be true, then it probably is, (too good to be true)".

Sorry to hear you got caught by this.

Mark

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Cnet Certified Store "Authorized Software Resellers" scam?
Feb 7, 2010 12:57AM PST

Mark - thanks for your reply. I tried it myself and had the same problem, but in the meantime found a posting from another site identifying this site as a SCAM. The writer notes that they show certifications at the bottom of their web pages - but you can't click on any - they aren't linked, which is an indication that something's up. Of course,many people don't know this, so it is easy to fall prey.

Is there anything consumers can do to report/bring justice to these scammers????

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Sadly no.
Feb 7, 2010 4:38AM PST

We often tell CNET's legal team about these sites, but they disappear as quickly as a snowflake in a flame.

It's only by being aware, like you were, that we can avoid being caught, but others are attracted to the promise of 'something for nothing'.

Mark

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Also wondering about that company ...
Feb 20, 2010 6:09PM PST

Hello there,

i'm also wondering about such offers from that company/companies. One of them own a couple of domains and online stores all decorated with logos as "c|net certified", "Microsoft Gold Certified Partner" and some other big companies seals.

I phoned with a tech guy from microsoft last week and we searched through the microsoft partnernet / the microsoft website to find this companies entry in the partner listings.

But our attempts were without success.

Hereby i resummon and invite the C|NET respnsible persons to check the following domains/websites:

http://247software.org/
http://soft-storage.net/
http://about-software.net/
http://addoem.com/
http://www.greatest-software.net/
http://gold-oem.com

Dear C|NET-Support team, please take a firm stand to this situation.


Tahnk you!

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I have alerted this
Feb 20, 2010 8:09PM PST

Thank you for reporting these web sites. It is only through vigilance like yours that these scam sites are exposed.

I've asked the Forum Administrator to send this on to the CBS/CNET legal department.

They will be interested, but I have to say that trying to catch these people and taking action against them really is very difficult, especially if they are not based in the US or some other 'friendly' country, like the UK, or other European state.

I checked all of those web sites. 3 of them and my browser's security add-on, WOT, (World of Trust), popped up with a red 'danger' warning, telling me the sites were untrustworthy, and wouldn't let me navigate further. Of the others, all but one I noticed from their "About us" link that they all have the same image of a bricks and mortar building, supposedly in Texas. I would assume they pulled that image off the internet.

One of the others was supposedly from Greece, but that is difficult to confirm.

Mark

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Old CNET logo is the first give away ...
Feb 22, 2010 2:11AM PST

that they are not CNET certified merchants.

The second dead give away is the prices--if the prices are too good to be true, then it is usually a scam site.

Since when can any vendor offer Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended for $99.90 ? or Windows 7 Ultimate (32 bit) for $119.90? That's not a not bargain--it's a steal--meaning illegal!

CNET legal team is aware of these sites, I've reported many. They are a dime a dozen out on the Web and as Mark mentioned, they set up shop and like snowflakes disappear over night.

Our legal team will do what is necessary to have them stop using our logo without authorization, but will crooks listen? Probably not.

The thing to do for all of us, is to spread the word on these type of scamming sites. The only reason why these sites exist and continue existing is because so many people fall for this type of site and never listen to old adage of "if it's good to be true, then it usually is..." It's obvious these sites are making money cause folks just don't want to pay the prices for legit software and will only learn the hard way once they realize they just got ripped off.

I'll forward this along to our legal team for investigation. But for all those folks out there who is reading this thread.. DO NOT buy from these sites!

Thanks for notifying us.

Cheers,
-Lee

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softvendors.net
Mar 12, 2010 5:22AM PST

I got an emailed solicitation and found very little negative information on them. But after going over the cnet forums I found some info that made me cautious enough to write here about www.softvendors.net.
They, too, are a cnet certified store and Adobe and Microsoft partners and Verisign members, too. And they have a toll-free 800 number to answer calls. So many things that would make anyone feel assured this is a legitimate website. But is it?

I think I would like to see a very easy-find-list of all the cnet certified stores on cnet's website. I would also like it if Adobe and Microsoft did the same thing with a partners list. Then it would be a bit easier to see who is a legitimate dealer and who a crook.

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Yep.
Mar 12, 2010 5:26AM PST

In their "About Us" page they have an image of their headquarters. I'm sure I've seen that image elsewhere! Happy

You're right, it's a scam. Those 'certified' logos are just images, and not clickable links.

Mark

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I've just had a thought.
Mar 12, 2010 5:53AM PST

We could make a list, and make it "Sticky", in this forum.

Each post will have the scam site url web site address in the title, and the body of each post will have the reasons and/or suspicions.

I've just started one at http://forums.cnet.com/5208-12543_102-0.html?threadID=386582

However, I will now seek the Forum Admins thoughts, and if there are difficulties with doing this either myself or the Forum Admin will delete that sticky discussion.

Mark

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Why are these sites still up and running!!!??!!!
Mar 16, 2010 9:12AM PDT

I just clicked on all of the links in Idanisonline's post and they are all up and running. Some are very sophisticated with flash animations. But the real issue here is if they are illegal websites why hasn't ADOBE or Microsoft or CNET contacted the ISP of these websites and said something?

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Should be easy to do
Mar 16, 2010 9:24AM PDT

If you check all the sites they seem to be using the same template. And the About Us tabs use the same photos and copy. So maybe it wouldn't that difficult to track the template maker, of the domain registar or the ISP or someone who could stop this.
It just seems ludicrous to see them flaunt their illegal websites and nothing can be done in a timely manner.

It feels like you're witnessing a drunk driver drinking and racing up and down the street and nothing is be done about it even after people have been hurt.

Sorry, that's the best analogy I could come up with.

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It's probably easier said than done. CNET has its...
Mar 16, 2010 10:11AM PDT

legal procedures of contacting these sites to remove our logo from their sites, but how much good does it do. It sometimes in my opinion fruitless, it's like asking armed criminals to give up their guns.

Also, many of these sites operate overseas and there is very little our company can do. Even if the ISPs were contact and the sites were shutdown, they will reappear overnight on a new domain using another ISP. The only way to stop these places from setting up shop again starts with everyone by not giving them the business.

The black market is only good as it is in demand. And if people are lead into temptation to continue to make the descisions to feed these shady sites, well they are going to stick around because of the demand. Obviously these shady sites are getting their fair share of people's hard earn money or they wouldn't be so agressively setting up shop all over the Internet.

I wish there was something we all could do swifty to stop these sites, but honestly the best thing we can do is to get the word out on these sites and tell people not to support these crooked sites by buying into their offers.

That's just my 1 cent.

Cheers!
-Lee

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Authorised Software resellers
Mar 21, 2010 2:54AM PDT

Hi. I've been looking at these sellers and am surprised at how cheap their products are. One that I came to, was via 'keygenguru', is oemstoredigital.com
Is this site selling boxed sets legitimatly or as I suspect a single disc with a sheet of set up instructions.
Also do you receive software updates.

I look forward to your answer.

thanks

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Thanks for that.
Mar 21, 2010 6:28AM PDT
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And another one takes a dive (http://oemdownloadsoftware.us)
Jul 22, 2010 3:17PM PDT

Yes fellow designers and computer software users. I too was scammed. My experience was a bit different, but the same company "Authorised Software Reseller" with a new website http://oemdownloadsoftware.us

I purchased Captivate 4, paid $104, received (2) emails with User IDs and passwords to log on and download the software, used only (1) of them, received the download, opened the Acitvation key doc and there were (3) Activation Key's listed. Each worked (1) time, then poof, now none of them work. And I too have received the autoresponder (4Cool hours and we'll get back to you.

Geesh with all my years experience, it never occured to me to actually click on the Associates and Partner site logos to see if they clicked through. Where was my head? I was hot to download the software (Captivate 4) because it's no longer available on their site, and a client will only accept that version for the deliverable. So now I've wasted $104.00, I researched several sites and all listed $99 - $120 for it, and I figured the price was good because the version was obsolete with Captivate 5 being released.

Please fellow designers and software users, geesh, take your time, don't rush, and research it. Heck, even when I did paste their website in to search it for anything bad, nothing came up, it was only when I put in the Parent Company listed with the word complaints on the "About Us" page did these forums come up.

You'd think MS, Adobe, CNET and BBB would at least try to do a better job. I saw a news wire where MS took several business' small and large in towns all across the US to court on piracy. Well, why not have your guru's research the online one's and all the software big wigs form a task force to get em all on a regular basis. Geesh, really? Do we have to do all the dirty work? Maybe they'd do a bit of it on their own for a change. Seems all companies want now is for the general public to inform them when there's an issue and if they have the time and the end result payoff is enough for them, they'll put a bit of effort into it to stop the fraud on the general american and international public.

So now I sit here with a deliverable due and non working software.

Don't get caught up in the same 'ole scam I find myself in. Research, research, research, LOL.

I just had a thought, hmmmmm, wonder if that 2nd User ID and password will let me get 3 more Activation keys? LOL, I did notice when it let me in on one of the keys, if I didn't close my software I could keep closing docs and reopening them and others and it didn't log me out or ask for another key. hmmmmmmm..... interesting, worth a try at this point. I'll write an update on how that goes.

M.

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Sorry to hear about your experience
Jul 22, 2010 8:58PM PDT

I tried to go to that web site, but my Browser Security add-on WOT, (Web of Trust), prevented me from going further with this rating;
http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/oemdownloadsoftware.us

You wondered why Adobe, Microsoft and CNET et al don't do a better job. The problem is that these scam sites spring up all the time, sometimes changing from one day to the next. Mostly their domains are overseas, Eastern Europe, Asia, or similar, where they cannot be touched and where legal enforcement is very poor or does not even exist. The companies you mention, and others who see their products pirated and copied and sold off for a fraction of the cost, are, frankly, powerless to act, and they are as much infuriated as we are.

That's why we have raised this type of listing. Not the only one, but we try and do our bit, to get the message out.

Many thanks for bringing this to our attention and hopefully your own experiences will help others avoid this kind of trap.

Mark

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Tried it
Jul 22, 2010 4:05PM PDT

It Did NOT work!!!!! Uuuggghhh, guess I'll see if my credit card company will reverse the transaction.

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Scam?
Aug 24, 2010 3:33AM PDT
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Yep, it's a scam site.
Aug 24, 2010 10:11PM PDT

The first thing I noticed when I went their was their "Terms & Conditions" page;

"2.5 Software cannot be registered on-line due to certain limitations;"

That's a sure sign. If you purchase recognised and legal software which offers registration of it's product, there should be no limitations to registering the product. This is a sure sign that this site is offering titles that are pirated and so cannot be registered.

And in their FAQ;

1. Why do you sell software cheaper than official brand providers do?

Because buying the software with us you receive the copies of downloaded licensed versions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Genuine suppliers do not provide copies.

And also, but by no means finally, their CNET logo is a fake; it has been captured as an image and is not clickable.

Thanks for your post, and I have added this to the list of ***SCAM*** download web sites. Beware" sticky note in this forum.

Mark

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To mahesh1224. Post deleted.
Mar 16, 2010 8:09PM PDT

Sorry but I deleted your post.

Web site promotion is not permitted in these forums.

Mark

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Update ---CNET certified store program FAQ
Mar 24, 2010 7:29AM PDT

Here you go folks, check out what the CNET certified store program's FAQ
http://shopper.cnet.com/cnet-store-rating-faq/

If you look at the right column, there is even Alert section that lists Non-CNET Certified Stores. I've asked them to update it to include the sites that were listed here, thanks to you folks! And if you discover more type of these sites that are using unauthorized CNET Certified merchant logos, just report it through the customer service support link provided.

Cheers and thank you all!
-Lee

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Advertising emails and "support" are scam either
Apr 21, 2010 4:37AM PDT

Even the attempt to unsubscribe ends up in an error message "Invalid e-mail address format" though my mail address is being used 50 times a day without any problems, as does the attempt to contact support@asr.com which leads to mail delivery faiure message. Seem to be criminals.

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Careful with your credit info
May 8, 2010 3:32AM PDT

Besides the issue of spyware, these software pirates are asking for your credit card information. If they are willing to sell pirated software, what makes you think they'd be too scrupulous to sell your credit card information?

You may want to contact your credit card company and check for unauthorized charges.

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I Should Have Followed My Gut
Jun 8, 2010 4:06PM PDT

I tried to buy some Rosetta Stone software which did not load. After a week and a half of trying to get ahold of someone, I googled the company tonight and found out it was a scam. It was the first link at the top so why is this page still up? Who do we need to tell to get this site taken down ?

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Do you mean
Jun 8, 2010 8:38PM PDT
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http://oemonlinestore.com
Jun 9, 2010 5:29AM PDT
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Yep.
Jun 9, 2010 6:03AM PDT

The clue is in their FAQ;

"Why is the software cheap?
You can take the software for downloading only! You don't have to pay for frilly package, license and printing user manual, which altogether makes up the majority of the total value. But, unfortunately, in this case you cannot get a technical support and different additional discounts from the producer. Also you can take updates which are available for the majority of our products. Finally, you will not pay for the delivery."

No license!

There are other clues as I stated in my Scam List here;
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-12543_102-0.html?messageID=3272311#3272311

It seems they have removed the CNET logo from their site.

You ask why they are still trading? I ask the same question all the time with some annoyance and a lot of aggravation, but since they could be anywhere in the world and the internet is not policed, sadly we have to 'look after ourselves'.

Mark

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Authorized Software Resellers
Jul 8, 2010 4:13AM PDT

"Authorized Software Resellers" also known as Oem Software at "www.eusoft.me" is not a legitimate business. They claim to be approved by the Better Business Bureau and they are not. They claim to be C/NET certified -- they are not. They are selling hacked, pirated software that is not approved by anyone. The prices are tempting, but I might as well steal the software of the shelf as buy from them.

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You're right.
Jul 8, 2010 8:50PM PDT

I can't check the site directly, (I get a warning pop-up from my WOT browser security add-on), but this is what WOT, (Web of Trust), says about that site;
http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/eusoft.me

What information I have been able to find;

The server stats appear to originate from Latvia

A Whois if this site shows that the domain/site is registered to "Eugeniy Borodin" who owns about 33 other domains.

Registrant City:Moskow
Admin City:Saint-Petersburg
Tech City:Saint-Petersburg

This is not a web site I would visit.

Mark

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And a Thank you, and
Jul 8, 2010 8:57PM PDT