Nero Software Scam

Everyone looks for a “good deal” from time to time and I’m not different than anyone else. Some time ago I wanted to get a copy of Nero for planned DVD burning because it had been highly recommended by many. At the time the Nero Ultra Edition V7 was $99.99 from the Nero web site with a $20 mail in rebate so I decided to look around for a better price. New Egg had it for $79.99 but I thought I could do better if I was patient.

I looked on EBay and it was not available at the time so I waited. Several weeks later someone had it for sale on Ebay “Without documentation and no box.” Not all that unusual so I contacted the seller and asked him if it was a registerable copy and he said “yes.” He had a few other popular copies of software with the same conditions and he also shows photos of the CDs. Looked good to me so I bid and got it for $24 plus a couple bucks shipping. He had quite a few other copies that he sold from time to time so there wasn’t any particular rush to bid and up the price.

I received the CD just fine as shown in the photo. It had a serial number but I didn’t install it right away. I went back to his auctions a week or so later and there were a few very negative feed backs left from Nero buyers about illegal copies. I contacted one of the previous buyers via Ebay and asked him what was going on. He told me the software was illegal but the serial number was valid. If you went to the Nero website to obtain any updates the serial number got kicked out.

Needless to say I was more than a little P O’d and the other buyer and I had a few further contacts via email. He and a few others turned the seller in to Nero who in turn contacted Ebay and the authorities. The seller’s membership was immediately canceled by Ebay and he was arrested in California.

So what should I do? I figured I was out $24, no big deal, so I contacted Nero via their web site and advised them I purchased an illegal copy on Ebay. They asked me for the serial number and told me they knew of the Ebay scam but the serial number was legal. I asked them if they wanted me to return the illegal copy to them and they said “No, you can use it and keep it but you won’t be able to obtain any updates.” I thought that was a good deal, I can’t even use what it offers now!

I had never seen a valid copy of Nero before so when the CD came, I looked over the logo well and it seemed fine to me, very authentic looking as shown in the photo. So in the end, honesty pays. I was willing to send the copy back without making an illegal duplicate for myself but Nero told me “Keep it and use it” and thanked me.

Is the "Burned" side of it like a CDR (gold) or like a normal retail CDROM (Silver)?

bchur83 said:

Is the "Burned" side of it like a CDR (gold) or like a normal retail CDROM (Silver)?

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It's ordinary silver, not gold colored.

I'm very confused here. I just read your story and a couple of things don't make since to me.

1: How can the software be illegal? Software companies don't sell software, they sell a license to use their software, so if the CD key was valid then what is the problem?

2: A pressed CD is not easy to come by, if you have a DVD or CD pressed you have to contract a company to do it for you and you have to have a certain number of copies made...so how is he selling a supposed illegal copy?


were these physically stolen from a store or something? And even if that was the case, how was the CD key bad if it was legal.

soundfx4 said:

I'm very confused here. I just read your story and a couple of things don't make since to me.

1: How can the software be illegal? Software companies don't sell software, they sell a license to use their software, so if the CD key was valid then what is the problem?

2: A pressed CD is not easy to come by, if you have a DVD or CD pressed you have to contract a company to do it for you and you have to have a certain number of copies made...so how is he selling a supposed illegal copy?


were these physically stolen from a store or something? And even if that was the case, how was the CD key bad if it was legal.

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Well, there were at least 26 copies sold with the same legal key. When 26 buyers went to the Nero site for any updates, all had the same legal serial number and all were rejected by whatever method Nero uses to verify.

I don't know how the CDs were made or where they came from, they didn't tell me and I didn't ask but apparently the logo on the CD is a very good counterfeit. I've never seen a legal Nero CD to compare. The seller was of foreign descent operating in California.

RollingThunder said:

Well, there were at least 26 copies sold with the same legal key. When 26 buyers went to the Nero site for any updates, all had the same legal serial number and all were rejected by whatever method Nero uses to verify.

I don't know how the CDs were made or where they came from, they didn't tell me and I didn't ask but apparently the logo on the CD is a very good counterfeit. I've never seen a legal Nero CD to compare. The seller was of foreign descent operating in California.

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oooh, I see. I was thinking on the grounds that even illegal keys are actual keys, but they just are used so often so quickly that the company blacklists them.

As far as the CDs, that is very odd, maybe he did physically steal the CDs, but not the serial...hmm. Oh well, he did something stupid and illegal, and now is is paying for it.

I just buy straight from Ahead.... Bought version 5 years ago and have been upgrading ever since, Nero 7 is down right impressive actually...

I can't say that this is not uncommon on ebay. I purchased three software packages a couple years back, same story. Caveat Emptor.

If buy software and find out the copy or key is illegal what's the recourse for getting my money back? Normal eBay and Paypal methods, or..?

MadMan007 said:

If buy software and find out the copy or key is illegal what's the recourse for getting my money back? Normal eBay and Paypal methods, or..?

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Madman,

I don't know. I don't use Paypal and I don't know if there is any protection on Ebay without Paypal.

Well how did you pay? If check or money order you're probably out of luck but that's why it's never good to use those buying on eBay, unless the seller has a huge feedback. Maybe your bank would do something if it was a check though. If CC obviously just dispute the charges, once you mention online anything they don't really ask too much.

I was in a rush to get Nero 7 and that was a mistake. I think 6 ulta edition is better. I don't think theres any difference between those 2. Screw Nero. They charge alot and even when i burn Cd's it sometimes has a skip error. My biggest mistake is to buy that. I bought a better software and i enjoy i had for a month and had no problems so far. get CloneCD and ANyDVD which are by Slysoft. Its way cheaper and better in my opinion.

MadMan007 said:

Well how did you pay? If check or money order you're probably out of luck but that's why it's never good to use those buying on eBay, unless the seller has a huge feedback. Maybe your bank would do something if it was a check though. If CC obviously just dispute the charges, once you mention online anything they don't really ask too much.

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MM,

Paid by money order by special request to the seller. He wanted Paypal for all transactions. There are enough surcharges dealing with Ebay let alone another one for Paypal. For $24, it's not worth it. I don't use Paypal anyhow. Since Nero told me I can have it and use it, there really isn't a problem. My $24 didn't make a dent in his bail money requirement!

I had this happen one time. VMWare was required for my course and I found it for 30 bucks on ebay. I knew it was too good to be true and low and behold, a burned CD with a cheap label on it arrived. The seller denied it was illegal and I got him kicked off ebay, and also got 50% of my money back.

Sad part is, when I called up VMware. I asked if it was a legal SN cause the guy said it was.

vmware guy - yup
me - but I didn't even give it to you yet
vmware guy - its valid
me - how do you know?
vmware guy - it can't work if its not
me - there are many keygens out there that make it possible
vmware guy - If you bought it in a retail outlet, its valid.
me - I bought it off ebay
vmware guy - does it work?
me - yeah
vmware guy - its valid

The guy told me there was NO Way for him to verify that it was valid. I asked him what to do. He said "If it works, use it". I still dont' know if it is legal or not. Polly not.

Cheator said:

I had this happen one time. VMWare was required for my course and I found it for 30 bucks on ebay. I knew it was too good to be true and low and behold, a burned CD with a cheap label on it arrived. The seller denied it was illegal and I got him kicked off ebay, and also got 50% of my money back.

Sad part is, when I called up VMware. I asked if it was a legal SN cause the guy said it was.

vmware guy - yup
me - but I didn't even give it to you yet
vmware guy - its valid
me - how do you know?
vmware guy - it can't work if its not
me - there are many keygens out there that make it possible
vmware guy - If you bought it in a retail outlet, its valid.
me - I bought it off ebay
vmware guy - does it work?
me - yeah
vmware guy - its valid

The guy told me there was NO Way for him to verify that it was valid. I asked him what to do. He said "If it works, use it". I still dont' know if it is legal or not. Polly not.

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The representative has given you explicit consent to use the license you received. It therefore should be legally valid. The same goes for RollingThunder, even though he's limited to no updates, he should be able to legally use the software since he's received explicit consent from the manufacturer. A transcript of the conversation emailed from the manufacturer should be adequate should you require proof of a legal license.

hafa said:

The representative has given you explicit consent to use the license you received. It therefore should be legally valid. The same goes for RollingThunder, even though he's limited to no updates, he should be able to legally use the software since he's received explicit consent from the manufacturer. A transcript of the conversation emailed from the manufacturer should be adequate should you require proof of a legal license.

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hafa,

I honestly wouldn't have used the software if it wasn't valid. I fully expected Nero to ask me to destroy it or send it to them which I would have done and then looked for another "more legal" copy.

Since I hadn't installed it, I had no idea if it would work before contacting Nero. It does work since I was giver permission to use it. I guess these companies deal with this every day........they weren't the least bit surprised when I contacted them.

hafa said:

The representative has given you explicit consent to use the license you received. It therefore should be legally valid. The same goes for RollingThunder, even though he's limited to no updates, he should be able to legally use the software since he's received explicit consent from the manufacturer. A transcript of the conversation emailed from the manufacturer should be adequate should you require proof of a legal license.

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But that isn't right man. I mean, you're saying I could just get a keygen, generate and call in every one, and sell those? I can't do that

Cheator said:

But that isn't right man. I mean, you're saying I could just get a keygen, generate and call in every one, and sell those? I can't do that

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Cheator,

I don't think for a minute that hafa is suggesting that. I wouldn't be surprised if this thread gets busted right here.

I understand your point but I don't think it's a good idea to include this in this thread openly.

Sorry I didn't mean it that way. I was just saying, and not trying to be rude, nor was I trying to encourage piracy. I was simply saying that, unfortunately, I can't use my copy of vmware as I personally don't feel it a good idea. No harm meant.

Cheator said:

Sorry I didn't mean it that way. I was just saying, and not trying to be rude, nor was I trying to encourage piracy. I was simply saying that, unfortunately, I can't use my copy of vmware as I personally don't feel it a good idea. No harm meant.

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Cheator,

It's obvious you are an honorable person and nothing you said was taken as subversion of copyright or rude whatsoever. Personally, and this is strictly for one's own conscience, I believe the difference between your circumstance and mine is that Nero specifically told me I can use it without me asking. I realize we are not dealing with their finance or legal depatertments either.

In your circunstance, while your conversation varied from mine, they told you that your copy was legal. So they don't care if you use it or not, as far as they are concerned it's a legal copy. My opinion after your conversation is that you bought it in good faith with all the right intentions, they stated it's a legal copy, you paid for it and it's ok to use. You acted correctly. I'll bet if you asked them directly, they would say use it. JMO........it may differ from yours.