Like you didn't already know that, but it hurts when technology and well known web sites just make it easier for sharks to prey on "not so bright" people all over the world. I mean I can't believe this, there are stores on EBay that sell nothing but FREE software! Who are the people that buy this ? I can understand buying something on CD if say for example it is a Linux distro and weighs in at 700Mb but most of what I am talking about here would be easier to download than a typical EBay page 🙂 OK, this is but one example, there are many ………
http://stores.ebay.com/HawkeCode
If it's pulled here are a few examples
Audacity MUSIC EDITOR/Audio Editing/MP3/Mix/Record Pro
US $8.11
Time Left: 3d 07h 17m
PDF CONVERTER/CREATOR makes Adobe Acrobat/Reader files
US $8.11
Time Left: 3d 07h 17m
Open Office 2007 for Microsoft Windows XP, 2003, Vista
US $8.11
Time Left: 3d 07h 17m
all of which is freely available open source software. But the part that really cracks me up is this from the same seller.
"This is an actual CD, most listings on eBay are just downloads
With this CD you can legally pass it around to all your friends for free"
Yeah right ! you can pass it around anyway, even if it is a downlaod because it is freely avialable on the Internet ! Later the same night I was looking at the Avast site and found this, which is the same thing, people selling the free version of Avast !
http://www.avast.com/eng/fraudulent-sales-of-avast-products.html
and I quote from this page
"In a preventive measure designed to protect customers, ALWIL Sotware would like to draw attentioin to the fraudulent selling of their products via several web sites, many advertising via the Google Ad Words program"
"In order to protect our customers from such fraud, we have a list (below) of known scams sites that we are aware of. None of the below sites have any connection with ALWIL Software and are not authorized resellers of our products:
www.downloadavast.com
www.avast-downloads.com
avast.free-software-center.com
www.avast-hq.com
www.downloadservicearea.com (DOWNLOADSERV.COM)
download-this.us/avast
www.DownloadAvast.com
www.Avast-Downloads.com
www.avast-2007.com
download-avast.com
www.avast-home.info **
www.download-zone-free.com
www.downloadsglobe.com/avast
www.freedownloadspace.com
www.free-download-center.com
free-program-download.com
www.freedownloadpage.com
www.mysoftwaredownloads.com
IP-MyDowloadSite.com *
www.thesoftwaremembersarea.com
www.downloadinghome.com *
Download Assist * (My Downloading)
Market Bill *
mywebcs *"
Anyone reading this who was looking for software to buy, can you please make sure that what you are buying is for real and not something that is freely avaialbe for free (duh!)