Is This A Scam? [Cheap Software?]

I ran across this website looking for a version of Solidworks. I was temped to make a buy at $75 - $10 discount then something made me think this might be fishy.
You pay $65 bucks and then get a download. They claim to wholesale the software, no disc, no manual, no shipping. Hence the cost. Supposedly you get emailed the serial numbers and the download link.
I'm curious if any of you guys here have ran across this website.

I googled this, people seem to think its a scam, but nobody says they got ripped-off to my knowledge.

Maybe its just illegal pirated software...

I'm unemployed want to pick up a new skill while I'm off work. I don't want to pay too much.

Solidworks doesn't seem easy to get w/o a student or faculty status....

Any insight would be appreciated. - Thanks!!!

allot of times they sell you a coa(cert of auth) and a burned disk. the problem is allot of these sites sell the same coa. if you pay via cc then if you get burned do a charge back. ;-)

Looks like a pirate to me. Poorly written site, and the guys apostrophe key is broken "We.re able to provide the most popular retail"

I would bet my life savings that this is just a warez site trying to monetize their collection. If you buy something from them, its worse than stealing... You are paying a scammer, and the real author gets screwed. Not that I condone this, but at least if you hit the warez sites directly, you skip the middleman (scammer).

I would spend the extra money on a retail copy.

You fully agree to these terms and understand that OEM Software may not be liable for developers' support, updates, etc. The OEM software is a product that may be considered unlicensed by the developers. Nevertheless, OEM software is legal according to Section 117 of the US Copyright Laws

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That raises red flags there. +1 on warez site trying to make cash.

Definitely warez. The prices are way too low even for OEM software.

Adobe Creative Suite Premium sells for $1799, they are selling it for $75. I don't think the packing and manual cost over $1700.........

If it seems too good to be true....

no1likesme said:

I would spend the extra money on a retail copy.

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I can't buy student copy for $75 since I'm not a student. I believe a full blown version is $4000

Fricken pisses me off.

Looking at your profile one would think that perhaps there is at least ONE student in your circle of friends (children, nephews, ets....).

I am curious tho'. Do you HAVE to have a student ID to purchase? I know that I have bought text books from University bookstores without an ID.

I have also found that not many of these places care if the ID is current.

GilaMinumBeer said:

Looking at your profile one would think that perhaps there is at least ONE student in your circle of friends (children, nephews, ets....).

I am curious tho'. Do you HAVE to have a student ID to purchase? I know that I have bought text books from University bookstores without an ID.

I have also found that not many of these places care if the ID is current.

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Good Idea!! I might be able to ask somebody to buy it for me. I have a tendency not to think about calling in favors... I don't like being a PIA.

My BIL might be able to buy it for me. He will be sympathetic since he knows I'm out of work. He's a faculty member at a major state school.

I don't think I kept an ID from school. Its been so long....

Thanks! I'll give that a shot.

Well, using a student copy if you are not a student is illegal anyway, but at least you could get a copy of the software.

Homercidal said:

Well, using a student copy if you are not a student is illegal anyway, but at least you could get a copy of the software.

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I don't see the difference. Home Schooling? I don't plan to start a business or use it in that fashion.

The student version is set-up so you can't use it professionally. I believe the prints will have a "STUDENT VERSION" watermark.

I contacted a distributor for Solidworks. I told them my dilemma, unemployed engineer who needs to learn it to get a job, and not a student, and can't buy it....

They offered to send me an older but Free 2007-2008 version, valid for 150 days.

They are paying the shipping too. No complaints now.

The 2007-2008 version is a little different from the newer version... but its mostly layout. It might actually work to your benefit incase you ever decide to share files because the 2009 files are not backwards compatible.

I know many people are against pirated software, for many good reasons. But I know people that ended up getting new copies via bittorrents.

Edit: Congrats on getting the free copy as well! I believe it will come with built in tutorials, which are really useful.

Gald you got a copy legally, even if it for only 150 days. I applaud Solidworks and the distributer for making that available to unemployed seeking to retrain. I buy a lot of software via student route because we homeschool my teens. Any legit comapny selling Academic versions of software will require a current form of proof, an old student ID won't work. You need a current report card or something similar, for us it is the letter we recieve from the school each year stating we are homeschooling.

GilaMinumBeer said:

Looking at your profile one would think that perhaps there is at least ONE student in your circle of friends (children, nephews, ets....).

I am curious tho'. Do you HAVE to have a student ID to purchase? I know that I have bought text books from University bookstores without an ID.

I have also found that not many of these places care if the ID is current.

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most student editions require an affiliation through the registration process.

pen25 said:

most student editions require an affiliation through the registration process.

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That was the whole problem. I'm not a student.

That is stupid, they should let people buy the student version or have a Lite version for people to buy that aren't students or not intending to use it for business.

I'll be glad to get an older free copy.

Schlenkerla said:

I can't buy student copy for $75 since I'm not a student. I believe a full blown version is $4000

Fricken pisses me off.

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Ahhhh... I misread your post. I thought you were saying the retail was $75 and the download was $65.

That site is definitely a scam then.

Schlenkerla said:

That was the whole problem. I'm not a student.

That is stupid, they should let people buy the student version or have a Lite version for people to buy that aren't students or not intending to use it for business.

I'll be glad to get an older free copy.

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i usually buy older software. but if i have to have something quickly and only a one time shot i have been known to go around some things. also i do not have a problem with demo software fully when no demo is available. if i keep it and use it i pay for it.

Schlenkerla said:

I don't see the difference. Home Schooling? I don't plan to start a business or use it in that fashion.

The student version is set-up so you can't use it professionally. I believe the prints will have a "STUDENT VERSION" watermark.

I contacted a distributor for Solidworks. I told them my dilemma, unemployed engineer who needs to learn it to get a job, and not a student, and can't buy it....

They offered to send me an older but Free 2007-2008 version, valid for 150 days.

They are paying the shipping too. No complaints now.

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Awesome! Glad to hear that worked out so that you get to use it for free for a while. That is a good company.

As for student software it is legal if you are a student and use it, even after you graduate, but you can't give it to someone else. Glad you found another route!

no1likesme said:

Ahhhh... I misread your post. I thought you were saying the retail was $75 and the download was $65.

That site is definitely a scam then.

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The "OEM" Scam/Pirate is $75-10=$65

The Legal Student version is $75-90

The Pro Version about $4000

Hope the one you get is good for you.

In my opinion it's better to download a free pirate copy than to pay a scammer.
It makes sense to have free extended trial versions for non commercial use.
It would stop a lot of the scamming/pirating.

The more popular and used a product the more they'd stand to make from commercial sales.