Why a cheap key can be reputable
The price difference between a licence bought from the manufacturer and a verified pre-owned licence has a name: the principle of exhaustion. Once a software licence has been lawfully sold, it may be resold. The manufacturer cannot prohibit the secondary market. The European Court of Justice decided this in 2012 with judgment C-128/11; in Switzerland, Art. 12 para. 2 CopA applies.
On the secondary market, a price of its own forms that lies below the new price. This is not a trick and not a quality defect, but rather a market economy with a legal basis. A cheap key can therefore be entirely reputable if it comes from this legal secondary market.
How to buy cheaply yet reputably
- A real, verifiable company. Reputable providers have a public commercial register entry and a valid VAT ID, both verifiable in minutes. Bargain-basement providers often hide behind a sham company or none at all. Check the retailers below yourself.
- Ask for a VAT invoice. It is the proof of purchase and a sign of a commercially identifiable provider.
- Accept a realistic price. Cheap means significantly below the new price, not a fraction of it. If prices are extremely low, it is better to be suspicious.
- Use the activation guarantee. It makes a cheap purchase as safe as an expensive one from the manufacturer.