Is shoparhive a reliable provider of Office 2007 license keys?

[wimmer]

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Hello.

I was looking to buy a new Office Edition for my son’s laptop. I searched the web to get best deal and came across an website called Shoparhive. They are selling Windows Vista and Office 2007 downloads with product keys at very reliable rates. Probably cheaper than others.

So before I make a deal with them I would like to know whether they are genuine dealers and there is no risk to buy from them. Do anyone here have any knowledge about this site?

[techman]

Well I have never heard about this website ever before. Also dint found any reviews about them anywhere. So I would suggest you if you are going to spend dollars, why don’t you go with the trusted ones in the market. You may get cheated from such other websites in attempt of saving few dollars. So better buy it from Microsoft of Amazon itself.

[jmztaylor]

I know this posting is old and I am new here but I just used Shoparhive.com to purchase Vista. It took about 12 hours for my order to be processed but I got my key and download instructions. I couldn't get the download to work correctly and I got on with Tech Support on their website and they sent me to download an iso off their website. Downloaded that, burned it, and successfully installed Vista. Activated online just fine. No negative side effects. Personnally I like it because it is a lot cheaper. And what they are doing is the same as Microsoft Marketplace. Just minus the cd. But I have a burner so that isn't too big of an issue for me.

I was speaking more about the company more than my individual product I got. I couldn't find anything about this company on the net. But I had a good experience so I thought I would pass on the info

My advice,DON'T go near them. I ordered a copy of Vista from them, and am still unable to use it.
They don't give u any instruction on what do do with the file once it is sent to u (a complicated mess of actions and programs are required)
I sent serveral emails asking for a refund to which they told me "all sales are final"
I emailed to tell them this was not good enough and I reiceived an email in return telling me to "GO F**K YOURSELF"

[lockmi]

I just joined this community to give you my experience with ShopArhive.

I purchased Vista Ultimate (x86) and Microsoft Office 2007 Professional about 18 months or so ago. The purchase took about 24 hours to come through and, with no feedback of any kind, I reacted by sending a very tersely worded email to all addresses I could find for the company. The company's reaction was both apologetic and indignant - basically saying "What the Hell!! It's only been 24 hours!!". The keys and download links arrived a few hours after their e-mail response and downloaded just fine. Vista installation had some difficulty (my fault as it turned out), but their tech-support got me on track. Office installation went very smoothly.

So far so good.

I then purchased a new laptop and transferred Office 2007 to this machine. Installation went fine on the new machine using the keys provided, but the package refused to activate citing an invalid product key. I went back to ShopArhive for help and was told quite categorically that ShopArhive is simply a sales channel and has no obligation beyond the initial delivery and installation. After a lot of cajoling, argument and outright lambasting the short answer remained: my problem, not theirs. To top it all off, I was told that I could get another key by buying another copy of the product. Marvellous.

The problem is, as pissed as I was at the lack of support (not to mention the "just buy another" response), I can see ShopArhive's point of view. Technical problems tend to remain with the OEM for support and service. How many people have had cell/mobile telephone handset problems fixed by the network that sold then the bundled handset/subscription? At least in Australia, any problems with the machinery get referred back to the OEM. As far as ShopArhive was concerned Microsoft's registration/activation process's failure to accept my product key (especially after the installation had succeeded, remember) was a technical product problem and resolution belonged to the OEM - Microsoft.

So I went to Microsoft and told them the whole story. Predictably, the call centre's response was "Vendor issue, not OEM", backed up by "that's what you get when you buy bodgy junk over the 'net" - not those words, but certainly that message. More marvellous. So I tried to escalate the problem using the twin arguments of:

• it was registration/activation, not installation, that failed; and
• the whole handset/network vs OEM paradigm.

I finally got to speak to a senior help-desk/tech guy who admitted the logic of my argument but said that:

• this has never happened before (I think that line's in the call-centre script...)
• Microsoft didn't have a policy on this (ditto); and
• he would have to promote this and get back to me (double ditto).

I gave the guy all the details of the transaction (receipts, keys, links, the lot), managed to get his direct contact details, and then badgered him every couple of days for about two weeks. We went through a number of bug-fix attempts, all of which ultimately involved re-installation, but nothing worked. I was nearing the end of my allotted non-activated launches and getting pretty seriously frustrated. Hat's off to the tech-guy though - he remained calm, polite and understanding all the way through. Then, after about three weeks of to-and-fro, the tech-guy (who's name, I'm embarrassed to say, I can't remember but I sure hope he's a VP in customer service now) called me and said that:

• Microsoft had contacted ShopArhive about this issue;
• had confirmed my allegations re purchase and support;
• had argued my case on my behalf; and
• had been refused on exactly the same grounds as I had.

The result? the tech guy got authorisation to issue me with a new key and, even two laptops later, it's been happy days ever since.

Now I'm still pretty impressed that Microsoft followed up ShopArhive at all, let alone argued my case for me or actually chose to make me whole, so I'm frankly pretty impressed with them.

Conclusions?

1. ShopArhive's policy is no different to any other OEM/sales channel/end user relationship as far as I can see. The primary difference to my mind is that the way-distant-offshore-in-chicken-plucking-Latvia makes them a little more arrogant re their nil after-care policy than they might be if they lived in the same country as their clients.
2. The initial purchase and installation was quite satisfactory, once you accept the slow turnaround time, and their tech support was willing, fluent English and, what's more important, correct.
3. Microsoft acted reasonably and responsibly and have won my respect for ever and a day.
4. I will probably use ShopArhive again when the time comes to upgrade to Office 20XX or Windows 7.0. The first installation worked without complaint and at the discount you get you actually could afford to buy two or three downloads before you've spent the same as an in-store copy.
5. Despite the hiccups, ShopArhive's model and industry position is exactly what e-commerce is all about - geographically independent non-support commodity distribution. The whole idea, if I remember the late 90's correctly, was that the ability to have a virtual distribution channel would enable the savings from non-investment in infrastructure and logistics that ShopArhive seem to be offering. If you want a physical CD/DVD, local presence and local enforcement when things go wrong, pay the premium and but it from a shop. S-Commerce. Give it a go.

Finally no one reading this should rely on my experience as comfort for dealing with either ShopArhive or Microsoft. Specifically:

• I can't guarantee that anybody else will get the same level of professional care and support from Microsoft that I enjoyed
• I can't guarantee that my problems will ever occur for anybody else. ShopArhive could very easily be correct and the problems may very well have been due to Microsoft and not ShopArhive's responsibility in any way; and
• after all this time, I can't guarantee that Microsoft haven't established a "we don't fix problems with products sold by bodgy 'net-based download-only vendors" policy.

[smrtgrl]

I have used this site twice in the last 3 months and...touch wood ... i have had no problems. Yes the first time you purchase it's a lengthy process. I upgraded from vista to 7 and the whole process took about a week. Partly my fault and partly the way the purchase system on site works. Anyway the upgrade itself was a bit of pain...downloading burning and installing then waiting with baited breath whether the key would work was quite frankly time consuming and stressful. However the outcome has been a happy but cautious one. Recently needed to upgrade my office professional to a full version and purchased again from the site. This time it took less then an hour to verify my details and post my download and key. The site says if you're upgrading all you need to do is launch the program and enter the key...did that and microsoft wouldn't verify it. A little worried..okay alot worried...thought about my options. Complain and demand...resist and react..or just relax and think laterally. I opted for the third option and began to reinstall the software via the download, burn and install system as above.
Midway through downloading the software via getflash, microsoft came to life installed my software , verified my key and now I'm happily powerpointing to my hearts content. I may have been lucky or maybe it's due to blind faith and persistence but given the price of microsoft software..this may be an option if you only want
to install software on to one pc.