Don’t be duped by fake software offers online

Gripe Line reader Joshua wrote in to ask for help negotiating with PayPal. He had purchased a copy of Rosetta Stone Portuguese Levels 1, 2, & 3 from a shop on eBay and was very unhappy with what he received.

“It was advertised as genuine, and the reseller claimed to be an ‘authorized’ reseller of the product,” Joshua said. “Unfortunately, it was neither genuine nor a deal. The product I received was from China — a blatant and obvious fake. It had all the signs, from missing logos to misspelled words on the box. So I immediately wrote a complaint to the seller.”

[ For a look at where tech support is going, read Christina Tynan-Wood’s “The (better) future of tech support.” | Frustrated by tech support? Get answers in InfoWorld’s Gripe Line newsletter. ]

He got no response, so he wrote again — and again. Fed up with the lack of response from the seller, Joshua went straight to PayPal in hopes of resolving the dispute.

“But PayPal told me it could not refund my money because the seller had delivered the product,” Joshua said. “I was told that it is entirely the buyer’s responsibility to verify authenticity of the product before purchase. How could that possibly be right?”

Joshua thought that he had done everything possible — under the circumstances — to verify the seller.

“Their ad indicates that the product is genuine and that they are authorized resellers,” he explains. “How much more vigilant can I be without seeing the product first?”

That’s a good question, one echoed in the comments on my previous post about Steven’s experience buying a Rado watch that turned out to be a counterfeit. How much blame should consumers accept when the goods turn out to be fake?

Some readers — rather surprisingly for this forum — thought the onus was almost entirely on the consumer to recognize the signs that a merchant is hawking counterfeit goods. It is certain that going into the marketplace requires some savvy. As Joshua points out, you can’t eyeball the goods when buying online, so claims of “authorized reseller” and “genuine” have to be taken with a certain amount of faith. The question is, how much faith?

Should Joshua and Steven have done more than simply believe these claims? Maybe.

Steven could have assumed these claims were bogus because the price was so far below typical, though the site from which he purchased the watch also claimed it was genuine. But can price alone be enough reason to assume goods are no good? That would put a damper on those 70 percent off sales that are so popular among many consumers.

A Rosetta Stone representative advised me, “Before purchasing Rosetta Stone language-learning solutions, consumers should verify that a seller is authorized to sell the program.”

For more specific tips on buying software, the Business Software Alliance website offers advice for recognizing bad goods before you ante up. Here they are:

• Trust your instincts. Check the online seller’s price against the estimated retail value of the software. If a price seems “too good to be true,” it probably is.
• Make sure it’s authentic. Be suspicious of software products that do not include proof of authenticity such as original disks, manuals, licensing, services policies, and warranties.
• Beware of backups. Avoid sellers offering to make backup copies. This is a clear indication the software is illegal.
• Steer clear of compilations. Be wary of compilations of software titles from different publishers on a single disk or CD.
• Get seller’s contact information. If you cannot contact the seller after making a purchase, you may have no recourse if the product turns out to be pirated. Make certain to get the seller’s address, if possible.
• Keep Receipts. Printout a copy of your order number and sales confirmation and file them for your records. This information will help build your case if it is pirated and further action is needed.
• Ensure secure payment. Make certain that the Internet connections you are using are secure.
• Understand transaction terms. Get a clear understanding of the merchant’s policies concerning returns and refunds, shipping costs, and security and privacy protection before you complete the transaction. Most importantly, look for a trust mark from a reputable organization to make sure the online retailer is reliable and has a proven track record of satisfying customers.
• Do your homework. Before making a purchase, do as much research on the seller and vendor as you can. Check the seller’s rating or feedback comments when on an auction site. Some of the most frequently sold titles on auction sites include products by Adobe, Autodesk, Corel, Intuit, McAfee, Microsoft, and Symantec.
• Ask the experts. Contact the BSA with any concerns or questions by calling 1-888-NOPIRACY or visiting our Web site www.bsa.org.

In Josh’s case, PayPal ultimately agreed with his claims.

“PayPal’s Buyer Complaint Policy allows buyers to submit a dispute for an item that is significantly not as described by the seller,” a representative told me. “PayPal reviews every dispute — from both buyers and sellers alike — on a case by case basis in an effort to resolve cases fairly and objectively. Accordingly, PayPal reviewed Mr. Liberman’s transaction and reimbursed him in full.”

Got gripes? Send them to christina_tynan-wood@infoworld.com.

This story, “Don’t be duped by fake software offers online,” was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Read more of Christina Tynan-Wood’s Gripe Line blog at InfoWorld.com.