Buying software on-line, is it safe?

[singlecoil]

I am contemplating buying some software and downloading it. It occurs to me that the software might be less than it's cracked up to be, do any of the statutory protections apply, once it's already on my computer and presumably can't be 'returned'?

[V8forweekends]

I dunno if they apply - but they might be hard to enforce.

Don't they offer a 30 day trial or a trial download with less than full functions?

Otherwise check reviews, but I'd regard the cost as "dead money" once downloaded even if you have rights to a refund in theory.

[Evolved]

It'd be the same as boxed software really. Once installed it's non returnable, otherwise everyone would be at it.

[silentbrown]

Software, CDs and DVDs are explicitly excluded from distance selling regs once the 'seal' is broken. Not sure how that affects downloaded software.

Where is the seller based? If outside EU/uk then normal consumer protection probably won't help...

Trial version and checking for active customer support forums is the right approach.

[ging84]

what does being less than it's cracked up to be mean?
to me it sounds like something has had positive feed back / reviews, but did not live up to your expectations, do you expect a refund because you found a 5 star rated movie to be disappointing?

if something doesn't do what it claims, then you should have rights, if it does not work on something it claimed it would then you should have rights, otherwise stop wasting your money on stty apps with limited feed back.

[singlecoil]

ging84 said:

what does being less than it's cracked up to be mean?
to me it sounds like something has had positive feed back / reviews, but did not live up to your expectations, do you expect a refund because you found a 5 star rated movie to be disappointing?

if something doesn't do what it claims, then you should have rights, if it does not work on something it claimed it would then you should have rights, otherwise stop wasting your money on stty apps with limited feed back.

I'm afraid I can't help how things sound to you, I would have thought the meaning of 'contemplating buying' something was clear enough, apparently not to everybody though.



To those who provided constructive remarks, thanks, I went ahead and bought it (a desktop publishing program) and it's working fine.

[speedking31]

Back in the good old days you had a CD that you could repackage and sell secondhand. The disc itself was the key to unlock the software. Now you have no such option.

[Evolved]

Nope, because once a copy was made it meant eveyone could use it.