Ebay Software Bargains and Pitfalls

By Jim Finkle
Reuters

BOSTON (Reuters) - One of the cheapest places to buy software is on Ebay, where merchants sell programs that come directly from manufacturers, saving them from paying a mark-up to distributors.

But it may also be a risky place to shop, as it can be tough to discern good values from scams.

Consumers Union -- which tracks Web retailers and advises consumers on Internet shopping through its ConsumerWebWatch.org service -- urges buyers to use common sense.

"If it sounds too good to be true, it is," says Beau Brendler, director of Web Credibility for the site.

A Reuters reporter bought four popular software titles through Ebay stores, which unlike auction operators sell products at fixed prices. Three of the titles worked flawlessly; the fourth was dead on arrival.

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