is it okay to buy software here?

my AutoCAD died with my old computer. i need to have AutoCAD!

http://buysoftware.buytickets1.us/index.html?session=541291216496936

"Manufacturer: Autodesk PSG
Category: Graphics and Publishing
Retail Price: $3995.95
Our Price: $159.95
You save: $3836"

How is that possible?

Never heard of them, the 'store' name doesn't match the url, the site is written in broken english ("The order limit is come from restrictions of credit card processor.") and there's no info about where they're located, the only contact method is via email, the prices are insanely lower than (trusted OEM seller) Newegg, you can't get an original CD and the explanation for why you can't is silly ('We don't send CDs because our customers asked us to stop' Huh?)

Wild guess? They have a few copies of each title and you buy an image of one.

At best you'll get pirated software.

At worst you'll have your credit card info stolen and get a visit from the BSA.

http://spamtrackers.eu/wiki/index.php?title=Soft_Sales

It would be one thing if they were selling actual OEM CD's/DVD's of software that were intended for bundling with new PC's. The software companies would still bitch about it being sold, but it would be legal.

The way these guys are doing it, they could be selling the same "downloadable image" thousands of times over, and that's obviously not legal.

If you're going to download software from anyone but the original manufacturer, you might as well get it for free from a pirate site that's not asking for money. Either way the company isn't getting paid, but at least from "honest" pirates, nobody else is either.

Not that I'm advocating such a thing of course. (Shout out to Agent Mike and his friends at the RIAA/MPAA/etc. :hi: )

But from snooping around their internals a bit, it seems to me more like a scam to get your credit card number, your only benefit possibly getting a pirated piece of software.

Just to see, I hid myself and went through the purchasing process right up to the credit card info screen. Despite a big, fat "secured connection" icon on the page itself, the connected is not encrypted, meaning you're transmitting any info you put into those fields in the clear.

If you read the FAQ, it's written in Nigerian-scam-ese.

Having encountered many such sites before, I wouldn't give them even a bogus credit card number.