Trying to get my head around Office Licencing

[DocAElstein]

For the last month or so ads keep poping up here in Germany, (on the internet), from this place**. Amoungst other things they claim to have an offer for Microsoft Office 2024 Standard + Microsoft Office 2021 Professional Plus for 3 PC's, all for 30 Euros. That sounds much too good to be true to me, so it might be something dodgy. I did give some thought to trying it anyway, for that price, but they don't do PayPal , ( which is all I have for internet purchases since the Brexit fiasco wiped out all my credit cards that I had had for decades, :( )

**I can't at all recommend this place. i never heard of it before. Just saying ads from it have been popping up here for a month or so.

Alan

[HansV]

Office Professional Plus was directed at the commercial market, so anyone offering it to consumers is probably reselling commercial licenses...

[ChrisGreaves]

... and also here.

Hah. The price was $68, and there was one left in stock yesterday. It is gone today.
I had decided (as is my habit) to sleep on it overnight and make the purchase today.
At $68 (plus tax, plus ...) I reasoned that if it turned out to be a dud, it was only(!) $68.

I shall continue searching
Cheers, Chris

[PJ_in_FL]

As far as I can tell, Microsoft does not sell a version of Office 2024 that includes Access to consumers....

Thank you Hans for this confirmation.

I have since searched for microsoft office with msaccess and learned that "Microsoft Access 2021 is the latest version of Access available as a one-time purchase".

It appears to be available here and also here.

I suspect that Office 2021 will be plenty modern enough for me, and should install better on a Win11 system (with extra RAM and extra SSD).

Thanks, Chris

Chris,

Here's another source for Office 2021 with a slightly better price than Best Buy. I've dealt with GHACKS and the S/W is legit. As you also wish to continue learning, there are lots of guides and bundles available on the site.

The online store started as an offshoot to this blog, which continues to be a great source of technical insight in many areas. The primary authors are very knowledgeable, and those following and commenting add considerably to the discussion. It was my primary go-to when I set up a laptop with Linux MINT to replace a drive-by download of Windows 10, back when I thought nothing could be better than Windows Seven. Oh we were so young and impressionable way back then.

[ChrisGreaves]

Here's another source for Office 2021...

Thanks PJ. I have placed the order; looks like $cdn 70.96 all-up.
I am gambling that the activation code will allow me to re-install it to the laptop after my extra RAM and SSD is in place.
Cheers, Chris

[ChrisGreaves]

The online store started as an offshoot to this blog,

PJ, Thanks for that, duly bookmarked in the "Weekly" folder (coffee in bed Sunday Morning)

Oh we were so young and impressionable way back then.

We? I am still young and
Well, young,at any rate ...
Cheers

[ChrisGreaves]

Third-party vendors probably still sell it, but be careful.

Sigh! I am this day preparing my arguments for a refund of the $cdn105.14 charged to my credit card for what I believe was a $cdn58.98 copy of Office 21 through a supposedly reputable site BestBuy.ca.
spam-like EMails are coming from GHacks and one email address reads

Office21_02.jpg

Some twelve days later, the redemption code etc. have NOT arrived within the predicted 24 hours.
I will post follow-up in a few days.
Cheers, Chris

[PJ_in_FL]

Third-party vendors probably still sell it, but be careful.

Sigh! I am this day preparing my arguments for a refund of the $cdn105.14 charged to my credit card for what I believe was a $cdn58.98 copy of Office 21 through a supposedly reputable site BestBuy.ca.
spam-like EMails are coming from GHacks and one email address reads Office21_02.jpg
Some twelve days later, the redemption code etc. have NOT arrived within the predicted 24 hours.
I will post follow-up in a few days.
Cheers, Chris

OH NO!

Chris,

I have never had problems with purchases from GHACKS. I'm so sorry to lead you to into this problem.....

[ChrisGreaves]

I have never had problems with purchases from GHACKS. I'm so sorry to lead you to into this problem...

¡Mi Amigo! You did NOT lead me into this fiasco. I led myself.
More importantly I thought that I was dealing with BestBuy.ca, from whom, since I moved here in 2019, I have been ordering usb drives and the like.

I suspect that BestBuy.ca has been seduced into farming out fulfillment to a contractor who has farmed out the actual work to another contractor, or something along those lines.
Immediately after my lunchtime nap I will raise my blood pressure by phoning BestBuy, Mastercard, and dozens of toll-free script readers

I value your advice; it has always been correct for me, whether I have followed it or not.

So convinced am I of your rectitude that starting today I shall recommend that every and any friend, relative, or colleague of mine travelling to the USA drop in and visit you for a week or so I hope that that makes you feel better.
Cheers, Chris

[stuck]

...I thought that I was dealing with BestBuy.ca...

If I follow the link you give to BestBuy, I land on a page on the BestBuy marketplace, where the actual seller is ACSTech. If that company has scammed you then you should be able to report them to BestBuy, to get them delisted from BestBuy's marketplace. BestBuy might even have some sort of buyer protection scheme that might cover your loss??

Ken

[ChrisGreaves]

If I follow the link you give to BestBuy, I land on a page on the BestBuy marketplace, where the actual seller is ACSTech. If that company has scammed you then you should be able to report them to BestBuy, to get them delisted from BestBuy's marketplace. BestBuy might even have some sort of buyer protection scheme that might cover your loss??

I'll go along with all of this. I spent an hour yesterday gleaning data from emails, browsing history, my Word2003 daily diaries, bank statements etc so that I will have some facts to present.

It is possible that BestBuy will be able to show me that I did NOT work through them, in which case I shall apologise to them, and to them through this thread.
Most of my life I screw things up with a hyper-active mind that tries to parallel process twenty tasks at once.

I am generally of the mind that there is nowadays far too much fragmentation of work, and hence responsibility, to make life easy. Bean-counters workout how to shave of a fraction of a percentage point which can translate to millions of dollars across the global empire.

I still prefer walking into a brick-and-mortar store and dealing with a human.

Cheers, Chris

[ChrisGreaves]

It is possible that BestBuy will be able to show me that I did NOT work through them, in which case I shall apologize to them, and to them through this thread.

Update: Well, today I worked out that I did not buy through BestBuy.ca, and all without annoying them; so this is an in-topic apology for besmirching their name.

I did order Office 2021 Professional through GHacks; their order confirmation says $70.96 but my MasterCard says $104.15, a ratio of about 1.48 which, I suppose, is /was the exchange rate two weeks ago. I am a tad upset that although they know/knew I was in Canada they did not at least "note" that conversions may apply.
I have sent them an online-form pointing out the leap in my cost, and that the email link to a download and a license code has not arrived, and am asking for a full refund.
I might be cutting off my nose to spite my face here, but I now await a response from their Customer Support team " ... within 24 business hours." which, today being Friday, might be sometime next Monday.

While that is in limbo I shall now order a big SSD and lotsa RAM.
(to be continued ...)
Cheers, Chris