Bought FM2009 off ebay....

I dont know what to do, i bought FM2009 off ebay and when i install and try to activate the product a message comes up saying:

"It seems your unlock key is over its device limit. The unlock key is only valid for a set number of computers. To unlock this software against additional compluters, please visit: http://www.sigames.com.

Error : [-1004]"

Anyone have any suggestions? I've tried contacting the seller but getting no response.

Cheers

Matt

p.s. i assume that the seller has installed the game on 5 other pcs?

time for some bad ebay feedback

You've been scammed. The seller has installed it on 5 pcs and has sold you what appears to be a useless disc. However when the website to manage 'seats' goes live you'll be able to cancel those activations and get your own back.

The clue is in the title of your thread.

You've been done mate.

my copy will be there soon if i can't get this slow jerky 2d engine up to par

Contact ebay and let them know whats happened. It sounds like the seller has used up his installs, knows you don't need the disc and is just trying to make some money out of it. Ebay should investigate this for you and you should get your money back.

Im furious. Arrived this morning and couldnt wait to get it installed and start playing, now looks like i've just got a useful bloody disc, this has really ****ed me off.

Will contact ebay see what they can do, wouldnt mind but the seller didnt have any previous negative feedback so thought i could trust him.

What is the website for "seats", is this something i can register on to clear the previous activations? Will the website be up soon?

Cheers

Matt

You've been scammed. The seller has installed it on 5 pcs and has sold you what appears to be a useless disc. However when the website to manage 'seats' goes live you'll be able to cancel those activations and get your own back.

Whats stopping the seller (who has kept the serial number say) from going onto the website and cancelling the buyers seats...

As someone who runs an ebay store professionally, I can tell you ebay are completely and utterly useless. However, as you're the buyer and not the seller, you're more likely to have them do something about it.

I certainly wouldn't encourage this except for in circumstances like this, but if the game wasn't sent by recorded delivery, claim it never turned up. You'll either get a replacement if the seller has one, or you'll get your money back when it goes to a claim.

As for the website, I'm not sure when it will be up, but you'll be able to enter the keycode from the back of your manual (I think), which will clear all of the previous activations, and you'll be able to activate it yourself.

Whats stopping the seller (who has kept the serial number say) from going onto the website and cancelling the buyers seats...

Nothing, but I'd guess that Sega support will be able to do something for the person who actually possesses the product activation.

I have found the deactivation url, but the error is saying "unable to lookup devices"...

Cheers

Matt

As for the website, I'm not sure when it will be up, but you'll be able to enter the keycode from the back of your manual (I think), which will clear all of the previous activations, and you'll be able to activate it yourself.

But if the buyer has kept a copy of the keycode he too could do this?

Nothing, but I'd guess that Sega support will be able to do something for the person who actually possesses the product activation.

How will SEGA know who has it? You have a buyer and a seller from Ebay who both have the keycode, one has the DVD and box so will that have to be provided as proof?

This website with "seats" doesn't really solve this issue.

i had an issue with ebay where seller never sent item. i paid through paypal and paypal withdrew from his bank account and refunded me. took about a month and a half and they do like an informal trial where the both of you respond to each other. i don't know how you paid but if by paypal you have a very good chance of getting your money back

No, i think you are right, if he has written or photo copied the back of the manual then he can just change the seats as he wants.

Looks like i've been conned

Cheers

Matt

Do you think it would be worthwhile phoning Sega Customer Services and explaining whats happened? Can they even do anything?

Cheers

Matt

Only if he still has the installation files... If you de-activate him it may lead to him losing his games... but if he does it back to you then you have the disk to re-do it.

yes contact sega they will ask for prove of purchase just copy it and email them it and they should clear those seats once they receive it cant see any problems to be honest your an honest guy thats got an honest problem

I have found the deactivation url, but the error is saying "unable to lookup devices"...

Cheers

Matt

What is the url Matty25?

could be this:

http://deactivation.fm2009.softanchorinsight.com/

enjoy.

Didn't worked for me,it says the same thing

May be not working yet

Do you think it would be worthwhile phoning Sega Customer Services and explaining whats happened? Can they even do anything?

Cheers

Matt

It's surely worth trying.

Do you think it would be worthwhile phoning Sega Customer Services and explaining whats happened? Can they even do anything?

Cheers

Matt

I don't know if they can do this, but it would be good if they can close down the activation number from the manual (and any activated copies thereof) and issue a whole new number.

someone is enjoying their copys installed somewhere and you have well the packaging.

Take a screenshot of the eBay page, keep your email history etc, proof of payment. SEGA might be nice and help you out of you have proof.

Also try contacting eBay to see if they can help. Paypal too. If you purchased with your CC (even through Paypal) then contact your CC company, I did this before and they sorted everything for me.

Potentially this person could have sold the other activations, if everyone has a serial number then they could all change the activations as they wish. Are you sure the disk is original?

If you get nowhere I might be interested in buying the game off you, I use a Mac so don't need the activations etc, just the disk. Let me know and maybe we can work out a deal but of course I won't pay full price though:)

yes contact sega they will ask for prove of purchase just copy it and email them it and they should clear those seats once they receive it cant see any problems to be honest your an honest guy thats got an honest problem

Are we assuming the guy that sold the copy originally paid for it and allocated all seats?

Might be harsh, but Sega might not be able to do anything because you bought it from a third party.

I'd personally contact Ebay, the seller, and launch an investigation through Paypal / Ebays own dispute process. If you give them all the details you should get a refund and be able to leave negative feedback.

If you get nowhere I might be interested in buying the game off you, I use a Mac so don't need the activations etc, just the disk. Let me know and maybe we can work out a deal but of course I won't pay full price though:)

Sorry to get all Moderator on your ass, but any transactions you do have with a fellow forum member, please remember you do at your own risk, and please don't arrange any of the transaction via any threads - use PMs and emails for it.

(You probably knew all of that anyway, but just wanted to be clear).

Cheers,

GM

Oh dear, my guess is they activated the game through Steam, so they never need the disc again, then sold it on.

Get your money back, either amicably or via PayPal, then neg the scamming git anyway.

if paid by paypal ebay releases refunds, disputes etc. to paypal

Are we assuming the guy that sold the copy originally paid for it and allocated all seats?

Might be harsh, but Sega might not be able to do anything because you bought it from a third party.

I'd personally contact Ebay, the seller, and launch an investigation through Paypal / Ebays own dispute process. If you give them all the details you should get a refund and be able to leave negative feedback.

I'm pretty sure Miles stated that second hand game shops have been made aware there's a deactivation link so that second hand copies of FM 09 can be safely traded, unlike Spore?

If so, I'm sure SEGA will help you, especially if it means hurting someone who thinks he can install the game then sell on the disk and keep playing.

Oh dear, my guess is they activated the game through Steam, so they never need the disc again, then sold it on.

Get your money back, either amicably or via PayPal, then neg the scamming git anyway.

Plus give SEGA the CD code so they can shut off the guy who scammed him.

How do i contact Sega, is there an email address or telephone number?

Cheers

Matt

Its in the back of the manual. Back page

The whole deactivation URL thing doesn't add up. It's been asked a hundred times in several threads how can the game know that it's deactivated by another person on another PC if it doesn't phone home and check. This question is continually ignored. I doubt this URL will ever go live sadly.

This is a strange one, aslong as you will soon be able to have FM09 up and running you will be okay. Just wish I could see the sellers face when he loads up FM and can't play it, unless he wrote the key of course.

Unfortunately the use of DRM will always lead to threads like this, and that's the reason why some people claim the real reason for using DRM is to stop secondhand sales (which is not allowed according to the EULA as far as I know).

The whole deactivation URL thing doesn't add up. It's been asked a hundred times in several threads how can the game know that it's deactivated by another person on another PC if it doesn't phone home and check. This question is continually ignored. I doubt this URL will ever go live sadly.

I think I'm close to being responsible for fifty of those hundred times' date=' but as I've said before there must be something we haven't been told about the DRM. If not then there's a huge flaw in the way the DRM works and they might as well not have protected the game at all.

Just wish I could see the sellers face when he loads up FM and can't play it, unless he wrote the key of course.

If the DRM works as we have been told, the seller will be able to play the game until he uninstalls it or needs to reinstall Windows – SoftAnchor only contacts the activation servers during install, so an already activated install, should not be able to find out that someone else has deactivated it.

This is a strange one, aslong as you will soon be able to have FM09 up and running you will be okay. Just wish I could see the sellers face when he loads up FM and can't play it, unless he wrote the key of course.

Which could result in the buyer and seller continually activate/deactivate each other seats..........

ouch bad luck. still it was quite a clever idea from the seller, naughty but clever. he probaly got the activation code and has the game on 5 pcs. hope this doesnt happen to more people. theres always a way to con people it seems.

hope you get the game activated soon, get ebay to give him a good slapping and make sure that he cant play fm09 using that code.

why buy of egay in the first place? how much did you buy it for including postage? surley it was'nt worth all the agro which you should have seen coming

Didnt trust ebay in the first place with all this activation thing going on. Your story makes me realize i was right.

As someone who runs an ebay store professionally, I can tell you ebay are completely and utterly useless. However, as you're the buyer and not the seller, you're more likely to have them do something about it.

I certainly wouldn't encourage this except for in circumstances like this, but if the game wasn't sent by recorded delivery, claim it never turned up. You'll either get a replacement if the seller has one, or you'll get your money back when it goes to a claim.

As for the website, I'm not sure when it will be up, but you'll be able to enter the keycode from the back of your manual (I think), which will clear all of the previous activations, and you'll be able to activate it yourself.

Let me second this. Ebay are probably not going to help you too much. I was a pretty active seller on there for a long time, but am done with them due to carp service (among other things). Could be why their stock price is down to $11.

Hey nothing extra to add except that I feel really sorry for you. Really hope Miles' suggestion works

Think this is gonna become a pain on ebay with a lot of games requiring activation.

I bought my game off eBay from a store and thankfully I don't have an issue I bought it from a games store.

Certainly sounds like you've been diddled! How much did you pay for it mate if you don't mind me asking? IMO £25 from legit sources such as Play.com is more than fine by me you should've just got a copy from there or something. Sure you realise that now though doesn't change the fact you've been done

Made me wonder whether he sold the key codes on eBay also as I don't know anybody with 5 PC's... lol Probably his mates or something got the other codes though. Couldn't find anybody selling key codes or anything on eBay, thankfully. I did find somebody selling 50 - yes 50 copies of the game for £4.99 each - Taken from his auction page;

Full Version of Game on Unbranded Disc with patch which allows to play game without DVD

i am simply providing a back up service, only purchase this game if you have the original or discard the disc within 24hrs

Games purchased before 17:00 will be sent out straight away to ensure 24hr Free Delievery

If you are not sure what you are purchasing , please email me as I don't want to cause any confusion or dissapointment

That sort of thing really riles me!

Please let us know how you get on.

OK - I checked it out, just to see, and get "No computers were activated using your license key.", which isn't true.

OK - I checked it out, just to see, and get "No computers were activated using your license key.", which isn't true.

Seems to work for me so I retract my earlier statement in this thread. Says that when I deactivate I'll not be able to play on that computer. Which once again rises the question, how will my game know it's been deactivated? Not really expecting to see the answer though...