Some of you know I want to (affordably) enhance my software tool chest.
Below is a conversation with a seller based on an ebay transaction. Is the
seller's reference to a "approved software vendor" a valid concern so long
as the software has not been activated issue? Is it possible that the
software as described could be something which Microsoft doesn't let me
activate for some reason? Note: payment method is only cashier check or
m/o, so no "buyer protection" ... however, they offered to cancel
transaction if I desire it, which seemed noble.

Product Desc as advertised: " Microsoft Office 2000 Professional, sealed in
jewel case with product key. never acitvated or used"

Here is what I wrote the seller, their response is below:
Please contact me by telephone which is required prior to my sending
payment. I will also need assurance that this is not part of a corporate
license or existing MSDN license, so that there will be no hassles from
Microsoft when I register this. I plan to use it as a commercial enterprise
and cannot afford activation issues from Microsoft simply because I did not
buy from their approved distribution chain. Thanks.

Response: hi bill, i have no idea about corporate license or existing msdn
license, but to be on the safe side, since you are using it in a commercial
enterprise, i think you should buy it from an approved vendor. we can cancel
transaction and i'll give you postive feedback anyway.