Second Hand Licenses
 

One of my friends on Skype was wondering this, so I thought to ask. He's looking to buy someone's license, but the license has already been transferred. Is he still able to buy it even though it's already been transferred?

No it can only be transferred once

So what happens to the license after it's been transferred? It's useless?

I would suggest putting in a ticket to sales@vbulletin.com . If the license is a vB5 license and originates from the EU (and has only been transferred to people in the EU), then it may be transferred more than once, but you need to contact sales for the specifics for your particular case to get a good answer (there is a transfer fee).

Alright. I've seen second hand licenses sell on Extra License which allows you to buy and sell second hand licenses. So him and I were wondering if buying a second hand license would be illegal or an issue.

I'll send them a ticket though.

It's not illegal to buy a license but do watch for scammers

Read This Before Purchasing a Second-Hand License

The urge to look for deals is ubiquitous and there is nothing wrong with that. We all want to be able to buy something for less. However such sales can be fraught with risks, particularly in regards to software licensing and dealing with persons unknown to us personally.

Therefore before purchasing a second-hand vBulletin license, you should be aware that making such a purchase means taking a risk that you will be scammed and the license will either be invalid or subject to revocation after the sale and transfer. Furthermore, vBulletin Solutions cannot be a party to any disputes involving license transfers. Here are some of the possible pitfalls when purchasing a license from an unofficial source and some things you should know:

1. First, please read the license agreement, located here: http://www.vbulletin.com/order/license_agreement.php

It outlines our license transfer restrictions, including a limit of one transfer per license. Once a license is transferred to you, you will not be able to transfer this license in the future.

2. Be aware that even after the transfer it is possible that the original purchase of the license could be charged back. This can, and does happen. If that is done, then the license will be revoked and you will no longer have a legal license to run vBulletin. [Note: Chargebacks can occur at almost any time so time does not equal security.]

3. If the old owner continues to use this copy of vBulletin and this license is being used on more than one site, this may result in the license being revoked.

4. Finally, in some cases the owner may dispute that this was a valid transfer. Whole we do everything we can to ensure the transfer request is valid, we cannot guarantee that it won't be disputed. If this happens the transfer will be considered fraudulent and the license will revert back to the original owner.

How to purchase vB safely?

1. The only safe way to purchase a license for vBulletin is directly from us. You can do that here: http://www.vbulletin.com/order/

2. If you are willing to accept the risks involved with purchasing a second-hand license, then you should get the following info from the seller:

- License number
- Name and email address on that account

Once you have this info, you can email us at sales@vbulletin.com to ask us to verify that info and whether the license is eligible for transfer. We will let you know if the info is valid and the license is available for transfer. We cannot, of course, guarantee such third-party transactions, so the previously discussed risks still apply.

So if I were to buy a license that has already been transferred, it's not allowed?

Correct, unless the license is a vB5 license and originates from the EU (and has only been transferred to people in the EU), then it may be transferred more than once.

Damn well that sucks. :(