UPDATED: I did end up purchasing a couple copies. I felt reassured by the process and by my experiences. In short it seems like the licenses work. There is just uncertainty if there will be some sort of issue with them working in the future. I have provided some information about my experiences below, to help others make a decision.
When I did some research online initially, I thought this deal was ending in a day or so. I found a number of forums/threads with people speculating about what kind of license it was. I am not remembering where but the conversations were similar to what has happened in this thread. A number of people had decided to take the leap and I did as well. I decided it was worth the risk to purchase 2 licenses. I had an old pc I wanted to try and get running for a family friend and I wanted a license to use in the future for myself. I also know a few people IRL who took advantage of the deal. The purchased was handled by cleverbridge. I will copy the information from the emails I received below. I was provided with one order confirmation, followed by another email with the product keys and instructions.
About a month after purchasing, a friend mentioned he had had some issues with his license and asked if I had had any issues with mine. He told me he had contacted support and they helped him resolve it and that he was pleased. He mentioned he found someone else online that had had issues and support had also resolved their issue. I had not used either of the licenses I purchased, so I figured I should make sure at least one of them worked by doing a fresh install on the old pc I had. Cleverbridge offers a 60 day download link from their server, but I decided to be safe I would download straight from Microsoft. The install went fine. The only annoyances being Microsoft related annoyances:) The license activated and it has gone through a number of rounds of windows updates with no issues.
I know someone else who purchased installation media with their license. It was an added cost per license of $6.95 for the dvd. They received a dvd (photo copied below). It was mailed from Creativemark, Black & White Building London EC2A 3AY United Kingdom and they thought that was strange that it came from the UK. Their invoice also stated that "Cleverbridge, Inc. is the merchant of record for this transaction. 350 N Clark, Suite 700, Chicago, IL, 60654, United States Tax ID: 20-4503251" This DVD does not look to my eyes like an "official" Microsoft dvd, but to be honest I have not seen Microsoft media since Windows 7 as they have moved heavily towards their installation media creation tool.
Below I will copy the emails I received- omitting the licenses/personal data with XXXXs. Also note that a number of the download links have expired.
Hope this helps
-Sphere
ORDER CONFIRMATION EMAILDear ______<
Thank you for your order.
Below you will find your cleverbridge reference number. To ensure the most prompt and efficient service, please always refer to your reference number when contacting us.
Your cleverbridge reference number: XXXXXXXXXXX
We have received your order and it is undergoing normal, manual processing, which will be completed within the next hour. In exceptional cases, the process may last longer.
Nonetheless, upon completion of the manual processing, you will receive an email with further information about your order. Please do not place another order until you have received a confirmation email from us about this order or you may be billed twice.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Support options
Technical and product-related support
If you have any technical or product-related inquiries, please contact Creativemark using the following information:
Website: https://www.creativemark.com
Email: [email protected]
Creativemark are the developers of this store and can provide basic support by email and via your software store. Contact us if you have technical issues. Contact Cleverbridge if you have problems with your order.
Payment and order-related support
If you have any payment or order-related inquiries, feel free to contact cleverbridge Customer Support.
https://www.cleverbridge.com/421/?scope=cuseco&id=&cfg=affiliate2019
Sincerely,
cleverbridge Customer Support
cleverbridge, Inc.
350 N Clark, Suite 700 - Chicago, IL 60654 - United States
LICENSE AND INSTRUCTIONS EMAIL:Dear ______,
Thank you for your order.
Below you will find your cleverbridge reference number. To ensure the most prompt and efficient service, please always refer to your reference number when contacting us.
Your cleverbridge reference number: XXXXXXXX
Payment information
Your credit card (xxxxxxxxxxxxx) has been successfully authorized. Please note that the charge on your credit card will appear as "CBI*CREATIVEMARK."
Your products
Qty. Product name Delivery
2
Microsoft Windows 10 Professional includes a 1-PC, lifetime license electronic
Your product key:
xxxx-xxxx-xxx.....
This is the official Windows 10 Installation Guide. Read this before you start. You have 30 days from this order date to download these files through the links on this page. If you have purchased Extended Download Insurance with this order, you will be able to login to your store account and download these full versions for up to two years from the order date.
Download (link expired)
File size: 1469 KB.
Your download link is valid until xx/xx/xxxx.
Note: The date specified for this download link does not affect the validity of your license.
This is the official Windows 10 Media Creation Tool. Use this on your existing computer to upgrade to Windows 10 OR use it to create a brand new fresh Windows 10 install. You have 60 days from this order date to download these files through the links on this page. If you have purchased Extended Download Insurance with this order, you will be able to login to your store account and download these full versions for up to two years from the order date.
Download
File size: 18 MB.
Your download link is valid until xx/xx/xxxx.
Note: The date specified for this download link does not affect the validity of your license.
How do I upgrade from Home to Pro?
Although we've sold you a full version of Windows 10 Professional, most people will only need to upgrade from Home. First thing to note, you can only upgrade from Home if Home is fully activated. If you have an activated Home, to upgrade to Professional, simply follow this within Windows 10:
Go to Settings > Activation > Change product key and you'll be able to drop in your new Professional code and unlock the Professional features. No need to re-install Windows 10. Once you drop in your new code, expect Windows 10 Home to download additional Professional components then either reboot or log you out (you'll need to log back in). Once this happens, you'll have Windows 10 Professional.
Alternatively, you can use your Windows 10 Professional from scratch on a brand new PC. Follow the instructions supplied and use the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool to create an install DVD or USB stick.
IMPORTANT - Can't Upgrade from Home to Pro? Read This First
If you are trying to upgrade from 10 Home to 10 Pro, you might find your key doesn’t work immediately. Windows 10 will claim the product key can't be used to upgrade. Why not? Effectively Windows 10 Home isn’t ‘ready’ to upgrade as it has unfinished updates.
To fix this issue, you need to run through all Windows 10 updates and reboot. Indeed, reboot anyhow, as often there’s a background process which hasn’t finished updating. Sometimes you might even have to reboot twice as Windows 10 will stack small updates which install on system boot and will stop any upgrade to Professional.
Once you've checked for updates and rebooted (we can't emphasise enough that you need to reboot), try entering your new Product Key again.
Still Can't Upgrade?
We've seen various reasons why your system might not be ready to upgrade - reach out to us and we'll get back to you as soon as possible with our 'top tips' to help.
Your purchase documents
Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to open this PDF file. If this software is not yet installed on your computer, please download a free version here.
Invoice XXXXX
Support options
Technical and product-related support
If you have any technical or product-related inquiries, please contact Creativemark using the following information:
Website: https://www.creativemark.com
Email: [email protected]
Creativemark are the developers of this store and can provide basic support by email and via your software store. Contact us if you have technical issues. Contact Cleverbridge if you have problems with your order.
Payment and order-related support
If you have any payment or order-related inquiries, feel free to contact cleverbridge Customer Support.
Sincerely,
cleverbridge Customer Support
cleverbridge, Inc.
350 N Clark, Suite 700 - Chicago, IL 60654 - United States