Adobe support "customer care" needed

Question

Hello Adobe Support:I purchased adobe creative suite 6 design & web premium in 2013 (I LEGALLY purchased this software & would be more than happy to provide verification through my VISA and/or amazon account invoice if it is so required by Adobe ... I would be more than happy to do this if it would solve the issue I am currently having). I recently purchased a new computer and have migrated the contents of the old computer (which is 9-10 years old and has been behaving klunky recently. I already replaced the graphics card once a couple years ago. I want to get all my stuff up & running on the new computer before the old one crashes). Most of my software has been successfully migrated & is up and running (except for Adobe & Mcafee .. aside, I had to temporarily uninstall my Mcafee in order for the Zinstall app to fully migrate my stuff from old to new computer; I plan on reinstalling it after I get Adobe working on my new computer). I originally got an error code with my adobe cs6 which said "key has been revoked" (Again, I LEGALLY purchased this software & can + will provide any proof that is needed by Adobe tech support). That was a few days ago, since then I am getting a 30 day "free trial" period running on my new computer (again, for a software bundle I paid in full). When I originally installed the software, back in 2013 I registered the product with a username & password (aside: presumably I would not have been able to activate the product without this, and the product key also for the physical product, obviously). I wrote down my username & password at the time (you can be d*mn sure I'm going to keep very accurate accounting of all records pertaining to a $1,350 dollar computer program ... I am not a rich man). The username & password WAS VALID at the time I registered. This was a brand new stand-alone product purchase (I did not need to purchase a subscription, because frankly I did not need a subscription nor do I want monthly recurring charges on my credit cart .. I prefer stand alone products & to pay in full when I need 'em). I contacted Adobe Tech support twice with this problem already, via chatroom & email. The first tech support man said he could not help me "because I was not a subscriber & my username was not on record." The second tech support guy (after the first guy referred me to "adobe tech people who specialize in this type problem") after chat & waiting several days for an email reply (supposedly this was one of the specialists) said "we cannot help you as your registration key has been revoked." I have registered my adobe cs6 product on only one computer (the old computer, which it is still running on without hitch, thankfully, at the moment). The software was bran new in shrink, purchased through amazon. BTW: in the course of trying to find online solutions on my own I found this webpage, an Adobe corporation webpage I might add ...  https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/policy-pricing/activation-deactivation-help.html... I read it & paid particular attention to the following, copied & pasted: "If you purchased a single license for Adobe software, you can install the app on two computers. However, you can use it on only one computer at any given time." ... this makes perfect sense, as a software (and computer) owner will probably need to upgrade an old computer at some point in time, as I am trying to do now. So, now I have the software legally installed on two computers. My next logical step would be to reverse the "trial period" countdown on the new computer & put that countdown on old computer, and migrate the fully functional (non time-limited) capability from old to new computer.I've already talked to two tech support personnel, and it is clear to me (I am very capable of reading between the lines) that Adobe is more interested in shucking away the user-needing-help rather than solving the user's problem. In my experience most companies will do their best to solve user's problems, others aren't interested & want to get rid of the user ASAP (unfortunately, Adobe falls into this). I'm not saying this to be mean, it's just a factual observation. I've owned adobe CS6 for 5ish years now, and this is the first time I've needed tech support in that time. I simply have not needed to login & use my username and password except twice (the product has actually worked well, for the most part the only problems I've had have been in training {how to use software} and I can solve those problemsmyself as there are very good online tutorials). However this revoked-key and missing username/registration (despite having one originally & originally registering the product back in 2013 are issues I cannot solve and are valid tech issues .... As I said, I will be more than happy to provide any proof-of-purchasee that is needed).I'm going to attempt phone support today, I'm also going to post this on adobe website help and hopefully get a tech support rep who can solve this problem. I actually feel fairly exhausted right now after writing this blurb in notepad, but it had to be done. If there is a tech guy from adobe reading this please don't waste my time if you can't get past either 1) "I can't talk to you as you do not have a subscription (not a subscriber)" OR 2) I can't do anything since your key is revoked / you are not registered". I want someone who is more concerned about solving the problem for a user who LEGALLY purchased his (very expensive) software bundle.      Just an aside: I had a similar problem during my old-to-new computer migration with microsoft office proffessional 2010, which I also purchased legally and in full way back when. For some reason it would no work properly after entering the registration key (more-or-less the same problem I'm having with adobe, although this software bundle is microsoft corp not adobe). I was able to get hold of microsoft's technician via chat-support (which parallels what happened with adobe, after this the corporation's help varied in extreme). The microsoft tech verified my product key (username & password wasn't even an issue). He offered to do remote support (or to let me download on my own). I chose to give him remote control (figured he would better solve any problems & faster, than I could on my own). Well, he ran into some problems after 45 minutes or so of remote-control and two computer restarts. Eventually he said "the software [office professional 2010] is old and is conflicting [or not compatible] with windows 10. I would like to offer FREE and without charge the newest version of the same software [office professional 2016]" .... I was without words & floored. That was way, way, beyond what I expected from tech support (I would've been well satisfied had the original product got up and runningon my new computer). This is a 5 star A+ example of tech support; I wish every company had tech support as good as microsoft ... note: the tech guy was focused on solving the problem, not in getting stuck on registrations, usernames, passwords .. he simply verified that the software was legally purchased and then did everything in his power to solve the problem, and when he couldn't he offered free upgrade to the newest version which was compatible with the system (Windows 10). Boy, how nice it would be if all software tech support was this good .... I don't expect this from Adobe tech support, but I do expect them to get my software running on the new computer without hitch (no free trial countdown) ... I think this is a very reasonable expectation, frankly I don't know if the current adobe support can accomplish it.

Jeffrey_A_Wright · Accepted Answer

Following up .... It looks like I won't be getting a refund from the seller: I just talked to amazon rep, apparently A-Z claims are only good for a year from purchase. And, as it has been roughly 5 years later after the purchase (before I found this problem), apparently I am out of luck or rather at the mercy of the seller ... as it will be at his discretion as to whether he refunds me (according to the Amazon rep: an email was sent by amazon to the seller, apparently I have to wait another 48 hours .. but I know how this is going to turn out). I've already been contacted by the seller by email last week & he claims the software was not fraudulent in any way & he won't be refunding me for software he claims was legit .... so it looks like I'm going to end up being the big loser here in the long run ... seems like that's the kind of luck I have in my life more often than not (yes I'm whining)

I am very sorry Richard. Please encourage anyone you do share your story with to always register their software. While it seems like extra paperwork, and time, it can help discover these type of situations early.

Richard you can find a link in the Adobe Genuine Software FAQ, in message #9 of this forum discussion, which you can utilize to report the reseller who sold you the volume license to Adobe. While it won't help you receive a refund. It will make sure our fraud team is aware of the resellers details.

edit4jj · Answer

Hi Richard,Now, a few years later, the same is happening to me. I bought the last CS6 version because I don't need a subscription, and I bought mine from Adobe direct. Now because my PC crashed on me, I'm trying to install my software on my new computer and Adobe is telling me the serial number is wrong???I'm using my, given from Adobe, serial number, but it tells me it's wrong???????It really gets angry, also because I bought an old car and I still get support, I own the software, but Adobe doesn't support it anymore? Heck, I want to use what I bought, it's mine.Maybe we should file a lawsuit against Adobe for theft, because that is what it is.

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