How to get evidence from Adobe for bought blocked license?

[cotwild]

Dear Community

I am getting really frustrated. I did contact Adobe customer support multiple times, they tried to move me arround in circles and close my tickets before I got the chance to answer.

Like two years ago I did buy the last available Adobe CS6 Master Suite from a reseller, therefore bought a used license key. This is legal according EU court case and did work great in the beginning. After a years I did get problems with the Adobe genuine service saying my product is illegal. As I bought it legally I did just stop that annoying service. Now I changed my PC and wanted to install it again on the new machine, where my license key for activation was blocked due to piracy.

I contacted Adobe an provided my invoice and a proof that the seller is a registered legitimated company.

Adobe said there were multiple activation attempts and that I should contact my seller. But my seller is answering that Adobe is systematically blocking old licenses to force people buying the new subscription model...

Now I need to get a proof from Adobe for legally go either against my seller or Adobe, if it is true what my reseller said.

Anyone experiencing the same/similar issues?

Thanks for you help

Dave

[Ged_Traynor]

@cotwild Adobe hasn't sold CS6 for over 6 years, so the fact that you bought it 2 years ago is a good chance that you were scammed.

https://prodesigntools.com/dont-buy-adobe-software-on-ebay-craigslist-or-amazon-marketplace.html

Moved from "Using the Community"

[cotwild]

Thanks for your response.

I was forced to buy it from a reseller, as Adobe doesn't offer any "non-subscription" version anymore. I am using Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere and Acrobat X just a few times a year and that's definitely not worth paying a quite big amount every month. So therefore I was looking for a "legal reseller" - I bought the license from a registered company, I did my homework before... and everything worked fine for over a year.

Now I am stuck with Adobe having blocked it but refusing to provide an evidence that allows me to fight against the reseller or even worse, if the reseller is right and Adobe blocked the S/N on purpose to force me following their "new business model".

[cotwild]

Changed my nickname to something readable 😉

[cotwild]

Btw. I provided Adobe support the proof that I bought it from a legal seller... so no scam

And the reseller is answering way faster than the Adobe support 😉 but now I need some evidence to see who's wrong.

[Ged_Traynor]

This is a user to user forum answered mainly by volunteers, so nobody here can help you with licensing issues

https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/invalid-revoked-serial-numbers.html

I'll ping @Jeffrey_A_Wright he's an Adobe employee that may be able to give you the answer you require

[cotwild]

Thanks for your reply - The official support doesn't help so this was another try to see, if others were facing the same issue? Please let me know if anyone else was facing some issues with wrongly blocked S/N....

[Ged_Traynor]

You need to contact the reseller, CS6 hasn't been legally sold for over 6 years.

[cotwild]

The reseller sold used licenses, which is legal. He is claiming that Adobe is blocking "old" licenses for no reason to force customers buy a subscription for new versions... and get rid of the "old" one-time fee licenses.

He is facing the same issue with multiple customers - but I now need a proof that either he is right or Adobe and the reseller sold the license like multiple times...

[Ged_Traynor · Accepted solution]

"The reseller sold used licenses, which is legal" that is not true, licences have to be transferred

https://helpx.adobe.com/ie/x-productkb/policy-pricing/transfer-product-license.html

[cotwild]

Good point, thanks for that information. This definitely wasn't done and also not mentioned from the seller...

I'll get back to him.

[kglad]

@cotwild 

it's possible (but in your case, unlikely) for a license to be legal when purchased and then have that license banned later because it's distributed to others.  in your case, it's highly unlikely that the license was sold legally because the license transfer authorization requires the owner to have an agreement with the recipient authorized by adobe. ie, both parties have to participate in the license transfer agreement.

[try67]

The fact Adobe stopped selling them doesn't mean a reseller can't legally sell a license they own, if they follow the license transfer procedure. This is something that's legally protected in many countries, especially in the EU. Adobe can't deny buyers this right.

[cotwild]

Sadly the seller (althougt having a officially registered company with business purpose of sell hard- and software) seems not to know what he does. He isn't interested in a legal licence transfer, just offered support in providing some workarrounds to transfer old configurations that were working to bypass the registration/activation process. He didn't mention that it was a used license when I bought it.

I stated that that's illegal and request my money back. He turned from beeing friendly and supportive to be really unfriendly, so I gave him 10 days to return my money - else I think about reporting this to the police & Adobe law dept, Anyone a good advise where to report/how to handle?

[kglad]

you can report here, https://www.adobe.com/trust/fraud-prevention.html

[try67]

If you paid by bank transfer or credit-card report it to them as Fraud, too. Same with PayPal. Do it now, though, don't wait for them.

[Nancy OShea]

@cotwild,

• CS6 hasn't been sold legally by ANY vendor in any country since January 2017.
• Used software that wasn't properly transferred in writing by seller to buyer through Adobe is technically illegal. Nobody has any right to use it.
• Obviously the seller was operating illegally and isn't willing to admit it.
• Adobe doesn't have to prove anything to you.  They own the software.  That's not up for debate.
• Your grievance is not with Adobe.  It's with the seller who took your money.  Good luck with that.

[gregazar]

I purchased a CS6 Volume License for $2400.00 in 2013. I have only activated it on 2 machines, the first of which the HDD failed on, so I have only been using it on 1 machine. Last month, I got a pop-up notice that my license was not valid and the software would stop working in 5 days. I called Adobe and provided a valid proof of purchase and after getting the run-around for 3 weeks, they finally emailed my saying my license key has been reactivated and I can use it now. The key is still being rejected as "revoked" and Adobe is playing dumb. They claim the key is valid and will need to have a dedicated team call me back to resolve this. I have been promised a call back 5 times and still no call back. I am now unable to use this $2400 software because of Adobe sabotoging my software that I bought and own. This is borderline criminal and Adobe is in breach of contract. Anyone interested in putting together a lawsuit against Adobe for breach of contract? There's more power in numbers so the more of us that come together, the better our chances of being awarded damages.

[kglad]

it's unexpected that you got any help, at all, from adobe.  they do not support legacy software. they don't even support much closer to current software.

[try67]

That shouldn't matter. A valid serial number should remain so even if the application is no longer supported. The customer has the right to use what they bought, as long as they wish to.

[kglad]

i didn't comment on any of the op's statements other than the unexpected help/involvement of adobe.

[try67]

Well, since it was them who blocked it (I'm assuming it was purchased legally) then it's them who are responsible to un-block it, so their help should be a given. The fact they don't provide it is what should be unexpected, not the other way around.

[kglad]

did you see some place where i stated anything about what "should be"?

[try67]

No... So what was the point of your comment? Just to say they don't usually do it? If so, I agree, although I think it shouldn't be the case. It seems we're on the same page, though.

[kglad]

the point is the "dedicated team" is unlikely to make contact.

do you need me to continue to spell this out for you?