Irate Customer

[colinp80427870]

I had Adobe Reader X, something I bought 18 months ago to convert Excel to PDF. Last month it stopped working, with no reason given. I went through a similar forum to this and got nowhere. The only conclusion we could reach was that Adobe Reader X no longer works with Windows Vista, possibly because Vista is no longer receiving updates from Microsoft. That is pure guesswork. Because I got no response through such a forum, I was in the process of writing a detailed letter to Adobe (Ireland) for assistance - or cancel my subscription.

Yesterday, however, whilst submitting my tax return, I was advised to download a FREE copy of Acrobat Pro DC to be able to save info supplied by HMRC.

1. Without my permission, Adobe have cancelled my annual subscription to Adobe Reader X - which had 7 months to run, and advised me of a new monthly contract for Pro DC. Thinking that Pro DC might give me the PDF function that I could no longer get with Reader X, I tried downloading Pro DC as advised.

2 Unfortunately Pro DC does NOT WORK with Windows Vista either.

Can any one assist? I want a piece of PDF Converter software but if neither Reader X nor Pro DC works with Vista, I want all subscriptions cancelled.

How do I go about doing that?

Colin Pryor

[try67]

Adobe Reader is free. If you have a subscription to something it was something else. The first step would be to find out what you had a subscription for... Maybe it was Create PDF? If so, I believe it was discontinued. If you want to create PDF files you need to use Acrobat.

[colinp80427870]

Dear Sir,

Your answer is ill-informed. I didn't say I had Adobe Reader. I said I had ' Adobe Reader X'. It is a piece of software sold to me by Adobe (Ireland) to specifically convert Excel documents to PDF's. Amongst other features, it had a PDF converter that worked very well up until a few weeks ago when it suddenly stopped working - as I have already explained in my earlier email.

Suggesting I use Acrobat is a nonsense. I explained to you that whilst submitting my tax return to HMRC, I was encouraged to use Acrobat Pro DC to save various of their files. I opted for it hoping that it would allow me to download HMRC files but also that it might be able to be used to create PDF's - because Adobe Reader X had stopped working.

When I try to download Acrobat Pro DC, it will not download as it is not compatible with Windows Vista. So your suggestion to try Acrobat is frankly a mystery

[try67]

Sorry to say it, but you are ill-informed. "Adobe Reader X" means version "X" (10) of an application called "Adobe Reader", which is free.

Adobe did not sell it to you.

You're right, though, that Acrobat DC is not compatible with Windows Vista. Adobe doesn't offer any application that can do it that's compatible with your ancient operating system.

[colinp80427870]

Dear try67,

Firstly, I am grateful for your input and I should not have come across as though I am not. My frustration is with Adobe Systems, not you. I am advised by another forum contributor that you are very experienced in this area and should be able to sort my problem so please bear with me whilst I make a more detailed outline to my problem.

I bought a piece of Adobe online software from Adobe Systems Software in Dublin in November, 2016, for an annual subscription of £47.64. Since that time, up until about 4 weeks ago, I was using that piece of software to Create PDf's from Excel documents. I only produced one PDF a month, for one specific document used in my business and nothing else. That software is called Adobe Reader X. Ok, that means version 10, but that doesn't get me anywhere. To use that piece of software, all I had to do was click on a desktop icon to open up a screen that gave you 4 options:-

a) Convert PDF to Word or Excel

b) Create PDF

c) Send and Track files online

d) Get documents signed

All I used to do was 'Create PDF', locate the Excel doc and press Convert and file that conversion. I didn't use that software for anything else.but it is not simply a Reader. Yes, Windows Vista is old but up until now it has served its purpose on an old laptop used for creating certain invoices to customers. Until now, I had no reason to change it. I have numerous iOS devices that I could use for virtually the same purpose but until now, I had no need to change.

You say that Adobe do not offer any software compatible with my system. If that is true, please explain:-

a) Why have Adobe sold me a piece of software that is apparently obsolete.

b) Various forum contributors have told me the software is very old. I bought it in November, 2016 from Adobe Systems Software in Dublin and was charged an annual renewal fee in November, 2017. It has now stopped working approximately halfway through that 12 month period. If Adobe are no longer supporting it, why is my contract not closed and a pro rata refund paid to me?

That is what has created my current dilemma. Whilst online at HMRC on Friday, I was encouraged to download a piece of Adobe software to be able to save my data input. I opted to do so, but believed I was entering a Free 7 day trial for Acrobat Pro DC. I have subsequently tried to download that software to 'my old laptop# only to find that Windows Vista is not supported.

Questions:-

1. Why would Adobe offer to sell me a piece of software without making it plain that Vista was not supported?

2. Without even having attempted to download the software, I got an email from 'The Adobe Document Cloud Team' thanking me for my purchase, advising me that 'You have changed your subscription to Acrobat Pro DC (one year), with a subscription start date of 08-April, 2018. Does that mean my subscription to Adobe Reader X has been cancelled? If so, what has happened to my 6 months subscription still outstanding?

3. If, as you say, Windows Vista does not support Acrobat Pro Dc, or any other Adobe software, I want this subscription cancelled immediately.

I find not being able to talk to a representative as extremely frustrating. A 5 minute conversation would suffice to sort this out once and for all. I have spent hours trying to get someone to do something. The solution is simple. If Adobe Reader X and Acrobat Pro Dc do not work with Windows Vista, please advise how to cancel my contract(s).

Regards,

Colin Pryor

[try67]

I don't work for Adobe and can't speak on their behalf, so I can't comment on all of your questions, but I'll try to answer some:

- Again, you didn't buy Reader, as that's not possible. You bought a subscription, probably for Create PDF, which you accessed via Reader.

This product isn't being offered by Adobe any longer, as far as I know. I don't have access to your account so I can't say for sure what you bought. If that's the case, though, it's not a piece of software at all, but a web-based service.

- I don't know where you got the trial version for Acrobat DC but there should have been clear indications that it's not compatible with your OS. For example, Windows Vista is not mentioned under the System Requirements tab in this page: Download Adobe Acrobat free trial | Acrobat Pro DC

-  You can cancel your subscription here: Cancel your membership or subscription | Adobe Acrobat, Document Cloud PDF services

Note there may be fines involved, depending on the type of subscription you signed up for.

- Adobe has a customer service line, but it doesn't work on weekends. I recommend you try calling them tomorrow to sort it out.

- If you need further help I can bring this matter to the attention of the Adobe Staff who frequent these forums.

- If you just need to fill in a PDF form you don't need Acrobat at all, nor the ability to create new PDF files. Adobe Reader will do. You have a problem that your OS is not compatible with any relatively new version of Reader, so either try to install a non-compatible version (like Reader XI) or try to use an older one for your forms. The best solution would be to upgrade to a newer OS, although that has its own set of problems, of course.

[colinp80427870]

Many thanks for taking the time to help.

You mentioned that Adobe have a Customer Services Line so would you be kind enough to give that number to me. I have been on their website many times but never found one. These problems require a one to one conversation with someone who has both detailed knowledge of what I've been sold and how they are supposed to work.

Many thanks again

Best regards,

Colin Pryor

[try67]

Assuming you're in the UK:

0207 365 0735

Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm GMT

[colinp80427870]

Hello again try67. I'm in a better mood today thanks in most part to you. I rang Customer Services as suggested. Nothing from that point was straight forward however. The automated answering machine offered 8 different options but none matched my needs. I opted for anything hoping the recipient would transfer me to the correct person. It took 53 minutes for someone to answer the telephone and a further 47 minutes to get a resolution to my problems - a total of 1 hr 40 mins of total frustration. I spoke to 5 different people, about my existing contract, what I could do to amend that contract, what it would cost to make those changes, when those changes would take effect, agree to new terms and conditions before eventually reaching a satisfactory outcome. Do Adobe not appreciate the annoyance their poor customer service does to their reputation. It's not just what their representatives say when you eventually get through, it's the unbelievable delay in getting through to anybody. I'm sure most people give up and don't use Adobe again.

I also appreciate that you are not an Adobe employee but you have a voice and may be able to feed back information to prompt future improvements.

The successful outcome achieved was:-

1. Acrobat Pro DC downgraded to an Online PDF Pack - similar to what I had previously. It is the same one-off annual subscription as I was paying before.

2. The apparently obsolete Adobe Reader X was cancelled and a pro rata rebate given for the remaining months left on the contract.

Thank you for your valuable input and please accept my apologies if I came across with the odd terse comment. Nothing personal.

Many thanks

Colin Pryor

[try67]

I must say I'm not surprised to hear it... These stories of bad customer service are all too common. Anyway, it's good to hear you got it sorted, eventually.

[Tariq Ahmad Dar]

Hi Colin,

Sorry for the inconvenience caused to you and I glad you got it fixed.

I would like to mention few things here. Adobe never sold you an absolute version of an application, you had a subscription to Adobe PDF Pack and was an annual commitment, It was purchased on 11/12/2016. You can check what PDF Pack is: FAQ | Adobe PDF Pack 

Then you purchased PDF Pack again on 04/10/2018 again. It is an online service, not a Desktop application but can be accessed via Adobe Reader(freeware from Adobe) Which try67 was trying to explain. And this service can be accessed via a browser: https://cloud.acrobat.com/  And while we get a new version for Reader available, we discontinue the usage of Online service via an old version of Adobe Reader. Also, we always recommend our users to have the latest version of Reader installed.
Then I think while you were trying to figure out what you subscribed you might have upgraded your Adobe PDF Pack accidentally to Adobe Acrobat Pro, which I can see you have had our customer service team to get it cancelled for you.

Hope this clears things up a little. Please feel free to update the discussion if you have further questions.

-Tariq Dar

[colinp80427870 · Accepted solution]

Hi Tariq,

Thanks for taking the time to reply, but neither you, nor any other Forum/Adobe representative seems to address what the original problem was.

In October, 2016, I started an annual subscription to an online PDF Pack. I didn't purchase it again (in October '17 not '18), it was automatically renewed by Adobe. That was OK if the Pack had continued working until I recently changed it but sometime between October '17 and now - around early March, that online pack stopped working. When I tried querying it with different people on the Adobe Forum, nobody, including try67 (who was extremely helpful), could understand what Adobe Reader X software/online access I had bought. A number of people told me it was a very old piece of software but nobody knew exactly what it was to be able to investigate why it had stopped working. Because they could not make any recommendations on how to correct the fault, I had no option but to go direct to Adobe Customer Services.

I have finally got a resolution to the problem after numerous emails and 1 hour and 33 minutes on the telephone to Customer Services. Without a huge amount of patience, most people would have given up in despair.

Many thanks anyway.

Colin Pryor

[Tariq Ahmad Dar]

Thank you, Colin!

I appreciate your patience on this. If you have any question in future, feel free to send me a private message via Adobe forums: How Do I Send Private Message​

Regards,
Tariq Dar

[stevenl24280796]

看不懂？发中文！！！！！

mgm  Steven

[jane-e]

stevenl24280796  wrote

看不懂？发中文！！！！！

mgm  Steven

Don't you understand? Send Chinese!!!!!

MGM Steven

Translations by Microsoft® Translator

Hi Steven,

This is your first post on this thread. What is your question?

~ Jane

[jane-e]

Dear Irate Customer,

You have posted to a user forum and @try67 is a very experienced user who tries to help people as a volunteer. He gave you a correct answer.

The letter "X" is the version of Adobe Acrobat Reader, specifically the tenth version. It is free. It is also no longer supported because it is old software. The next version, Adobe Acrobat Reader XI, is not supported either, as it came out 5.5 years ago. The only version of the free Reader that is currently supported is Reader DC.

You say that you were advised to download a "free" copy of Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. Are you sure they didn't say the free Reader? Because Pro isn't free, although you can downlpad a trial version for 7 days.