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Z
ZR2A
Participating Frequently
June 14, 2016
Answered

An example of how Adobe treats its long time elderly customers...

  • June 14, 2016
  • 2 replies
  • 620 views

I've owned every version of Photoshop since Photoshop 2. I currently needed CS3 reinstalled on an old system to run a customized plugin that would only work with CS3. I own both CS3 and CS3 Extended purchased online thru Adobe and my account shows both the products and orders with serials.

As CS3 is end of line, I used my archive installer to reinstall but kept getting a red arrow at the end of the serial fields when entering my serial. And no, I wasn't making a typo either. I then contacted chat and was told Adobe doesn't support CS3...I know that...I don't need support, I need my product activated. After finally getting to a supervisor he said this (along with a bunch of useless drivel as it was apparent he never read the previous chat from the other person):

Atul: I apologize for the inconvenience. But i need to escalate this to next level to resolve this issue. They will contact you with the perfect resolution within 48-72 working hours.

M T: 3 days to resolve a simple keycode issue....so exactly how is this supposed to take place...do you even have my contact info.

Atul: M T we will contact you by registered email address.

M T: ok so 3 days from now adobe support will contact me and I will be able to use CS3?

Atul: Yes

So this was on May 25th and yesterday I got back on chat where I went thru another long drawn out session where yet another supervisor said he would email me the process I needed to use CS3. I did get an email today but was told that CS3 was expired. But get this, he told me I could activate CS2 and gave me a link. I called Adobe support, went thru the menu system that has no option for what I needed, got a kid that parroted the same CS3 drivel and I asked to speak to a support supervisor that could handle my issue after carefully explaining along with giving my case number. She passed me along and after listening to the same old drivel the supervisor finally said that he couldn't help me anyway as I need customer service not tech support. So I asked him to kindly pass me on to the proper people as I had already spent over 5 hours on this. He passed me along and once again I went thru more canned drivel asking me for the same info I've already given out to the others and was in both my chats and once again I asked for a supervisor. This supervisor then started thru the canned drivel and I stopped her and told her to pass me on. She said I would have to use technical support for my issue as customer service couldn't help. Do I need to go any further with the rat hole pile of useless garbage that Adobe calls support???? What do you think folks??

This person then wanted to do a screen share but as I am a plugin developer under NDA with my company that can't happen. However, as a 35+ year photographer, PS plugin developer and PS teacher, I simply asked what they needed to do on a screen share. I explained that I had tried the installs on 2 macs and 3 windows systems with varied OSs and every time I entered my serial I would get the same exact result on all 4 systems....the red X.

Needless to say I wanted to choke Adobe, not their support people as they can only dish out what they are allowed to, but the worthless management that instigates such an utterly useless method of taking care of its customer.

Enough rant, got it off my chest and so you all know what a pile of crap they can deal out. I know there isn't an activation server for end of line products but Adobe can activate manually as well.

MT

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Jeffrey_A_Wright

    Ah yes, I should be working with my reseller....well guess who that is???

    The same company that I've always bought my Adobe products from....Adobe.

    I have 2 CS3 products, regular and extended. Licenses don't expire...I want to activate CS3 and was told already by 3 adobe support people that I could do so.

    This crap is really getting old....you sound just like the rest of the support people.

    MT


    MT reviewing your account in more detail I see that you have two Photoshop CS3 serial numbers which were provided from a special Q4 event in 2008.  In addition I did find that you have a valid upgrade serial number for Photoshop CS3 on Windows which ends in 6504. 

    Since you have an upgrade serial number you will be asked to enter the qualifying products serial number during the installation process.  If you need to download a fresh copy of the Photoshop CS3 installation files they are available at Download Adobe Creative Suite 3 products..

    I did also find that you had 2 Photoshop CS5 beta serial numbers registered under your account.  In the future I would recommend making any purchases of Adobe software from Adobe directly.  This will help ensure the license you purchased is the license you expected.

    2 replies

    Jeffrey_A_Wright
    Community Manager
    Jeffrey_A_WrightCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    June 14, 2016

    MT I am sorry for the confusion.  I am showing the case number for your interaction with our support team is 0218902241 is this correct?

    Unfortunately phone activation is no longer available for Creative Suite 3.  I did review the serial number you posted and once the computer you have installed on has Internet access you will be able to activate the software.  Internet access will only be required one time for activation.  If you are in an environment with restricted access then I would work with your local I.T. department to acquire temporary access to activate Creative Suite 3.  It does look as if the serial number was activated as recently as May 25, 2016.

    If you are continuing to experience difficulties activating Creative Suite 3 then can you please respond to this discussion with any specific error messages that you are receiving.

    Z
    ZR2AAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    June 14, 2016

    Sorry but wrong on more than one account.

    Your Case Number:0187835111 (The only one I have that was emailed to me)

    I have internet access.

    I don't need to work with an IT department.

    My serial number was not activated for CS3 on May 25, 2016. That was the date of my first chat contact.

    As spelled out in my original post:

    I explained that I had tried the installs on 2 macs and 3 windows systems with varied OSs and every time I entered my serial I would get the same exact result on all 4 systems....the red X.

    Is it too much to ask you guys to simply read something so I don't once again have to iterate on it or is this some Adobe inner workings that is drilled into all its employees?? This is extremely tiresome for an old guy in poor health.
    MT

    Jeffrey_A_Wright
    Community Manager
    Jeffrey_A_WrightCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    June 14, 2016

    Thank you for confirming the case number MT.  I can confirm that the serial number ending in 6070 has expired.  I would recommend working with your reseller if you purchased a license for Creative Suite 3 which did not expire in 2008.

    T
    Community Manager
    TanujSandalCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    June 14, 2016

    Moving to Downloading, Installing, Setting Up​

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