Is Software Tech a legitmate retailor of Photoshop CS6? (Nope, pirate site)

[kayphoto2]

I recently purchased Photoshop CS6 from an online store called Software Tech Store. I was surprised when I recieved a package in the mail containing an a small cardboard box (opened) with the photoshop disk, but no invoice, no manuel, no information, nothing but an obviously used disk.

When I contacted them about the serial number missing, and other concerns, I was told that they had emailed it. (They had not). So they quickly emailed a false serial number, which left me with a useless disk.

When I emailed about the issue, they tried to tell me it was a problem with my internet connection. Clearly not the case. They insisted that the serial was valid, when obviously it was not.

I tried calling numerous times, and their phone sytem just loops back to the original message after selecting the right prompt, then I reached someone via their online chat forum, who basically informed me that Adobe does not use the original packaging anymore, as an attempt for people to purchase cloud. I have copied and pasted the chat below, please see the lines in bold print. I am just wondering if there is any truth to this at all. They sent me a fake refund reciept, and still have not, infact refunded my account, nor do I believe they have any intention of doing so.

Any insight on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! '

You are now chatting with 'SoftwareTech'

SoftwareTech: Hello.  How may I assist you?

Kateri: I just purchased Adobe photoshop CS6, and the package was open, the disk appears to be used, and I was not provided with a valid serial number. I feel that I have been scammed.

SoftwareTech: it was sent to your email

SoftwareTech: the serial number

SoftwareTech: can i have your order number please

Kateri: The serial number is not valid.

Kateri: Order # 100008807

SoftwareTech: can i have your order number please

SoftwareTech: i will check that hold on please

Kateri: Unless I am provided with a valid working serial number, I need to refunded immediately.

SoftwareTech: you sent us an email

SoftwareTech: correct

SoftwareTech: for the refund

Kateri: yes

SoftwareTech: no problem we will refund you the amount you paid

SoftwareTech: no problem

Kateri: Immediately.

SoftwareTech: yes

SoftwareTech: you will have it in less than 15 min

SoftwareTech: we will send the receipt to your email

Kateri: Why on earth would I be sent a useless, opened disk?

Kateri: Is this company a complete scam?

SoftwareTech: it's not opened

SoftwareTech: Adobe cancelled the box

SoftwareTech: and now they are sending the serial number via email

SoftwareTech: and they ship the DVD

Kateri: It was opened.

SoftwareTech: either that way or cloud

SoftwareTech: it's not opened this is how they send it

SoftwareTech: i know it's not good way

SoftwareTech: but adobe is doing that

SoftwareTech: to force people to buy cloud

Kateri: I'm ready to file charges.

SoftwareTech: it's the new thing

SoftwareTech: i am doing the refund right now

SoftwareTech: hold on please

SoftwareTech: i just sent you the receipt to your email

SoftwareTech: and your order has been refunded

Kateri: It has not been refunded.

SoftwareTech: we refunded your credit card the amount you paid and we sent the receipt to your email

SoftwareTech: did you get it

SoftwareTech: ?

Kateri: No. I received what is problably a fake receipt, but my account has not been credited. I want to be refunded IMMEDIATELY.

SoftwareTech: it's not fake

SoftwareTech: ok

SoftwareTech: you are not scam

SoftwareTech: please

SoftwareTech: your credit card has been refunded

SoftwareTech: and we sent you the receipt

SoftwareTech: it's not fake

SoftwareTech: and we are not fake

Kateri: My account has not been refunded.

SoftwareTech: yes it will shows in 2 to 3 business days

SoftwareTech: believe me there is nothing to be worry

SoftwareTech: we are not scam

SoftwareTech: we used to sell full retail boxes

SoftwareTech: but Adobe cancelled that

SoftwareTech: and we are having problem because of the new way

SoftwareTech: we are sorry

[OldBob1957]

First, just so you know, this is a user-to-user forum, but some Adobe employees do drop by now and then.

That said;

My understanding is that, for some time now, whether CS6 or CC, the software is DOWNLOAD ONLY -- no actual disks anymore at all. It certainly sounds to me like you were dealing with scammers. I would check that credit card statement very carefully to make sure that:

A) they refunded your money.

B) No unusual charges appear over the next few months.

Good luck.

--OB.

[Chris Cox]

Try to get a refund, but it has all the hallmarks of a classic pirated software sales site.

So also update your antivirus and scan your system for new malware.

[Sedary]

Why was it listed on Adobe's Partners search results, at least from June through August 2013 if it's a pirate company!  A search for Plattsburg in the US easly pulled it up.  It looks like a US presence for the site, CanadaSoftwareOutlet.ca that's listed even now under the city, Dorval, the very same place credit card purchases from TheSoftwareTechStore clear through.  The sites are basically verbatim to each other.

[station_two]

Sedary wrote:

Why was it listed on Adobe's Partners search results…

No one in these forums is in a position to answer any questions about why the Adobe bureaucracy does anything.

[Sedary]

That was a rhetorical question but, with [Staff ++++] after the name I replied to, I was maybe hoping for an answer.   No problem.  My gut feeling was peacful through it all but the above answers sent my head for quite a spin.

Anyway, here's how to fix it - not that anyone needing to know is going to read it at this point but some may still not want to go on the Cloud.  (This is my very first use of PS ever.)

If a vendor (reseller) is indeed listed on Adobe's site as an authentic reseller even down in the bowels of the Certified realm and the price seems too good to be true, keep in mind [1] you may be looking at the US$ amount translated over from the Canadian$ amount because you are looking at the US presence of the very same web site which you'll find listed under CANADA; and [2], you will receive a Volume License.    [Thanks, Adobe Reseller Dept. via phone.]  Therefore, make SURE that even though you are installing from a CD, you have an Internet connection even from the start.  The pop-up window for registering your product will come up right at the beginning of installation.  

ALSO, if you do not double check the following things before even sticking in the CD, your web browser may flag that registration page with a "This Connection Is Untrusted" message.  Check to make sure your date and time are correct.  (Mine was.)  Next, go into your AV and make sure you do NOT have SSL scanning enabled.  Mine was checking the SSL's so I was receiving a flag.  [Thanks support.Mozilla topics.]  Disabled it.

Second try for installation:  Voila!  Installation and registration are done in a clean sweep!  Happy, happy!     The CD is indeed being packaged in a padded manilla envelope now but it will STILL have the coded halogram Genuine Adobe sticker stuck to the envelope.

[Trevor.Dennis]

Sedary wrote:

That was a rhetorical question but, with [Staff ++++] after the name I replied to, I was maybe hoping for an answer. 

Wikipedia says that Adobe Systems has over 11,000 employees, and I read a couple of years ago, that the Photoshop Development Team numbers a bit over 60 people. I suspect the various 'sales' teams number in the thousands of people, but I doubt any of those people have evr posted in the forums, unless it was to ask how to ue their own copy of Photoshop etc.

[station_two]

In short:  you got ripped off. 

[gener7]

If you pay by credit card,you have the right to dispute the charge, and your credit card issuer will credit the funds to your account and attempt to collect from the store. You have 30-45 days depending on your issuer's terms. Also cancel the old card and get a new card issued.

[Mylenium]

What the others said - you have been had. Reclaim your payment with your credit card company.

Mylenium

[Kurt Lang]

Worse, they have your credit card number, which is what a lot of these types of places are really after. Call the credit card company and dispute the charge. And, cancel that card immediately and have them issue you a new card.

[kayphoto2]

Thanks everyone. Cancaled the card. Never had this happen before, hopefully learned my lesson!

[Sedary]

This is all rather odd because from at least June through August 2013, they (softwaretechstore) were listed  through http://partners.adobe.com/resellerfinder/na/findreseller.jsp as being a Certified Reseller in Plattsburg - athough based in Dorval, Quebec just like the Certified Reseller, Canada Software Outlet is now!  They're duplicate sites, just about.  Why are they listed through Adobe as being legitimate?  At least, the Plattsburg location was through August.  If you can't trust Adobe's own listings for resellers, who can you trust?

I've since spoken with Adobe and their Reseller Dept didn't seem to have a problem with the listing, seeming to ignore that a pirate could possibly list there with them.  They did say it was a volumn license and sometimes those have a hard time going through correctly.  My problem, and what caused a flag to go up, is that my Firefox browser told me "This Connection is Untrusted" when I tried to connect to register the product.  I found, on the forum, where this had happened before but was corrected (Not for me.) and also I found this page.

I was put through to Customer Service, unable to do the call-back, I waited until someone came on the phone to help me but his connection was bad and we had to agree for me to call back.  Because of work here, I haven't had the time to re-do the call.

Oh, and the only charge ever on my credit card was from the reseller at their office in Canada.

[jlnalee11]

Been through that before.. if she authorized the transaction, then she cannot cancel the payment.

[gener7]

CC charges can be disputed in a 30-45 day window with the issuing bank if fraud is involved. So that and blocking the card so the numbers can't be used again should work. Ask Adobe for written confirmation that the serial number is bogus.

[Ohya]

Just bought a CS6 Master Collection from thesoftwaretehstore.com on 12/09/2013

without any issue.  As a matter of fact, the purchase experience was one of the best

we ever had for the last 30 years of online shopping.  They packed the little original

Adobe CD/DVD cardboard boxes in a padded envelop, shipped in from Canada

and the package arrived at East Long Island of NY on 12/11/2013.  Installed on a

Windows machine with the serial number they provided and everything went flawlessly.

They sent the serial number in email and questions were answered in email almost

instantenously.  Cannot be happier with their service!  Of course we will update if we

experience any issue down the road.

[FireSpiritDesigns]

I purchased CS6 from this company in 2013 & like Ohya, had no problems with them whatever! I also had no problem with entering the serial number given. And I've used CS6 ever since! What I liked about it most was the fact that I have my own copy of CS6 & do not have to pay to use it every month, which I think is just another way Adobe has of making a fortune on their software (sorry, guys, but it's true!). They should have it for sale like they used to in the beginning. I'm sure use of the "Cloud" is going to keep rising in price just like the cable & phone co. ......

However, with that said, I went back to their (Software Tech Store) site today (in 2016) to look for some other software & found (to my dismay) that evidently their store is closed or they have a new name because the only thing that came up was a blank page saying the domain name was for sale!

[johng58572988]

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED v. SOFTWARE TECH | Case No. 5:14-cv-02140-RMW. | By RONALD M. WHYTE | Lea...

[JennaeGeeLSC]

Wow! Just found this in a web search, as Adobe is flagging our product and threatening limited functionality.  We purchased via TheSoftwareTechStore back in 2013.  We are a church, and purchase a double license so we could use it on two computers.  We have had no problem with the software until now.  Knowing that Adobe is suing Software Tech, and will no doubt get compensated via litigation, it is very upsetting they're double dipping by going after the 'little guy' - the unknowing customer who is the victim of this and has no way to recupe our losses.  Shame on Adobe.

[Terri_Stevens]

To be honest, I don't think Adobe is intending to go after people such as yourself as they know many buyers have simply been victims of fraud. However that doesn't mean they can just turn a blind eye to widespread software piracy by vendors on the internet. In a way closing down these illegal sellers protects other people in the future from being defrauded. This action may be coming too late though as Creative Cloud doesn't use regular serial numbers, so illegal vendors cannot therefore sell it-unless they supply a crack, which gives the game away immediately.

You don't say precisely whether you currently have a problem or not, but sooner or later you will probably start to receive an annoying popup telling you that your software has been recognised as counterfeit. You can just click on that pop-up to cancel it, but it will continue to appear quite frequently. You will probably find that quite annoying , but the major sanction comes if you need to reinstall the software as the serial number will be rejected.

It's a shame when this happens to innocent, unsuspecting people and organizations, but didn't it occur to you at time of purchase that something funny was going on? I'm assuming you paid just a fraction of the Adobe retail price, which is bad enough, but I know some people have paid the full amount which is even worse-hopefully your amongst the former. If you would like to know more check the link below.

Adobe Genuine software FAQ

[gener7]

In my experience, people who bought the old counterfeit serial number number software would get burned when they got a new computer and tried to install using their now invalidated serial number. They find out then they can't activate it.

I'm not all-knowing, but I have never heard of Adobe even crippling such software. However it is their software and they are not obliged to give you a working copy, just as a bank can't honor a bad check and let you keep the money, even if you are innocent in the matter.

If you still want to go genuine, $10 per month is not asking much.

Lightroom and Photoshop | Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan

[donalde12933674]

Adobe has revoked my Photoshop CS6 software after 4 years and I am unable to activate the software. I didn't get any help from customer support and was told that decision came from higher up.

I don't have a problem with them not recognizing the invalid key but definitely have a problem with Adobe allowing the software to be activated more than 4 years ago and now when it is too late to have any recourse with the seller they have suddenly decided to revoke the key.

I was told Adobe would supply a letter to send to the seller saying the key was invalid but what good would that do more than 4 years later.

In my opinion the fault lies with Adobe not checking for a valid key and allowing the software to be activated the first time.

[Terri_Stevens]

Hi Donald,

First sorry to hear you have been a victim. Adobe only rolled out it's Genuine Software Integration Service last summer and it is detecting counterfeit software that people never knew they had. From what I understand it's not always a case of the serial being fake. For example some web companies have sold off volume licence copies with a given serial to multiple customers. Years ago it was hard to know when a licence was being used multiple times as it could simply be someone reinstalling regularly for whatever reason, but today in 2017 IP addresses are localised and so multiple use has become easier to detect.

I'm afraid people such as yourself have fallen foul of not buying from Adobe registered distributors who were safe, but is it realistic for consumers to know about approved distributors? I think not. The key is the price and alarm bells should ring if Adobe software is advertised at 20% of retail price then the customer should give it a wide berth. Creative Cloud is much better in that it cannot be counterfeited by serial numbers. There is an internal serial but the customer never enters it. That is not to say CC cannot be pirated as there are cracks. I saw the other day a permanent Creative Cloud subscription advertised for $2.50 , if that's genuine software then I'm a Dutchman , but it looks genuine on their website.

[donalde12933674]

The price I paid for the Photoshop CS6 upgrade that has been revoked was less than $3 different than the price I had paid directly to Adobe for the CS5 upgrade approximately a year earlier. It wasn't a matter of purchasing software that was advertised at 20% of the Adobe price which as you say would have set off alarm bells. Since the price was very equivalent to my previous purchase directly from Adobe I had no reason to suspect there was a problem which is why I blame Adobe for not informing me immediately when I went to activate the software instead of 4 years later.

[gener7]

You bring up the issue of what appears to be legitimate software with a serial number that at least initially installs and activates but subsequently is “yanked.” This situation typically occurs when someone counterfeits the physical packaging and media (not that hard to do) and provides a serial number that was typically part of a enterprise license covering many users in a single organization and/or especially such a license with a defined term. Enterprise licenses are not sold for subsequent unbundling and resale as individual licenses. But some unscrupulous individuals do attempt to do this. When such attempts are detected, the serial number is indeed invalidated. Similarly, if an enterprise fixed term license runs out, the serial number and/or the activations are terminated. This situation is much more common than you might believe.

Taken from this thread:

Customer Complaint  A lot of good reading there.

Basically this ship has sailed. Adobe no longer sells/supports CS6 and does not own the problem because you bought from an unauthorized reseller.