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

[katieny1974]

Many years ago when I first started using Adobe software, I had a similar experience though through a different retailer. Now I only purchase my software directly through Adobe. Three words: Peace.of.mind . . .

[Ohya]

similar experience of good or bad?

my experience with the software tech store is very good so far.

[katieny1974]

No, a similar (unpleasant) situation with a different retailer. Ever since then I've only purchase my Adobe software from Adobe. I know what I'm getting is legit.

[jlnalee11]

I bought Adobe photoshop Cs6 from them, and it works perfectly fine.  However, they sold me a serial number that is registered to another user. So i cannot register it on my adobe account.  I've been talking with the adobe customer service rep, and it seems that there is nothing they can do. Now I'm going to talk to software tech to see what they say... I'll update soon.

[Kurt Lang]

Unfortunately, you are goosed. That's why places like this should be shut down. They knowingly sell stolen serial numbers. They work for some people because the legitimate owner has only activated the software once. The number you got has two activations already in use. That's all that's allowed per number, so you (and anyone else) are blocked.

[Sedary]

Interesting that "Nope. Pirate site." has been added.

When buying CS6 I actually went to Adobe's page listing officially approved resellers and found this company AND it's Canadian sister company BOTH listed on Adobe's listing as legitimate resellers - so I purchased.  Then I found this page, read it, and freaked out.  At that point, I actually called Adobe at 408-5xx-xxxx and spoke to a guy in the Reseller Department [The receptionist determined that's who I needed to speak with.] and told him a pirate company had listed themselves within the legitimate resellers and they needed to look into it.  He asked me questions.  Seemed satisfied that I had legitimate material, asked for the serial number, told me I had a Volume License.  "Volume License?!  I didn't think individuals could have volume licenses!"  I exclaimed.  "Yes," he assured me -- and then told me they were rather hard to get registered. Oh, and the hologram sticker was there when he asked.  Numbers on it were OK'd.  I tried installing again, THIS time when I was actually online --- and the registration went right through.  The first time I installed, I was offline and tried registering later.   I have run MBAM and KIS and no malware has been discovered on my laptop.  So (once again) at the time I bought, this company WAS INDEED listed on Adobe's own Adobe Partner's listing as a LEGIT reseller of their products.  It's VERY interesting if they never were, isn't it....  What does that tell you about Adobe's own site.  Plus their actual employee passed on my CS6 product as real.  That is all I have to go on.

[Trevor.Dennis]

Sedary, that's a useful addition to this thread, and information that, frankly, surprises me.  I guess it is true what they say about the trouble with 'Assume' is.  Thanks for the feedback.

[sfmittels]

This is an interesting thread. I just went through a similar situation with Lightroom 5. I purchased the software on 4/21/14 from Software Tech Store. I was sent an email with download, installation and registration instructions, plus a registration number. I followed the instructions, and everything installed and registered just fine. However, I began receiving emails from Adobe telling me my evaluation copy of Lightroom 5 was approaching its expiration. I called Software Tech Store (1-855-429-1985) and was told not to worry. I called Adobe Customer Service and explained the situation. At first, the rep told me my registration number was associated with a different email address than my own. She then said she would speak with her supervisor. She came back on the line and told me this is a "Volume License" and that everything is fine with my installation. Confusing, and it will be interesting to see if Adobe pulls the plug soon, but so far, the software boots up and functions just fine with no warnings about imminent expiration or about being an evaluation copy.

[gener7]

The point behind a volume license is for a large company to purchase licenses in bulk, not for stores to resell them as individual licenses. I'm surprised to hear that Adobe goes along with this. There must be more to this story,but that you had to make a few phone calls tells me Software Tech did not explain up front this was a volume license which again is strange.

[Sedary]

I don't understand the in's and out's of it all but when I did contact Adobe's Reseller Dept, and was told it was a Volume License (which, when I tried the registration in the beginning from my tablet during the panic - just to see what it did there - it stated it was a Volume License), I specifically asked the guy* I spoke with, "I didn't know it possible for an individual to buy a Volume License product!" and he said, "Yes."

In my very original comment, I linked the Adobe web page where their Authorized Resellers are listed but the link is gone from my posting now. However, you can look it up through Adobe's main site. You must plug in the name of the city where the company is located in order for any list to be displayed.  AT THE TIME OF MY ORDER, Plattsburg, NY as well as Dorval, Quebec, CA were available and Software Tech Store as well as their parent company across the border were both located in their respective city's list.  As an artist, I am VERY aware of piracy and copyright infringement issues and I wanted no part of it - thus my extreme care.  [*guy = whoever the switchboard operator put me through to in the Reseller Dept.]

[gener7]

I understand. It worked well for you. Just be aware that the confusion arises over the buyer thinking they are getting a individual license and not being told they have actually got a Volume license, which does make for a lot of unnecessary phone calls back and forth. So it is legit and you are safe.

Out of curiosity, what did they charge you for your license/copy of CS6?

[Mijbil]

I have bought alot of software from this company and have not had problems. The material purchased has included both downloads and boxed versions (they were always immaculate, by the way). With the downloads the serial numbers provided were not always ready to use right away because the firm had to get them from Adobe to send to us. As a small firm we used this company because they were the cheapest, and if you have to buy a whole bunch of licenses at once (old licenses are not transferable to replacement machines), this is cost effective. That being said, their customer service is patchy, and sometimes difficult to get a hold of. If there is a pirate site intercepting their traffic I am not aware of it. I am in Canada so this may make a difference.

[Mijbil]

Just to follow up, because I had not used them in a few months I am dismayed to see their site is no longer active. I guess it makes sense given the problems experienced by others here.

[Test Screen Name]

One thing to consider, if a company goes out of business it would be easy for a fake to set itself up to take advantage of the former good reputation of a company, and rely on people Googling for the company to put themselves forward. In extreme cases this could happen even while the first company was still trading. I have no view on whether you experienced this.

[Chris Cox]

>> the serial numbers provided were not always ready to use right away because the firm had to get them from Adobe to send to us.

That should have been a red flag. That's now how it works.

>> (old licenses are not transferable to replacement machines)

That also is a problem, because you CAN move a license from one machine to another.

[Mijbil]

Not according to my understanding of the terms of use. Correct me if I am wrong, I think you are allowed 2 installs, that's it. I can't install my previous CS5s on my newer machines because of this.

With respect to the other item, their reason was because Adobe wasn't open for them on the weekend so they advised installing as a trial and the licenses would be sent on Monday, which they were. When CS6 costs $700 instead of $1200, yes it made us curious, but we vetted them with Adobe and there were no issues at the time (a month or two before the post at the top.) Our last purchase with them was June of last year, and we had no issues.

[Chris Cox]

You are allowed two installations not to be used simultaneously.  But if you deactivate on one system, you can install on another system and activate.  Otherwise nobody would ever be able to upgrade their machines.

Yes, you can install CS5 on new machines, just deactivate on the old machines.

And yeah, that really isn't how the serial number system works.  You got B.S'd by pirates.

[Mijbil]

Still not convinced they were pirates at that point if Adobe vouched for them. Otherwise I would have expected Adobe to have invalidate the installs.

[gener7]

Well I'm not privy to your conversations with Adobe, but did you register the serial numbers under your Adobe account on Adobe's site?

[Mijbil]

Yes. That's why I'm convinced it was legit.

[Test Screen Name]

Welll..... not exactly. As I understand it, this is no proof. For example, I've heard of private in-house company serial numbers which are stolen (a whole block of them) and sold. These are still valid, it's the selling of them (separately) which is invalid.

[Mijbil]

That maybe the case in some instances. I would expect they would not have an unlimited access to serial numbers that way, and how would they have the huge selection of software for purchase (not just Adobe products) for sale this way: They don't just fall of the back of a truck. Also, if Adobe can tell when I have attempted to use my laptop's Acrobat while I still have my desktop Acrobat open (I get an error message), I would think they would be tracking it quite easily.

I spoke to Adobe not Software Tech when we vetted them.

Boxed item serial numbers were on the boxes, not downloaded.

Installs were only ever downloaded from Adobe. Serial numbers usually came minutes after the transaction finalized. I can't explain the lag with the one instance.

At the end of the day the only thing I care about is that I now have to source my office software from someone else.

[Kurt Lang]

On the box in plain view? Not in the box? If so, Adobe has never, ever distributed their boxed software with the activation code in plain view.

[Mijbil]

It was a box within a box, on which there was a serial number on a sticker if I remember correctly (I since transferred the number to a database for tracking our in house software). It was much the same as the Autodesk software we use.

[Kurt Lang]

That would be correct. The serial number is a sticker on the DVD case. Assuming the box was still shrink-wrapped, that should be okay. This assumes they didn't open the box to get the serial number so they could sell it over and over, then simply re-shrink-wrap the box before selling it.

However, the big minus is that they told you the number wasn't always ready to use right away. Bull! They're ready to use the moment you have it in hand. You install the software, it asks for your serial number, and assuming it's legitimate, your installed software gets activated immediately. What day of the week it is doesn't matter. It's an automated online process.