LOL, I just threw $100 out the window! I got it back w00t!

[UNCjigga]

So I mosey on over to Office Depot during lunch in order to fetch me a copy of Adobe Acrobat 5.0. I've been using the Acrobat Distiller 5.0 which came as part of PageMaker for creating PDFs, but now I felt I needed the ability to create a linked TOC, forms and revisioning etc. I couldn't justify paying $249 for the full version since I already LEGALLY have the ability to create PDFs. I asked the software guy at Office Depot if I could upgrade from Adobe Distiller 5.0 and he said (quote) "you can upgrade from ANY previous Acrobat version, you you may need to call Adobe for an unlock code if you have a very old version."

So I picked up the upgrade for $99+tax, went home and tried installing it. Sure enough, it asks me which product I'm upgrading from but only gives choices for Acrobat 4 and Acrobat business tools. I figured Distiller alone was probably bundled as 'Business Tools' that come with just about any other full-version Adobe product (in my case, PageMaker.) So I picked that one and it scoured my drive for a 'qualifying product'. No dice. I then told it to look off the original PageMaker CD to verify. No dice. So I got a little worried and called Customer Service. After the CSR lady verified my information (they used Caller ID to pull my previously registered products!) I told her that I needed an 'unlock' code (setup program gave me a key number and the CSR is supposed to give me the rest of the number.) She asked for my serial number so I gave her the one from Distiller 5.0.

"You're missing 3 digits" she says. Uhh, no? I then pulled my serial number from the Pagemaker 7 jewel case (which she already had on file.) "That does not qualify you for an upgrade." WTF?? Distiller is part of Adobe Business Tools (along with ATM 4.2 and a bunch of other crap.) I PAID for this product. Distiller gives me limited functionality, but I want more. I want to upgrade.

"Distiller is not upgradeable. I'm sorry for the confusion, but the retailer misled you." That's great, how do I return OPENED SOFTWARE???? "I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you for calling Adobe and have a nice day."

<click!>

I'm so using warez from now on. Buying software sucks. The corporates who treat their programmers like sh1t don't deserve to be paid...but the guy who wrote this nifty lil' keygen does deserve it...

UPDATE: Another CSR took care of me...

 

[phatcow]

ummm.. go back to the retailer and go speak to the same guy that helped you.. then say that it wont work the way your salesman said it would. i would like a refund....

simple as thatt...

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

<< I'm so using warez from now on. Buying software sucks. The corporates who treat their programmers like sh1t don't deserve to be paid...but the guy who wrote this nifty lil' keygen does deserve it... >>

ta-ta!

how do you returned open software? start by not being an asshole and take it back. tell them that they told you it would work and it didnt. this is another j00ny story all over again. hope you used a credit card.

 

[edjam]

I agree, many software upgrade things confuse me greatly, but then sometimes that isn't hard to do.

 

[Binar]

You'll be able to return it directly to Adobe.They have 30 days "customer satisfaction".You'll receive even the shipping money back.Trust me in about 1 month you'll get your money back.But you have to send the software back in the first 30 days you bought it

Good luck

 

[Pr0Hawk]

<< this is another j00ny story all over again. >>



LOL! Joony got his money back somehow 😀

 

[SpecialEd]

sorry to hear you wasted 100 bucks....

but pagemaker and acrobat are completely different products. This would be like buying an upgrade for MS Excel when you only have MS Word because MS Word has a build in table function. Doesn't work. I'm sure if you explain your situation to office depot they'll let you return the product. You opened it and realized it wasn't what you wanted. Most places don't have a problem with that.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

it's not your fault that it wouldnt work. if you thought you could upgrade to windows xp from 3.11 and bought it, sucks to be you. but in this case you ASKED and they told you wrong. the fault is theirs. return it for a refund, should be no problem. my office depot has never given me problems. the other day i called them and asked how long i have to return something, they said just bring it back 🙂

 

[Ameesh]

<< "you can upgrade from ANY previous Acrobat version, you you may need to call Adobe for an unlock code if you have a very old version." >>



you know distiller is not a previous version of acrobat. what was soo confusing about this? its like me saying i have acrobat reader or photoshop how come i cant upgrade?

 

[notfred]

This is entirely Office Depot's fault, not Adobe's. I don't see how you can even try and pin this on Adobe Customer Service.

 

[HappyFace]

This is totally Office Depots fault. If I were you, I'd go back and demand a refund after explaining the situation. Who knows, if you make a big enough fuss they might make an exception and allow the return.

 

[goodoptics]

What's up with all these Office Depot scams lately! :|:disgust:


Anyway, good luck to you on getting your money back. 🙂

 

[astroview]

I worked at an Office Depot, we took used software back if the people had a good reason sometimes, and then we'd shrink wrap it back up and put it on the shelf, heh. Not sure if it was legal or not, but we did it. The key thing is bitch bitch bitch at the returns desk, and if that don't work talk to the manager. Just don't be a jerk, stay polite.

 

[UNCjigga]

<< you know distiller is not a previous version of acrobat. what was soo confusing about this? its like me saying i have acrobat reader or photoshop how come i cant upgrade? >>

Ok this is where the confusion comes in. PageMaker comes with Acrobat Distiller, Type Manager Lite and a few other utils that Adobe used to sell separately as 'Adobe Business Tools'. Distiller gives me the ability to CREATE PDFs--its a virtual printer I can use in any application and it spits out a PDF (its fully configurable too.) It is not a crippled reader or a completely different product. It is in fact a component of Acrobat. Now, when I attempt to install the Acrobat 5.0 upgrade, it asks which product I am upgrading--choose either Acrobat 4 or Acrobat Biz Tools. The problem is that the setup program won't recognize MY version of Biz Tools because it was bundled with another program--I didn't buy the standalone version (but I have all the functionality or at least most.)

Most other software I buy isn't this restrictive--some even work on a 'competitive upgrade' principle.

Anyways, I talked to another CSR and they took care of it for me (apologized for inconvenience too)...though they said I should have bought the special upgrade to Distiller online for $149.