Adobe Support Sucks

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FZ1
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Adobe Support Sucks

Post by FZ1 »

Long story but basically I have the full version of CS3 that my company purchased for me in 2007. I upgraded to CS4 this year (purchased and downloaded online) because I am using Vista 64-bit. When installing, it would not accept my CS3 serial # for the "previous version install". I had to spend an hour on the phone with tech support to get a challenge code, etc. Eventually the install was complete with the workaround process.

I do fresh installs fairly often. On my next install, I had to call tech support and do the whole process over again. :roll: This solution works but for most I suppose but due to my frequent changes, I don't have the time or patience to spend an hour on the phone with Adobe support every time I want to re-install. There has to be a better way.

Because I plan on doing a new install soon, I chatted online with support last night and after an hour + of scripted and repetitious responses from the technician, I was informed that the issue stems from the CS3 being a volume license and I should contact the volume license support. I called them today and I was summarily told they could not help me and transferred me to the regular (for lack of a better term) support line for which I spent an hour on hold waiting for a rep and I finally had to hang up. I don't have that kind of time to waste, especially at work.

This is ridiculous. I do not want to waste any more time on the phone or chatting with reps who can only pick out keywords and read from a script. If the volume license was an issue with the upgrade, why wasn’t I informed when I called support with the original problem? I don't feel like I am asking for much here, I just want to be able to uninstall and re-install as needed without jumping through hoops.

I feel a scathing article coming on about the poor support. It's painful to call the support just to do the workaround process. Even though I know what has to be done exactly, they ask me 500 questions, most of which have no relevance, until I finally stop them and tell them what to do. They have no one with a brain, only script readers.
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Zertz
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Re: Adobe Support Sucks

Post by Zertz »

Reminds me of Linksys support...

It seems like those "technicians" are all "experts"... expert at reading pre-formulated answers
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Re: Adobe Support Sucks

Post by DMB2000uk »

*cough* crack it *cough*

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Re: Adobe Support Sucks

Post by KnightRid »

DMB2000uk wrote:*cough* crack it *cough*

Dan
Agreed!

Companies want to bitch and complain about pirated software, yet when you legally have the software and have all these problems (Adobe, Microsoft) companies should be bitch slapped and made to refund all your money unless they make it a permanent fix! Otherwise they should not be able to complain that little Joey stole their program and they list 800billion dollars in the last minute because of pirating.

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Re: Adobe Support Sucks

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DMB2000uk wrote:*cough* crack it *cough*

Dan
glad someone said it :mrgreen:
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Re: Adobe Support Sucks

Post by Major_A »

It's not just Adobe, support sucks in general. Go to McDonalds and the customer service sucks, call your cable company with a question and their service is bad. It's incredible that America is a service oriented economy and yet the service everywhere sucks.
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Re: Adobe Support Sucks

Post by Guru »

Major_A wrote:It's not just Adobe, support sucks in general. Go to McDonalds and the customer service sucks, call your cable company with a question and their service is bad. It's incredible that America is a service oriented economy and yet the service everywhere sucks.
Well said...Indeed.
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Re: Adobe Support Sucks

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Major_A wrote:It's not just Adobe, support sucks in general. Go to McDonalds and the customer service sucks, call your cable company with a question and their service is bad. It's incredible that America is a service oriented economy and yet the service everywhere sucks.
True dat, but there's a difference between $700 professional software and a big mac.
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Re: Adobe Support Sucks

Post by Major_A »

You would like to think so, but that obviously isn't the case. Nobody gives a **** unless it happens to them.
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Re: Adobe Support Sucks

Post by Tim Burton »

DMB2000uk wrote:*cough* crack it *cough*

Dan
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Re: Adobe Support Sucks

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Can't use a keygen etc on CS4
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Re: Adobe Support Sucks

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You not looking hard enough. ;)

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Re: Adobe Support Sucks

Post by ahebra »

It's just unbelievable that a company like Adobe would have such an incompetent customer support. My ordeal started very innocently: in
October/2008 I got an offer to buy CS4 and Lightroom 2.0 at a discount directly from Adobe. I went online and ordered both, but made a mistake and left the default "download" instead of "ship DVDs" button enable. But company policy requires me to get the original media with all software purchases. Thus I called customer service, and after a few phone keypad dance around I got someone on the phone.

I requested that the DVDs be shipped to me, and I would use the key-code to enable the software. He said it could not be done like that. I had to fax a "letter of software destruction", and they would cancel the licenses and refund my money, and I could re-order the same stuff but this time on DVDs.

I faxed the letter, and my credit card got refunded.

The same person offered to enter the new PO, I agreed. But he made a mistake, and entered the order at full price, without the discounts I was entitled to (as I did on the first order).

When I got the DVDs and the invoice I noticed the mistake he made. I called again, danced on the phone keys agia, and then go a cust. service rep. online. I requested that he credit the price difference to my credit card. He said this would be impossible, that I have to fax a letter of software destruction (again???), and place another order, this time with the correct price (and DVDs).

I had enough. I told him that I would fax the letter, but I would not place a new order until I was sure my refund was posted, thus avoiding another order and another problem.

Lo and behold, the second order was placed in December 2008, and I still don't have the refund from Adobe (we are in July/09).

I tried to reverse the credit card charge, but Citibank says that I did not return the product, thus no refund is in order. I tried to explain to
Citibank that Adobe does not take DVDs back, they just require you to send a letter of software destruction. They didn't buy that.

I have been calling Adobes customer support since January, and the last time was two weeks ago. I was shocked that the rep. was angry at me "why do you keep returning software to us? he asked". Then he said that my money had been returned, which was not true. After about 15 minutes or arguing, he checked the database to see credits and debits to my Citibank card, and when I thought that finally my issue would be solved ... click ... the call dropped (or he did hang up on purpose).

In summary: Adobe does not want to solve the problem. Their customer support center (I believe it is in Mumbai, India) are incompetent, and the supervisor that took my case last time was rude and sarcastic.

I will give it a final try this week, but for now adobe has $1000 that belongs to me and refuses to give it back. Shame on Adobe.
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Re: Adobe Support Sucks

Post by InspectahACE »

I would've given up after the first call. Crack it and smile. If that's the situation I was in, then yea I would've done it by now
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Re: Adobe Support Sucks

Post by FZ1 »

Interesting update...look what Adobe has posted on their site.
http://www.adobe.com/support/
Important Customer Service Update from Adobe

Adobe is committed to providing the most advanced, innovative products and services in the world. Recently, however, our customers have experienced a level of service that is inconsistent with what they expect and deserve. This is unacceptable and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused. We are working diligently to resolve these issues.
This makes me want to write an editorial on customer support.
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Re: Adobe Support Sucks

Post by Major_A »

Seems like they outsourced their tech support to a company that put in the lowest bid and now they are experiencing the backlash. All I can say is good. Sorry you guys have have a bad time but maybe this will fix their apparent incompetence.
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Re: Adobe Support Sucks

Post by Ultima9999 »

Yeah, i once rang microsoft up about a problem with something (cant remember what now lol) and i actually got transferred to India!

After 2 hours i got it sorted...but why the need to send me to talk to someone half way around the world?
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Re: Adobe Support Sucks

Post by Skippman »

I work for perhaps the single largest telecomm company in the world.

About 6 years ago we stoped using in country out sourcing with domestic out sourching firms and went international to Costa Rica, the Phillipiens, and of course India. Since then our JD Power and Associates numbers have tanked. Our customer satisfaction numbers have dropped. And customer retention is decreasing every day. It's to the point now where half of my performance metrics are based on our "Empathy" scores. Basically, how did "I" make you feel as a customer.

I became suspicious after several months of consistantly getting low empathy scores and asked to see the verbatims. Basically the customer comments. It's funny, I don't recall having anything other than a midwestern American accent and last I checked I was a man. Yet each of these poor reviews of my customer support mentioned "not being unable to understand her accent". Hmmm..

So I concluded that these reviews were not in fact of my customer service for which I've recieved numerous letters of praise both internally and externally. I asked to have those surveys stricken from my record. There's currently a grievence pending with my union.

As part of my unions last contract (CWA - Communication Workers of America) my company has agreed to bring those jobs back on shore. I've started to take more and more calls from American testers and customer experiences are improving. But we still have contracts with these extra-national companies and have to wait for them to expire before we can hire more on shore technicians. Here's hoping there's a company left to work for when that finally happens.
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Re: Adobe Support Sucks

Post by FZ1 »

I thought I would provide an update to this thread. Apparently Adobe has taken note of the complaining by customers regarding their support as I had posted above. As such, they have revised their service model (exactly how, I do not know). I recently installed Win 7 and had to do the CS4 install again. Dreading calling again, I put it off until the trial expired. Much to my surprise, when I did call, I gave a brief description of what I needed and they helped me right away. Then entire process took less than 5 minutes including a brief wait for an available rep.

I'm not sure if this is indicative of their new service or I just got lucky but I'm really hoping for the former.
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Re: Adobe Support Sucks

Post by Zertz »

FZ1 wrote:I thought I would provide an update to this thread. Apparently Adobe has taken note of the complaining by customers regarding their support as I had posted above. As such, they have revised their service model (exactly how, I do not know). I recently installed Win 7 and had to do the CS4 install again. Dreading calling again, I put it off until the trial expired. Much to my surprise, when I did call, I gave a brief description of what I needed and they helped me right away. Then entire process took less than 5 minutes including a brief wait for an available rep.

I'm not sure if this is indicative of their new service or I just got lucky but I'm really hoping for the former.
It sucks people had to go through crap, but that's good to hear :)
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