Comments on: Adobe: Bait ‘n Wait

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:08:36 +0000

The funny thing is all of the trouble companies go through to make their software copy protected, all of which is usually circumvented within 24-48 hours of the product being available. This has plagued PC game manufacturers as well since it’s usually the publishers who insist on using copy protection which occasionally causes game crashes and issues with *legitimately* bought versions of the game. The irony is the pirated versions of the game remove all of that stuff, which results in an improved game experience.

I’m all for buying software that’s worth the money (eg: Photoshop, Lightroom, etc) but I wish they wouldn’t make it so difficult for legitimate customers.

By: Pixelwit

Pixelwit — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:36:19 +0000

Kirk, thanks for letting me know my message has found an audience.

I wrote this article for 3 reasons. To alert people like you who purchase Adobe products so you can make an informed decision; to show Adobe that a little guy’s opinion still matters; and to explain to my bank why this credit card transaction was to be terminated even though Adobe was “working with me” to resolve the issue.

I’ve reached you and hundreds of other people like you who have read this article. I’ve reached part of Adobe because I know a few Adobe employees have read this even though nobody has given an official response. The bank immediately canceled this transaction after I sent them a link to the article. I think it’s been a success on all 3 fronts.

By: Kirk

Kirk — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:17:25 +0000

I’ve had similar experiences, tempered by sometimes rapid, expert handling of occasional concerns. As with any business, it seems to be important who you reach and how many of the facts you have in order, i.e., how “on the ball and ready for responses” you are when you contact Adobe. Unfortunately, in issues ranging from security to attainability, I’ve found myself somewhat more disappointed than thrilled in my latest experiences.

I would recommend that anyone experiencing similar problems directly reference this writeup in their own concerns, to encourage Adobe to notice just how pervasive the issues can be, and remind them that some of us (with decades of experience) silently read these things IN FULL (or assign people to do so) before making a decision regarding product purchases. To wit, I’m currently evaluating several of their products, but I keep running into these stories.

Thank you for taking the time to post this; as a seasoned professional, I don’t worry much about bitter, spiteful complaints–one never knows if these people are just never happy–but I DO put significant attention on stories that rationally and deliberately express issues that can be understood from any consumer’s standpoint. Duly noted.

By: Pixelwit

Pixelwit — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:55:47 +0000

Thanks Connie. You have definitely made my day!

By: Connie P.

Connie P. — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 01:54:02 +0000

I purchased the full version of Page Flip from you today. Unfortunately, my purchase didn’t go as smoothly as I’d planned and I received an error message on my transaction. I assumed it was my work firewall preventing me access so I used my personal computer to re-do the purchase request.

When I received confirmation of my purchase, I noticed that indeed I had been billed twice and that the transaction with the error had actually gone through.

I am very impressed with your customer service because immediately after sending you the email about the double billing, I was refunded.

Too bad everyone wasn’t so diligent in their transactions!