On Thu, 15 May 2008 15:04:12 -0700, Dov Isaacs <isaacs at adobe.com> wrote:
>Please be careful wrt/ EBay software "purchases" - a large percentage >of what is hawked on EBay is either pirated or stolen goods. Pirated >includes simply copying disks and giving you the serial number as well >as massive CD duplication efforts. In some cases what is being "sold" >is a copy of a package that already has been upgraded and not eligible >to be legally transferred to someone else. Before bidding on such an >item, get proof that it is indeed a legal copy that can be legally >transferred. Such information could be obtained from Adobe Customer >Support given a name and serial number. +1 If they won't give you the serial number, point out that the SN is *not* the product key; you couldn't use it against them, unless, of course, they *are* pirates. ;-) Another thing to watch for on eBay is "academic" versions, being sold either by a student or by an academic vendor who doesn't require a check of your credentials. Most of the folks selling those won't mention this little detail, so *always* ask, publically, on the auction item's page. Then, if they lie, you have some recourse. Otherwise you don't. The vendor *must* identify the item as "new" or "used". Avoid the used ones. Adobe may allow license transfer, but that's not a sure thing; the package may have been used for an upgrade, for example. If they claim "new", and you cannot register with Adobe because it wasn't, file a claim against them with eBay, PayPal, *and* your credit-card provider immediately on grounds of fraud. Lots of people have shrinkwrap machines. ;-) eBay gives new meaning to "caveat emptor"... -- Jeremy H. Griffith, at Omni Systems Inc. <jeremy at omsys.com> http://www.omsys.com/
