DO NOT Buy Microsoft or Adobe Software From ebay!!! Much of it is FAKE! (REALLY!)

[radioz]

Late last year I bought a copy of Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended and a bit later a copy of Microsoft Windows 7 Professional. I had some significant computer problems and it took some time form me to do some board level component replacement. Once that was resolved, I installed both pieces of software. Both installed beautifully and the activation procedures and registration process for both programs went smoothly too. Unless another ebay user who had bought a like copy of Adobe CS3 from the same seller had contacted me, I would still think that my copy was fine. As to my Windows 7 Ppro copy, it worked fine for about 3 weeks and then I had a couple of activation inquiries from Microsoft. Upon entering data, I was assured that my software was genuine. That was also about 3 weeks ago. Two days ago, I got another Microsoft auto inquiry. This time it came back that my software was not genuine.

I both cases, the software looks very good. I doubt that many would bulk at buying it in person at a brick and mortar store. The Adobe box printing may be very slightly off but even that is debatable. The Windows 7 packaging is amazing! The only think that I have found is that the holographic label on on the CD IS a label. The real Windows 7 discs have an embedded label. There is NO seam for your fingernail to stop on. My software has a seem.

Microsoft has a very useful 'How To Tell' page for detecting fakes and taking action. Unfortunately, Adobe does not seem to have anything and as best as I can tell, their security efforts are low. Given the price of their product, you would think that they would do better both for themselves and their potential customers.

As it is, I have two reasonably attractive software boxes containing nothing that probably couldn't have been obtained from a torrent site for free. While I dislike those sites and don't use them, someone else, more or less did, and I am out an amount of money that could have legitimate bought copies of this software. Be warned that ebay is NOT a place that you should buy software. I have also noticed what seem to be similar copies of Adobe software from people in my actual geo area in central Virginia on Craig's list. Both copies of my software were purchased from US sellers with excellent ebay feedback. One has been de-listed but they one selling fake Microsoft software is listing more as I write this. The Microsoft guy even has the audacity to offer a 7 day right of return knowing that problems will develop later!

If you do notice problems within 30 days, you may be able to get your money back through ebay. Unfortunately, in most cases, you will probably be too late as I was. Frankly, ebay and to degree, Adobe should do a lot more to control this.

[BusinessDomain]

Definitely a legitimate problem, I purchased a $100 DVD Series Collection "New In Box". Like yours the packaging looks amazing right down to the holographic disc labels. Once you insert the disc a foreign tv logo (not ABC) is shown and the extra features are not accessible. Also, no promotional material was included which was a dead give away.

As far as your Adobe software, I purchased Illustrator back in November and everything seems to be legit. I have had no problems so far, how long did it take you to figure out it wasn't legit and how did you tell? Thanks in advance...

[radioz]

I wish that every pirate was so stupid as to put the wrong TV networks logo on their 'product' or, better, print something like 'Chung Kung Photoshop CZ3 Softwear'! Unfortunately, most are much better but not perfect. I would think that Photoshop is the most obvious Adobe product to pirate due to the extreme demand for it although it is very possible that the full Creative Suite and other products are affected as well. PhotoTurbo.com has a very good, quick checklist:

How to identify fake Adobe Creative Suite software:

Look on box bottom at white UPC code sticker. Legitimate Adobe software should say "Printed in the USA" on the box bottom in fine print. Fake Adobe software leaves out the word "the" and says "Printed in USA".

Real Adobe software says "Made in USA" below the word "lotcode". Fake Adobe software says "Made in USA" directly below the barcode.

Legitimate Adobe Creative Suite software says "WIN RET UE", fake software says "WIN RET IE".

The above would have helped me but I would have never known that I had a fake copy if another buyer of Photoshop from the same US based ebay seller hadn't contacted me. The product 'registered' smoothly as I would have expected and it works flawlessly. I registered at Adobe and their site does not note that I own any of their software. You can run your serial number at Adobe to see if it accepts it directly at the site. My copy has the first two of the above problems and it does not have a warranty card which seems to be another issue. Overall though, like my Microsoft Windows 7 software, it looks great! These items were obviously made in a factory to generally very good standards. How they missed the little details, I will never know. I suspect that most bogus Adobe software users are quite happy overall and have no idea that they are using nothing more than they would be getting from a torrent site although in my case, I am unaware of any virus or malware being detected by my Kaspersky anti-virus software. The torrent site's version may be worse in that regard plus, you know you have a fake!

Tony Sleeps post at Pirate Software Alert is good and leads to his own website info with his experience. He is likely quite correct in the allegation that eBay, Amazon (Amazon Marketplace), Best Buy (Best Buy Marketplace), and PayPal care minimally about this as they make nice commissions on every sale. (NOTE: I added Best Buy from an Adobe post on the piracy subject. That post an links to the rest of what Adobe has on the subject.) Amazon and Best Buy are legitimate dealers but their 'marketplaces' are the wild west, it seems. You can get your money back from ebay and PayPal (and likely the others too) if you notice withing 30 days (only). Yet another good post on this subject is at We Rock Your Web.

Sadly, Adobe seems to care only minimally about this problem as best as I can tell as do, as noted, most of the other big players. I will have to give a big '*****' rating to Microsoft though. They have an excellent reporting system and once I sent them my pirated software, they sent me a complementary copy of Windows 7 Ultimate EOM version. They didn't have to do this. The downside is that I now have to copy everything from my computer to memory sticks and reload all of the programs, again. For Microsoft piracy issues go to: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/howtotell/default.aspx.

Best Wishes,

Jon Hall

[BusinessDomain]

How to identify fake Adobe Creative Suite software

Look on box bottom at white UPC code sticker. Legitimate Adobe software should say "Printed in the USA" on the box bottom in fine print. Fake Adobe software leaves out the word "the" and says "Printed in USA".

Real Adobe software says "Made in USA" below the word "lotcode". Fake Adobe software says "Made in USA" directly below the barcode.

Legitimate Adobe Creative Suite software says "WIN RET UE", fake software says "WIN RET IE".

WOW, thank you for the great information. Turns out my Adobe Illustrator software is legit... I was debating on ordering another Adobe program but now I will just have them take a picture of the UPC Sticker. Brilliant!

[radioz]

Illustrator wouldn't be as desirable for a pirate. I would suspect that one Illustrator copy is sold for every 30 Photoshop copies. I have legal copies of Illustrator and In Design CS1 thanks to my local Goodwill store!

I hope that my posts save someone some grief. I really wish that ebay and the rest would do something to reduce this impact. One of the guys that I bough from sold some supposed 'Oakley' sunglasses too. I would imagine that most of that stuff is straight from China too. We should stop turning the other cheek to China's extreme tolerance of pirating most anything and everything. SOPA wasn't the answer but something should be done to make the large internet players (who do profit from this) have some responsibility for what is sold on their sites or to stop the sale of it as a category!

[vckc4ever]

Wow. I didn't know much of these items listed on Ebay, are fakes. As Ebay has a strict rules preventing fake stuff being sold there, I guess there are loopholes too, which even a pro cannot tell the different when you see the product displayed on Ebay.

Unless the copy is in front of you, then you can verify with the Companies that produce these goods, if it is fake, then you can complain to Ebay and request them to take appropriate action and get it refund to you under Buyers Protection Program.

[Gerry]

If interested, I have the Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium package that I will sell for $200. This is the education version which is 100% like the $900 product, fully functional (just special pricing)

This package contains:

• Dreamweaver
• Flash Professional
• Photoshop Extended
• Illustrator
• Fireworks
• Acrobat 8
• Contribute
• Adobe Bridge
• Version Cue
• Device Central
• Stock Photos
• Adobe Connect
• Video Workshop Training

I also have Dreamweaver CS5 Windows and a Dreamweaver CS5 Mac Edition, New, never opened. $100 each. I also have Adobe Captivate 4, also $100.

I no longer need or use these because I have CS5 Web Premium and Creative Suite. The Mac Edition was a mistake order on my part. But I soon as I pulled the cellophane off, it voided the warranty and I could not return it.

All of these items were purchased directly from Adobe's website.

[RTM.net]

Indeed, I purchased Office 2010 on eBay and carefully checked the Microsoft site (where they show how to spot fakes) and waited for the seller to have some 'aged' buyer feedback, but even then I was nervous about.

As said above, if Microsoft & Adobe experts have trouble telling the fakes from genuine, imagine eBay staff...

[Theo]

I don't ever use eBay for software. Try legitimate vendors, such as Newegg.

[Gerry]

That's a big reason I am selling my extra's here. People know me. My items are legit and I stand behind them 100%, purchased directly from Adobe.


As for purchasing software on ebay, I have done it in the past with items like upgrades, etc. but only from legit vendors.

As acro pointed out, stick with Newegg, Tiger Direct, or others. Another GREAT source is if you have school aged children or are enrolled in courses yourself, check out the savings from Academic Superstore.