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In the meantime, you can access existing Consumerist content below, and we encourage you to visit to read the latest consumer news. Non-proof of purchase.Hal has misplaced the serial numbers on copy of Adobe Elements. No big deal–while he hadn’t registered the copy of Premiere online with Adobe, he had saved the proof of purchase from the original box. That isn’t good enough for Adobe. No, even though those cardboard bits actually say “Proof of Purchase,” they aren’t actually proof of purchase as far as Adobe is concerned. Fine, the phrase isn’t literally true.

Of KitchenAid that. Proof of Purchase & Product Registration. Serial Number _____ Date Purchased.

Adobe wants a receipt. Hal is vaguely aware that he may have bought the programs back in 2010, maybe at Best Buy. I recently upgraded my computer’s harddrive.

While reinstalling my software, I discovered that the Adobe Elements 8 pack I had didn’t have the Serial Numbers with the discs, though I did have two “Proof of Purchase” tabs from the original box, along with an Adobe sticker containing two bar codes. I also have the two original DVDs containing the software, of which both Photoshop and Premiere Elements are on the same disc.

For some reason it seems I registered Photoshop but not Premiere. So, I was able to install Photoshop Elements 8, but not Premere Elements 8. I have had four separate chat sessions with their customer service.

After a few misdirections and wasted hours, it came to this – I must have proof of purchase (i.e., a receipt) for the software to get it. So despite the fact that – I have the disc with both software titles on it, one of which I have the serial number for – I have an Adobe sticker (holograms and all) with two barcodes – I have two “Proof of Purchase” tabs from the original box Adobe refuses to help me. Hal included all of those chat transcripts.

If you’ve ever been stuck talking in circles with a chat representative with a strictly controlled script, you know how it went. Here’s a representative sample: Adobe: I want to tell you that, we need the receipt for the purchase of the product so that we can help you. Adobe: We wont be able to locate the serila number which the help of Bar code. Adobe: If youw ant you can contact Best Buy for the same.

Hal: I believe I have done more than enough to prove that this software was from a valid purchase. Hal: I am very disappointed with Adobe. Adobe: I am sorry but as per the process we need the receipt of purchase.

Adobe: I apologize for the inconvenience. Hal: Nonsense – there should be someone there who can look at this and make a customer service decision to help me. Adobe: Hal, as we request you to check for proof of purchase of the product, only after that we can help you. Hal: I do not have the receipt, and I do not have the DVD case the software came in (where the Serial Number would be). I do have two “Proof of Purchase” tabs and a barcode I got from the original box.

Hal: The two tabs I have read “Proof Of Purchase” Adobe: I am sorry but we do not take those as proof of purchase. We need receipt or Invoice to get the serial number for you. Hal: If it’s good enough for Adobe to write on every box they release to the public, but not for you, then what’s the point? [Redacted] – I need to either talk to someone who can override the process and get me the Serial Number, or I need to leave. As courteous as you have been, this conversation is pointless. Adobe:: Hal, I want to tell you that a box never validates that it is a proof of purchase of the product. So please check for receipt so that we can help you.

Hal: You know I haven’t got that Adobe: You can contact best buy if they can help you. Adobe: In getting duplicate proof of purchase, if they have records. Hal: From 2010? I don’t even know if it was Best Buy – that’s a guess. I am sorry Hal, but we wont be able to help you in this until we get complete information. You can go through your email if you find any invoice there.

Do not let the 'KitchenAid' brand fool you! I've gone through TWO of the exact same mixers, both only lasted 1.5 years and both broke the same way! When my first mixer (KitchenAid professional 600) broke only 1.5 years into using it, KitchenAid customer service offered me to pay $150.00 to send a replacement mixer. They said this mixer must have been defective. I was not impressed to pay the $150.00 for a company error such as a defective product. This should have been their responsibility to stand behind their product! I paid the $150.00 for the replacement mixer, which I was assured would not happen again.

Not only did the exact same issue happen again, it actually lasted the exact same amount of time - 1.5 years! How this company gets by selling an $800.00 mixer that completely breaks down within 1.5 years (half a year outside of the warranty by the way), is beyond me.

So we phoned KitchenAid customer service once again explaining everything expecting them to replace this faulty product. Not only did they not offer to fix it, or replace it, or for me to pay $150.00 for a new one, but they offered 15% off a new mixer! Why would I spend another 800$ on a NEW KitchenAid product KNOWING it only lasts 1.5 years and KNOWING how terrible they treat their customer and their own company doesn't even stand behind their products.

By 'breaking down' I mean it completely stops mixing and makes a loud sound as if the motor is breaking down. It is completely useless. I own a custom cake company and we used it for icings & small batch batters in addition to our larger mixer. Never used it for anything strenuous like bread or pizza dough (although you would hope it could handle that also - it does come with a bread hook after all). I will never buy another KitchenAid product ever again, I strongly DO NOT recommend this product! I'm sure KitchenAid has other products that work fine, however, after experiencing their useless terrible customer service I will never trust their brand on another product.

If they can't even stand behind their product(s)/brand then how can you feel good about buying it? The second you have a problem - they're gone! My 600 series KitchenAid mixer seized up in just over one year of very light duty use. Estimate of total hours of operation 45.

The gear drive ground to a halt. I opened the housing to find a number of gears had been shredded and numerous teeth were missing from the gears. This is a sign of unusually cheap metal. I believe them to have a high content of zinc as they had the dull appearance of a form of pot metal or possibly slag. The gears were certainly not steel. I called, service was not friendly or helpful, and were relieved the machine had just passed the warranty period.

I will avoid the cheapened KitchenAid brand from now on. I purchased a KitchenAid Artisan Mixer at Hudson's Bay Nanaimo, BC for a Christmas gift. I wanted a white colored one and on the box it said the color was white but when it was opened Christmas morning it was a dark purple color. We did not even remove it from the box but instead closed the lid and tried to exchange it couple days later but the staff at Hudson's Bay stated they have no white ones left and there are no white ones to be ordered from the warehouse. They also said they would not know when they would get more in. We asked them if they could call us when they get them in and one girl said they can't phone us but for us to keep checking in. We don't live close by so it would be both inconvenient and costly with gas to keep checking in.

(We can phone them daily but what annoying inconvenience to do this daily). We asked the staff if they could phone other stores but they said no one will answer the phones as it is few days after Boxing Day and no one will answer the phones at the other stores. Our family was disappointed this Christmas day as we were going to use the mixer to make special Christmas bread recipes for Christmas dinner but we could not do that.

(Unless we wanted to keep the purple mixer) We will just have to wait for the white ones to come and since they cost a fair amount I think that we should not settle for just any color when we want the white one. I know there is such a thing as human error but these toys aren't cheap and someone should be checking that the product matches what it states on the outside of the box. Next time I buy anything in a box I will literally take it out of the box to make sure I'm getting what it says on the box. Funny, I even double checked with the store clerk to make sure it was white and she read right on the box that it says it is white. Now we may have to wait months for it to arrive at the Nanaimo store.

I put it away, trying it every so often in hopes I could get it to stick, but eventually it was clear that it was broken. After moving into our new house and getting settled, I decided I would try to figure out what was wrong. I was told by KitchenAid that I could spend $70 to ship it to them just to find out what was wrong, plus shell out more for parts and labor. I found a video online that showed exactly how to take the machine apart and replace parts. I ordered the planetary that matched my model number but when it came, it was a fraction (about 1/6-1/8) of an inch too short. After multiple calls to KitchenAid (and to the nice people at replacement parts shops), I'm still stuck. KitchenAid offers ZERO technical support, only works through their own specific repair centers and can't so much as tell me the part number that would work.

I live HOURS away from their certified repair centers and refuse to pay $70 in shipping (+parts/labor) when I could easily repair the mixer myself, if only I could purchase the proper planetary. I will never buy an appliance from this company again! For $450+ you would think they would stand behind their product for more than a year and when the warranty is expired anyway, you'd think they could at least help you find the right part! Horrible customer service!!! KitchenAid mixer tipped over while kneading bread dough. Tipped over and almost fell off the counter.

My wife caught the mixer while it was still running and the power cord prongs were bent but still inside the wall outlet. After turning it off and examining the cord, I had to bend the 3 prongs back to normal, inspect the mixer for cracks or scratches, and found a scratch on the nose of the front of it.

I checked for anything loose, scratches or cracks, and found none. I do not know if I will have to replace it and do not know if damage to the cord or the power outlet has been damaged. Mainly why did it tip over in the first place? Is this normal behavior? I just bought a new KitchenAid 600 to replace the one which had given me faithful service for decades. I tried to find someone to repair the old unit because I have been told both by dealers and users that the new ones are flimsy in comparison. When I got it home, I tried to set it up.

This led to the first surprise, i.e. How difficult it is to put the bowl in the stand. There is a metal spring, apparently intended to stabilize the bowl, which makes it difficult to place the bowl on its stand. I tried calling kitchen aid only to find that customer service is not open weekends and was informed that I should call back between 9 & 5, Mon-Fri. Isn't that convenient?

I will never buy KitchenAid again. My family as a group bought me at Christmas the top of the line Professional model which I obtained at Target some years back.

Used it very little, but was concerned about the loudness of the machine. Used it infrequently and then didn't use at all for about a year and a half, then retired and started to make cookies on a weekly basis. Machine suddenly came to a screeching halt and locked up.

Contacted Kitchen Aid and sent with shipping bill to determine cost and reason. Cost appeared to be a generic amount of $200 but no explanation of the problem.

In Phone call lady indicated the problem on they’re looking at the mixer was my misuse of the machine; it was visually abused. [Wished I had taped this call]. Then the reason it was because I hadn't used it once every month to lubricate the gears.

I asked why wasn't that need stated in their documentation? Albo Ingegneri Cagliari Pdf Writer. She hemmed and hawed. She stated that the shop said the machine had dirt on surfaces, etc.

I was flabbergasted and had her check if they had somehow confused it with another machine. Finally, had it shipped back without fixing.

It still appears the external machine is pristine [not convinced that they even opened it up to look] and is now sitting in the original box. Found out I got my mixer just after Kitchen Aid was sold to Whirlpool and mixers before that the mixers were pretty much indestructible. Meanwhile I am still using my old antique Sunbeam for the same uses with no problems.

I would avoid any Kitchen Aid product. Sam's Club had KitchenAid mixers on sale and also could get a rebate through KitchenAid. Heck of a deal, except good luck getting the rebate. I sent in a copy of the receipt and the original off the box upc symbol. Then I got a postcard saying they didn't receive the original off the box symbol. Very upset that a company like KitchenAid rips people off.

After looking on here I'm not the only one, this happened to. I still have the receipt and book with serial, make and model number. Shame on you KitchenAid. This is simply to provide my experience with my KitchenAid mixer. I was purchased a Kitchen Aid mixer for Christmas, therefore, gave my old and trusted Kenwood mixer to my daughter.

Excited to use my new mixer, I prepared ingredients for my first banana cake. Enter problem number 1. The knobs for releasing the mixer head to enable it to tilt and the knob for the speed control have sharp edges on the internal end facings making the gripping of these knobs mildly painful. This design fault could be simply eradicated with a bull nose finish.

The second issue is that the controls are positioned on both sides of the mixer, meaning that you have to orient the mixer for each task, ie opening the tilt mechanism and then in order to visibly see the speed control you need to turn the mixer 180 degrees. This is a ridiculous design error given the next problem which is that during the mixing process the ingredients are agitated to an extent that they stick to the sides of the deep bowl and consequently don't get mixed at all. Trying to insert a spatula is very difficult without opening the mixer which means you need to rotate the machine yet again. Even doing this there is little scope for spatula to easily draw the ingredients back down in to the bottom of the basin. Also I found that ingredients such as butter did not mix from the rotating wand and remained as residual whole ingredients.

In addition to this the changing process of the mixing wand is poor. The system is sprung loaded and requires exertion toward a locking pin. This process is ok loading the clean rotating wand, however when the wand has mixture on it the process for removal of the wand is messy and you get your hands covered in the ingredients. I had to repeat this several times to enable a spatula to remove ingredients off the walls of the bowl. In addition to this the name band strip housing the KitchenAid name is unglued and is a fantastic location for harbouring airborne ingredients such as flour and sugar, thus providing a breeding ground for bacteria. What were KitchenAid thinking of with this design.

Surely their brand name could have been incorporated in to the mould of the main housing structure. In regard to the tilt open mechanism, there is no slowing of the process given that it is a very heavy piece of equipment. This means that the angle arm opening can exert great force at speed and be a horrible trapping injury feature, not good when you have small children participating with you at baking.

Overall all, the machines aesthetic qualities are great, however, the design issue that I have raised make this a very poor choice of mixer ergonomically. I would rather used my old Kenwood which had none of these issues, a faithful friend and a safe friend. I received a kitchen aid mixer as a gift for Christmas. My husband purchased a floor model because they did not have anymore in stock and in the color I requested. I immediately contacted KitchenAid to register my appliances (stand mixer and a toaster). I specifically asked the customer service representative about the rebate and the fact that it did not come in a box. He informed me I should take a picture of the bottom of the mixer showing all of the serial numbers, etc.

And mail it in with my rebate form explaining it was a floor model and that there would be NO PROBLEMS with processing the rebate. I have now been told by the rebate center 'there is nothing they can do because I don't have the box UPC'. This is crap! I would have taken the mixer back to the store when the stock was replenished to purchase one in a box to get my rebate. I bought my wife a KitchenAid stand mixer for Christmas and it came with a $50 mail-in rebate. I sent the rebate in according to the 'terms of the offer' on the rebate form. I was sent a letter in January that they had declined the rebate due to Upc from the package not being sent in.

I called the number on the letter and spoke to a so-called Customer Service Rep. I informed her that I had tape the UPC proof of purchase (which is what the rebate form had asked for) to the rebate letter. She said she also needed serial number, which I informed her was in in the blocks provided on the rebate form. She said she wanted a upc with the serial number on it. I told her that it did not request this on the rebate form, because I had made a copy of everything that I had sent in. It only asked for UPC proof of purchase and it was sent in according to the terms of the offer. She told me that I would not get the $50 rebate and hung up.

I have sent additional information to them (copy), including the serial number and model number from the package which was attached to the registration and mailed to Whirlpool Corporation. I have contacted Whirlpool and they have given me the run around and said I would have to go back to the rebate center.

They have acknowledged that they have received the warranty registration and thanked me for purchasing the mixer. I have filed a complaint through the BBB, stating that I think that Whirlpool and KitchenAid never intended to pay the rebate and that they are using Deceptive advertising against the consumer. I am looking into filing a complaint with Federal and State agencies to see if they will make Whirlpool and KitchenAid quit using mail-in rebates and only allowing them to use instant rebates at the point of sale. This complaint is supposed to be posted on the BBB site for all consumers to see. I would like to speak to someone who can help redeem my Rebate.

Here is some history for you. I bought the mixer in Black Friday 2013. I sent in my Rebate form and receipt to you and it was returned because I provide copy of the UPC code.

I called KitchenAid and spoke to a representative and she told me that have to be original UPC code from the box, just in case I cut everything. Then mailed all the information back to you. I mailed twice everything from the box.

I received letter from you while I was away for 3 months saying that you needed me to cut the UPC code off the box. I then called you again letting you know that I just got the letter because I was away and can I send it now. I was told that I was late but to send it in so they can work with me on my issue.

Today 1/15/2015 I called and they told me that the case is closed and there is no way I can get my Rebate. I spoke to several people regarding this and no one is willing to help me. Sophia was very curt of the phone and was less than willing to help. Then I spoke to Barbara who was understanding but said there is no one in all of KitchenAid who can help me.

She noted my frustration and could understand it but reiterated that KitchenAid will not honor the rebate because the case is closed. I am very disappointed that I will not receive my rebate from KitchenAid. I do understand and take ownership of the fact that I did not send the UPC code originally. But when I did call and resent it, I did follow the instructions of your customer service rep which she indicated that I needed to write it down and send it in. At that point I assumed I was all set and the rebate was in the mail.

I then left for 3 months and was surprised that when I returned that the rebate was not in the mail. I am sorry that the rep gave me inaccurate information for the 2nd mailing and because of that I would have never thought that I would have to mail the information a 3rd time. I was late for the 3rd mailing because I was away but once I returned I called and send it to you immediately. This company makes it so difficult to get your rebate.

It is said that they make a great product but they have the worst customer service. In December of 2011, I bought my grandmother the whisk attachment for the mixer so that she could have one mixer for egg whites.

On December 13th, however, she passed away. My grandfather had to open the gift to her and said that she would've loved it. After Christmas, I took home the mixer and have been using it ever since then.

I have made cookies, cakes, and have since purchased the dough hook attachment for it. It has had its seventh birthday and my family loves it. I use it about 3-4 times a week and have not had any problems with it! I took my just over one year old Kitchenaid mixer into the shop for repair and when I returned to pick it up, the machine had many deep scratches me on the housing. When I complained about it, the 'technician' looked at me dumbly and said she could fix it.

She painted over the scratches with appliance paint, leaving behind blobs of paint on the surface. When I inquired about the bowl screw which was missing, she didn't even know what part I was speaking of.

I had to show her what it was on another mixer they had there. Also, since she had not ordered the replacement part, she took it from another machine and put it on mine. I have called twice to complain about the machine leaking grease and oil, and they offered to fix it. But after my first bad experience with them I don't want to take a chance. My machine was in pristine condition and now it looks terrible. I have used the machine less than 50 times since I bought it and I think they should give me a new machine.

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