Photoshop :: CS3 Extended Activation Error 194:8

I bought a legit copy o photoshopAlbeit I bouhgt it from ebay, but it is definitely legit - not pirated , but a mfr sealed professionally produced copy of CS3 extendedI popped it open and found what I expected the documentation the DVD case with the training video and the serial number on the back. I installed CS3 extended and plugged in my serial number and was greeted with a shiny green check mark (please note this is not just some generic photoshop liscence it is recognized by the software itself). Then I began the activation nightmare that I am currently having. I clicked activateActivate nowThen I got an error telling me to pease try activating by calling customer care.I did that I went through the automated system with m serial numberand activation key and then it said it was unable to process so I retried.  Still no luck, then I got a live person on the phone. Here is what they told me:You do not have a valid serial number...Odd, I thought, since your software recognized it as a valid liscence.  I tried it in several other photoshop programs only to be greeted by a red x (liscence invalid) so the serial number I have is legit for photoshop CS3 extended, it just won't activate. I tried to tell them that.  I asked them what proof they needed from me barcode copy of serial number scan of packaging anything. They told me I needed the reciept from an authorized reseller. I'm afraid I didn't see in the liscence agreement where the agreement between provider and end user was limited by their distributorship. Thank you to me too for buyinga legitimate copy and not going with a free alternative (paint.net as been fine in the past thank you).So I continued the discussion until I finally asked for a supervisor who was slightly more willing to talk about a way we could resolve the activation problem. I am stuck getting the original reciept from the seller to prove to Adobe that their product was in fact original purchased from them.  You have to be kidding???!!!?!?!It is unactivated so we aren't even talking about a liscence transfer this product is supposed to be registered to me. And that still doesn't answer the question of how the serial number is recognized by the software and installation (meaning the serial to DVD matches) and the customer service people claim it is not valid.  I even asked them to tell me if it was a liscence used as a known pirated copy or something that should invalidate it, but all they can tell me is that it is not valid for the product. If that is the case why print it on the label and affix it to the software?On the other hand perhaps it is just a database error on their part. What if I bought it from london drugs and lost the reciept how woul they handle that.