Genuine Photoshop CS4 or Pirate.... can ANYONE help?!

Question

Hi all,
I'm a new member to the forum and have joined because I'm in need of some advice from someone "in the know", but I'm sure as a new Photoshop owner I'll be needing your services many times in the future! so thanks in advance.
I have just purchased a brand new, sealed copy of Photoshop CS4 Extended which I need to verify the authenticity of. I'm concerned that I may have become one of those 'fools' who has just fallen into the 'too good to be true' trap, although it was by no means cheap either! and the purchase was made from a lady who I initially had no reservation about buying from.
The product came and upon opening I found the following:
There is no Registration Card in the box.
The only paperwork included is a very cheap looking 3-fold grey fronted 'Learn CS4' leaflet.
The DVD case did not have a 'seal' to be broken before opening.
The serial number is on a white sticker which is located on the back of the case in the bottom left-hand corner.
There is also a slightly smaller white sticker in the bottom right-hand corner which says:
29400084
DVS/A,PHSP,10.0,WIN,
GEN,WWE
Inside the DVD case are two discs, a blue 'Adobe Photoshop CS4' install disc (with all logo's in place, etc.) and a white 'Learning Adobe Creative Suite 4' disc
The blue install disc has a design fault running underneath the surface of the silver 'reading' surface, (though I'm not sure if that is a problem or not)
If you try to install from the blue disc, via a file in the root called Autoplay.exe (a 152kb file with a VERY pixelated white circular icon, with Adobe written in black across the centre in VERY pixelated font... certainly not looking like the professional icons for the PDF file's which are alongside it in the root) then a message comes up saying File Access Denied. I have tried running the file as administrator but exactly the same happens. If you go into the Adobe CS4 folder on the disc there are all the files I would have expected to find in the root, including a different Autoplay.exe with a properly made Adobe icon! Then, (sorry!) if you go into the Adobe CS4 folder 'within' the Adobe CS4 folder there is a genuine setup.exe file which, if clicked, will open the installation window... but I don't want to try installing that way in case it is a fake and I'm left unaware!
Now... I know it looks as if this is screaming fake... but the only thing making me wonder at the moment is that the blue install disc has got 'Adobe Photoshop CS4' written INTO the disc around the centre spindle (which MUST have been done at the manufacturing stage, mustn't it?)
I'm about to take photographs of this product for a small claims court action I'm filing, so if anyone could tell the validity by seeing a pic of the goods I can upload the shots later and show them?
One idea that has been mentioned to me is that a fake serial number can be detected if you download the 30-day trial version from this site (which I've now done) and to enter said serial number to register it (if it's a pirate it fails, if it's genuine it registers), would that be a cast-iron way of knowing if it's a genuine product, or do some fake serials get accepted until they are flagged up? The thing is that I'm now having to use the 30-day trial to get my new artwork ready for print and don't want the software refusing to work if it doesn't like the serial number. I have to get a legitimate version from somewhere this week but at the moment the 'trial' is keeping my launch date afloat!!
As I'm just in the process of setting up a new business (that the purchase was for!) any speedy reply would be most gratefully accepted
Many thanks
Mike

Answer 1

Hi Mylenium
Thanks for the quick response. To be honest I'd guessed that it would be Adobe support that I needed to wait for, it's just that they are so slow to respond and I'm in such a tight spot at the moment regarding needing it!
The people who I bought it from have offered a refund, but only if I send it back FIRST, which I have been advised not to do, as that course of action would leave me minus money AND evidence. I have offered to return the goods in person, at their convenience, to anyone, anywhere within Greater Manchester region (which is where they live) but they have refused that offer which is another reason alarm bells have started ringing. I've tried calling just now on their mobile but they aren't answering, I'm hoping it's just a case of being busy, as I want to discuss the options of trying the serial number thing, but if it turns out to be fake later, rather than sooner, I want their guarantee to refund.
I'm going to take pictures of the goods today and am seeing my friend, who's a solicitor tomorrow regarding taking them to court. As I have bent over backwards with offers of ways to resolve this he feels we have a very strong case, but it's the damn inconvenience.
I'll await a reply from Adobe, but many thanks for taking the time to reply to what I know is fast becoming a common question!
Peace
Mike