Sometimes taking a big company to court proves to be more than just a hopeless endeavor in frustration, as Gripe Line reader Jake recently found out.
"I resolved a complaint against Adobe by going to small claims court in Massachusetts," Jake wrote in to Gripe Line. Thrilled to hear of her victory, I followed up, asking her how she did it. She was happy to tell us.
[ Looking for the most effective way to resolve your dispute with a vendor? Read "Your best route to dispute resolution" | Frustrated by tech support? Get answers in InfoWorld's Gripe Line newsletter. ]
"I argued that the product was not able to be installed and used, and that I had exhausted all the remedies Adobe's technical support offered trying to get it to be usable," Jake replied.
Thinking like a lawyer, she maintained that the software license was null and void.
"Since I was never able to read it or agree to its terms," she explained, "it was not displayed on the exterior of the box, and I was never able to view the license screen because the installer failed to work."
In fact, the remedies suggested by Adobe's technical support desk did such a job on her computer that she had to reinstall the operating system and other software in order to get it working again.
Taking your vendor to court
Anyone with a grevience should find comfort in the fact that the process of taking a vendor to small claims court is relatively easy and inexpensive, Jake reports. Be aware, though, that the procedures vary by state, and you can't just wake up one morning and head to court without studying the law and expect success. You have to go to the mattresses first to pull off what Jake did.
"Each case is very different," explains legal expert Paul Moretti, who offers advice on JustAnswers.com. "It all depends on the evidence the plaintiff has to support their contentions. Just because one person takes on Adobe and wins, doesn't mean someone else will take on Microsoft and win."
