just bought Photimpact 12 upgrade by mistake

lakewud · Post by **lakewud** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 5:50 pm

Anyone help?

Purchased via Amazon ?5 Photoimpact 12 Upgrade. Did look at Photoimpact 12 ( ?2 )..but thought the upgrade was the latest..aka Videostudio 10 + etc etc...

Just received it today...sticker on it says, only will work if have existing PI package /serial number. Disapointed to say the least..waited a week for it to arrive as it is.

Could someone please tell me, why, even though ive paid more for the upgrade, do i have to buy the orignal as well!! Or should i send it back to Amazon ( certainly didnt make it clear in my eyes that needed the orginal to make it work!!! and being around the same price etc ) and re-order photoimpact 12 ( for ?22 )...Does Photoimpact cost ?2..or more?

Any help please.

jday · Post by **jday** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 7:22 pm

This is really no different than any other software. An "upgrade" version requires ownership of a previous version of the software. A "full" version does not require a previous version. Not having seen the actual Amazon ad that you purchased from it is hard to say if the seller was being honest or not. My guess is that if it did say "upgrade" then the seller was NOT trying to fool anyone. Most (I did not say "all") people understand what "upgrade" means.

You didn't say how much you paid for the upgrade version, but upgrade versions are priced (MSRP) lower than full versions. That does not mean that you can't sometimes find a full version on sale for the same or lower price than an upgrade version. If you check out the Ulead website, the MSRP for the full version of PI 12 is $89.99 and the upgrade is $49.99.

Returning software is usually tricky and many places will not accept returns (because some people would copy the discs and then return the software). If, for whatever reason the seller will not accept your software back (since it WAS advertised as an upgrade), here is a suggestion so that you don't lose too much money. If you look on Amazon you can find some of the older full versions of PI (version 7 or

for about $20. You can purchase one of them and then use the PI 12 upgrade you purchased.

lakewud · Post by **lakewud** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 7:38 pm

Thanks for the reply.

Did mention how much it cost ( but only realise now my pound signs came out as question marks )

The version i bought actually cost more ( 25 pounds..hence me thinking i was getting the full 'completed' version. ) Whereas I can buy PI 12 for 22 pounds ( it seems..please tell me if this is not correct...says its New condition )

I have no problem in sending this back and fully intend on getting my money back or else the PI12 without the upgrade version...however was wondering if theres a geniune way around this problem as afterall i have paid more than i needed ( it seems ) to aquire myself a geninue copy of Photoimpact.

jday · Post by **jday** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 12:24 am

Again, I will try to answer a couple of your questions.

The fact that it says "new condition" does NOT mean it is the full version versus the upgrade. "New condition" most likely means it is NEW and not used.

Secondly, since different resellers have the ability to sell the product for different prices, it is hard to really say you paid the same as the full version UNLESS you paid $89.99 (the MSRP of the full version) or whatever that is in pounds . As far as "getting around it" because of what you paid, I really don't think so. I believe that the upgrade version is identical to the full version except for some code that requires it to find evidence of an older version. So, without that evidence somewhere on your computer, the software will not work.

Post by **Ron P.** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 1:03 am

One possible option is to look for an SE, Simple Edition version. These are generally bundled with hardware, like video cards, or can be found in magazines. They are totally free, and crippled or watered-down versions however they do qualify for upgrades.

I was able to do this with MSP8. I had MSP7.0 VE (video editon), and purchased the upgraded to MSP8, which accepted my VE version, and installed.

So check with friends, acquaintances, maybe some photo magazines to see if they might have one of these SE, versions.

lakewud · Post by **lakewud** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 7:11 am

Once again thanks for the replies.

Am tempted to keep this upgrade and now buy photoimpact12..but could you tell me...

The sticker on the front of this upgrade says, quote from memory 'you need ALL Photoimpact 8, 9, 10, 12 etc etc'..Now, before i purchase ( another mistake! ) does this mean i will need previous versions of all Photoimpact or just buying No. 12 will do. Just the wording on this sticker really does indicate you need ALL of previous versions.

Finally, is it worth it, this upgrade...or as I plan to alter a few photos, using Raw as well, dvd covers....is the basic edition up to the job, or would you recommend i keep this upgrade because its worth the extra 20pounds?

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 8:07 am

You will need at least one full version of a qualifying product.
The best thing for you to do is check the Ulead Shopping mall to see what previous versions qualify and then see if you can get a cheap copy somewhere.

Perhaps you can also contact Ulead customer services and inform them that you purchased an upgrade in error and see if they can offer you a discount for the full version.

mikefoster · Post by **mikefoster** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 11:03 am

also check out

http://www.eBay.com

as many people are selling Ulead products (full versions) for a great price.

lakewud · Post by **lakewud** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 1:02 pm

once again thanks for the replies, usful advice as always.

Will contact Ulead first, but you certain if I purchase ulead 8 or so..it will allow me to upgrade to the PI12 version? Dont want to be landed with another useless produce if you know what i mean even if i only pay a pound for it!..want to get cracking on using this PI product and learn all about it..havent wanted to open the manual yet for fear of breaking the seal etc..

Just, the label did state, needing ALL of previous versions of PI ..i know doesnt sound right, just perhaps the wording..but just wanting to make sure thats all.

Thanks again

lakewud · Post by **lakewud** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 9:07 pm

Having looked on ebay and seen photoimpact and the like for 4pounds etc....wondering if theres a catch? SE ( simple edition ) is that the same as the full version?

As most of these ulead things seem to be in german and despite me using Babel tranlator....just dont want to fork out another...even a tenner - with the packaging...if its not going to work.

MaryLouW · Post by **MaryLouW** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 10:12 pm

According to the information on the Ulead site, these are the requirements for upgrading to PI12. You must have ONE Of these installed on your computer.

Owners of the Ulead® PhotoImpact ® versions listed below are eligible for Ulead PhotoImpact 12 upgrade:

* PhotoImpact 12 SE
* PhotoImpact 11 Full/UPG/SE
* PhotoImpact 10 Full/UPG/SE/SE Basic
* PhotoImpact XL Full/UPG/SE
* PhotoImpact 8 Full/UPG/SE

So, you might want to try and get something like PI8 SE from Ebay, then you could use the upgrade you already have to upgrade to PI12.