Autodesk support changed its tune regarding my copy of Inventor

[Anonymous]

I'm mad as a nest of hornets.

I took over a new-in-box copy of Inventor 2013 back in 2015 from a startup that went bankrupt. Inquired first with a VAR I knew about how to deal with this and was then directed to speak directly to Inventor. Although I do not remember the exact sequence of events, I signed up for an Autodesk account, spoke with Autodesk Customer Support, and told them exactly what I possessed and how I got it. Gave my name, address, email address, the name of the new business the software is supposed to be under, everything that was asked of me. Support took my case and ended up helping me, generating the license file I needed, and even continuing to service me by upgrading me to Inventor 2016. 

Fast forward to now and the original windows server that had my license file on it, this was my business partner's machine, his idiot IT person wiped everything out. So now I need a new license file. Log back into Autodesk and see no evidence of my Inventor seats. Contact Customer support, and they claim that I am out of license compliance because I did not transfer my software from the original transferror appropriately. They are refusing to give me a license file. Claiming "that is our policy." Well, I don't care what your policy is. You were fine with what i did in 2016. But now all the sudden the rules are different? BS. That's on YOU, Autodesk, not on me. I wouldn't be here if you had said this right off the bat. But you honored my licenses then. So honor them now. Fix it. Now. 

[Anonymous]

This is a user forum, we are not Autodesk employees, you can contact Autodesk support directly.

This is the Transfer of Ownership process they were talking about.

[Mark.Lancaster]

@Anonymous 

A question..  Who helped you upgrade to Inventor 2016?

Did you purchase Inventor 2016?

Meaning you just don't get Inventor 2016 automatically because you got a previous version from someone. 

[Anonymous]

Pola, I am aware of all of that. It was Autodesk customer support directly to whom I have already spoken, as I mentioned in my original post. Yet you’re telling me to talk to them after they stonewalled me. I’m here mainly to vent, and if anyone in the user forum has any actually useful ideas, even better.

[Anonymous]

I did not directly purchase 2016. I was given the serial number and key for Inventor 2016 by Autodesk customer service themselves. The CS agent I chatted with last night was trying to claim that the only reason I was given this upgrade because there was a still-active maintenance plan in place from when the previous business bought the software. To which I have to respond the following. If my way of acquiring the software was not valid then or now, then why did Autodesk so readily support me in generating a license server file and issuance of upgraded software after I told them EXACTLY who I was, my new business and contact information, and where the software came from, a bankrupt tech startup? That’s on Autodesk.

[Mark.Lancaster]

@Anonymous 

Ok..  If the product had an active maintenance plan then it would be entitled to that.

I wasn't part of your original conversation, or what was said and etc. but the agent at that time may had just created a license file for you.    Did you say it was there in your Autodesk Account (manage.autodesk.com) and now its now?  Perhaps someone at Autodesk caught the problem and changed it because you didn't go through the license transfer protocol.   Anyhow just speculating...

Do you still have the serial # for Inventor 2016

Do you have the ser

[Anonymous]

Yep I have serial number and key for both my copy of 13 with the physical install media and the digital-only copy of 16.

if I didn’t go through some protocol, it would have only been because their support did not have me do it. That’s not my fault. I told them the exact situation and then THEY offered guidance.

[Mark.Lancaster]

@Anonymous 

Understand from your side but there's not much we as user's can do about it.   Sorry..

[Anonymous]

I hear ya. Thanks for your time. I won’t give up, though, I will just have to harrass them some more and see what happens.