Photoshop Upgrade Failure - Looking for options

For Christmas I decided to treat myself and upgrade both Lightroom and Photoshop. I had Photoshop CS3 Extended, and decided that I'd finally make the switch to CS5. So in mid December I ordered and received the goods. I upgraded Lightroom first because I use Lightroom much more often, and never messed with CS5. Couple a busy holiday schedule with a constant weekly out of town work schedule, and I didn't get around to messing around with my CS5 upgrade until this week.

So I plop in the CD and install CS5. After it's all installed, I go to activate it. I enter the CS5 key and the next screen it says that it cant find CS3 installed and asks me to enter the CS3 serial number. So I dig up my CS3 CD and enter the serial number, but it says it's not valid (which I know it is because I've used it to register CS3). Well, after doing some research, and talking with Adobe customer support I find the problem. My version of Photoshop CS3 was included in the Creative Suite Web Premium (which includes multiple Adobe products). You cannot upgrade the individual products. You have to upgrade the Suite of products. That means I cannot use the CS5 Extended upgrade I purchased to upgrade my copy of CS 3 Extended

So here are my options.

1. Upgrade to CS5 Web Premium at a cost of $799.
2. Buy Adobe Photoshop CS5 Full Version at a cost of $699.
3. Buy a used copy of Photoshop CS3 and then use my upgrade copy to upgrade to CS5

The first two options are expensive, and effectively waste the money I spent on the CS5 Extended option. The last option will allow me to use my CS5 upgrade, but I have to find a legit copy of CS3 (so many fakes/pirated versions on eBay) that is not activated.

The problem I have is that I bought my copy of CS5 from NewEgg in middle of December. I am past the 30 day return period, and I have opened the software (because I wanted to upgrade my CS3). NewEgg does not accept opened copies of software.

So, before I put it up for sale, I'm looking to see if I can salvage the situation and still use it, or just break down and buy the full version of Photoshop or the upgrade version of Creative Suite Web Premium.

Oh man, that is a royal screw and really outrageous. Adobe has brilliant s/w designers and business managers who are robber barons from the 19th century. They squeeze their customers the way company stores used to squeeze the workers.

Good old Adobe...

As long as you can find a genuine copy of Photoshop CS3 then I'd go for that personally.

Just watch out for the ones on ebay

Boy -- the problem of finding a used copy of CS3 is that if the previous owner had done the upgrade then you aren't getting a real license and it could blow up in your face, even if you and the owner aren't aware of the illegitimacy of the transaction.

Do you, or any of your family, qualify for Student Pricing?

I bought an educational version of CS4 from a university bookstore no questions asked. You'll save a bundle by doing that, but no support.