This fix did not make it into ESXi 7.0 U3e - or at least I should say I am still experiencing this issue when upgrading 7.0 U3d to ESXi 7.0 U3e via VUM. Perhaps Support gave me incorrect information, or perhaps this fix is in there, but only protects ProductLocker from reverting on updates applied AFTER installing 7.0 U3e. I'll report back as soon as I apply any post-U3e patches.