Companies that make you pay to redownload software you've already purchased

The BBQ Pit
1

A few years ago, I bought a product called PerfectDisk (disk defragmentation software) from a company called Raxco. After entering my credit card information, they sent me an email with a link to download it. I installed the software, used it a few times, and was generally happy with it. Then I had to reformat my computer at some point, and forgot to reinstall it.

Then, some time later, I decided I needed to use it again, so I went back to that email and clicked the download link. I got a message that said something like this:

I was somewhat stunned. “Is this a fucking joke?”, I thought. I looked around elsewhere on their website for confirmation of this absurb policy, thinking that I was just misunderstanding the message. Nope. Everything on their website says the same thing.

I called up their customer service line, and basically said “Are you fucking kidding me?” And they basically said “No, we’re not. Our policy is clearly stated on the website at the time of purchase. You’ll have to buy another copy.” I offered to pay the eight bucks for their Software Assurance shit, and they said no, you have to buy it at the same as the software.

Unbelievable. When you pay them fifty bucks for their software, you can download it for only thirty days, unless you fork over more cash for their bullshit “Software Assurance”. If not, and you lose the downloaded installer file, you lose. They will flat-out not let you download it again without paying another fifty bucks.

Now, I might be okay with this, if the installer was several gigabytes in size. But it’s not - it’s just a few megs. And not only that, they offer a fucking FREE TRIAL DOWNLOAD on their website! That’s right - any dipshit can wander in from Google and download whatever the fuck they want, without paying a cent - but their own fucking CUSTOMERS can’t download software they ALREADY PAID FOR!

I sent a nasty email to their support address, and (surprisingly) got a call back from someone fairly high up, the VP of Sales or something. The best part of the conversation was this line from her: “Well, I wouldn’t call it ‘money-grubbing’, exactly…”

I can’t believe they stay in business with such an absurd, customer-hostile policy. I have encountered several companies with similar policies, but none quite so bad as this one. How’s this for “Software Assurance”, you sleezeballs: I assure you I will never buy any of your piece-of-shit software again!

2

That’s why I burn downloaded installers to CDs.

3

“Tell ya what, then. I’ll never purchase anything remotely connected with your company again, and not only that, I’ll make sure that all my friends, family, online connections and acquaintances, and random internet strangers know what a trifling, money-grubbing company you are. I might even make a website about it. Might not make much difference to you, but I’ll bet it’s worth a few thousand bucks in lost sales. Bye!”

4

Yup. I’ve also been known to use some, um, “extra legal” methods to reacquire software that I’ve misplaced my backup/original copy of. We’d be a lot better off if the jackasses who made so much of the software/music/movies would just give up on the copyprotection bullshit, none of it works, and all it does (besides pissing people off) is add to the cost of the already over-inflated wares they’re peddling. Any twit with an internet connection, and enough brains to figure out how to use the Google can find a way around the “protections” in about 2 seconds.

Companies that are particularly onerous in their “copyprotection schemes” (Microsoft and Sony, I’m looking in your direction.) won’t get a dime from me until they issue a public apology and the CEO self-flagellates in public for being so stupid. It’s not the average joe who burns a copy of something for a friend who’s a threat to the company’s business, it’s the companies own damn business practices (not only by putting such restrictive DRM on the stuff, but by having the mass duplication done in countries where they don’t care about copyright law) and the professional pirates who own the same kind of duplicating machines as the big corps do! Those are the guys they should be going after, not the joe schmo.

5

Come the Revolution they go straight to The Wall. Nothing political, just general principles.

6

I’d never heard of this company. I think this policy is part of their marketing plan:

  1. Waaah! No one’s heard of our wonderful product! What’ll we do?
  2. I know! Let’s piss off some of our customers so they’ll post our name on a high traffic message board!
7

I’ve always found this (“this” in a broad sense) to be a problem with products you download. I still want’m on cd or any other media. You need to back’m up yourself and simply often you don’t. I don’t like it.

Reminds of this guy who was astonished by my vast collection of CDs (not vast, but he is young and had ten or twelve). He got his collection of songs, say 4 GB of songs, deleted.

Then he had no song.

You need to backup the things you download - but often you don’t.

(Yep, that’s right, I still got my cd collection intact. Not deleted or anything.)

8

Man, I’ve been waiting for the damn Revolution for almost 40 years! It better get here soon, my list is getting so long, I’ve already written on the back and all the margins, in teeny tiny writing, too!! Damn stub of pencil is givin’ me writers cramp.

9

Review, and edit. A lot you can shift over to the Jane Fonda Re-education and Aerobics Camp.

10

Wow, what toolboxes. My company sells downloads of software, and they don’t offer unlimited time downloads unless they pay a small fee (bandwidth ain’t free, plus, piracy concerns) but we give a couple of free downloads if someone forgets. Actually, more than a few. I think people tend to get cut off after about 5 or 6 times, but I wouldn’t know, as we’ve never actually had anyone need to do it that many times since I’ve been there.

I did talk to someone who was cut off in the past though, and we just offered to sell him the download service for a few bucks. He was still pissed, but they did say “this is your last download extension, back it up to CD” the time before that.

My advice? Keep calling 'em. Demand to speak with supervisors or management to complain. Eventually, if it costs them enough in support, they’ll cave. Bad companies usually put up a front like this but cave when they’re pressed, encouraging people to be jerks. I’m glad I don’t work for a company like that… anymore. :slight_smile:

11

They didn’t really put that on their website?

(No offense) but it seems like it’d be idoitic to buy anything from that company.

12

Here’s another reason to avoid anything from that company: “Currently, it boasts being Microsoft’s certified defragmenter.”

Might explain a bit of the money-grubbing, too – maybe they learned by example.

13

I doubt this will work, especially if the VP of sales told him to take a hike. Piss, whine and moan all you like, you generally won’t find a more sympathetic ear.

Absolute, the policy sucks but you should have backed that shit up. It would be nice if they sent you the software, but I don’t see why you would expect them to.

14

I would consider taking them to small claims court, if possible, or having a lawyer write a letter to them. I don’t know the law on this exactly, but I do know that a person at work who was in a similar situation had a lawyer write a threatening letter referring to clauses of the UCC (don’t ask me which, or if it applies, I am not making a legal assertion here) and the company rolled over within 48 hours and gave him another copy of the software he paid for. Of course in that case, the software was about $4000 so it was more worth the effort.

15

Now, that I think about, I wouldn’t be surprised if the EULA specifically prohibited the end user from making a back up copy. It’s not entirely unheard of.

16

No, they didn’t, I was exaggerating.

The software is downloadable. If I had been sent a CD and lost it, that would be different. But I don’t see why I should back up downloaded installers - if I need to reinstall, I just go to the website and grab the latest version. Especially in the case of tiny little utility programs like this one.

Hell, even if you lose your Microsoft Office CD or Adobe Photoshop CD, these days you can just download a new copy from Microsoft.com or Adobe.com and enter your serial number.

17

That was their plan but they only managed to get someone from the Straight Dope. :smiley:

::d&r::

18

Sooner or later (if the company’s big enough), you’re likely to find someone lazy or busy enough to pay to make you go away. Trust me. I’ve seen notes on an account that said ***** DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES REFUND THIS CUSTOMER!!! FRAUDULENT ACCOUNT!!!***** in huge text and there is some schmoe who will not see it.

In the meantime, hammer 'em with emails, BBB complaints, Complaints.com and all of those types of places. Be a pain in their ass. Even if you don’t get the download, you’ll cost them money (through lost business and having to respond) and hopefully make them rethink their asinine policy.

19

Still, any company who actually intends to help their customers - and have their software be used - will give a reasonable grace period. Hell, even one free additional download, with an explanation that no more would be forthcoming, would resolve 90% of the cases they get, if not more.

Frankly, having to enforce this kind of policy sucks for their employees, too. They end up having to deal with angry people all day. It’s not good business and Absolute has every right to tell them so.