Need some opinions

[vgbaron 3,486]

Trying to decide whether or not I'm making a big deal out of nothing.

In 2008 - I purchased a product called SimplatesX from Dauntless Aviation - a collection of worldwide approach plates for FSX. During the following years, I reinstalled everytime I built a new system. A few years ago, they stopped selling the dvd version and went to a cloud based delivery system for each plate. This would be a completely new purchase. Having no interest in that form of product, I did not upgrade.

Last week, I updated the motherboard and CPU on my main system, which had a working version of SimplatesX installed. When I fired up the system and attempted to access SimplatesX I was greeted with the activation dialog - put in my code and - rejected! Too many installs.

Went online to their tech support and posted my problem - received a very quick response that the product was no longer supported. If I had a backup I could reinstall.

I HAD a backup and when I reinstalled - got the same error message and no activation.

I understand that IO've gotten a lot of mileage out of the product but I'm having an issue with something in their software that breaks a current install with no recourse except to purchase a new version because the old one is no longer supported. I suggested that they simply reset the activation counter but haven't heard back.

So, am I being ridiculous about this or does it seem a tad unfair.

Vic

[HUSSAR 258]

Hi Vic,

Sure it's only $40 bucks which you may be able to re-purchase, but that is not the point.  Unless they have stipulated in the fine print that unlimited downloads are not allowed I would ask that they stand behind their product.  You can stick with them and think about your re-purchase as being part of the "support the developer" project and put the issue to rest.

You could drop them cold and dry and move to Navigraph which have incorporated the latest Jeppesen charts but there is a yearly subscription fee, however bear in mind the charts do get updated periodically. 

 

[vgbaron 3,486]

Thanx Robert. That's my point - if I was asking about how to use the product or had some other program problem, I could understand but this is a simple activation issue.

Frankly, I have it running on my laptop which is networked and it would be a snap to map a share and use it from my flight system. I just think they should stand behind their product.

 

Vic

[Chock 17,769]

I bought that product a few years back and always had problems with getting hold of it to install (got it from Simmarket, it's still listed in my purchase history/downloads on my Simmarket account but the D/L link worked only briefly at the time of purchase before I got chance to back it up and then it was a dead link), it's one of the very few problems I've ever had with a download purchase from Simmarket, there are a few other really old purchases I have with Simmarket for which the D/Ls are not avaiiable, but nothing I'm too bothered about so I don't regard those other things as a big deal, since they are very old sim stuff I wouldn't particularly be interested in using these days.

To be honest, I chalked that Simulates purchase up to experience and simply decided I'd not buy anything from Dauntless again. i've made the same decision about Flight 1 too - their install system is a pain in the arse, and there are numerous products on my account history/previous purchases listed there which I cannot install/cannot download also; I never got a response to a ticket I filed with them recently, so they've lost me as a customer as a result of that, and I used to buy a lot of stuff from them, so it's their loss in the grand scheme of things. It's one of the reasons why I like Simmarket and Just Flight's online stores - I've had few problems with stuff listed on my account, and they both tend to keep your download purchase links active without any of that 'pay us a fiver to reactivate your purchase links'  nonsense, so so they keep me as a customer because of that. I do back things up, but I like the courtesy of online stores which keep your downloads available should you ever have any issues with a back up file.

[wizzards 99]

+1 for Just Flight their download link,s seems to be kept active for ever,and it always seem to be the latest version of the Aircraft,you can not get better service than that

Peter