Egregious business practices - FSPilotShop and The FlightSim Store

[smpetty 6]

Now that Alabeo and Carenado are rolling out batches of updated aircraft for P3Dv4, I've realized what a mistake that I made when I bought Alabeo and Carenado aircraft from third party sellers, namely FSPilotShop and The FlightSim Store.  Neither seller has updated their user downloads for the Alabeo and Carenado aircraft.  Neither seller has responded to my e-mail requests for those updated files and serial numbers.  

I have a been a loyal paying customer to both companies over a span of years, but neither company has the decency to respond to polite e-mail requests or to support products that they sold to me.  I bought virtually the entire Orbx/FTX catalog through the Flightsim Store, but now that company can't be bothered to respond to customer e-mails or update its customer software libraries.  FSPilotShop required me to pay $4.95 to "reactivate" links to the Alabeo and Carenado downloads, but neglected to update the downloads to the current versions.  What kind of company in 2017 requires paying customers to pay additional fees to reactivate download links for products that they already own!?  Amazing!

So, a big heads up for other flightsim enthusiasts.  Avoid FSPilotShop and The Flightsim Store - they don't support their customers and they carry out fraudulent business practices.

[Parping Couplet 117]

I had a similar run-in with FSS with the A2A 172. Took them ages to get around to uploading the P3D V4 update, but at least no charge for downloading. The lesson is most definitely to buy from the developer whenever possible, which is a shame, because frankly the third party sellers should be more on the ball than this to justify their existence.

[BillW 210]

I have had the same experience with the Flightsim Store. They are very close to losing a customer.

 

Bill W

 

 

 

[Indy511 686]

FSS has updated the Alabeo Staggerwing, C172 Cutless, C207, C195, PA32, but that's about it. I've been waiting for the C404 and the GeeBee that have been  updated to v4. It's been longer than the couple of days that Alabeo said it would take resellers to upload the updates. Over a week now. The same goes with Carenado products.

In the future I will buy products directly from the developer.

[wizzards 99]

what stopped me from using Carenado,s and other devs own site was the 3 x download limit that they had on there products ,don't know if its still there! and i realize that an email would allow them to reset the downloads but I don't need that Hassle,the best site for me by far is JUST FLIGHT,they are always very quick to update add ons,reply to your Emails quickly and your purchase,s are always available for re download,just log onto your account and bingo its all there,Just plain old Good service,which is all we want is it not,

Peter

[jasonboche 7]

9 minutes ago, wizzards said:

what stopped me from using Carenado,s and other devs own site was the 3 x download limit that they had on there products ,don't know if its still there! and i realize that an email would allow them to reset the downloads but I don't need that Hassle,the best site for me by far is JUST FLIGHT,they are always very quick to update add ons,reply to your Emails quickly and your purchase,s are always available for re download,just log onto your account and bingo its all there,Just plain old Good service,which is all we want is it not,

Peter

Flightbeam has a 3x download limit. I just found that out this week reading the 1.0.1 patch release notes for KMSP HD. They recommend using the Addon Manager to perform the patch rather than re-downloading the product with the patch built in because it will count as an additional download instance. Having worked with software for a few decades, I find it somewhat of a bizarre policy and maybe a hassle but I think it's workable. The large majority of the flight sim industry does weird things with software I guess as a method to combat piracy but it is somewhat of a hassle for paying customers. I've always felt it was weird but whatever.

[Guest JustanotherPilot]

I had issues with PCAviator not updating their Carenado range, submission of a ticket to them and a complaint to Carenado regarding vendor delaying updates eventually got some satisfaction, but it should never have gotten to that stage. Addon manufactures should put vendors on notice....."you don't provide support, you don't sell my product."

My rule now is buy the product directly from the manufacturer where possible, unless a vendors offers a deal too good to miss

[Parping Couplet 117]

24 minutes ago, jasonboche said:

Flightbeam has a 3x download limit. I just found that out this week reading the 1.0.1 patch release notes for KMSP HD. They recommend using the Addon Manager to perform the patch rather than re-downloading the product with the patch built in because it will count as an additional download instance. Having worked with software for a few decades, I find it somewhat of a bizarre policy and maybe a hassle but I think it's workable. The large majority of the flight sim industry does weird things with software I guess as a method to combat piracy but it is somewhat of a hassle for paying customers. I've always felt it was weird but whatever.

Suddenly I'm beginning to wonder if the departure from the FSDT Addon Manager is all it's cracked up to be, then. 3 is very low, but that being said is it three within a certain timeframe, then it resets again?

 

[harrry 322]

I hate to see this with what  was a good firm which I bought a lot of products from.  I do not know what the problem is but I am now beginning to worry that if they keep on they will lose business and close.  Where will that leave me, I bet the developers will just leave us out in the cold.

What is the problem,this was a good responsive business.

[jonesrob 96]

All your Orbx purchases from Flightsim Store can be transferred to Orbx quite easily.

[Jim Young 2,356]

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