Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
scottjg1

PC aviator support requests - Unanswered!

Recommended Posts

Hi,

l am new to the forum.

I have submitted support requests to PCA  on the 2nd Sep, with follow up requests on the 12 & 18th Sep - all unanswered.

l have submitted a further two requests on the 19th Sep for new keys to carenado aircraft wihich have also not been answered.

Is anybody on the forum having similar problems with PCA?

cheers,

john

 

 

 

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I've emailed them about dozen times over the last year for various pre-purchase and post-purchase related support. I've never heard back.

I've called them and left voicemails when they're open and never heard back.

Just assume that you'll receive zero customer support at any point in your transaction with them, should be fine!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I got a refund request processed once with them. Other than that, all support emails / tickets have never once been answered. 

One time I had to go to A2A and get them to help directly as I was getting no joy with PC Aviator. 

Im quite careful in what I buy from there now.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
9 hours ago, scottjg1 said:

l have submitted a further two requests on the 19th Sep for new keys to carenado aircraft wihich have also not been answered.

Is anybody on the forum having similar problems with PCA?

I'm the only one in the community that has no problems with support from PCAviator.  Of course, I follow their guidance on the site for support but if I need an update or new keys to Carenado aircraft, I just sign into my account, look up the product I purchased and the key or the updated product will be there for me to download.  I cannot say specifically about Carenado as I buy those products directly from Carenado and I sign into that account and it will show me all of the products I purchased along with a download of the new product if I want and I can get the new key which is with the updated product. 

I'm sure PCAviator will someday respond to your inquiry but I have found they will not if you did not follow already published guidance on updating your product or getting new keys.  The other issue might be with Carenado as they recently updated most of their products for P3DV4 and some of those updates required new keys.  If they did not furnish the new key to PCAviator, all they can do is wait.  Still, if you log into your account there, you will find your purchase order with the keys and the new product update, in most cases, as soon as the product is updated.  This is what all the big stores are doing now, keeping your purchases in your account.  When a product is updated, the developer (Carenado) sends them the new update and it is automatically placed in the accounts of everyone who purchased the product.  They also update the registration automatically.

You can help the big stores like PCAviator, SimMarket, PCPilot, etc., by keeping a copy of your purchase order on your computer.  I use Outlook and G-Mail as my e-mail programs and set up folders for my downloaded software.  The main folder is FS Software.  Under that is the name of each developer I have purchased a product from (some I just place in the FS Software).  So I have a PMDG, GEX, Taxi2Gate, Tropical_Sim, LatinVFR, XPlane, Carenado, to name a few.  I also maintain a copy of my downloaded software in FS folders on a backup HDD.  This way, if I need to reinstall and I don't have to go back on line, sign into PC Aviator, and download the product again.

Hope this helps.

Jim

  • Upvote 1

Jim Young | AVSIM Online! - Simming's Premier Resource!

Member, AVSIM Board of Directors - Serving AVSIM since 2001

Submit News to AVSIM
Important other links: Basic FSX Configuration Guide | AVSIM CTD Guide | AVSIM Prepar3D Guide | Help with AVSIM Site | Signature Rules | Screen Shot Rule | AVSIM Terms of Service (ToS)

I7 8086K  5.0GHz | GTX 1080 TI OC Edition | Dell 34" and 24" Monitors | ASUS Maximus X Hero MB Z370 | Samsung M.2 NVMe 500GB and 1TB | Samsung SSD 500GB x2 | Toshiba HDD 1TB | WDC HDD 1TB | Corsair H115i Pro | 16GB DDR4 3600C17 | Windows 10 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks Jim for your reply.

The point of  my request to PCA for support was that new keys were required for those products. However if they are awaiting keys from the developer, it would be nice to be so advised.

I do keep a copy of invoices (with keys) in electronic and also hard copy format, with a further backup of an excel spreadsheet listing all my software keys.

regards,

john

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My invoices provide me the e-mail address for tech support for the product.  Did you send an e-mail to Carenardo support with details of your order and asking them for an updated key?  I know that when I saw the updates to Carenardo products and those that require new keys, Carenado also indicated whether or not they had sent the update and new key to distributors like PCAviator.  If they have already issued the new keys and sent the updates to PCAviator, SimMarket, Aerosoft, etc., then you need to tell Carenardo the key and update was not received at PCAviator as you do not see an update to the product or a new key.


Jim Young | AVSIM Online! - Simming's Premier Resource!

Member, AVSIM Board of Directors - Serving AVSIM since 2001

Submit News to AVSIM
Important other links: Basic FSX Configuration Guide | AVSIM CTD Guide | AVSIM Prepar3D Guide | Help with AVSIM Site | Signature Rules | Screen Shot Rule | AVSIM Terms of Service (ToS)

I7 8086K  5.0GHz | GTX 1080 TI OC Edition | Dell 34" and 24" Monitors | ASUS Maximus X Hero MB Z370 | Samsung M.2 NVMe 500GB and 1TB | Samsung SSD 500GB x2 | Toshiba HDD 1TB | WDC HDD 1TB | Corsair H115i Pro | 16GB DDR4 3600C17 | Windows 10 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 25/09/2017 at 0:04 PM, scottjg1 said:

Hi,

l am new to the forum.

I have submitted support requests to PCA  on the 2nd Sep, with follow up requests on the 12 & 18th Sep - all unanswered.

l have submitted a further two requests on the 19th Sep for new keys to carenado aircraft wihich have also not been answered.

Is anybody on the forum having similar problems with PCA?

cheers,

john

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry to drag this thread up again, but I'm currently having issues with PCA returning my emails regarding a purchase that didn't complete correctly.

Sounds like I should give up all hope of ever receiving a reply. Just wondering if anyone has any idea why their customer support is so atrocious ?

I live in the UK and was contemplating phoning them up, but this sounds like I would only receive an automated reply ?

Regards

Gary

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

They have offices in Australia and here in the US.  When you purchased your product from PCA, did you sign into your account and search for your orders?  If there are no orders, then the purchase did not complete correctly.  If there is an order in your account, just click on it and it takes you to the download page and details about your order (serial number, etc.).  Why send them an inquiry if you can simply sign into your account and check on your order details and download the product?  PCA is a big store.  They usually respond to inquiries that cannot be answered via their website.  I only get responses if a download, say, a MegaScenery does not download or after the installation, it shows some files are missing.  They are usually very quick to respond.  Once I ordered a scenery I did not think I owned and accidentally bought it again.  I sent an e-mail asking for a refund.  No response ever after over 5 years.  I checked their site and it states if you buy a duplicate scenery, you cannot get a refund for the duplicate purchase.  Ah, this is why they did not respond!

Members have reported they have tried to call and have been unsuccessful.  If you cannot get a response via e-mail, then go to your credit card company and cancel the order. 

If I were running the company (and I'm not), I would have automated responses with a link to FAQ's.  I would still review the incoming e-mails but would only respond to those that does not have an answer in the FAQ section.  Perhaps they already have something like this. 


Jim Young | AVSIM Online! - Simming's Premier Resource!

Member, AVSIM Board of Directors - Serving AVSIM since 2001

Submit News to AVSIM
Important other links: Basic FSX Configuration Guide | AVSIM CTD Guide | AVSIM Prepar3D Guide | Help with AVSIM Site | Signature Rules | Screen Shot Rule | AVSIM Terms of Service (ToS)

I7 8086K  5.0GHz | GTX 1080 TI OC Edition | Dell 34" and 24" Monitors | ASUS Maximus X Hero MB Z370 | Samsung M.2 NVMe 500GB and 1TB | Samsung SSD 500GB x2 | Toshiba HDD 1TB | WDC HDD 1TB | Corsair H115i Pro | 16GB DDR4 3600C17 | Windows 10 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
5 hours ago, Jim Young said:

Why send them an inquiry if you can simply sign into your account and check on your order details and download the product? 

This is the problem - my order never completed, with the order details stating, "Not finished". Any links from this page take me to an invoice for the "purchase", but the purchase was never completed - or paid for, so it can't be downloaded.

Of course I could just re-order the product, but as I have stated to PCA twice now, the order was placed on a 10% discount Tuesday using a $5 discount loyalty voucher. Equating to an approx 25% discount. And once used, the loyalty voucher cannot be reused.

Gary

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Every Tuesday you get 10% off any purchase on top of any sales they may be having.  They frequently have 25 - 50% sales (see our Bargain's Hunter Forum) and, if you purchase on Tuesday's, it's another 10%.  You messed up on the first attempt to order, now you just have to wait and try again the following Tuesday.  The $5 loyalty voucher is great promotion for a product costing less than $30.  I get them once in a while but have never used them.  That is a major loss if the voucher has already expired but it sounds like you are a great customer so I'm sure you will get more in the future.  The 50% off discount for upgrading to MSE product is also a good deal.  Complaining on AVSIM, the world's premier flight simulation website, about your one issue with PCA, is not going to destroy or hurt PCA one bit or force them to respond to you.  I recommend you move on and chalk it down as a bad transaction where you lost nothing financially. Bad things occur frequently throughout one's life and you will probably see many more.  I bought a Corvette recently and found out later I spent at least $10,000 more than I should have but the smooth talking by the salesman caused me to buy the options I did not need.  My fault. Lost $10,000.  Moving on...


Jim Young | AVSIM Online! - Simming's Premier Resource!

Member, AVSIM Board of Directors - Serving AVSIM since 2001

Submit News to AVSIM
Important other links: Basic FSX Configuration Guide | AVSIM CTD Guide | AVSIM Prepar3D Guide | Help with AVSIM Site | Signature Rules | Screen Shot Rule | AVSIM Terms of Service (ToS)

I7 8086K  5.0GHz | GTX 1080 TI OC Edition | Dell 34" and 24" Monitors | ASUS Maximus X Hero MB Z370 | Samsung M.2 NVMe 500GB and 1TB | Samsung SSD 500GB x2 | Toshiba HDD 1TB | WDC HDD 1TB | Corsair H115i Pro | 16GB DDR4 3600C17 | Windows 10 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Sorry, I have to say that PC Aviator's "support" is garbage. I have emailed numerous time for an updated product key for a few of Carenado's P3Dv4 compatible planes that I had purchased from PC Aviator in the past. No response...despite the fact that the new version is available for sale on their website with a note for previous owners to email support for updated keys. This has been my experience with this vendor for several years now anytime there is a platform update. Not one response...ever.

My advice, go directly to the developer if at all possible. If not, avoid the headaches with this company.

  • Upvote 1

Chris

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
31 minutes ago, snglecoil said:

My advice, go directly to the developer if at all possible. If not, avoid the headaches with this company.

Sound advice that, as much as possible, I try to adhere to.

But the combination of PCA's 10% Tuesday discount and a $5 loyalty discount code, meant that I was getting a 'hefty' 25% discount on the Majestic Q400 - not to be ignored !

However, I shall have to rethink my purchasing with PCA in the future. Shame as their prices are good. It's just their lack of customer care...

Regards

Gary

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

WOW! Update: I actually got a response from PC Aviator with the code I requested for a Carenado P3Dv4 update. They actually do have someone checking emails!


Chris

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I am having the same issue as garydpoole.  Purchase labelled as "Not Finished".  I have followed correct protocol. This issue is not in the FAQ. Don't see any reason why I should not a have a response... have sent 3 emails to them concerning this issue. I have purchased several products from them before .... so I know the process needed to place/view orders. I am concerned that if I submit another purchase for the item I may be charged twice for the same product or may have some other problems develop that will not be addressed. I did use the correct process when placing the order. I also had a $5 bonus. I would note that all other flight sim stores that I have purchased things from and have had problems develop, they have all responded to my cries for help.  Too bad about PCA not giving adequate support to some customers because I would like to continue to support them, but not right now.... unless they contact me and make a legitimate effort to help.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

  • Tom Allensworth,
    Founder of AVSIM Online


  • Flight Simulation's Premier Resource!

    AVSIM is a free service to the flight simulation community. AVSIM is staffed completely by volunteers and all funds donated to AVSIM go directly back to supporting the community. Your donation here helps to pay our bandwidth costs, emergency funding, and other general costs that crop up from time to time. Thank you for your support!

    Click here for more information and to see all donations year to date.
×
×
  • Create New...