It's always fun doing an upgrade to electronics and the associated software as it
1. Always costs more than expected and
2. Get to install new stuff and play with it and
3. See which companies treat their customers well
As part of my navigation PC upgrade (new PC and Windows 7), I needed to upgrade my copy of Coastal Explorer. This a PC-based navigation package and I know some of you have bought it since I wrote about it in the past and recommended it.
http://rosepointnav.com
It has performed fairly well and the only interaction I had with the company up until this past week was when I bought it back in 2007. That process didn't really go too smooth as I paid for it with my PayPal account and then didn't hear from them for awhile and had to send emails and finally got it a few weeks later... kinda crazy.
So earlier this week, I got online to update it. I noticed that they had been giving out updates for free for the past few years but now they are charging $99 for Coastal Explorer 2011. I pull out my original case with the CD's in it as the serial number is in the case. I try registering the product and it bounces me out and won't let me do it. Oh well... I then pull out the CD to just put the old version on my new PC and the CD player spits it out... the CD has a small crack in it... Great...
So I call Rosepoint Navigation and a nice guy answers the phone. I tell him what happened with the CD and he tells me I can upgrade to the 2011 version for $99... I say "Let's do that." I give him my key over the phone and he asks if I am "Jay Dunbar" or something. I say "No." He said my key was registered to someone else. He said he needed to track down the problem and I offered to send him a picture of the CD's I have in the case with the license key and he says sure... I email it to him.
This is where it gets strange. I get an email back asking if I have a receipt. I didn't think I kept stuff that old as it was all done electronically and I had a different laptop back then. Long story made short but I found my PayPal receipt along with the email communication with someone at Rosepoint Navigation called Christine. I had a few emails asking her why it was taking so long to get it. I forwarded this off to the support person at Rosepoint Navigation this past week.
Now it gets stranger. I have not heard back from them so I called this evening. The support guy picks up the phone and I tell him who I am and he knows. He said he got my emails and my receipt but it has "moved to a higher level." I'm a little confused about this and ask and he says they can't do anything because they don't know what is going on. He then puts me on hold for about 5 minutes and comes back and says he's sorry but the person who makes a decision on how to resolve this is out of town. I ask "resolve what? Are you saying you are looking at the possibility I may have stolen this?" and his response was "I guess you could say that." I asked who had the copy of my key and if they had bought it direct and he said it was an "installer" that did the key...
So here's the deal... All I wanted was to receive the same upgrade treatment that every other Rosepoint Navigation customer has received. Given the multiple copies of this product I've recommended and the fact I bought it direct and have the receipts, one would think they would gladly put the rightful owner in their database... The only thing I know is I did nothing wrong. CD's, case and license key have lived in my bedroom dresser drawer after I installed it on a single PC.
Unbelievable... I guess I'm now a software pirate with receipts.
Good software or not, business behavior and support is worth alot... especially in this market.
Guess I'm off to buy MaxSea for the PC. And I would recommend staying away from Rosepoint Navigation. It appears their keys are not secure and if yours get's hacked, you can kiss any support good bye. (It's a sad day when a French company steals business from a US company because of "people skills")
1. Always costs more than expected and
2. Get to install new stuff and play with it and
3. See which companies treat their customers well
As part of my navigation PC upgrade (new PC and Windows 7), I needed to upgrade my copy of Coastal Explorer. This a PC-based navigation package and I know some of you have bought it since I wrote about it in the past and recommended it.
http://rosepointnav.com
It has performed fairly well and the only interaction I had with the company up until this past week was when I bought it back in 2007. That process didn't really go too smooth as I paid for it with my PayPal account and then didn't hear from them for awhile and had to send emails and finally got it a few weeks later... kinda crazy.
So earlier this week, I got online to update it. I noticed that they had been giving out updates for free for the past few years but now they are charging $99 for Coastal Explorer 2011. I pull out my original case with the CD's in it as the serial number is in the case. I try registering the product and it bounces me out and won't let me do it. Oh well... I then pull out the CD to just put the old version on my new PC and the CD player spits it out... the CD has a small crack in it... Great...
So I call Rosepoint Navigation and a nice guy answers the phone. I tell him what happened with the CD and he tells me I can upgrade to the 2011 version for $99... I say "Let's do that." I give him my key over the phone and he asks if I am "Jay Dunbar" or something. I say "No." He said my key was registered to someone else. He said he needed to track down the problem and I offered to send him a picture of the CD's I have in the case with the license key and he says sure... I email it to him.
This is where it gets strange. I get an email back asking if I have a receipt. I didn't think I kept stuff that old as it was all done electronically and I had a different laptop back then. Long story made short but I found my PayPal receipt along with the email communication with someone at Rosepoint Navigation called Christine. I had a few emails asking her why it was taking so long to get it. I forwarded this off to the support person at Rosepoint Navigation this past week.
Now it gets stranger. I have not heard back from them so I called this evening. The support guy picks up the phone and I tell him who I am and he knows. He said he got my emails and my receipt but it has "moved to a higher level." I'm a little confused about this and ask and he says they can't do anything because they don't know what is going on. He then puts me on hold for about 5 minutes and comes back and says he's sorry but the person who makes a decision on how to resolve this is out of town. I ask "resolve what? Are you saying you are looking at the possibility I may have stolen this?" and his response was "I guess you could say that." I asked who had the copy of my key and if they had bought it direct and he said it was an "installer" that did the key...
So here's the deal... All I wanted was to receive the same upgrade treatment that every other Rosepoint Navigation customer has received. Given the multiple copies of this product I've recommended and the fact I bought it direct and have the receipts, one would think they would gladly put the rightful owner in their database... The only thing I know is I did nothing wrong. CD's, case and license key have lived in my bedroom dresser drawer after I installed it on a single PC.
Unbelievable... I guess I'm now a software pirate with receipts.
Good software or not, business behavior and support is worth alot... especially in this market.
Guess I'm off to buy MaxSea for the PC. And I would recommend staying away from Rosepoint Navigation. It appears their keys are not secure and if yours get's hacked, you can kiss any support good bye. (It's a sad day when a French company steals business from a US company because of "people skills")
Last edited: