Proscan - Poor Support

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swwesq

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I have been a fateful user of Proscan since I discovered it last year on Radioreference and as of today I have to say I am very bummed out about their support. My thinkpad which I run the software on, crashed on me a few weeks back and in order to repair it, the Lenovo repair center had to basically replace a bunch of the computer inards including the HD. So I get the computer back and reinstall Proscan and I get a message saying that Proscan has hit its max activation limit. I then contact Bob of Proscan and after 20 questions regarding my system repair and outright accusion me of lying about my system repair, he refuses to give let me re-activate my Proscan.

After 6-7 emails going back and forth with Bob, I give up and am going back 100% to Butel. I can't say that proscan is bad software because I did use and like it, but don't expect good support or any help if you ever have a computer crash! Even the gestapo over at Microsoft had no problem letting me reactivate my office software.

Anyway, just venting.
Steve
 

brandon

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I had a similar experience, but not 20 questions worth. He warned me that I was supposed to deactivate the program through the menus. Of course it was too late at that point and I didn't even know this deactivation feature existed at that time. Thankfully Bob was kind enough to fix for me so I am able to use the program.

I do agree with you 100% though... The software activation circus just annoys honest paying customers. The pirates are able to crack this stuff no problem, so it really does nothing to prevent it. It's also scary to think what happens if the author quits the business and the activation server goes 10-7 therefore rendering the program useless.
 

ProScan

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I was working with you on this up in tell you got into name calling and went ballistic.

I saw a ProScan activation from another machine then the two that you previously activated. I asked a total of four questions and that many because your story kept changing. First you said that you re-formatted the hard drive, and then you said that you replaced the hard drive, and then when I asked if the motherboard was changed out, you replied that you didn't know because a service shop did the work. You offered to show me the repair shop paper work and when I accepted, you went ballistic.

I never accused you of lying just needed clarification because of the inconsistencies.

I have been a fateful user of Proscan since I discovered it last year on Radioreference and as of today I have to say I am very bummed out about their support. My thinkpad which I run the software on, crashed on me a few weeks back and in order to repair it, the Lenovo repair center had to basically replace a bunch of the computer inards including the HD. So I get the computer back and reinstall Proscan and I get a message saying that Proscan has hit its max activation limit. I then contact Bob of Proscan and after 20 questions regarding my system repair and outright accusion me of lying about my system repair, he refuses to give let me re-activate my Proscan.

After 6-7 emails going back and forth with Bob, I give up and am going back 100% to Butel. I can't say that proscan is bad software because I did use and like it, but don't expect good support or any help if you ever have a computer crash! Even the gestapo over at Microsoft had no problem letting me reactivate my office software.

Anyway, just venting.
Steve
 

ICP963

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I have had great support from Rob at ProScan. No, I have not had issues with reactivations, but then I DO preform regular system backups on my computers.
 

WX4JCW

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No Problems with ProScan here

The "Activation" Circus is a necessary evil these days, if people would be honest and actually pay for the software they are using, actually follow the TOS, and actually be honest, well then this wouldn't be necessary.

And why would someone go ballistic if Bob decided he wanted to see the shop paperwork, it is not because of you being dishonest in particular, but not a good attitude to have when someone is trying to help you out.
 

KI4LIV

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I must say, I am fairly new to Proscan - I ran the trial for about a month and decided yesterday to fork out the cash. Why? Because the application works well for what I want it to, Bob's communications with me via both this forum and the Proscan.org forum has been outstanding, not to mention the fact that he's considering a number of enhancements that I have requested for upcoming versions!

I can understand your frustration, but for those others who have read this that have been considering Proscan, don't let this thread deter you from trying and/or buying the application!

Butel on the other hand - I can say that I have been faithful to them. I have bought their software for the BCT8, BC246T, BC780, BC785D, and BR330T... Do they do the job? Absolutely! I can't say that I have had any bad experiences with them, but I can say that I can see how with as many products as he has released that it's got to be a MAJOR PITA to support all of them!

Proscan on the other hand is an all-inclusive application - one product to support and keep growing to the needs/wants of the paid customers.

I personally work as a technical support manager - I can understand Bob's point when it comes to name calling and going ballistic. Yes, I will let a customer vent (come on folks, we ALL do it from time to time!), but there is a fine line that when crossed the conversation is over and the customer can forget about getting any help from me.

Not taking sides here - just voicing my opinions!

Jon / KI4LIV
 
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jpm

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I had no problem with Proscan other than the opening all what ever you have to do after replacing a IBM hard drive... you don't have to do that with a mac. Bob i might be needing help as i just had to redo the dell. I will e-mail if i have problems and know you will be there to support your great product. I love Proscan because one for all the Uniden scanners, keep up the great hard work on the only program I use for all the Uniden scanners I owe and one for such task. THANKS BOB I appreciate the hard work and dedication to your product.
 
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swwesq

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Bob at Proscan Be Serious

I never called you any names, the closest even remote thing I said to you was when I asked jokingly if any one has ever compared you to the Soup Nazi from Seinfield. Come on, even BIG BROTHER himself, the Gates Machine of Microsoft reactivated my $500 office package without question. Did you ever think that since I sent you proof of my original payment and key that at the very least it would be good customer relations to let me ractivate?

Further, this is not my first run in with Bob of Proscan, once I lost my key and when I asked for it again and sent him my paypal reciept, his reponse was roughly he was to busy to deal with it and that it cost him like $25 for every key. What the heck is that? What software author who rights software where it takes him more then a min to send a paid user his key?

I agree with the early poster, when you have paid customers, treat them well.

BTW, in 5 minutes searching google I found a key generator for proscan and reativated it myself!!!!

I don't feel bad at all, because I'm a paid user. A screwed paid user, but nontheless a paid user. Oh, and please don't ake for the key generator I found because I have already trashed it. I would never assist a non-paid non-licenced user obtain software.

Stev
 

ProScan

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I pride myself on customer satisfaction. Not 99.9% but 100%. I never had a justified complaint.

I send out lost keys within 24 hours unless the request was sent from another email address then I’ll request additional info such as original email address or data of purchase.

I’ve only had three requests for refunds. Two of them because they didn’t try the demo out and thought ProScan were something else. The third case was several months after purchase when he upgraded machines and could not get ProScan to run. In all three cases a full refund was made.

If anyone disagrees with the above or has not been 100% satisfied with my service or support. I’ll like to hear about it by posting it here.

On activation: changing out hard drives will not cause the activation process to think it’s a different computer as hard drives change outs are given little weight since it a common thing for people to do.
 

swwesq

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Sure ok, 6 months ago I asked you for a lost key and it took you over a week to get it for me. It was the same email address, name, etc. You just kept saying you where busy and you got 100's of requests a day. You also told me it cost you like $25 to get a lost key, which again sounds like BS.

I even sent you a copy of your email with my key this time! How many computers do you think I have running proscan anyway? How many? The answer is ONE scanner and ONE computer. Your system shows a second activation because I upgraded my computer last year. In your software license, it clearly allows for new computers to use the software as long as not more then 2 are running it at the same time. I only have one trying to run it and you wouldn't help.

Anyway, I have tried the software and don't like anymore (the support that is), I am still not willing to knock your software because you are a good programmer but just a very poor businessman. So lets see if your willing to back your satisfaction guarantee in front of the largest group of scanner enthusiasts, I am clearly not satisfied so give me a refund! Shoot, I would even take an activation reset if you would just swallow your ego for a minute and treat your customer like you should have in the first place.

Steve

I pride myself on customer satisfaction. Not 99.9% but 100%. I never had a justified complaint.

I send out lost keys within 24 hours unless the request was sent from another email address then I’ll request additional info such as original email address or data of purchase.

I’ve only had three requests for refunds. Two of them because they didn’t try the demo out and thought ProScan were something else. The third case was several months after purchase when he upgraded machines and could not get ProScan to run. In all three cases a full refund was made.

If anyone disagrees with the above or has not been 100% satisfied with my service or support. I’ll like to hear about it by posting it here.

On activation: changing out hard drives will not cause the activation process to think it’s a different computer as hard drives change outs are given little weight since it a common thing for people to do.
 
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KI4LIV

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Steve,

Not to start a flame war, but I think this is really the wrong place to air your laundry. Don't you think private messages would be more appropriate?
 

rdale

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Steve - I always suggest printing out any registration keys and saving them off-site.

If you lose your Ipod walking around town one day, should Apple buy you a new one? Treat keys the same way...
 

ProScan

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I would like to hear from anyone one else that has a problem with my support except Steve. I would to see if there's anyone that will come forward to complain about my support.
Anyone could post anything they want. I don't want anyone not familiar with my support to think it's bad. I believe its top notch and I don’t believe I have any unsatisfied customers except Steve.

I pride myself on customer satisfaction. Not 99.9% but 100%. I never had a justified complaint.

I send out lost keys within 24 hours unless the request was sent from another email address then I’ll request additional info such as original email address or data of purchase.

I’ve only had three requests for refunds. Two of them because they didn’t try the demo out and thought ProScan were something else. The third case was several months after purchase when he upgraded machines and could not get ProScan to run. In all three cases a full refund was made.

If anyone disagrees with the above or has not been 100% satisfied with my service or support. I’ll like to hear about it by posting it here.

On activation: changing out hard drives will not cause the activation process to think it’s a different computer as hard drives change outs are given little weight since it a common thing for people to do.
 
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KI4LIV

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No problems here - you've been responsive to any comments, suggestions, and requests for info that I've sent! :)
 
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texasemt13

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So lets see if your willing to back your satisfaction guarantee in front of the largest group of scanner enthusiasts, I am clearly not satisfied so give me a refund! Steve

A little anecdote:
Once, as the duty manager of a world-renowned waterpark, I was called for an irate guest at a specific private pool. Being July 4th, weekend,it took me a minute to get there. When I arrived the guest was steaming mad that she could not drag one of OUR lawn chairs in to OUR pool, because WE knew it caused damage to the pool surface (metal rails on the chair). Man this woman was fuming! First, she decided I wasn't a manager (evidently my age and not my experience pushed her to this conclusion), and tried to get my boss (who was on his day off). She continued to explain that SHE had the right because she was a paying customer (who was also staying in our resort) to put OUR chair in OUR pool.

After about 15 minutes of back and forth she wanted a refund. I took one look at her *damp* clothes and asked if she had been utilizing any other attractions of ours (of course she had). At this point I explained that since she had utilized our services I would not refund her tickets but could refund her room fee (because she thought she would be able to find another hotel in town that night)...

Point being: if you used ProScan at all (for a day or month), he doesn't have to give you a refund (technically it's up to him, even if you had never used the product). Flaming him in RR is probably not helping your case because it appears that your swim trunks are wet...
 

DonS

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You also told me it cost you like $25 to get a lost key, which again sounds like BS.

I'll chime in on this point, as a "software vendor" who is quite often asked to replace lost keys...

I don't keep records of who has registered what. My various "payment processors" have records available to me, but that doesn't include any "registration key" information. So, let's review the steps necessary to replace a key that some user has, for some reason, "lost":

1. Verify that the user did, in fact, register the software. The only reliable method is to contact the payment processor (for me, that's PayPal or my credit card gateway). That takes a few minutes to log in, search for identifying information, and review the search results to try to "match" a transaction record to the hapless user.
2. Once we've verified that the user did register, see if we have a copy of the original key that the user lost. In my case, that's extremely unlikely, since I don't keep such records for more than a week or two (and I only keep them that long in case a mail server reports a "bounce").
3. Launch the copy protection software and load the profile for the application in question.
4. Enter (or copy/paste) the user-specific information which will generate a new registration key, then generate the key.
5. Create/send an email to the user with the new registration key, instructing him in how to enter it and (once again) admonishing him to not lose it.

It takes me, at least, 15 minutes to go through the above steps and send a replacement key to a user who has lost theirs. If someone makes $100/hr (quite common for someone in my profession where I live), that 15 minutes represents $25.

I receive 8-12 such "lost key" emails every day. If I spent 2-3 hours generating new keys every day, that could be $200 - $300 out of my pocket if I made $100/hr and have an alloted amout of time to "work at the computer" each day - those 2-3 hours generating keys are hours that I'm not earning my normal wage.

So, to me, it certainly doesn't "sound like BS" that replacement of a lost key could cost the vendor $25. What "sounds like BS" is that a user would expect a vendor to spend that time/money to create and send a key (which he has already sent once) to replace the key that the user "lost".

I've lost many things in my years on this planet - I've never once asked the seller to replace them for free. I figured that the seller had already lived up to his end of the deal by furnishing the item in the first place. It was my responsibility to take care of something on which I'd spent my hard-earned dollars. For software registration keys, my "investments" are now protected with a printer, a DVD burner, robust backup software, and a safe.
 

h8tdigitalradio

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Hello,

No issues with support from Bob. ProScan has some of, if not, the best tech support in the Streaming Software business. I had some issues using ProScan on my M$ Vista Box, Bob took care of it. Happy customer here! :)

73

Dave AKA The Tripzter
 

smason

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I'll chime in on this point, as a "software vendor" who is quite often asked to replace lost keys...
.
2. Once we've verified that the user did register, see if we have a copy of the original key that the user lost. In my case, that's extremely unlikely, since I don't keep such records for more than a week or two (and I only keep them that long in case a mail server reports a "bounce")..

Just curious, certainly not criticizing.... wouldn't it make your life easier, since you DO get a lot of lost key requests, to keep them indefinitely?
 

DonS

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Just curious, certainly not criticizing.... wouldn't it make your life easier, since you DO get a lot of lost key requests, to keep them indefinitely?

Maybe, with sufficient storage space. However, keep in mind that I have 4 apps that can be registered, going back 5 years. Having my email client search through a large repository (my existing combined repository files are well over 2GB) of saved emails likely wouldn't be much faster than the 15 minute "generate a new key" solution, especially if the user has changed email addresses, moved, etc. (making it difficult to discern unique users).
 
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