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Topic: What does it take to get real support? (Read 8770 times) previous topic - next topic

What does it take to get real support?

I've been using NWC as long as I can remember as a loyal paying customer.
All of the purchases I have made have been downloads...and I don't recall getting a letter with the magical "authenticity ID#"...so I cannot upgrade my forum profile to have full features such as making attachments to posts.

The support email (support@noteworthysoftware.com) person (Beth) is giving me the runaround telling me it is impossible to give me this number. Anybody know how I can find this? I don't think I ever received the letter, but she tells me that I have to report that within 30 days of purchase...how was I supposed to know that? I assumed everything I needed was in the email receipts over the course of the years....

As much as I love the new upgrades, this lack of cooperation from support is really turning me off.

Re: What does it take to get real support?

Reply #1 –
The authenticity ID can be found on a sticker on the outside of the case containing the NWC installation CD. It's advisable to always keep this CD, in its original case, where you can find it - in case you want to install it on a different machine, or if problems like your current one arise.

Re: What does it take to get real support?

Reply #2 –
If you download it, you don't get a CD.  I find the need to find a letter that would have been received about 5 years ago as annoying as the original poster.

Re: What does it take to get real support?

Reply #3 –
The license/authenticity information for version 2 is always sent by mail, which ensures its security.

Re: What does it take to get real support?

Reply #4 –
Quote from: PhilHolmes –
If you download it, you don't get a CD.  I find the need to find a letter that would have been received about 5 years ago as annoying as the original poster.

I bought my ncw as a CD rather than as a download.  Whenever I buy software, I always go for the CD version first and only go for the download version if there is no other option.

Even then, I burn the downloaded copy to CD and licenses and receipts as pdf files as well, That apart from writing the license number on a sticker and fix it to the CD cover as well.

It's never an overkill to protect your software.


Re: What does it take to get real support?

Reply #5 –
If the original poster has the software installed, and it is running in "non eval mode", then he must have used the authenticity code (license?) to install it, no? Is there a way to query the authenticity code from a working installed instance of the program?

I apologize if I am off base here, because it's been a while since I had to do a fresh install. I've had the program for ages - my original installation media was a floppy disk, although I did order a CD some time later, which I keep in a safe place.

Re: What does it take to get real support?

Reply #6 –
Quote from: Mike Shawaluk –
Is there a way to query the authenticity code from a working installed instance of the program?

I doubt it very much. The whole thing about installation codes (whatever the naming) is that the software legally belongs to the person who is installing it.  If you could grab the code from a working instance of the program, there would really be no point in having an installation code since the hacker would be able to decode and then get what would appear to be legal copies or updates.

But when all said and done, you should keep all such codes safely - If nothing else, you may need to reinstall after the highly annoying and always inconvenient system crash (of which I have experienced several unfortunately).
Rich.

Re: What does it take to get real support?

Reply #7 –
Thank you, forum admins, for taking care of this for me.

Re: What does it take to get real support?

Reply #8 –
Quote from: PhilHolmes –
I find the need to find a letter that would have been received about 5 years ago as annoying as the original poster.

I don't. It's always a good idea to keep any difficult-to-recover data that you might need again, such as software registration codes, in an easily findable place. That seems self-evident to me. If I lose a registration code, I blame myself, not the software manufacturer.

OTOH, some other programs I have store inputted registration codes in an encrypted form on my computer. Updates only have to check to see if the code is present and valid, not ask for it to be inputted again. I'm not sure why this practice isn't more widespread, other than fear of hackers, which I suspect is overblown, except for high-profile software such as the Windows operating system itself.

Re: What does it take to get real support?

Reply #9 –
Quote from: William Ashworth –
I don't. It's always a good idea to keep any difficult-to-recover data that you might need again, such as software registration codes, in an easily findable place. That seems self-evident to me. If I lose a registration code, I blame myself, not the software manufacturer.

OTOH, some other programs I have store inputted registration codes in an encrypted form on my computer. Updates only have to check to see if the code is present and valid, not ask for it to be inputted again. I'm not sure why this practice isn't more widespread, other than fear of hackers, which I suspect is overblown, except for high-profile software such as the Windows operating system itself.

I think you misunderstood my original post. I am unaware that I ever received a letter with a code on it for anything. My software is just fine, I only needed the code to upgrade my forum profile to full features.
The forum admins went ahead and fixed it for me, but I am still unaware what the ID# is for my software as I never recall receiving any letter. I don't understand why this can't be done in the email receipts (which I still have all of). I also don't understand why none of the email receipts never stated that I should be expecting a letter with this ID and if I don't receive it in 30 days, that is my cutoff to ask for the letter to be resent. It's a really crummy policy, IMHO.

Re: What does it take to get real support?

Reply #10 –
Quote from: schnautza –
As much as I love the new upgrades, this lack of cooperation from support is really turning me off.

I think you should note that the Noteworthy Staff that you are moaning about in your first post are also the forum admins that you are praising in your later post.

This forum is run by Noteworthy and they are the Admins .

Rich.

Re: What does it take to get real support?

Reply #11 –
Quote from: William Ashworth –
I don't. It's always a good idea to keep any difficult-to-recover data that you might need again, such as software registration codes, in an easily findable place. That seems self-evident to me. If I lose a registration code, I blame myself, not the software manufacturer.

I would agree with this if it were email or something I can search for.  Paper I don't need and the thought of keeping a bit of paper for every single application I've ever installed is not something that makes any sort of sense.  We run the application on a computer, so that's the right place to store the registration details.

Re: What does it take to get real support?

Reply #12 –
We don't have to agree on paper versus electronic filing, the issue is retrieving the code when you need it. 

I'm sure Noteworthy has our registration data on file so if we remember what name we registered with, it should be possible for Noteworthy to send the data a second time if we need it.

Noteworthy's just needs to rethink the policy stated in this thread.  I'm not sure how rigidly applied the policy has been, since in my experience, Eric and his people have always been very helpful and kind.

To reduce the risk of hacking, the data probably should be resent in hard copy, but postage is expensive and mail takes time to deliver.

Re: What does it take to get real support?

Reply #13 –
Phil, you're free to copy the code onto your computer when you receive it, if you want. I find it easy to keep a paper file of registration material (or, in the case of NWC, the original disc with the registration info on the case). Doesn't take a whole lot of space. In any case, the point is: once you have it, find a way to keep it.

Re: What does it take to get real support?

Reply #14 –
Quote from: David Palmquist –
We don't have to agree on paper versus electronic filing, the issue is retrieving the code when you need it. 

I'm sure Noteworthy has our registration data on file so if we remember what name we registered with, it should be possible for Noteworthy to send the data a second time if we need it.

When I requested that, this was the response:

Quote
Hi

We do not resend the Authenticity ID.

Regards,
Beth
NoteWorthy Software, Inc.

Re: What does it take to get real support?

Reply #15 –
Quote from: http://www.noteworthysoftware.com/composer/order.htm
The software is delivered via fast online download. A License Certificate is sent via First Class Mail/Air Mail.
Quote from: http://www.noteworthysoftware.com/composer/return.htm
If you have ordered NoteWorthy Composer and the package/certificate materials have not arrived within 30 days of placing the order, please inform us within that 30 days at sales@noteworthysoftware.com.
Registered user since 1996

Re: What does it take to get real support?

Reply #16 –
Quote from: PhilHolmes –
When I requested that, this was the response:
Hi
We do not resend the Authenticity ID.
Regards,
Beth
NoteWorthy Software, Inc.

Well, yes, but when I first saw her name (in this thread) I wondered who Beth is.  If she's a member of Noteworthy's senior management, she'd be involved in making policy.  If she's a front line worker, though, she would apply policy, not make it. It might be worthwhile asking Eric to reconsider the policy.

 

Re: What does it take to get real support?

Reply #17 –
Rick - why would I have ever looked at the "returns" page to find that 30 day letter policy? I downloaded my software and had no problems, therefore never thinking to go looking for a delayed shipment policy!

Bottom line - noteworthy needs to reconsider their policy on this, or make it a little easier to recover this number that I still have no idea what it is, despite giving them EVERY detail of every email they have sent me with the order and shipment information.