Paid support money back

Hi,

I send a few mails to the info@ address with some pre-sales questions and general questions. Not support related... I never received an answer.

When browsing here in the forums it seems that even people who paid the support package don't get answers on the phone (just a not taking calls voicemail) . For me as "not a customer" yet kinda guy it seems that this company is some sort of postbox company only with one guy cashing out the money.

My question : Do I get my money back if I pay for support and never receive any ? If so how can I claim it (chargeback?)

I mean the software seems to be great but on the first sight not quite trustworthy ....

 

Thats too many threads for my taste:

http://forums.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=5083

http://forums.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=5313

http://forums.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=3911

http://forums.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=3442

 

Well, you could always just try the risk-free 30 day evaluation, and you might find that you won't need any support beyond what is available from this discussion forum.

 

Thats not the point now is it ... In those threads you can read that people obviously need support. I don't think I need support since I work for years with vm etc... I'll find my way around.

The point is : A company is selling a service they don't provide. I don't wanna say the software is not worth its money, but I neither see somewhere where it says downloading :"As is".

If you write a program, you provide it on your website and you say :"Listen, it doesn't cost any money and I am not able to provide support". ... Sure .. you know it might work or it doesn't ... but you cannot offer something, take money for it and don't provide the service you have taken money for it.

I don't get another thing in this and the other threads : A lot of people seem to defend that behavior .. which I don't really get .. like you .. of course the forum helps, the community helps .. but again, thats not the point ...

Don't forget : Not everybody has technical knowledge, not everybody likes forums and not to forget : THERE IS NOT EVEN A LINK ON THE MAINPAGE TO THIS FORUM ....

 

I am not going to comment on the support aspect as I have not needed it yet, but I do want to say I did find it odd that there was not a link to the forums. I found them via a google search, while I had issues installing Suse 10.2. I did buy the product to get the full year of upgrades, and just wanted to find out why the forums are "hidden". I find that most problems can be answered in the forums, but find it strange that the company does not mention them, because they are an asset to give to customers.

 

Same here, found it on google ...

 

.
A link to these forums is provided upon registration.

These forums are for registered users to help other registered users.
.

 

Sure enough, here it is in the e-mail, but a link on their main page will help users as well.
Step Two: Download Parallels Desktop for Mac

To download your Parallels Desktop for Mac, please follow instructions in the e-mail with the subject Your Order with Parallels, Inc.

Step Three: Feedback and Technical Support
If you have any questions about the installation, setup, or use of Parallels Desktop for Mac, please visit our Support pages on web site at http://www.parallels.com/en/support/ You can also visit our support forum at http://forum.parallels.com/

Thanks again for purchasing Parallels Desktop for Mac! We believe you'll enjoy the product!

 

I've emailed Parallels about USB issues with my printer a couple times and received a good response within a couple days. Support seems fine.

 

No support for me either...

I continue to have issues with parallels networking on an xp host (dell laptop). I sent an email to support about a month ago... No replies. I must be stupid, because I now own 3 copies of parallels. The copy on the Mac Mini works perfectly. The copy on the laptop works fine unless you need to use a network. I'm still fighting the copy on the linux server.

If I had it to do over, I would have only paid for the Mac version. Too bad, I was going to pitch it to my company, but not with the problems I have had on the PC hardware and with the lack of support.

If you are looking at it for a Mac, Get it. Anything else, forget it. I hope they improve soon.

 

Well .. a friend of mine bought it and that was the reason why I even started looking for it ... I checked the trial version on Mac which is just impressive .. My manager saw me playing with it on my Mac Book all day and he asked about my oppinnion since he uses VMWare on his test environment (in production we use ESX, so no way to use parallels anyway) and asked me a couple of questions about prices etc. He was impressed and almost wanted to go ahead to pruchase a few licenses but I had to ask him to check the forums and a day later he just said : OMG .. we cannot afford not being able to get in contact with support ...

I suggested to buy just one license first and his response was : We cannot afford depending on a non-responsive support ..

So Parallels : Get that $%& sorted or you MIGHT lose customer (not losing per se, but not even getting them)...

 

Guess support is a hit and miss thing. I have not needed any support. I am running Windows Vista RC1 of my MacBook Pro and I love it. No problems at all. Guess they don't want a link from the main page for trial users only paid users, as I got the link in the e-mail after I purchased the software. I think this a mistake since trial users can also aid paid users in the support area.

 

Well .. my mainpoint in this thread was not that support is not answering here in the forums. My biggest issue I have : You pay MONEY for something (in this case phonesupport) and get nothing since nobody is ever reachable .. And I don't care if people here in forums help or not .. This is a product they offer and take money for and don't deliver .. you can keep saying that most people don't need support, that the forums helps etc. but it doesn't change that fact .. period ..

 

I agree, but don't know how to change it.

 

I think there is no way to change it ...I think the only thing what you can do as a customer is going the official way.

If you are a customer, paid for phone support and you are not able to get that "product aka support" - you can either live with it, or get (overkill suggestions following) a lawyer to write them a nice letter. Considering that the price is not that high it is indeed overkill. But I know there are always people paying ridiculous money just to prove their point.

I am not looking for a solution here since my manager already decided against parallels because of that so I don't care anyway .. .

Thanks for listening

Maybe at some day someone from Parallels checks their forum from time to time although I think they don't care ..

 

Same experience... I paid for support and called only to be placed on hold (at my expense as it was NOT a toll-free number), and ended up leaving a message early in the afternoon. No call back at all that day. I spent two hours searching through the forums and eventually ended up figuring it out. I would have gladly paid the $29 to save 2 hours.

I e-mailed them to ask for my money back. Judging from other posts, I won't keep my hopes up. When I see the bill on my Amex card, I'll just dispute it.

Also, the computer generated voice-prompts for phone support is really annoying and barely understandable. I wish they would use a real human voice.

Otherwise, I really like the new features of the beta 3 version. I just wish their customer support was at least average. It just kills the entire experience.

 

a suposition on causes

I am not supporting or attacking any of the opinions here and I do not work or have contact with the company, but I've got a theory on the reasons for this

Parallels desktop is not what one would call highly mature software. I've owned it for only a few weeks and I've seen 3 major new features changes. Plus there are at least two more announced in the pipe that will likely turn up any time now.

that is a screamingly fast pace. Microsoft puts out this level of change maybe once every 18 months not every week.

How can you possibly train support staff to deal with that? It defies physics.

Their choices are probably slow down their software development so either their training can keep pace or they can unleash their engineers to answer questions from the public, neither of which they can do and stay ahead of VMware which is a much better funded company.

While I whole heartedly accept that my case isto some degree special in that I have a fairly reasonable knowledge of computers and windows, along with the time to wriggle through all this, I personally would rather have all the wonderful new features than the ability to phone someone.

If they can't provide a contracted service though (assuming the statements made about the contract are even correct, I haven't seen it) it is in their best interest to do something ASAP. Some diaper stain is likely to try for a cheap lawsuit just to piddle them for cash at a particularly inconvenient time for the company.

It is possible that the reason that there has not been a more timely reply is they are making sure they get their legal ducks in a row in order to do it without opening themselves to torts.

I really hope this doesn't happen. I like this software and it would annoy me if development is interrupted.

The VMware product is rumored to stink. I don't particularly want to have to wind up having to use it especially since I have already paid for this one.

 

Just reread your post. Something seems strange to me.

If you don't use the software and don't care about the product why are you digging this far into the forum? It lends your comment a disturbing inconsistency.

 

Because I tried the demo and wanted to use it at work badly and tried to defend this product so my manager gives it a try ... I am using it now on my private PC but I was badly disappointed that I am not allowed to use it at work because of the support issue ...

 

Add utw-Mephisto to Your Ignore List
is what I would do if you continue time wasting trolling under a nym

I have taught myself to use the software correctly and need no support other than what is available


Hugh W