- Am I the only one who belives it's a scam? I can see absolutely ZERO reason other than extracting addition money from customers to require "download insurance." It's not like there is a bandwidth issue that my downloading my copy of Documents to Go from Dataviz will cause anything other than a pecuniary cost - at best. It's just a matter of a scam started by someone in order to get consumers to pay for something they really don't need and a link that should be a part of your account. I'm fully ready to share software with others who are valid licenseholders who are in the "download insurance" period where years later they have to either dig up an archive tape or pay an absurd amount just to redownload their software.07-03-08 11:20 AMLike 0
- Worse, I've just noticed that I tried downloading the JAD file but it's an "over the air" installer so you can never truly back up your software. So why should I be paying for "download insurance" from these clowns? With situations where you really can't back up your software, this is reprehensible.07-03-08 11:41 AMLike 0
- I ran into this with Handango and will NOT purchase from them again. I purchased Launchpad. When the programmer came out with a tiny upgrade, I could not get it from Handango - they only offered the one I had purchased. The programmer was a nice guy and provided me with the upgrade outside of the purchase chain.07-03-08 10:01 PMLike 0
- Don't whine, vote with your wallet. Don't buy it, or the software if you feel so strongly about it.
While I agree in principle that if you are distributing only via an OTA download, which makes it difficult for the end user to backup a quality company would then allow the user to download when needed, such as when bricking one's berry.
However, it is less than accurate to call it a scam, since there is no fraud involved. In fact, that's a pretty libalous statement.
If you do not agree with their terms, you are free to not purchase it, and look elsewhere.
I certainly wouldn't pay for something that I could not either download at will, or backup on my own system easily.07-04-08 08:18 AMLike 0 - TheSultanThe Sultan of CrackBerryI disagree completely Patrick, as usual.
Taken from: Definition of scam
What dictionaries say about scam:
1. A ploy by a shyster to raise money.
2., A fraudulent business scheme. To scam means to victimize: deprive of by deceit; "He swindled me out of my inheritance"; "She defrauded the customers who trusted her"; "the cashier gypped me when he gave me too little change"
3. A confidence trick, confidence game, or con for short (also known as a scam) is an attempt to intentionally mislead a person or persons (known as the mark) usually with the goal of financial or other gain. The confidence trickster, con man, scam artist or con artist often works with an accomplice called the shill, who tries to encourage the mark by pretending to believe the trickster.
Insurance is the biggest scam our country has ever invented. I'm reminded of a "Family Guy" episode when a door to door salesman sells Peter volcano insurance despite there not being any volcano around.
Insurance is a way for the insurer to make money, and for the insured to supposedly have a backup plan in case of emergency. Ask the victims of Hurricane Katrina if they think homeowner's insurance is a scam, see if they think using a word like that is libalous!
OP, I agree completely, run like he** if someone tries to sell you insurance.07-04-08 09:50 AMLike 0 - What bothers me about Handango's "insurance" though is that it is AUTOMATICALLY added to your bill, so it is easy to miss. You are not given a choice, and they don't mention it is being added. The first (and only) time I ordered from them, I didn't notice it and ended up paying double for a tiny app. To Handango's credit, I wrote and asked for the charge to be removed, which they did, but they also tried to convince me how valuable it was. I disagreed, and complained about the way they added the charge automatically. I'm sure it makes them plenty of money, but I don't see the point personally. I know I won't be ordering from Handango again.07-04-08 10:46 AMLike 0
- What bothers me about Handango's "insurance" though is that it is AUTOMATICALLY added to your bill, so it is easy to miss. You are not given a choice, and they don't mention it is being added. The first (and only) time I ordered from them, I didn't notice it and ended up paying double for a tiny app. To Handango's credit, I wrote and asked for the charge to be removed, which they did, but they also tried to convince me how valuable it was. I disagreed, and complained about the way they added the charge automatically. I'm sure it makes them plenty of money, but I don't see the point personally. I know I won't be ordering from Handango again.
It is their policy and they are entitled to it. And my policy is not to get burned twice and to warn others.07-04-08 10:54 AMLike 0 - What bothers me about Handango's "insurance" though is that it is AUTOMATICALLY added to your bill, so it is easy to miss. You are not given a choice, and they don't mention it is being added. The first (and only) time I ordered from them, I didn't notice it and ended up paying double for a tiny app. To Handango's credit, I wrote and asked for the charge to be removed, which they did, but they also tried to convince me how valuable it was. I disagreed, and complained about the way they added the charge automatically. I'm sure it makes them plenty of money, but I don't see the point personally. I know I won't be ordering from Handango again.
Providing OTA downloads at will does indeed cost money, and it can add up fast, so I understand them wanting to recover this cost, but IMHO they would be better off providing you the OTA on purchase, and a desktop install for your later use. My guess is that they are selling some software without keys, and so they don't want to provide a desktop install which could then be freely distributed. I go the other route, and always use cryptographic keys so that you could even give someone else your key and it does them no good.
Keep in mind too, that if you make $100,000/year, that fee may well be worth it to you for convienence.
Not fraud though, and hence not a scam, and a company trying to get out of paying for damage by calling it flood damage when it was really wind damage (a huricane) is another issue entirely. You definately have to have a good policy from a reputable company, but to be valuable, you have to actually own something, like a home, and have a family to protect. If you have nothing to lose, then you have nothing to insure. If you dislike insurance so much, you can always self-insure. =)07-04-08 12:27 PMLike 0 - Definately should read before signing on the dotted line. Caveat emptor. I'd stop the transaction, and write them telling the thanks, but no thanks. =)
Providing OTA downloads at will does indeed cost money, and it can add up fast, so I understand them wanting to recover this cost, but IMHO they would be better off providing you the OTA on purchase, and a desktop install for your later use. My guess is that they are selling some software without keys, and so they don't want to provide a desktop install which could then be freely distributed. I go the other route, and always use cryptographic keys so that you could even give someone else your key and it does them no good.
Keep in mind too, that if you make $100,000/year, that fee may well be worth it to you for convienence.
You want to say it costs money for OTA, fine, then charge me the $0.0003 it costs in bandwidth and a "convenience charge" for keeping my account in your database. Virtually none of the software I download is keyless. They do this solely to raise extra money for people who aren't as savvy although it catches up with us. For example, I STILL can't access my damn software download because the first two attempts to download it didn't work, for reasons I can't explain. I'm still waiting for customer service to fix this problem.
Here's a sure fire way to solve "download insurance".... ---> bit torrent. Big government is looking to destroy it but long live this horrible warez network. If it weren't for the network I'd be paying even more money in "insurance" that merely represented reasonable service NOT PROVIDED.08-20-08 03:15 PMLike 0 - Even worse, to correct this problem with Dataviz has taken forever. Email support is like a horrific maze. Then when they get it they tell me I should have kept my original email link. But I told him that my original email link simply brings me to a page that says I have to buy download insurance to get the @#$ing link!!!!
So that brings us to finally getting a support number. Well, you have to call them before 3PM (short day!) and there is something about paying $20 for support incidents.
Honestly, I can appreciate making sure you keep ridiculous support requests to a minimum. But any time I start seeing "download insurance" for software, I'm thinking that the company is looking to nab me financially somewhere. What we need is developer insurance!08-20-08 03:23 PMLike 0 - Keep in mind too, that if you make $100,000/year, that fee may well be worth it to you for convienence.
Not fraud though, and hence not a scam, and a company trying to get out of paying for damage by calling it flood damage when it was really wind damage (a huricane) is another issue entirely.
Let's now get to your absurd logic Patrick. If I was making $1 BILLION dollars a year, then essentially your thievery of taking me for a LOT more money than your services are actually worth is a result of the value of my not having to spend money to investigate the BS you're peddling. What does my income bracket have ANYTHING to do with the value of services YOU are actually providing? So if I'm a student who makes $35K per year, then download insurance is prohibitive because of... what exactly? Because you can see the opportunity to exploit a student less than exploiting the bejesus out of senile old man who may have a lot of money to send to his heirs?
As I said, the only wind damage being caused is by your breaking it. With the above nonsense, I'd have SERIOUS hesitations before buying any software you might be peddling, I really don't know. But I'll say this much, you've made the words "caveat emptor" and other latin phrases stand out. With justifications like yours, it's "res ipsa loquitor" that the consumer of goods sold by you was taken for a ride.
Now let's hope I get another "over the air" download out of Dataviz for free, now that my phone finally can use the application and be downloaded. I'm sure it will happen eventually but the heart of the matter here is that the policy is reprehensible.
Epilogue: I can't even download the "trial version" because of a data size mismath. You have to get dataviz to send a download link to your phone and that didn't work. The number of my "trial installs" is diminishing each time I try something else to get it to work on my 8830 and I'll be damned if I'm buying $20 for a support phone call or even thinking about paying for "download insurance" when they still have been unable to deliver the product. Caveat Emptor these days. I'm not saying Dataviz should go into the annals of shame but now it's all about how to get as much money out of the customer that he's willing to pay in order not to be hassled. It used to be about providing reasonable value. Times have changed.Last edited by slinky; 08-21-08 at 10:34 AM.
08-21-08 09:21 AMLike 0 - I don't think it's a scam at all, but it's definitely a rip off.
I bought maybe $200 worth of games/apps (for windows mobile) from Handango the first few they added their 'download protection' without my knowledge. A few more I downloaded but didn't keep copies of, and of course, handango won't let me redownload them. (Though you can often download the same game from the company's website or from pocketgear - and then use YOUR registration code to unlock it again.)
Because of handango's policies I stopped buying from them and switched to PocketGear.
With pocketgear, most games/apps are available over the air or via from your computer to your device. I bought age of empires (PPC) from them over a year ago and can still download it whenever I want, however many times I want, from their direct website.
I just bought a blackberry massive multiplayer game from them a couple days ago and it's nice to know that should I ever need to download it again (I do a hard system reset, get a new blackberry, whatever the case may be) that I can always re-download it whenever I want.
They seem to register games in your name, so as long as your device has your name on it you're good to go.. and there's no "download protection" fee to go along with it. You bought the game, it's yours to keep and download whenever you want.
That's what you get from PocketGear. Handango won't be seeing any more of my business unless they change their business practice of charging you again for what you already paid them for.08-22-08 12:47 AMLike 0 - I'm "off" Handango, too. As I wrote above, they do not support the downloading of minor version updates.
When I wrote and complained about it, they explained that I could purchase the insurance. They also explained that it costs them money to maintain their equipment and the files. I guess that is their option - to add these extra charges. Mine is to now purchase from places that do not do that.
The Crackberry Store does not charge for minor updates and even sends me email about the new version being available. They do provide a notice that while the minor updates are free, there could be a charge for other updates.08-22-08 08:49 AMLike 0 -
But here is what is worse. Dataviz wrote me back telling me that they keep the files up for 30 days to download and then afterwards there is a maintenance plan. They told me to save my file on an OTA download. I told them that, unlike the Palm, I don't get all the files in that package. It's a link to download the package from Dataviz!! But they don't guarantee that will work either and that costs them even more money making sure that they handle issues concerning OTA links that no longer function. So I can't prevent problems with the OTA file they send me and the only remedy is... to buy "insurance!"
Speaking of which, Dataviz then told me that I should save the links I got to download my software all the time - however there is no guarantee those links will continue to work! LOL!!!! I asked them what then was the point in saving the links? Additionally, if they have a download counter, what's the point in saving links that aren't guaranteed to work and won't shortly after they are sent! So the only remedy is.... to buy "insurance!"
I'm sorry to see this nonsense because I NEVER had to deal with this crap on the Palm platform or even PPC. Dataviz had you download the whole package to your PC and you could back it up as you wish. I HATE HATE HATE the Blackberry OTA system which enables developers to create OTA packages like this that can't be backed up and you're at their mercy to purchase "insurance" against the developer's own negligence - at a prohibitive dollar value. That's why it's a scam.
Epilogue: I still can't download the Docs to Go properly to my phone. Getting data size mismatch for the "trial version" and now awaiting getting a few more download tries to burn.Last edited by slinky; 08-22-08 at 09:16 AM.
08-22-08 09:12 AMLike 0
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Download Insurance = Scam
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