ClouserCAD
New member
Hey, I just joined this forum due to constant censoring on the official SolidWorks forum. Especially with regard to their new full-backdating policy on their maintenance contract.
I did say it was extortion, which I stand behind that statement and can also understand why they are not happy with me.
You buy the software, and then you have to keep buying it every year, whether you use the upgrades and support or not.
It should be the users choice. If somebody has a bad year or two and can't afford to keep their maintenance (in other industries, they call it "protection" money), then I would think SolidWorks would welcome them back with open arms and their usual $500 penalty fee. I think that's more than fair.
Here's one of the deleted posts FWIW:
Here's a parable...
A young man purchases a new car. It's $40,000.
The car has some problems.
He calls the dealer, and the dealer says, "try this, try that". Several hours later, and a couple busted knuckles, things seem to be working OK. The young man puts his tools away and is back to driving his new car.
A week or two later, it happens again. Something different, but problems nonetheless. "try this, try that". A few hours gone forever, some grease under the young man's fingernails, but back on the road again.
This happens every so often. Sometimes on the side of the road.
After the first year rolls around, a bill comes in the mail for about $10,000, roughly 25% or so of the original purchase price.
"what is this for?!", asks the unsuspecting young man.
"that's for upgrades and maintenance", says the dealer. "you have to pay this every year, because first you will want all the new bells and whistles we are offering in the upgrades, such as a monochrome blue, back-lit instrument panel that will make your eyes water, and secondly there are so many bugs your car will continue to haunt you, and you will struggle to keep it on the road without our maintenance support."
"but, but I already paid $40,000!" says the sucker. "and I'm still having issues. In fact just yesterday I broke down on the 405 during rush-hour traffic and was almost killed!"
"We're here to help. You really have no choice but to pay us, and if you miss a year, don't worry, you can pay next year for both years even though you did not use our services for a entire year."
Young man: "Well that sounds wonderful, thanks for sodomizing me."
Wonder how many cars would be sold under this plan? And to be fair, it's not just SW that uses extortion. Autodesk and I'm sure others are also hatching new schemes to reach further into our pockets.
Extortion:
The obtaining of property from another induced by wrongful use of actual or threatened force, violence, or fear, or under color of official right.
In this case, there is no threatened force or violence, but there is an element of fear and a "color of official right".
------
Anyways, hello and I think you will start seeing more users move to this forum as frustration builds...
I did say it was extortion, which I stand behind that statement and can also understand why they are not happy with me.
You buy the software, and then you have to keep buying it every year, whether you use the upgrades and support or not.
It should be the users choice. If somebody has a bad year or two and can't afford to keep their maintenance (in other industries, they call it "protection" money), then I would think SolidWorks would welcome them back with open arms and their usual $500 penalty fee. I think that's more than fair.
Here's one of the deleted posts FWIW:
Here's a parable...
A young man purchases a new car. It's $40,000.
The car has some problems.
He calls the dealer, and the dealer says, "try this, try that". Several hours later, and a couple busted knuckles, things seem to be working OK. The young man puts his tools away and is back to driving his new car.
A week or two later, it happens again. Something different, but problems nonetheless. "try this, try that". A few hours gone forever, some grease under the young man's fingernails, but back on the road again.
This happens every so often. Sometimes on the side of the road.
After the first year rolls around, a bill comes in the mail for about $10,000, roughly 25% or so of the original purchase price.
"what is this for?!", asks the unsuspecting young man.
"that's for upgrades and maintenance", says the dealer. "you have to pay this every year, because first you will want all the new bells and whistles we are offering in the upgrades, such as a monochrome blue, back-lit instrument panel that will make your eyes water, and secondly there are so many bugs your car will continue to haunt you, and you will struggle to keep it on the road without our maintenance support."
"but, but I already paid $40,000!" says the sucker. "and I'm still having issues. In fact just yesterday I broke down on the 405 during rush-hour traffic and was almost killed!"
"We're here to help. You really have no choice but to pay us, and if you miss a year, don't worry, you can pay next year for both years even though you did not use our services for a entire year."
Young man: "Well that sounds wonderful, thanks for sodomizing me."
Wonder how many cars would be sold under this plan? And to be fair, it's not just SW that uses extortion. Autodesk and I'm sure others are also hatching new schemes to reach further into our pockets.
Extortion:
The obtaining of property from another induced by wrongful use of actual or threatened force, violence, or fear, or under color of official right.
In this case, there is no threatened force or violence, but there is an element of fear and a "color of official right".
------
Anyways, hello and I think you will start seeing more users move to this forum as frustration builds...