blm@6sceng.UUCP (Brian Matthews) (07/05/90)
In article <484@mstr.hgc.edu> rhb@mstr.hgc.edu (Roger H. Brown) writes: |I just read a two page article in an Ashton-Tate newsletter entitled ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ |"New! - Full Impact 2.0, Unprecedented Power for Full Impact 1.1 and |Excel Users." Many impressive enhancements were described and the |last paragraph said | "Full Impact 2.0 is available for a suggested retail price ^^^^^^^^^^^^ | of $295 through the Ashton-Tate authorized reseller network. | .... | Upgrades from previous versions of Full Impact are available ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ | for $50 by calling A-T Customer Service at 800-227-4866." | |so, I called the Customer Service number to order my upgrade from 1.1 |to 2.0 but alas Full Impact 2.0 isn't available yet. Does this sound like blatant false advertising to anybody else? In their own newsletter, Ashton-Tate advertises Full Impact 2.0 as "is available" (not "will be available") and that upgrades "are available", when in fact neither is true. Someone convince me this isn't really slimy. -- Brian L. Matthews blm@6sceng.UUCP
ric@netcom.UUCP (Richard Bretscheider) (07/06/90)
blm@6sceng.UUCP (Brian Matthews) writes: >In article <484@mstr.hgc.edu> rhb@mstr.hgc.edu (Roger H. Brown) writes: >|I just read a two page article in an Ashton-Tate newsletter entitled > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >|"New! - Full Impact 2.0, Unprecedented Power for Full Impact 1.1 and >|Excel Users." Many impressive enhancements were described and the >|last paragraph said >| "Full Impact 2.0 is available for a suggested retail price > ^^^^^^^^^^^^ >| of $295 through the Ashton-Tate authorized reseller network. >| .... >| Upgrades from previous versions of Full Impact are available > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >| for $50 by calling A-T Customer Service at 800-227-4866." >| >|so, I called the Customer Service number to order my upgrade from 1.1 >|to 2.0 but alas Full Impact 2.0 isn't available yet. >Does this sound like blatant false advertising to anybody else? In >their own newsletter, Ashton-Tate advertises Full Impact 2.0 as >"is available" (not "will be available") and that upgrades "are available", >when in fact neither is true. >Someone convince me this isn't really slimy. It's not slimy at all. Nobody who called A-T Customer Service would have been told that it was ready then (it's ready now by the way) and no money would have been exchanged. I don't see what you're getting steamed about, as this is not unusual in the field. The officially announced date for Full Impact 2.0 was the end of June. I'm the project manager for FI and can tell you that we certified software on June 20th, and that the packages were in the warehouse on June 28th. It might take a few days for them to sort things through CS. I never ok'd the announcement in the newsletter, but when I saw it it didn't shock me. This stuff happens all the time. As a registered owner of dozens of software packages, I get update notices all the time. Fully half of these notices announce products that aren't quite available yet, as being "just a phone call away." It's the nature of the business. The only time I get upset is when I have given money to a company and THEN am told that they can't ship me anything yet (back-ordered, not finished, on hold, etc.) That's slimy. This was a simple and common mistake. Hope you'll give the upgrade a try, FI is a great product. But then I'm prejudiced. Ric Bretschneider Product Manager - Full Impact 2.0 Ashton-Tate Northern Calif. Product Center (408) 268-2300 >-- >Brian L. Matthews blm@6sceng.UUCP -- Richard A. Bretschneider These are my words. My employer's Ric Bret words are often spoken in haste, and RAB rarely resemble my compassionate prose.
monty@tempone.Central.Sun.COM (Monty Solomon) (07/06/90)
In article <11629@netcom.UUCP> ric@netcom.UUCP (Richard Bretscheider) writes: >It's not slimy at all. Nobody who called A-T Customer Service would have >been told that it was ready then (it's ready now by the way) and no money >would have been exchanged. I don't see what you're getting steamed about, >as this is not unusual in the field. The officially announced date for >Full Impact 2.0 was the end of June. I'm the project manager for FI and >can tell you that we certified software on June 20th, and that the packages >were in the warehouse on June 28th. It might take a few days for them to >sort things through CS. I spoke with someone in CS today who claimed that the upgrade was not available yet. She was willing to take my credit card number for an order though. -- # Monty Solomon / <monty@sunne.east.sun.com> # PO Box 45249 / Winter Hill, MA 02145-0003
blm@6sceng.UUCP (Brian Matthews) (07/06/90)
In article <11629@netcom.UUCP> ric@netcom.UUCP (Richard Bretscheider) writes: |blm@6sceng.UUCP (Brian Matthews) writes: |>[Ashton-Tate sends out a newsletter saying Full-Impact 2.0 is available |>but it's really not] |>Someone convince me this isn't really slimy. |It's not slimy at all. Nobody who called A-T Customer Service would have |been told that it was ready then (it's ready now by the way) and no money |would have been exchanged. You're right, slimy is too harsh. No one paid any money, and it wasn't all that long until FI was ready and orderable. I still don't think it was very nice though. And note that from your point of view FI may have been ready, but as a customer, unless I can pick up a phone and order it, or have my dealer do so, it ain't ready. |I don't see what you're getting steamed about, |as this is not unusual in the field. Just because something happens a lot doesn't mean it's right. |This stuff happens all the time. As a registered owner of dozens |of software packages, I get update notices all the time. Fully half of |these notices announce products that aren't quite available yet, as being |"just a phone call away." It's the nature of the business. Yes, it is the nature of the business, and it does happen fairly often. And the reason it continues is people saying "Oh well, it's the nature of the business." I also get upgrade notices for stuff that isn't quite ready, and if I can, you can bet I talk to a supervisor and tell him or her what I think of his company lying to its customers. |The only time |I get upset is when I have given money to a company and THEN am told that |they can't ship me anything yet (back-ordered, not finished, on hold, etc.) |That's slimy. Yes, that's definitely slimy, and as you say, nothing like that occurred in this case. |Hope you'll give the upgrade a try, FI is a great product. But then |I'm prejudiced. I plan on taking a look at Full Impact 2.0. -- Brian L. Matthews blm@6sceng.UUCP