The reinstatement that never was

[at01music]

Today, my unused PT reinstatement's so-called "Support and Upgrade Plan" that was purchased on 12/31/2019 is going to expire, even though I didn't choose an "upgrade option" to reinstate my expired support plan and there is and has been no active perpetual product in my iLok account with a real, live support plan other than the 2 other licenses that have not expired.

So, what's next? Do I have until midnight tonight to either exercise the reinstatement or lose it entirely? And if I do exercise it, do I also have to pay another $199 before midnight to keep the support plan going another year? Or would there be a 30-day grace period for me to recover from my agitation and cave in?

I'm asking here, because Avid support failed to address every mention of reinstatement expiration I've made in the 2 support cases I filed, one in the very beginning and one this month when I started getting notifications. Here's a sample of my last query and the response:

MY REPLY TO INITIAL SUPPORT RESPONSE:
The specific issue I inquired about - why is my reinstatement expiring 12 months after purchase? - hasn’t be addressed. According to Avid's reinstatement FAQ, this isn’t supposed to happen:

Q: If I purchase a reinstatement and do not immediately redeem, will it expire?
A: No. When you purchase a reinstatement from a reseller, it does not expire and you are able to use it at a future time. Avid will continue to honor reinstatement redemptions during the promo and after we discontinue selling them.

RESPONSE 4 DAYS LATER:
I'm sorry I missed you last inquiry. But is everything is good to go now?

[unkJE]

Originally Posted by at01music

Today, my unused PT reinstatement's so-called "Support and Upgrade Plan" that was purchased on 12/31/2019 is going to expire, even though I didn't choose an "upgrade option" to reinstate my expired support plan ...

Did you buy your Reinstatement from Avid (it appears so) - or did you buy it from a Reseller?

(I can give you more info, after you've answered this question)

[at01music]

I purchased the reinstatement from a reseller (Sweetwater).

[unkJE]

Originally Posted by at01music

...Or would there be a 30-day grace period for me to recover from my agitation and cave in?

https://avid.secure.force.com/pkb/ar...ctivation-date

"Note that there is a 30 day grace period following the expiration date of an Upgrade Plan which allows you to renew shortly after a plan has expired, but it does not extend your plan term by the number of days you wait--it adds a year to the original plan expiration date."



Can you find an email from Sweetwater, advising you to Register/Redeem your Code immediately?

2 Quotes beelow are from:
http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=407871

Originally Posted by hugodlc

So I bought a reinstatement code from sweetwater that I intend to use in the distant future as I'm happy with my current version of PT.
The email from sweetwater says I should register this code immediately, but if I do so, will the reinstatement activation then sit on my avid account

Originally Posted by BScout

You can’t move it to your Avid account until you intend to use it.
It won’t expire (Avid has said so and it would be illegal in most countries anyway)
Ignore sweetwater about registering it right away. See my first statement why.

https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare...-support-plan/

https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare...-support-plan/

I can’t find, in either of the above 2 links, Sweetwater advising “do not register/redeem your Code with Avid, until you are ready to use it."

I feel this lack of information could and may have led people to “starting the clock” on their Plan, when this was not their intention.


http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t...=Reinstatement

[at01music]

unkJE (and hopefully a Moderator?) I’m getting back to this 3-week old thread after some hectic times…

Originally Posted by unkJE

Can you find an email from Sweetwater, advising you to Register/Redeem your Code immediately?

I have 3 emails that Sweetwater sent when I purchased my PT reinstatement on Dec 31, 2019. These emails didn’t include any info or links explaining how to redeem or use the reinstatement, so I searched the Sweetwater Knowledge Base. This led me to the “How Do I Reinstate My Pro Tools HD Support Plan” article you linked to below.

The article clearly showed how to complete the reinstatement process, step-by-step, by entering the code directly into the Renew Support field of an expired support plan listed in My Products, and showed the active status of the support plan and expiration date when the reinstatement is complete.

Originally Posted by unkJE

2 Quotes beelow are from:
http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=407871

https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare...-support-plan/

https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare...-support-plan/

I can’t find, in either of the above 2 links, Sweetwater advising “do not register/redeem your Code with Avid, until you are ready to use it."

I feel this lack of information could and may have led people to “starting the clock” on their Plan, when this was not their intention.

I think you touch on an important factor common to Sweetwater’s reinstatement article and a similar one I found at that time in Avid’s Knowledge Base - they only described a complete and immediate reinstatement process. A person who takes this as the only way to redeem the code but wants to delay reinstatement could possibly infer that doing nothing at all is what one must do until the desired time arrives for the support plan to become active. But what about those customers who don’t see that?

Unfortunately, I was among those who did not come to that inference. Through my loose interpretation of the last Q&A in Avid’s Reinstatement FAQ about purchasing a reinstatement from a reseller and being able to use it at a future time, and prior experience adding products of various types to my Avid account via the code redemption page, I incorrectly assumed using that method and waiting to complete the reinstatement would do the trick.

(Note: the final Q & A item in the Reinstatement FAQ was edited recently to include: “Important to note that the clock on your Software Updates and Support Plan starts when you redeem the code in my.avid.com/products/redemption.” That sentence wasn’t present when I took a screenshot that I attached to support case #04077556 on Dec 20, 2020.)

[unkJE]

I asked Sweetwater to change “Note: Your reinstatement code must be used within 30 days of purchase to avoid issues” mentioned here:
https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare...-support-plan/
This info has caused confusion – and Sweetwater have not updated this, following my request.
People who have bought a Reinstatement to use in the future have been misinformed.

Thank goodness we have Avid support here on the DUC, who can sort this out for you.

If your support case #04077556 has been closed, start another Case. otherwise, reply to case #04077556 and request
You’re correct about this recent update - I asked Avid update this on the same day I contacted Sweetwater:

Originally Posted by at01music

...(Note: the final Q & A item in the Reinstatement FAQ was edited recently to include: “Important to note that the clock on your Software Updates and Support Plan starts when you redeem the code in my.avid.com/products/redemption.” That sentence wasn’t present when I took a screenshot that I attached to support case #04077556 on Dec 20, 2020.)

Will you be starting a new Case - or is your #04077556 still open?

[at01music]

I looked into reopening the case but I didn't see how to do it.

[at01music]

I'll start a new case tomorrow as you suggest. Thank you for your comments, they helped me dig into my problem in a better way!

[unkJE]

Start a new Case.

Login to your Avid Master Account

Under “My Support Center” click on “Access the Support Center (Portal)”
This takes you to: https://na49.salesforce.com/500/o

Under “Select Case Record Type” click on the drop-down Menu and select “Audio”

In the 1st box, add a short description of your problem
In the 2nd box, select “Artist Suite – DAW”
In the 3rd box, select “Pro Tools” or “Pro Tools Ultimate” - or whichever choice applies to you
In the 4th box, select “Pro Tools | Software”
In the 5th box, select your Pro Tools version

Click on “Submit My Question”

You’ll be provided with a Case Number

“Post Reply” to this DUC Thread, include your new Case Number


You can do this now, if you like - it's a 24/7 service!

[at01music]

It was a bear to explain it all in clear detail, but I finally have a new Case Number 04107632, including a request to escalate to jeffro.

Thanks again for your help!