Perpetual licence unintentional crossgrade

[Osk]

I have been renewing my perpetual licence with the annual subscription for support and upgrades for years but apparently last year I chose the wrong option when trying to do so.
I had no indication whatsoever that I was giving away my perpetual licence, how on earth I could have done so in the first place!!

How did I found out?
Well my renewal was about to expire two days ago on the 28th, but I wasn't really in a rush cause I knew based on previous years that I had a grace period of 1 month after the expiration day to renew it.
But when I logged in at at my avid account I couldn't find a way to renew my yearly standard support as I had done in previous years, add to basket etc.. the only thing I found there was an auto renewal slider with no pricing or details about it.

Then I decided to open a case with support to clarify this issue.
This is a transcript of it and avid customer support reply (I will omit the customer support name)

Case Description:

Hi there,

I own a perpetual licence and I’m trying to renew my standard support subscription but I can’t. It says it has expire yesterday and also that the next payment is today, but other years I had 1 month grace period to renew it, the only option available is auto renewal but it doesn’t say how much this will be etc.

How can I proceed to just pay for the next year?

Many thanks

Current Response:

Entered on: 9/28/2020 5:48 PM Entered by: *****

Hi *****,

Thank you for contacting Avid Online Store Support.

Upon checking, it appears that your product was no longer a perpetual license since you have purchased a crossgrade last 9/29/2019. This traded in your perpetual license for a discounted subscription-based license.

However, it appears that you have turned OFF the auto-renewal of your subscription on 9/29/2019 and only turned it back ON on the same day of the renewal, hence why the subscription ended.

To continue using the product, you may proceed in purchasing a new license or a subscription.

Here's where you can purchase Pro Tools: https://shop.avid.com/ccrz__ProductD...er=&store=shop

Thank you for your understanding, ****. Feel free to let me know if there's anything else I can help you with.


Warm regards,
****
Online Store | Avid Global Customer Care


Hi *****,

Thanks for your prompt response

What? It was never ever my intention to crossgrade my perpetual licence how on earth I could have done that? I used to pay £79 and last year was much more nearly £100.
Its insane. It must have been a mistake an error cause the website payment and renewals are quite confusing to say the least.

What shall I do?? How can I revert that? Will my Pro Tools stop working? This is a nightmare!!

I haven't got a reply after my last email. Needless to say I hardly had been able to sleep today.

I tried to contact Avid via phone all morning and it was impossible to speak to someone unless I purchased a £30 ASC code.
I also tried to join this forum but I haven't been allowed to post till today.

I went to open Pro Tools yesterday morning and got this lovely message (image attached).. and I have so many on going projects to finish..

All I want is to recover my perpetual licence. If I need to pay any difference in my subscription I am more than willing to do so. I also really need to know what this new standard subscription pricing for my perpetual licence will be, as I indicated earlier, I haven't got a clue, the website is not very user friendly to say the least. I used to pay £79..

I want to again emphasize that at any point in time I was informed that I was trading or that I had traded and was losing my perpetual licence till I've got that kakfkaesque reply by customer support two days ago, I certainly feel deceived.

Yesterday in the end I managed to move the slider back to auto renewal, and was charged £95 but the issue stays the same, I want my perpetual licence back

I also found out I'm not alone with this issue
http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?p=2547389

This situation its been incredibly stressful..

Please any help/advise is really welcome.

[Sardi]

It sucks, but I’m 99% sure that you selected subscription by accident. I agree, the drop down menu isn’t the clearest, but if you looked carefully when renewing, you would have made the correct choice.

Unfortunately, te only way for you to get back a perpetual license is to buy the software outright again. Had you have noticed the error within the first few weeks of it happening, AVID would have probably reverted it. Seeing it’s been a year, I don’t like your chances.

Sorry to be he bearer of the bad news. Just being upfront.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Teej]

Once we start rolling into 2021, there are going to be a TON of people who clicked through Avid.com after Jan 1 2020, didn't notice they crossgraded to a subscription and gave up their perpetual license. Get ready for a ****-storm. But at least all the new subcriptions bolster Avid's stock price.

I hate this situation. I love PT, I just bought an S1, it's killer. PT has worked with my way of thinking from the very first time I opened PT 6.4 with an Mbox as a 16 year old...it was the first DAW I used in which everything just made sense to me. Avid's contempt for their customers is infuriating.

[Osk]

The silence from any Avid rep or customer support is truly deafening.

No reply to my open cases at avid.com support or here to this post.

[Teej]

I've had only good experiences with Avid support, even on the sales end when I screwed something up, they made it right. Not as much time had passed though. Anyone you deal with at Avid has their hands tied anyway...I'm sure the situation is as frustrating to them as it is to you. It's just a bunch of crap decisions being made in the C-suite and thereabouts.

[Sardi]

Originally Posted by Osk

The silence from any Avid rep or customer support is truly deafening.

No reply to my open cases at avid.com support or here to this post.

This is a user support forum. Whilst AVID employees do drop in, this is not the place to really get support for your issue.

Hopefully someone replies to your case soon. Again though, I’d be very surprised if they give you your perpetual license back.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jeffro]

Hey Osk... I'll look into this so please give me a little time to review the case and respond.