"Customer Service"? Unbelievable... (ERXP Activation Failed)

[FreeBlues]

I don't usually rant about poor service, just move on and let it go. However, Avid has hit a new low.

I recently re-installed the firmware for my 11R, (long story) and, so I discovered, erased the Expansion Pack. Attempting to re-activate the Expansion Pack, I got an error message, saying my activation code was invalid. After multiple efforts to activate failed, I called Avid to ask that they somehow unlock my code and let me re-install.

Avid had all my data, saw all my activity, agreed my code was valid. However, they said I needed to call "Technical Support," but to do so I needed to buy a pass. Cost? $39.99!!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I need to spend $40 to call to have Technical Support allow me to use a license I already own? Unbelievable.

Needless to say, I did not pay the fee. I'll probably go on ebay and just purchase another Exp pack, might cost a bit more, but no way I'm gonna pay Avid to "support" a product I already own.

[Darryl Ramm]

I hope your experience is an outlayer, especially WRT the Eleven Rack expansion pack. Who exactly in Avid where you talking with who said this?

You can create product registration related support cases on-line (their website is down right now for scheduled maintenance, if you cannot find it I can give links later) and product registration related questions are usually handled without requiring an ASC. Yes this is a less common type of registration issue but I would expect it to be handled at no charge. The whole expansion pack delivery was somewhat mishandled as a product and caused customers trying to give their money to Avid too much grief.

Darryl

[Benoni]

Hi, sorry to hear you are having trouble.

Just wondering, did you install 1.0.3 over your 2.0.1 firmware? There are warnings on the download page saying not to do that. If that is what happened, did you not see the warnings? I'm not asking to be a jerk or anything, I just want to know if you didn't see them, because if you didn't see them, I can ask that the warnings be changed so this doesn't happen anymore - its happened about 3 times I am aware of, but that was before the warnings.

If it happened some other way, please let me know.

You don't need to pay any money to call Avid about issues like this, at least you didn't have to in the past.

The avid support system is under maintenance right now and I can't seem to find the page with the phone numbers on it.

I'll see if I can get someone to help you.

[nst7]

As was mentioned, any kind of registration/activation support is free of charge. You can either call them or start a registration case.

[FreeBlues]

Originally Posted by Benoni

Just wondering, did you install 1.0.3 over your 2.0.1 firmware? There are warnings on the download page saying not to do that. If that is what happened, did you not see the warnings?

Well, yes, this is what happened. Yes, my mistake. I did not realize the consequences, was frustrated and in a hurr

[FreeBlues]

Originally Posted by nst7

As was mentioned, any kind of registration/activation support is free of charge. You can either call them or start a registration case.

Well. in spite of what "should" have been the case, the fact is when I called I was told they would not/could not help me unless I paid $39.99. I got the impression the person I was speaking to was new, she kept putting me on hold, then would come back and recite a line like she was repeating a script. I was patient and polite, but when I challenged her she was very clear that she could not help.

[FreeBlues]

Well, it seems Avid has made a mistake and corrected my problem. Thank you, you know who you are!

Avid Customer Support was alerted to my issue and private messages/emails have been exchanged providing me with new activation codes.

[FreeBlues]

Well, activation still failed, cannot contact Avid (or the person who sent a PM, he does not receive messages). Perhaps because Avid computers are down for maintenance? Sigh...

[Darryl Ramm]

what exactly did you try to do and what exactly happened?

[jeffro]

...and what OS are you on?