I believe it is important to be aware of what you can expect when you buy Native Instruments software, either as a musician, a producer or even a hobbyst.
While the quality of the sound is good, they chose a product activation/registration method that has proven to be a headache for hundreds of customers, and the worst thing is that their tech support is just unable to even handle the related problems, simply because the system configuration variables this method is based on are endless, and, regretfully, they are too stubborn to admit it.
In my case, after a few years of supporting their enterprise by purchasing almost every release they came up with (I use to own Komplete 2, upgraded to K3, to K4 and got Kore as well), my activation problems started in December 2006 and now in the middle of May 2007, they simply couldn't figure it out.
This cost me +2000 dollars and tons of wasted time to find out.
Their solution was to ban me out of their forums and to reimburse me for the products I own (which they have not even contacted me about since 3 days). In reality, I think I proved their inefficiency and they just couln't wait to find a way to get rid of me. It seems's they can't stand it when a customer gives them back the headaches they give.
I know I had to stand for my rights and so I did. They are more powerful than a defenseless customer who at most can only curse, so the outcome was expected from the very beginning.
In the end:
1.- I am a customer who spent 2000 dollars on their products and is expected to whine if they don't work. I believe my whining was exemplary and so was my support to their company for some years.
2.- They are a software company who just lost the clue of what it's founder, Stephan Schmitt, was dreaming about. Now they easily can kick their customers in the back and not give a damn because they now have their pockets filled with euros.
Not everything is about money.
Marketing history has proven that the success of a company does not depend on their quality products, but the reputation they create among their customers.
Thus, fu-ck you, Native Instruments. You just didn't lose a good customer. Word gets around and this is what I am doing right now, simply because I am not going to sit down and spend the money you give back (in case you actually do) on another company's products; my fellow musicians around the world have the right to know about your methods and what to expect from you and your non-working products.
After this information and hundreds of other testimonies you WILL create, it is up to them potential customers to risk their money and, most importantly, their time by daring to buy your overpriced, non-working software crap.
Although I am 100% positive this is not the first time and nor it will be the last you disrespect your customers, there's an important difference here:
My silence and dignity are not for sale and there are important producers/musician forums like Studio at Home's, that do respect the people's basic right to express themselves, where people gather together to share, among other things, this sort of information.
Thanks all in these forums for your attention and be careful with what you spend your hard-earned money on.
PS> I created a poll to measure if potential or current NI customers believe this information is valuable and will affect their decision in their future purchases. I will appreciate everyone's input even if you disagree with me, by voting and/or posting your thoughts. By just being silent about this customer-software.companies issues you won't help.----
we know who is in and who is not
