Hi

Quick story that happened to me today regarding BarTender.

I'm a french contractor for several companies (usually CTO). recently one of them asked me to develop something using a datamax.

They told me they like BarTender so I tried it for this project (auto print some content PHP generated).

This week we got everything running and are ready to deploy. So I had a look at the pricing options and see what license we'd need (I had checked before that it was in this client budget range for the intended usage).

Then followed a special moment, when I've invited the boss to buy the license (I'm not on their site).

- boss : why you'd want me to buy something we found it cracked on the web

- me : 1 hour talking about why a company as big as his should pay the hundred dollars to be clean and have legitimate software

Result : ok, buy it for me, based on some 500$ prices I had found on the web. 

Then I thought It would only be a couple of seconds and me using my credit card to get it all set. How naive was I.

- I identified we need a BT-A3 license.

- I found it on us site in the 400/500$ range

- I was unsure about those sites so gave a call to European Support.

After a short talk with EMEA Support

- Don't buy on US sites, we have a regional lock (for a software really ?)

- The regional lock is stated in the End User Agreement (nowhere to be found, read the 2 pages)

- Official french price is 795€ ex VAT (more than twice what I had found on US sites)

- Send us a detailed email to have a reseller list ? (kidding me ? Can't you just give me a few websites names that I can do this now, and move on ?

Email sent at 4:02 pm this friday, didn't get an answer... will have to wait till monday.

Ok. What the european support told me seemed weird to me, so I gave a call to the US support :

- Yes we have a regional lock

- Can you tell me where it's stated in the contract / license 

- I dont know send us an email.

Email sent at 4:08 pm this friday, didn't get an answer... 

Then I found a UK dealer, which had licenses in stock, which could instant deliver me. I mailed the EMEA support to check if the license would work in France as bought in the UK. Sent at 4:15pm with a link and my question, no answer yet. TGIF.

Then finally I thought about looking for french vendors and whatever the price just put an end to it.

- 4pm on a sunny friday in France, do you really expect a sales to be available ?

- In 2014, I can buy whatever I want online (up to cars, space travel...) but I can't just use my CC for a 800€ software ? I've found a few sites to offer it to be honest, but couldn't reach ANY to confirm I would get quick email delivery. (nor urgent, could wait a couple of days but not weeks for a box to arrive as some offered).

Last... finally a decent looking site, listing it at a high price, but maybe I can get someone competent, and just throw my CC.

- I want to buy BT-A3 as listed on your website

- Ok, we can fast deliver.

- Ok great can I buy right now ? I just want to BUY, on the phone right now if you want.

- No. We need to make a formal offer than check your account, than you can buy. Just send me an email.

- Ok, sent the email.

- Answer : we can't sell directly to your customer, you must become a reseller (filling this form...) and then you can maybe buy and resell to your customer. It will take a few days to have your account set. Poker Face -__-

I called back my customer, who laughed at me until I told him he'd be billed for this wasted time. 

Now tell me how I still can push him to buy BarTender ? 

So guys, I don't know your business, but that's something seriously not working when your customers cannot spend their money to buy your product and end up using illegal products.

From your sales desk to your resellers, I have yet to find someone interested in selling me a license. 

On a personal side, as a business owner and e-commerce consultant, this is one of the craziest piece of ebusiness I have met in my life, including the early 2000s crazy stuff.

mil0uze