The Speed Download - Macheist saga
A while back we posted on the release of Speed Download 5, and that set off a firestorm in the comments. You see, Speed Download 4 was included in the recent Macheist bundle, but the developer Yazsoft was not offering free upgrades for the Macheist purchasers. This despite the fact that anyone who purchased SD 4 directly from Yazsoft between Jan 01, 2008 and Feb 12, 2008 (during which time Macheist ran) was eligible for the free upgrade. Further, Macheist purchasers were led to believe that they were getting full versions of the software included in the bundle. Yazsoft offered Macheist purchasers the same $15 upgrade price that users of SD4 who purchased before Jan 1 are eligible for.
In the aftermath, Yazsoft has twice offered a rationale for their actions, basically arguing that the Macheist deal was only for SD4 which they continue to support. Yazsoft insists that they only promised free updates (within a version number), not free upgrades (to a new version number). When this didn't work they originally tried to placate the Macheist customers with a 2 for 1 deal offering them two licenses of SD5 for the same $15 upgrade price. The brouhaha also brought a response from MacHeist Director John Casasanta accusing Yazsoft of "malicious intent." Perhaps most surprising of all is that there apparently was no contract between Yazsoft and Macheist, the entire thing being settled in informal emails.
Now I purchased the Macheist bundle with my own money and when SD5 was released I did not feel in any way cheated. I figured that I got a good deal on the bundle; I liked SD4 and did not really see the need to upgrade. However, there are aspects of the entire mess that call for some sort of rectification.
First, the SD5 update was pushed down via the automatic updating system, apparently catching many people by surprise when they discovered it was a paid upgrade. Second, the Macheist site made it very clear that purchasers were getting the full versions of the software they were buying, not time-limited or non-upgradeable versions. That being the case, Yazsoft's chief sin in my mind is not in making SD5 a paid upgrade, but treating those who purchased SD4 from Macheist differently than customers who purchased SD4 directly from Yazsoft on the very same day. That just seems unfair. At the same time, it seems a bit of a leap to accuse them of "malicious intent" (though obviously all the relevant details have not been made public).
In their most recent statement Yazsoft has now offered Macheist owners a free copy of SD6 whenever that ships well in the future. I'd also like to see Yazsoft make available a very easy way to downgrade SD5 back to SD4 for anyone who mistakenly upgraded. The lesson of this entire episode is that it's important for everyone to be clear about what they're selling and for customers to be clear about what they're buying. And for this, I place some of the fault on Macheist as well, as their website did not make the mechanics of the sale entirely obvious, particularly about how the sales thresholds worked. At the same time consumers can't expect to get hundreds of dollars worth of software for cheap and then be surprised when the developers want to recoup costs on paid upgrades.
This entire mess was generated by a lack of transparency on the part all the parties involved. In the end, however, I think the charitable conclusion is that these were honest mistakes. Yazsoft themselves could have avoided the problems just by waiting a little longer to release SD5 and thereby not treating the Macheist customers as second class citizens. It will be interesting to see if this tempest in a teapot ends up scuttling future bundle deals of the sort. That would be a shame, since I do think these bundles provide a genuine service to the Mac software community.
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A while back we posted on the release of Speed Download 5, and that set off a firestorm in the comments. You see, Speed Download 4 was...
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Speeddownload was not one of the packages that I particularly wanted when I got the MacHeist bundle, but I installed it and used it. Figuring that MacHeist is also a good way to try some other software I would not have known to buy otherwise.
But the automatic upgrade to SD5 and then their self-righteous attitude about forcing me to pay or stay with the old version did get me to rip out their software off my machine and probably never use or buy anything by Yazsoft again, as well as tell anyone I know not to use their stuff as well.
Great marketing Yazsoft!
Hi,
I already owned SD (and liked it) when I bought the macheist bundle. But I really do not like how they first auto update us, then do not have the original file available. As somebody on the first page said, they should have waited another few week before showing the upgrade. How about getting 40,000 items sold within a few days? Half of them probbly would never have bought it. No matter what the price, if you partake in such an action you have still to be fair. Selling sth that looks new and during the grace period throwing them out - no, not with me.
Clarity.
When it comes right down to it, what seems to be upsetting most folks in this thread is clarity...or specifically, the lack thereof. There's a lot of vitriolic comments on all sides, from calling MacHeist purchasers cheapskates to saying Yazsoft doesn't care about its customers. There are several tangents being thrown out, people clearly upset, and others defending the MacHeist and/or Yazsoft folks. But it appears the real issue, if we're honest, is the lack of clarity.
Allow me to explain. Sticking to Speed Download for the moment, MacHeist's site did not make clear what EXACTLY purchasers were getting. What was written on the receipt can, unfortunately, be interpreted several ways, and in there lies the rub.
Whether this was MacHeist's intentional/unintential doing or Yazsoft--as in they did not clearly state their intentions to the MacHeist folks, either out of carelessness or intent--is something only they truly know. There are at this point 5 pages of comments, but many show assumptions and expectations that have no real basis in fact, on all sides.
If the MacHeist site clearly stated that Speed Download was a non-free upgradable copy, would anyone be upset? If Yazsoft had released SD5, say, 45 days after MacHeist ended, would anyone be (at least this) upset? If Yazsoft did not automatically push SD5 down to SD4 users, but rather offered some link/popup clearly explaining that upgrading was not free and making users go through appropriate extra steps to first pay for the upgraded license before downloading/installing SD5, would folks be this upset?
Sure, some folks just want something for nothing. We all like free stuff. But putting aside the comments by those who advocate "stealing" software (e.g., using crackz/serialz/etc.) and others who are just angling not to pay for anything, isn't what is truly upsetting most folks is that things were not made plainly clear?
MacHeist, as the seller of the bundle, you failed your customers by not performing due diligence and making sure the information provided was clear and accurate. Whether an individual software vendor mislead you or not, intentionally or not, you were the vendor of the bundle and, as such, are the direct link to the customer. You should apologize for the misunderstandings and work with Yazsoft to clear things up.
Yazsoft, as the vendor of the software in question, you have failed to provide clear information to MacHeist regarding what you were offering. If MacHeist changed the wording or otherwise, you should have shown due diligence by checking up on MacHeist to make sure information regarding your product was clear and accurate. This entire MacHeist bundle model is, after all, nothing more than a clever marketing tactic to help get more users involved with shareware and hopefully help make everyone's software get more exposure/sales. So this PR disaster, regardless of reasons, is not furthering that cause at all...for anyone.
Yazsoft, you are also, unfortunately, guilty of doing something that no software vendor should do. Your software allowed users to download/install a version of your program for which they were not licensed and would need to pay money. Whether a point release, full version, etc., no user should, through some automated means, suddenly find that software they used to have a legal right to run, no longer do so. You should apologize to users for all the headaches/frustrations you have caused your users.
MacHeist purchasers who were affected by this situation, always remember..."caveat emptor"..."buyer beware." As the ones holding the purse strings, you are the ultimate authority on any purchase. No matter how you slice it, you must also take at least a little responsibility here. The licensing of the products should have been carefully reviewed, and if not clear, you should have dealt with the seller (in this case MacHeist, who in turn should talk to the software devs) and asked for clarification BEFORE purchasing.
And if you're upset by this situation, as that ultimate authority, vote with your wallet as you deem fit. Support those shareware developers/businesses you believe in, and don't support those you don't believe in.
We all know that there's no such thing as a free lunch. But MacHeist bundles and similar deals like MacSanta, MUPromo, etc., come darn near close IF you like/want the various software included and get what you expect. I had my particular selection of software in the MacHeist bundle that I was interested in. And for the most part, I am very happy, and I would like to believe most folks involved in shareware operate in good faith.
Unfortunately, this incident shows we are, after all, human. Whether that means someone was careless, incompetent, or greedy, I can't say. But it IS clear mistakes were made, perceptions form
"No matter how you slice it, you must also take at least a little responsibility here. The licensing of the products should have been carefully reviewed, and if not clear, you should have dealt with the seller (in this case MacHeist, who in turn should talk to the software devs) and asked for clarification BEFORE purchasing."
Had people read their receipt this all might be more clear to some. Unfortunately I think more people are just upset that they're not getting the latest version(yet anyways) and didn't like the automatic upgrade(pretty poor for a developer to do that).
Yazsoft made some mistakes no doubt. Some customers are upset no doubt although I don't believe many read their receipt. My biggest disappointment has been how MacHeist has (mis)handled this thus far...talk about needing someone to handle PR. Many cry that Yazsoft needs such a person and it certainly wouldn't hurt but MacHeist really blew it with the following comments...
"Unofficial MacHeist word on this: weasels."
and
"I'm expecting their next move to be a $10 coupon off a set of steak knives before they actually give you the unrestricted license you actually paid for."
One of their mods in the forums there has done little to calm the situation as well with outbursts of his own.
Honestly it sounds pretty amateurish overall. The idea of trying to get shareware developers more exposure is working against them as they're making themselves out to look very unprofessional.
MacHeist isn't running a lemonaide stand on the corner. The lack of professionalism with these comments and other actions like not much of an apology thus far(note yazsoft has apologized more than once), and not being able to make things clear from the beginning with yazsoft(note no contract seems apparent that spells out an understanding between them).
There were the support issues where those with problems with their orders were told to just wait until they got back from MacWorld. Glad I didn't have issues...I can't think of anywhere I've ever bought or ordered from somewhere that I had a problem and was told you're going to have to wait a week or so.
I can only hope that all parties can learn from this as despite these problems, I'm sure there will be a MacHeist 3 of some sort.
Dean, you wrote:
"Had people read their receipt this all might be more clear to some."
Unfortunately, two small problems here.
First, folks could not read their receipt until AFTER purchasing. So this wasn't an option in performing due diligence in their purchasing decision. Appropriate license information available BEFORE purchase would have been more helpful.
Second, I personally found the information in the receipt to be less than helpful, and, in fact, likely one of the causes of the confusion for those who DID read it. It stated in its entirety:
__________
"Speed Download must be activated using the provided promo version. This version is the same as the currently released build of Speed Download in every way besides activation, which is required to track promo customers. You can upgrade to new versions using official, non promo releases through Yazsoft.com, or Speed Download's auto updating. We will keep a copy of the promo build available for downloading for six months until July 23rd, 2008. Please activate before then."
__________
This just leaves too much NOT said. Of course, knowing now what we do regarding Yazsoft's view of the situation, you can interpret the license info above and understand. The keyword here, however, is 'interpret.'
But at the time of purchase, I must say, that the line stating "This version is the same as the currently released build of Speed Download in every way besides activation, which is required to track promo customers" sounded like the download (i.e., file/program) was different solely so Yazsoft could track who bought their software via the MacHeist bundle vs. usual channels (which one could easily understand as it would let them know whether participation in the MacHeist was worth their while). I believe Cha-Ching did this as well. But it does not clearly indicate that the license is any different for this program.
Then the next line is also unclear, due in part to the use of the comma followed by the word "or", one interpretation of which might be: "You can upgrade to new versions [EITHER] using official, non promo releases through Yazsoft.com [OR VIA] Speed Download's auto updating." Does this mean that to upgrade to newer versions than the v4.1.19 available during MacHeist, you can just visit the Yazsoft website and download a newer version? Does it mean you can upgrade by simply using the auto updating feature? And where in here does it specifically state that MacHeist purchasers are--or are not--entitled to the same rights/privileges/features/etc. as other Speed Download purchasers?
It doesn't. Hence my whole original point of a lack of clarity.
And just as a side note, the last two sentences are also unclear. The first simply sounds like Yazsoft will only have this special bundle-version of SD4 available for download until July 2008. That sounds simple enough. But then they add "Please activate before then." What does activation have to do with downloading? If I downloaded the app during the MacHeist bundle but don't install/use the program until, say, August 2008, does this mean I won't be able to use it? Unclear.
Everyone was hurt by this. Buyers, MacHeist, Yazsoft, and the entire shareware community at large. Buyers felt cheated, as well as were portrayed as cheapskates/whiners. MacHeist was portrayed as greedy and taking advantage of buyers and/or shareware devs (take your pick). Yazsoft was portrayed as a bait-and-switch greedy developer trying to force sales. And situations like this do not help promote the eco-system of shareware apps.
Here's hoping that all parties involved (including any potential shareware developers who might be involved in future bundles) will take this incident to heart and learn from it.
i uninstalled the speed download after i realised that i couldn't do a free update. i think they knew exactly what they were doing with this, and i refuse to support that product anymore
February 25 2008 at 10:34 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIdid not see a reason to update but when I get the notice a new version was out I did. It did not say it was not a free update. So I had to unistall and reinstall my previous version from macheist. Pain in the butt!!! but oh well. I do not plan to buy the new version
February 25 2008 at 10:15 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyThe macheist ii offer, i suppose, is intended to be an effort to reduce piracy (at a relatively low cost, one can be more legit). Yazsoft coming and crashing the party with a 'second-class offering' complete with bait-and-switch, finger-pointing and apology-sans-contrition' is downright bad behavior.
I intend to use SD4 to the fullest and get my money's worth but definitely do not plan for further upgrade. So, can anybody recommend a good alternative to SD4. I particularly like to copy/paste many links in one go. thx
Yazsoft bungled the update with their original published terms:
"Everyone that purchased SD 4 between Jan 01, 2008 and Feb 12, 2008, may upgrade to SD 5 for FREE."
This is the crux of the problem and it has nothing to do with any other party involved. They bear full responsibility. Yazsoft knows it, MacHeist knows it.
However Yazsoft cannot offer a free upgrade to SD 5 at his point as it would mean refunding money to those MacHeist buyers who have already paid for the upgrade. Obviously they would have to take real money and physically pay it back - something they doubtlessly cannot afford to do. Thus the offer of a free SD 6 down the road. While it will cost them in terms of potential income, that is far different than paying back actual dollars already spent/in the bank.
Speaks volumes that Yazsoft is ignoring this thread on arguably the largest Mac user blog around.
February 25 2008 at 3:07 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply"Yazsoft insists that they only promised free updates (within a version number), not free upgrades (to a new version number)."
I'm calling B.S.!!! Here's the snippet from the MacHeist bundle licenses page for YazSoft SpeedDownload 4:
"Speed Download must be activated using the provided promo version. This version is the same as the currently released build of Speed Download in every way besides activation, which is required to track promo customers. You can upgrade to new versions using official, non promo releases through Yazsoft.com, or Speed Download's auto updating. We will keep a copy of the promo build available for downloading for six months until July 23rd, 2008. Please activate before then."
...tell me as a consumer you wouldn't think you'd get SD5 for free. I double-dog-dare you. Oh, and when I emailed them about it, they responded:
"MacHeist purchases do not qualify for free upgrades but rather
discounted ones at $15."
This company is ridiculous. Granted we're arguing over chump change (and the inclusion or exclusion of SD4 or SD5 wouldn't have changed my decision to get the MacHeist bundle), but talk about dirty marketing tactics. I don't care that I'll now get SD6 for free (makes no sense), I'm permanently deleting Speed Download from my computer.
Thankfully AppZapper, which is a WONDERFUL tool for completely obliterating software from my Mac, came with the MacHeist bundle (and promises free upgrades FOR LIFE). The sound of the *ZAP* it made when purging Speed Download from my computer has never sounded so sweet.
~McManus
Yazsoft IS definitely a pretty shoddy company. Demanding an upgrade fee of 60% of the original purchase price for the 'next' version of a product is a bit steep when it's a relatively simple and small shareware-type product.
What really peeves me off about Speed Download is that they purposely abuse the Bonjour protocol as a means of piracy control. When you run SD, it advertises a service for Speed Download which includes your product key. If another machine on your LAN appears and advertises the same key, both will error out. This is NOT what Bonjour is meant for.
Matt,
What gives you got the program for basically $2 and if you like it pay the upgrade you still won... you still saved a bundle. The V4 still works great for Leopard. I also agree this is greed showing its ugly head.
No, I didn't purchase MacHeist. Thanks for the assumption though. I paid for a full license of SD4. $15 of $25 is 60%. Stop this, "oh the publisher's are going out on a limb doing this" nonsense. There's a reason they take part in this, because software is nearly free to reproduce infinitely and it makes them money. So don't act like they're doing you favors.
And FYI, I downgraded back to SD4 after upgrading to SD5 not realizing it was a paid upgrade (they leave out that part in the upgrade available box), and nope, my SD4 key no longer works.
Yazsoft doesn't care about customers quite frankly and it shows.
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