Spectrasonics license transfer fee - unkindness behavior?

[nanotone]

Hi,

I like to sell my Stylus RMX license because I would like to buy an Korg Electribe EMX for my life setup.

Spectrasonics has approved my license for transfer but they like to have $50,- tranfer fee. With this additional costs my Stylus is unmarketable.
A new version is about $ 280,-. In eBay I could get about $ 200,-. Minus $50,- for license transfer I would have only $150,- bucks.
In the past I sold a lot of software (I'm more the "hardware guy") and no other company (like Ableton, Propellerhads, Urs, NI) did this kind of robbery for changing a address in the database.

Further more in Germany reselling used software is legal it's not allowed to prevent this by charging additional costs.

Thanks Spectrasonics - this is a very nice kind of customer loyalty!

Cheers
Frank

[ATS]

Hi,

I like to sell my Stylus RMX license because I would like to buy an Korg Electribe EMX for my life setup.

Spectrasonics has approved my license for transfer but they like to have $50,- tranfer fee. With this additional costs my Stylus is unmarketable.
A new version is about $ 280,-. In eBay I could get about $ 200,-. Minus $50,- for license transfer I would have only $150,- bucks.
In the past I sold a lot of software (I'm more the "hardware guy") and no other company (like Ableton, Propellerhads, Urs, NI) did this kind of robbery for changing a address in the database.

Further more in Germany reselling used software is legal it's not allowed to prevent this by charging additional costs.

Thanks Spectrasonics - this is a very nice kind of customer loyalty!

Cheers
Frank

not sure the point of this, they aint gonna change

[iain_morland]

No disrespect, but isn't the point that if you're selling the software you're not a loyal customer? So it's not about them punishing customer loyalty, as you say.

The terms of the transfer are, AKAIK, in the EULA. You could have returned the software for a complete refund after reading the EULA if you didn't find the terms acceptable.

That said, I do feel your frustration! I'm just saying Spectrasonics are not evil and, after all, the software is their property...

[spaceman]

I have always find the Spectrasonics people to be very helpful and friendly. They hate to see a customer go but if you really want to sell they accept your decision and they sort out the transfer fast and without complaining.

I don't particularly like the transfer fee either but when I bought Atmosphere they didn't allow transfers at all so I couldn't really complain when I eventually wanted to sell it. At least I did get some decent money for something I didn't use any more.

Beats the hell out of Cakewalk and some others

[nanotone]

I took your point but the fact reamins that most (or all other?) companies don't need to hamper reselling. What is the reason of doing that? To earn additional money?
I had plans to buy Spectrasonic Atmosphere but now I don't like to buy anything from them.

To change my setup frequently is a normal way of making music for me - fortunately the other companies are not so nitpicking.

From now I have to read the EULA very carefully before buying.

Cheers
Frank

[poonna]

IK Multimedia needs $49 for license transfer as well. A few other companies also have license transfer fee, although maybe not as high.

All this is still better than not allowing transfer at all, like Cakewalk or Image-Line.

[hibidy]

fx pansion does too, it's a pain but it is the way it is.

I used to be hung up on this, I got over it. The world sucks and not everyone is as good as NI about licence transfer.

[BazzaTron]

Can you resell Microsoft Windows?
Can you resell Apple's OS (whatever it's called)

There's little enough money in audio software as it is - I reckon $50 is fair enough, and I would rather have Image Line's free updates than be allowed to sell it.

[johnny2johnny]

There's little enough money in audio software as it is

why is there little money in audio software, and a billion dev's?


This is what I just don't understand. it seems like there are a billiion people trying to chase the $25 dollars that is available in the entire world, for some compusynths....

[hibidy]

some companies don't even allow licence transfer (fruity loop fruity loops oh how I wish I could sell thy fruity loops)

btw, one thing I will say is that although they announced a "delay" in upgrades/new toys/etc.....it's been too long. So, winter namm before we get the skinny?

[koolkeys]

There's little enough money in audio software as it is

why is there little money in audio software, and a billion dev's?


This is what I just don't understand. it seems like there are a billiion people trying to chase the $25 dollars that is available in the entire world, for some compusynths....

For the same reason that you as a musician keep doing what you do, despite there being millions of others fighting for their slice of the pie: it's because you love what you do. And so do they.

Transfer fees are part of the license. It's not totally unfair IMO. I mean, if you sell it to somebody else, that's a sale that the dev loses. If they get a little bit out of the deal to help with changing everything and such, I have no problem with it.

Brent

[BazzaTron]

why is there little money in audio software, and a billion dev's?

Because coding audio software is fun.

Coding database system's for HM Government is not fun, but pays stupidly well.

[hibidy]

shit, they keep getting MY money!

[johnny2johnny]

i c

[blatanville]

No disrespect, but isn't the point that if you're selling the software you're not a loyal customer? So it's not about them punishing customer loyalty, as you say.

I don't think there's anything disloyal about selling some software you're no longer using. Shouldn't the emphasis be on giving you a satisfactory experience so that you'll want to come back? So that you'll tell all your friends about this cool synth from this cool company?
THAT's creating customer loyalty, not shackling them to their license when they no longer want or need the software (a la Cakewalk), or charging them exorbitant transfer fees for what amounts to a simple change in their database and the exchange of a few emails.

Software companies have found a way to get what hardware/physical goods companies have probably been wishing for...not only to you have to sell your software at a loss (has it deteriorated in some way?) when you sell a "used" copy of the soft, but you also have to pay the original vendor a fee to do so.

If you sell a CD you no longer want/need to a used CD store, you take a hit on the price you paid because the item's used, and that CAN mean something relevant to the condition of the item. But you don't have to pay Sony/BMG a transfer fee for the right to re-sell it...but they certainly wish you did.