What is it with Image Line?

[PaulsAcademy]

I visited image-line.com, and the news read "Test & win free plugin", although it never explains HOW to download the OpenGL beta version of Deckadance, so you can test it. Fortunately, I already had a forum login. So I login, download the OpenGL beta, and test it for about an hour, taking notes to help them out. I'm not a DJ, and really have no use for products like Deckadance. But I do enjoy helping developers out when I can.

But when I went to post my results (and thereby enter the contest to win a free plugin), only THEN does it tell me that I'm not even allowed to post to that forum thread, because I'm not a current customer. So I can't help them out, and I can't be in the running to win a product I DO want.

As it turns out, I'm not a current customer because I've been waiting for another sale on the synths I wanted for six months, since I learned about those synths only a couple of days after they heavily-discounted those synths with their "yard sale" last September. I've made repeated comments to IL in various places about how nice it would be to see some kind of sale on individual products again, and they don't even comment back. Ever.

It's as if Image Line posts things here, on their website, and at YouTube, and then goes to the beach, and doesn't even recognize that other people exist, let alone customers.

Has anyone ever seen Image Line actually interact with its customers at all? It seems like they do everything possible to ruin their own reputation, and to scare customers off. I'm so frustrated with these guys that even the quality of their products isn't enough to compel me to waste my time with them anymore. As a revenue manager by profession, I've already used Image-Line as an example of what NOT to do if you want to make money. But after this beta test fiasco, it almost seems like they want to fail.

Is the economy so much better in Belgium than it is in the U.S., that they don't even need revenue, or loyal customers?

[MaxSynths]

Is the economy so much better in Belgium than it is in the U.S.,

Yes

[stanlea]

You should try to email them, explaining what you have done, and telling that you've done a good job testing the demo. They might do something for you. Communicate.

[vespers75]

Is the economy so much better in Belgium than it is in the U.S.,

Yes

You live in Belgium?

[Kyran]

I visited image-line.com, and the news read "Test & win free plugin", although it never explains HOW to download the OpenGL beta version of Deckadance, so you can test it. Fortunately, I already had a forum login. So I login, download the OpenGL beta, and test it for about an hour, taking notes to help them out. I'm not a DJ, and really have no use for products like Deckadance. But I do enjoy helping developers out when I can.

But when I went to post my results (and thereby enter the contest to win a free plugin), only THEN does it tell me that I'm not even allowed to post to that forum thread, because I'm not a current customer. So I can't help them out, and I can't be in the running to win a product I DO want.

As it turns out, I'm not a current customer because I've been waiting for another sale on the synths I wanted for six months, since I learned about those synths only a couple of days after they heavily-discounted those synths with their "yard sale" last September. I've made repeated comments to IL in various places about how nice it would be to see some kind of sale on individual products again, and they don't even comment back. Ever.

It's as if Image Line posts things here, on their website, and at YouTube, and then goes to the beach, and doesn't even recognize that other people exist, let alone customers.

Has anyone ever seen Image Line actually interact with its customers at all? It seems like they do everything possible to ruin their own reputation, and to scare customers off. I'm so frustrated with these guys that even the quality of their products isn't enough to compel me to waste my time with them anymore. As a revenue manager by profession, I've already used Image-Line as an example of what NOT to do if you want to make money. But after this beta test fiasco, it almost seems like they want to fail.

Is the economy so much better in Belgium than it is in the U.S., that they don't even need revenue, or loyal customers?

A party isn't special if it happens everyday.
It's bad that you missed the sale, but if you want the products then you should consider buying them full price. Image-line doesn't do sales a lot because it upsets the loyal customers (those that bought full price). They do have introduction offers on their products.

And restricting beta testing to current customers is not that special either, ableton does that too. It's a reward for loyal customers.

Bottomline: you like their stuff: buy it and reap the rewards

[PaulsAcademy]

You should try to email them, explaining what you have done, and telling that you've done a good job testing the demo. They might do something for you. Communicate.

Umm, thanks. I do understand what you're saying, and I do appreciate the response. Communication is always a good thing.

However, in this case I think I'm going have to accept the fact that I'm an oddball for believing that I shouldn't have to stand outside a store in the cold, waving my hands and honking my horn, to get a shopkeeper's attention. These guys need to visit Las Vegas, or even Tijuana, to see how selling is done. They've got the quality product, but that's only half of the equation is business. Even a product that "sells itself", doesn't really sell itself, whether at a discount or full price.

[james0tucson]

Is the economy so much better in Belgium than it is in the U.S.,

Yes

And the >20% unemployment rate in Brussels is an indicator of that?

[JMC]

Hi,

I shouldn't have to stand outside a store in the cold, waving my hands and honking my horn, to get a shopkeeper's attention.

Our shop is wide open 24/7 and during the business hours you'll even get live support

Just click the 'Live support' image :



The feeling that you're left in the cold by not being a customer is exactly the way we try to fight piracy. By providing contests/reductions/samples/tutorials/forums/... to customers only we hope to make the millions (which is what we're talking about here) of warez users realize there IS a benefit of buying software.

These guys need to visit Las Vegas, or even Tijuana, to see how selling is done.

I've been to Vegas a dozen times already (usually after Namm & even married there 2 years ago) and it must must be a cultural preference but this hard selling (almost harassing the customer) is not how we prefer to work.

They've got the quality product, but that's only half of the equation is business. Even a product that "sells itself", doesn't really sell itself, whether at a discount or full price.

Now that we are talking : what is the question exactly ?

Regards,

[kbaccki]

Now that we are talking : what is the question exactly ?

Here's my take: OP missed your 40% off sale last September, and he's been sending emails to IL ever since trying to convince you to sell him a synth (that he "really wants") at a discount.

If not, he'll post bad things on KVR about your mommy.

JMC, you should hang out at some local used car lots and pick up some haggling tips... then you can haggle with your customers on every sale...
haggle, haggle, haggle. Do you have lots of used car lots in your part of the world? There's lots of 'em here in the ol' U S of A. We like our cars. Mmmmm... cars.

[Meffy]

JMC, you should hang out at some local used car lots and pick up some haggling tips...

Not local. Tijuana.

[JMC]

OP missed your 40% off sale last September, and he's been sending emails to IL ever since trying to convince you to sell him a synth (that he "really wants") at a discount.

I never saw any of these emails (and that's that kind of stuff that's usually thrown in my direction) but as one of the other posters said : If we'd do a weekly yardsale (I believe we had one every 4 years now) we might as well just drop the prices. This said we have another promotion running at the moment.

Do you have lots of used car lots in your part of the world?

Not a lot but there used to be one 3 houses away from here (that had to be cleaned up after environmental complaints). It's not exactly the kind of guy I want tips from (or even talk to) :

Last week he shredded my sons' ball that flew over the fence ... with a shotgun

[synthesizer808]

hehe i think youre just being a tad too emo now...

image line has some pretty good rep atm, better than steinberg for example, where customerbase frustration is very common.

regarding the restricted posting:
its just natural you cant post on CUSTOMER forums if you arent a customer, eh

regarding continental economy:
EU has generally better economy than US.

[Bastiaan from Tone2.com]

Last week he shredded my sons' ball that flew over the fence ... with a shotgun

Talking about overkill, whatever happened to just throwing/giving the ball back?

[JMC]

Talking about overkill, whatever happened to just throwing/giving the ball back?

Well. In his defense : The ball had been laying in a field that's in between our houses for a while and probably looked like a nice target practice.

[Reverse Engineer]

This post is rather redundant, but i don't have a single bad word to say about IL. Sorry.