Irritating experience with plugins and devs

[Leo1999]

I would like to share a bad experience not to bash a dev, but to warn you not to make the same mistake.
I re-sell plugins sometimes on ebay and it works great without any issues.
Yesterday I re-sold an IK Multimedia product, but the buyer could not register it.
IK Multimedia replied to the buyer that it is an upgrade license and one would need a qualifying product to register this product.
IK Multimedia did not even write what a qualifying product exactly is as to the plugin I sold!
This product was labeled transfereable ("transfer") in my IK account, no information that it is an upgrade license.
I purchased a license transfer and transfered it. Why don't you get a notification or warning that the new buyer will need a qualifying product with a list of the products? I can not even remember when I purchased this product and that it was an upgrade. After that purchase I bought many other products and I did not purchase IK Multimedia only.
Do Ik Multimedia really expect a customer to know their complicated terms and policy?
I re-sold quite a lot of plugins, it was simple without any issues.
Now I have wasted my time and money on license transfer fee, I have refunded to buyer, but will have to pay an ebay fee, I will receive a bad comment on my ebay account everyone will see and the product is not in my IK Multimedia account any more.
IK Multimedia is the most complicated and customer unfriendly company I know, I am going to re-sell all IK products now, but want to know exactly what to do first from IK, before I do that.

Can you also share a strange experience or some general issues with devs or plugins?

[arkmabat]

Sorry about the troubles! I have no advice but this is good to know. Also reminds me that they don't provide installers for old products and I should make a hard copy of Miroslav and Drummica. Thanks.

[jamcat]

So you bought an upgrade and sold it to someone else as a full version. And you blame IK for this?

[DCrown]

The exact same thing happened 2 me a while ago.
I completely agree that Ikmultimedia account and the way they offer transfers and define or display their products is a mess.
I also can not remember all prices I paid or whether it was a sales, cross, update or upgrade. Some plugins I purchased ten years ago.
The confusion is caused by the fact that u select a Ikmultimedia product, but u can't see what kind of license it is, u see a serial number and whether it can be transfered or not. U r right as soon as u push transfer u should get a note that plugin can only be re- registered when u have a qualifyied product if that's the case. Hiding this important note can only cause trouble.
I also do not know any other dev with this kind of procedure and ikmultimedia in deed can not expect u 2 know their unclear rules.
I had a lot of trouble when I sold Ikmultimedia plugin and they have lost me as a customer. I stay away from ikmultimedia

[Plugintester]

You saved me from getting into trouble, so thanks a lot for sharing your experience.
I am also up to re sell some IK plugin suite
I bought many years ago , but can't remember
whether it was a cross-or upgrade, but I think it was an upgrade, I hope I will find the purchase e-mail. I would make the same mistake you did without your post.
I bought some plugins during their group sales last year and have some plugins twice now, that's why I am up to re sell and I know that group sales plugins are NFR.

Your post made me check my IK account and the product can be transfered, but no hint whether it was an upgrade purchase or whether a qualifying product is needed to be elegible.
I am not sure, but think it was an upgrade.
I also re sold some plugins in the past, but this time it seems to get a bit more difficult.

How to find out what plugins are qualified?

[Leo1999]

So you bought an upgrade and sold it to someone else as a full version. And you blame IK for this?

I am obviously not the only one who does not comprehend IK Multimedia 's incomprehensible product policy.
I re-sold a full version, because I had a full version of the product in my account.
The cause for not knowing that a qualifying product is needed is that you can not see whether a plugin is a crossgrade product and whether you need a qualifying product to register again and you also do not see what plugins are qualifying products.
All you see is that you have a registered license with a serial number and that you are allowed to transfer the plugin.

[Leo1999]

How to find out what plugins are qualified?

Good question. I do not know.
IK Multimedia obviously expects their customers to know qualifying products
from A to Z.

[DCrown]

Btw I am pretty sure I re sold plugins of other devs that I had upgraded without issues without needing something like qualifying product 2 re register.
U can even re sell plugins of Alliance u paid 25 bucks 4 on sales and u can even re sell them 4 50 bucks!
Ikmultimedia is a no go 4 me.

[ralfrobert]

How to find out what plugins are qualified?

Good question. I do not know.
IK Multimedia obviously expects their customers to know qualifying products
from A to Z.

If you log into your account and go to the updates / crossgrades page, you see all the offers you have access to. At least I was told so by IKM support.

[ghettosynth]

I find IK to be irritating as f**k, but, you can't blame them for you not knowing that you bought an upgrade license. Ok, fair enough, their byzantine licensing and product upgrade paths are hard to keep track of, but it's still your responsibility to do so when it comes time to sell. NI once tried to tell me that such a license couldn't be sold (as an upgrade). I figured out that all you had to do was re-request the same change and you got someone different who wasn't a brick.

[DCrown]

How to find out what plugins are qualified?

Good question. I do not know.
IK Multimedia obviously expects their customers to know qualifying products
from A to Z.

If you log into your account and go to the updates / crossgrades page, you see all the offers you have access to. At least I was told so by IKM support.

Yes, I can see what upgrade offers I have, this depends on what plugins u own, but I can also see which plugin I can sell and transfer and every product I own I consider a full license product.
But the most important thing u can not see.
U can't see what qualifying products a new buyer would need 2 register a product after transfer and u can not see in your account what plugins are upgrade or crossgrade plugin. It would be easy 2 add this info 2 the plugins in your account.
So how could you transfer a plugin without knowing what qualifing products a new buyer needs?

[jamcat]

IK’s upgrade policy is the same as everyone else’s: you need a qualifying product that can be upgraded, either an older version or a lesser version of the same title. Upgrades are cheaper than full versions because you have to already have a full version to upgrade. It’s not that difficult of a concept.

To see what particular product SKU you purchased, look at “My Orders” in your User Area. If it’s an upgrade or crossgrade, it will be listed as such there.

If you got the software as a free product as part of a promotion, it will be tied to the qualifying product that you purchased.

[GaryG]

Golden rule: always check with the dev first before selling a license. I've checked with, for instance, Arturia and discovered certain freebies that had a transfer option were actually NFR (understandable). I'd stick my neck out and say it's the sellers responsibility, due diligence before selling etc.

[Leo1999]

I find IK to be irritating as f**k, but, you can't blame them for you not knowing that you bought an upgrade license. Ok, fair enough, their byzantine licensing and product upgrade paths are hard to keep track of, but it's still your responsibility to do so when it comes time to sell. NI once tried to tell me that such a license couldn't be sold (as an upgrade). I figured out that all you had to do was re-request the same change and you got someone different who wasn't a brick.

Of course you can blame me for the fact that IK Multimedia is very irritating, but I understand what you mean.
And as Crown already wrote I could not tell a buyer what qualifying plugins he needs for a crossgrade or upgrade to activate and register a product, I can only tell him what special upgrade or crossgrade offers I do have and it depends on the plugins you already have. IK simply is not transparent and I re-sold a lot of plugins and it was simply to understand and do

[ralfrobert]

How to find out what plugins are qualified?

Good question. I do not know.
IK Multimedia obviously expects their customers to know qualifying products
from A to Z.

If you log into your account and go to the updates / crossgrades page, you see all the offers you have access to. At least I was told so by IKM support.

Yes, I can see what upgrade offers I have, this depends on what plugins u own, but I can also see which plugin I can sell and transfer and every product I own I consider a full license product.
But the most important thing u can not see.
U can't see what qualifying products a new buyer would need 2 register a product after transfer and u can not see in your account what plugins are upgrade or crossgrade plugin. It would be easy 2 add this info 2 the plugins in your account.
So how could you transfer a plugin without knowing what qualifing products a new buyer needs?

If the buyer sees the product (ie. upgrade / crossgrade) to be transferred under "crossgrades" in his / her account, it should be possible to register the same product coming from a transfer. Some points to consider:

1. You see what you bought (crossgrade, upgrade) on your invoice.

2. To sell second hand, a little communication is necessary beforehand.

3. I once fell into the trap you describe when selling second-hand. Annoying, yes, but a thing you can avoid in the future.

4. As it may seem like I'm defending IK: Although I like some of their products very much, I've decided to not give them a single buck until they become less customer-hostile. It's not about the transfer issues, but many other small things that make dealing with them living hell / purgatory.