Ethical way to return a product with a license consumed?

[lightsfadelow]

I purchased Sonarworks SoundID Reference for Headphones and Speakers boxed edition on Amazon with the calibration microphone and I'm still within the return window. I installed their software and activated it, but never got the chance to even take the physical product out of the box because one of my studio monitors is in the shop, so I can't calibrate my room.

Yesterday, I purchased IKMM's Total Studio MAX which includes ARC3 for less than the price of the single Sonarworks product. I already have the ARC mic from way back in the ARC1 days and I was pretty happy with ARC1/2 back in the day... I bought Sonarworks because at the time I did not believe that IKMM had updated ARC3 to be Apple Silicon native, but they have updated lots of their products to AS-native recently (that plus a super-sale prompted my purchase).

So I intend to return the Sonarworks product and I want to make sure that I can do so in a way that whoever gets it next has all the activations left.

Anyone deal with this kind of issue before? How did you do it?

[Kypresso]

The only ethical thing to do is keep it and sell it as secondhand, which it is if you have registered it.

[lightsfadelow]

I get your sentiment... but when a software product is sold by a retailer with a return policy, you should be able to use the product up until that return window expires and still return it. It could be because the product doesn't meet your needs, it doesn't fit, it's broken, you find a better deal or product, etc. All of these are valid return rationales in Amazon's return flow. I don't think the *only* ethical thing to do is to not return the product, although I do think it is *an* ethical thing to do.

[ROTMetro]

Sonarworks has a trial for that purpose. The EULA states once you activate the software you can only transfer via their support. If you want the correct answer it is that you agreed to keep the software when you installed it and agreed to the EULA. It you didn't like the terms you were free to not agree. If you want the legal answer ask Amazon and sonarworks support.

[MrBeagleton]

I get your sentiment... but when a software product is sold by a retailer with a return policy, you should be able to use the product up until that return window expires and still return it.

But that assumes the product is unused. For a software product, activating the license sort of renders it used. Is there any way you can have Sonarworks de-activate the license or offer you another solution?

One of the Amazon reviews is:
"Fraud or bad mistake: new product activation key already used by another user!"

Which suggests what's going to happen to the next buyer if you just return it as is.

[jamcat]

You should keep it and post a shootout with ARC 3.

[jens]

The next buyer of that physical copy can't possibly know that it has already been activated and is entitled to the full product so the responsibility in that situation is clearly either with Amazon or Sonarworks. And hence there is nothing to worry about. If Amazon take it back - and of course assuming they do not explicitly rule out the return of already activated software - you can safely make use of that option. It is basically the same as with a (say) guitar you play or a mic you use within the return-window. While the article is not new/untouched anymore it is not your business to deal with that situation.

(Thomann for instance sell it a little cheaper as B-Stock but some other shops don't. It already happened to me that I received "new" gear that clearly had already been used before. I might then keep it anyway or send it back depending on the exact circumstances)

[i need Help]

I had typed out a multi-paragraph epic response but per usual by the time I’ve finished 2 other ppl have made the point I was making lol.

So I’ll just say:

Amazon’s list of un-returnable items says “open software”, which does technically leave room for interpretation since this terminology is from the era of CD/DVD software, and once the seal was broken it was as good as installed, registered, and un-returnable.

Call/email/open a support ticket with Sonarworks and tell them you’re returning the product to a 3rd party seller (Amazon) and you’re just wanting to do the right thing and not have the serial registered to your account.

Theres a non-zero percent chance they’ll be able to free up the serial.

If they can’t free up the serial and you‘ll just not be able to sleep with this moral stain on your conscience, ask the Amazon seller if they can work it out with Sonarworks.

If they can’t, and again, your moral standing with whichever deity you subscribe to will be tarnished, placing your immortal soul in jeopardy of eternal damnation, I guess at that point do the shootout vid like jamcat said lol.

[i need Help]

Also lol:

https://www.sonarworks.com/support/soun ... om-account

[jens]

So that's settled then. I guess it's easier to start a thread here than to check the vendor's website for infos.

[lightsfadelow]

Got it. I did see that remove button but I was unsure if it was removing the license from a particular machine (they allow 3 computers per purchase, I believe) but it sounds like I can just remove it from my account altogether and ship it back. Thanks all.

[i need Help]

I will say now that this thread has made me aware of the precedent set by Sonarworks, I wish, nay I demand every software company have a way for end-users to unregister and remove licenses from their accounts on their own!

[lightsfadelow]

Heh, good on them. Almost makes me not want to return the product. Almost. Because calibrating a room once is bad enough. Calibrating it in two systems is awful.