The first round of questions were necessary because this all-important information is not spelled out on the vendor's first opportunity to disclose it - his website.
Notice how even under direct questioning he avoids saying any more than he thinks he needs to - to avoid getting down to the really nasty provisions he's trying to hide:
The Ruse:
- "There are no annual licensing or service fees."
- Let's split hairs and call 'service fees' 'Technical Support'.
- Annual support is "$19.95 per month".
- Oh! there are annual support fees!? Why didn't you say so in the first place? And $2,394 over 10 years for a program that cost $495 or $995?!!
- Plan on not paying the support fee?
- You'll pay $125 PER INCIDENT!
- Plan on not paying the support fee? If $125 'per incident' isn't enough to force you into paying annual support fees, then how's this? You won't be entitled to necessary software updates either!
- Need help after 5pm (Central) or on weekends?
- You'll need the super-dooper support plan. Get this: $1,152 per year! (or does $96/month sound better?)
- Need more help after one hour?
- "Training is available at a rate of $125 per hour."
- I don't pay my accountant $125 per hour!!
- True to form, he avoided saying what the transfer fee is for the $995 version. Wanna bet it's (much) higher?
- Epilogue: Yep: $595. Imagine buying this software, one day selling your store and having to inform your buyer that between the two of you, you're going to have to pay this vendor 60% more to continue to use the program!
- True to form, he avoided saying what the transfer fee is for the $995 version. Wanna bet it's (much) higher?
The Perpetrator:
On top of all else, this vendor IS NOT Best Consignment Shop Software, even though that name appears in this listing:
Apparently, in addition to not telling the truth about the real cost of his product, this vendor is also mimicking his competitor's name in hopes of profiting from the confusion!
