My copy of the Carrara 3 beta program just expired. I ordered and paid for version 3 the day after it was announced and I still haven't received it. Anybody elses beta copy expire?

To make matters worse the model I've been working on in Carrara 3 beta won't open in 2.1. I suppose I'll have to download the Demo version. My Carrara 3 better get here soon. I'm going to think twice before a I ever preorder a software program again.

UPDATE!

Today or tomorrow there will be a patch available on the Eovia site, I read in the Yahoo! group.

[snip]

Hi,

I understand that everybody is getting upset about Carrara 3 and honnestly we are upset too at Eovia. It really sucks that we have not been able to deliver your copies yet because of a manufacturing problem. Believe me we have all worked hard to get the Golden Master ready on the exact day we had planned and I am really pissed myself that almost no one can benefit from it because after all we build this software so that people can use it !

Anyway I have some good news:

First we are going to release tomorrow a patch for the beta that you will able to download so that you can keep using it until the end of October.

Second you will not have to wait until then to get your copy ! The
manufacturing company is delivering all the boxes of Carrara Studio 3 to us tomorrow which means that we should be able to ship all the orders within the next few days !

Sorry again about all the delay but it was really out of our control...

Charles

[/snip]

So in oither words, customer service lied. No one in customer service stated that they were out of anything, and stated repeatedly it was surely going to go out Monday the 29th, at the very latest, even though I was originally told my order shipped on 9/22 by 2 day FedEx. So instead of informing the customer the truth, that there was a delay, they just fed me the same line over and over. The delay might be out of their control, but the way they handled it certainly wasn't. I informed them this morning I needed a firm shipping date or a credit on my credit card and a cancellation of the order. Regardless of the length of time since the order, if they are not able to fill the order in a set amount of time, then they have to give the customers an option of cancelling, by law, in the U.S., and they are supposed to do that every so many weeks after the initial order. I believe it's 6 weeks from the date of order (which it has been x2 already).

People working on Customer Service desks are working with promises other people make them. And a lot of time with information that is optimistic AND most of the time not up-to-date ("don't tell customer service that, they are in enough pain already, phones are ringing all the time") Eovia is a very small company. It is not a Microsoft or HP. Cut them some slack. I am in the Netherlands and earned my update back today with the visualisation of a breakfast bowl. I would not want to miss C3!

I ordered C3 on July 16 and was advised that the shipment would be sent in 6 to 8 weeks. Fedex tracking indicates that they were called for pickup on Sep 20. So Eovia's shipping date was off by a bit less than a week- big deal.

Having only paid for ground shipment, I expected a delay between shipment and receipt here in Canada. But Fedex tracking shows that my package is now on the local delivery truck so I'll probably be getting it today.

While I can understand that people may be anxious, based upon the foregoing I find it difficult to accuse Eovia of any lying or false intentions. We were also told at the beginning that the beta would be time limited.

Besides... this is only software, right? It's not as if it's the Second Coming of (insert name of favourite deity here).

Excuse me for being an ass, but it's not the point at all. The point is, if you haven't figured it out yet, that when I asked for information, I was lied to. Regardless if you think it's a big eal or not, I do, and I would thank you to keep that in mind. Don't belittle my concern because you don't agree with it. I know all about customer service, and had ANYONE in that company informed me the truth when I asked the first time, then this would not have been an issue. Instead I was stonewalled and ignored. Jval, I ordered it before you did, and my tracking information is invalid, so please tell me why I shouldn't be concerned and upset? Especially when they won't even check into the situation on their side?

JDexter,
If you think you're an ass that's your privilege. I certainly did not say so nor was there any intent to imply this. Nor did I say it was not a "big deal" if Eovia intentionally lied to you. What I did say was that it was not a big deal if their delivery date promise to me was a few days late.

You posted a highly visible rant against Eovia that is bound to make a negative impression upon some. By posting my experience in this matter it is shown that yours is not necessarily indicative of their behaviour in general. In other words, I am providing readers the possibility of a balanced view by which to arrive at their own conclusions. If you reread my post you will see that my opinion is clearly based upon my experience. Why is that a problem? Why do you feel I am belittling your concerns simply by relating my different experience?

My only general comments were "I understand that people may be anxious" and "this is only software, right?" I fail to see how either could possibly constitute a personal attack or belittlement.

If you wish to continue believing that I think you're an ass, so be it. But the reality is that I don't know you well enough to think that. I know you only through the limited perspective of this single thread.

My dealings in the past with Carrara have been very good. I am floored and dumbfounded by the complete lack of CS this time around. I just again received an email stating my shipment should go out today. Considering I was told this exact same thing 4 times in the last week, I seriously don't think I need to trust it this time. I didn't mean you were calling me an ass, I mean I might seem like I was being an ass in this situation, but I felt it necessary because I am getting zero satisfaction in my dealing with Carrara directly. I mean, c'mon. Being told it shipped one day, then the next saying it will be shipped that night, then being told it shipped again, then being told it will ship, and then getting yet another email saying it will ship? I really don't think that can be considered CS.

I really don't think that can be considered CS. I don't either. But... I've had various jobs over the years, many of them dealing directly with the public. Foremost in my mind was quality service because if you can't keep your customers happy you can't keep your business either. But every once in a while, despite the best will in the world, everything would seem to go wrong and Fate revealed itself as a practical joker. If everyone starts reporting consistently shoddy service from Eovia then there would be something to start worrying about. But isolated instances are just that, isolated- and Murphy's Law rears its ugly head once again. Of course, this is scant consolation nor will it ease one's frustrations. But that's Life, a series of minor annoyances occassionally punctuated by small pleasures.

As another viewpoint- I ordered my copy of C3 @ SIGGRAPH on July 26th on the show floor. I just checked my email link to FedEx and it tells me that I have received my copy @ my front door today. :> I think it's safe to say I know what I'll be doing this evening! I also received a curious email from Eovia regarding the shipping of my copy. It stated the same line about my order having shipped and the tracking number I could use to follow-up on it. Here's the info from Fedewx I have received since that email: Sep 30, 2003 10:32 am Delivered Arlington, MA 6:46 am On FedEx vehicle for delivery BOSTON, MA Sep 29, 2003 10:09 pm Arrived at FedEx sort facility BOSTON, MA 8:34 pm Departed FedEx sort facility HARTFORD, CT 12:57 pm Scanned at FedEx sort facility HARTFORD, CT Sep 27, 2003 3:01 pm Arrived at FedEx sort facility HARTFORD, CT 7:25 am Departed FedEx sort facility HARRISBURG, PA Sep 26, 2003 2:07 pm Scanned at FedEx sort facility HARRISBURG, PA Sep 24, 2003 7:36 am Scanned at FedEx sort facility PHOENIX, AZ 6:34 am Arrived at FedEx sort facility PHOENIX, AZ Sep 23, 2003 11:13 pm Departed FedEx sort facility SAN DIEGO, CA 10:04 pm Loaded onto trailer at FedEx facility SAN DIEGO, CA 2:05 pm Picked up by FedEx SAN DIEGO, CA Sep 6, 2003 4:30 am Package information transmitted to FedEx SAN DIEGO, CA As you can see, there is this HUGE gap between 'Package info...' and 'loaded onto trailer...' But, since I've checked here @ R'osity regularly, I've been kept apprised of what's happening, without buggin' Eovia's CS staff. I appreciate what they've had to deal with, but my overall experience has still been good. By the by, since I was lucky enough to go to SIGGRAPH and meet the folks @ Eovia first hand, I thought they were knowledgable, friendly, down-to-Earth and very helpful with my questions about version 3. I had no problems dropping down my card, and walking away with a beta copy then and there. :> Just my (more then) 2 cents.

At the risk of sounding like I'm gloating, my copy of C3 just arrived. From original pickup call to doorstep delivery was 11 days- not too bad.

I not satisfied with eovia's explanation blaming the box manufacturer for the problem. When you set a release date you better have someone seeing that everything is coming together as planned. As soon as they had an inkling there was a problem they should have extended the life of the beta software. It is one thing to be disapointed because the final version will be delayed and another to have you are using software expire on you.

It is one thing to be disapointed because the final version will be delayed and another to have you are using software expire on you. Apparently Eovia agrees with you. A life extension patch is now available on the front page of their site.

There is a patch available at Eovia's website to extend the life of C3 beta until your Full C3 arrives.

Well I haven't gotten my copy yet. Believe me, I work in the printing industry and there are a thousand things that can go wrong with a complex job like producing boxes for a software product. Just a typo can mess the hole thing up, and it happens. I am sure that some one is in a lot of trouble for this one, but the bottom line is that this things happen. At lest Eovia came out clean telling every body what happened. Now in JDexter's situation he is upset not so much for the daly of his shipment, as for the customer service rep that cant get the info right. She, Pricilla, was pretty vague about my shipment just stating that it will ship some time this week. We will see when I get it. I have dealt with QuarkXpress and believe me that is an exercise in patients. Now that is the crummiest CS in the world.

I think, after many positive dealings with the Eovia team, if you are concerned about your lack of CS, then by all means call up Antoine or one of the execs there. Antoine Clappier is very accessible for a CEO and is more then willing to go the extra mile to satisfy a customer. They went more then the extra mile for me when I purchased Amapi 7 and had nothing but crashes and kernel panics. If they don't solve it to your satisfaction, I am certain they would be happy to refund your money. Granted sometimes it just feels good to vent your frustration, but remember that they are just as frustrated as you and to accuse them all of being liars is a bit harsh. I think you are one of the few that got the short end of the stick. It happens, don't let it ruin yours and others reputations... My C3 was delayed too, but there was a good reason for it and it was a problem that could only be solved with time. So I guess, cut them a little slack... Regards, Paul

I want to thank Charles for telling us what's been going on and I do agree it's a bummer that there's been difficulty getting our copies. However, when a big thing like a new code release happens, sometimes wires get crossed and information gets screwy. I certainly hope everybody gets their copies ASAP. The patch will help. -Kix (P.S., nobody is an Ass, play nice)

Hi, I would like to make it clear that nobody at Eovia lied about anything to anybody. Mistakes have probably been made, people might have been a little bit too optimistic or simply did not have the right information but that's it. We have been hoping all along that we would get the boxes soon enough to fullfill the orders but to be honnest it was just out of our control... Charles

I wasn't going to respond, but I'm sorry Charles, that's plainly not the truth. Omitting the truth is a lie in itself. When someone is asked directly about why a tracking number is wrong or not showing up in the tracking system and then told to keep checking because it will show up, knowing that nothing had been actually sent because of a shortage of product, then it's a lie. Never once was it mentioned that it never actually shipped until the last day, and never once was it mentioned that there was no product because of an error except for the initial delay at the beginning of September. Had it even been mentioned that there was an additional delay and the shipping information I was sent was incorrect, this would have been a non-issue. Please don't come here and tell me otherwise, I could post the whole email trail if you'd like. Bottom line is, it said ship date was September 22nd and it was 2 day air, it was delivered on October 3rd. No information in all my correspondance said anything about it not actually shipping. JDexter