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Class Action Lawsuit

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Message 1 of 101
useanalog
11089 Views, 100 Replies

Class Action Lawsuit

Is anyone else feeling like we should all get together and bring a class action lawsuit against Autodesk for the recent decline in product quality?  It seems as though we are paying Autodesk to be beta testers for their products, creating additional cost for the users in the form of reduced productivity.  

 

I personally think that Autodesk has begun doing a great disservice to the industries that have relied on its products for so long.

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Message 21 of 101
AllenJessup
in reply to: JDMather


JDMather wrote:

 

So now you are attacking people for the misfortune of being born with poor eyesight?
And what is a "sheeple"?


A "sheeple"? Was that a rhetorical question? They're the Sheep-People. To paraphrase a South Park episode 'Follow like Sheep. Talk like People'.

 

Like this is the first those of Myopic misfortune have bee attacked!

 

On the original subject. As someone who has had the pleasure of having a suit filed against their employer and having ones self named in the lawsuit. It ain't no fun at all!

 

Allen



Allen Jessup
Engineering Specialist / CAD Manager

Message 22 of 101
JamesMaeding
in reply to: AllenJessup

The funny thing is I bet we would find Autodesk has top lawyers and would perform quite well, in contrast to any lack of performance we see on AutoCad quality.

Keep in mind, you do not want to punish a company that takes risks because they can.

AutoCad is still the best CAD platform for add-ons, so the clones are really not complete alternatives yet.  Partial alternatives, yes.

We should complain about quality, but there is nothing wrong with Adesk lowering quality to get features out faster.

Its just a business risk they take, and we buy or not.

I'd prefer to see them prosper by listening to us more, and developing better long term relationships to understand real production of plans better.  Punishing a company into submission does not seem productive.


internal protected virtual unsafe Human() : mostlyHarmless
I'm just here for the Shelties

Message 23 of 101
dgorsman
in reply to: JDMather

I know the new forum format is a little difficult to follow, but try tree view.  The phrase you mentioned was NOT mine but quoted from an earlier post, with that poster using it as an attempted justification for filing a lawsuit.

----------------------------------
If you are going to fly by the seat of your pants, expect friction burns.
"I don't know" is the beginning of knowledge, not the end.


Message 24 of 101
gkjdi
in reply to: useanalog

Autodesk DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS ONCE YOU PURCHASE THEIR SOFTWARE ! All they want is BS renewals for software upgrades THAT DO NOTHING MORE FOR YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS NOR EXPEDITE THE DRAWING & DESIGN PROCESSS. And ultimately AUTODESK does not support their products to be compatible with BASIC INDUSTRY OS UPGRADES AND SPECIFICALLY MS Windows 7 & 8 which is the WORLD NORM.

 

If we had it to do over again WE WOULD NOT HAVE CHOSEN AUTOCAD, AUTODESK ARCHITECTURAL DESKTOP, Autodesk Autocad Architecture. We would have went with another product. After spending tens of thousands of dollars on software, and more on training and customization, and millions invested in our drawing portfolio WE FEEL ABANDONED BY AUTODESK. We have Absolutely NO NEED TO UPGRADE ARE 2009 SOFTWARE as nothing they have produced will help our production process and design process. They are so concerned about software piracy the programming they manufactured to stop bandit use virtually inhibits us LEGAL LICENSE HOLDERS TO UTILIZE THEIR SOFTWARE.

 

We are disgusted with the quality or lack of CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM THIS COMPANY. If you are looking to purchase new A&E software we suggest looking elsewhere, THEY ONLY RESPOND TO BIG COMPANIES, while us small and mid sizes firms are neglected.

 

Gary Jackson Design Inc

Houston Tx.

Message 25 of 101
gkjdi
in reply to: useanalog

Autodesk DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS ONCE YOU PURCHASE THEIR SOFTWARE ! All they want is BS renewals for software upgrades THAT DO NOTHING MORE FOR YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS NOR EXPEDITE THE DRAWING & DESIGN PROCESSS. And ultimately AUTODESK does not support their products to be compatible with BASIC INDUSTRY OS UPGRADES AND SPECIFICALLY MS Windows 7 & 8 which is the WORLD NORM.

 

If we had it to do over again WE WOULD NOT HAVE CHOSEN AUTOCAD, AUTODESK ARCHITECTURAL DESKTOP, Autodesk Autocad Architecture. We would have went with another product. After spending tens of thousands of dollars on software, and more on training and customization, and millions invested in our drawing portfolio WE FEEL ABANDONED BY AUTODESK. We have Absolutely NO NEED TO UPGRADE ARE 2009 SOFTWARE as nothing they have produced will help our production process and design process. They are so concerned about software piracy the programming they manufactured to stop bandit use virtually inhibits us LEGAL LICENSE HOLDERS TO UTILIZE THEIR SOFTWARE.

 

We are disgusted with the quality or lack of CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM THIS COMPANY. If you are looking to purchase new A&E software we suggest looking elsewhere, THEY ONLY RESPOND TO BIG COMPANIES, while us small and mid sizes firms are neglected.

 

Gary Jackson Design Inc

Houston Tx.

Message 26 of 101
JamesMaeding
in reply to: gkjdi

gkjdi,

Hopefully you investigated the products involved, to see if the workflows you intended to use actually work.

To hear they failed so badly is as revealing about you as the product.

Your comments are too vague to mean anything though. All customers find gaps and solving them is what makes one person different from the others.

 

Your comments about the licensing do not make sense. Standalone seats and network FlexLM system works quite well.

I want an internet lic server like Bentley, just for convenience, but the current system is stable and reliable.

 

Be more specific please with your rant, as we want to learn from your experience, not just see the steam.


internal protected virtual unsafe Human() : mostlyHarmless
I'm just here for the Shelties

Message 27 of 101
gkjdi
in reply to: JamesMaeding

Vague ? The problem is Autodesk is unresponsive, not willing to solve
issues. I have used their products since Autocad Versioin 9 back in 1988. We
have invested millions in man hours, training, customization, upgrades and
thousands of drawings in our portfolio. I have watch AutoDesk grow and have
had regional mangers from the company in my offices and participated in
workshops and training. I am frankly sick of their arrogance and lack of the
ability to directly address issues that obviously their resellers cannot
solve.



WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN "To hear they failed so badly is as revealing
about you as the product." What is revealing is Autodesk is so concerned
about software piracy to the detriment of those of us who HELPED BUILD THEIR
COMPANY ALL THESE YEARS, they have simply forgotten it IS ABOUT THE CUSTOMER
!



We have had it and now are looking at alternatives like this ZWCAD we've
found online and are contacting.
Message 28 of 101
TravisNave
in reply to: gkjdi

Unresponsive how?  They release a new product every year with new features that customers as for plus fixes for existing issues.  I am failing to see what the problem is.  It sounds more to me like you declined software support from your Reseller and are expecting something for free.  If you have been using the product since 1988, then you should obviously know how support services work as well as Subcription services.  We get it, you are angry.  But keep in mind that this is a peer support board.  We are not Autodesk. 



Travis Nave Send TravisNave a Private Message                                             Need help in your post? Mention me with @TravisNave



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Message 29 of 101
JamesMaeding
in reply to: gkjdi

gkjdi,

You are getting a little more specific now, but understand most of the people here also feel thart Autodesk has lost sight of many things.

Mind giving an example of what caused you to post on this?

 

What I have learned is the only somewhat stable workflow is one that does not rely on Autodesk verticals.

They nuked Land Desktop, left Civil3D unfinished, and now want to play with Infraworks.

This is the result:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/InfraWorks-General-Discussion/2015-new-interface-is-not-impressing-me/...

 

So you are preaching to the choir, though we are not interested in spending the energy on ranting much anymore.

Now we just minimize purchases of Autodesk verticals and use Bricscad for field surveyors (soon).

Autodesk never promised anything, and will likely continue to get creative with their cash cows. The guys at the top must have a lot of money to spare from the games I have seen.

 

 

 


internal protected virtual unsafe Human() : mostlyHarmless
I'm just here for the Shelties

Message 30 of 101
barrett
in reply to: useanalog

Well if the quality wasnt bad enough (electrical package is a pile) then they just announced that your package you paid over $9k for 2 years ago is now essntially workthless...becuase now they are only going to allow subscription services.  Now, what you paid over $9k for nyone canget for $400 a year.....then why wasn;'t i told this two years ago or for that matter a couple of months ago when I paid my annual subscription for $2k???????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

Yes, this really deserves a class action lawsuite.

Message 31 of 101
pendean
in reply to: barrett

It hasn't been a secret for well over a year: Autodesk even sent out emails perioidically to all those with registered licenses and almost every reseller in our market (whether we bought from them or not) emaild and called over that year's period. Did you go through a reseller? or do it solo? Do you regularly check your spam folder for misplaced emails? Or did you simply ignore what looked like sales pitches emails?

Your perpetual license is yours to keep/use forever.

If you want to upgrade, you will need to buy a subscription along ith it. If not, your $9k investment is yours to use and benefit from for years and years.

You have no basis for a lawsuit, or joining one really, go talk to a legal advisor you know: you just fell through the cracks for whatever reason. Autodesk is always advertizing specials though, just actively keep an eye out for them or contact a reseller (or three) and get on their mailing list.

Note: if you want to buy additional perpetual licenses, not upgrades to exsiting perpetual licenses, the new deadline is Feb 1, 2016.

Autodesk's subscription is like almost every other serious professonal CAD vendor out there today, as are most server based apps, most business level/grade acounting packages and soon all your other software like Microsoft and toher (Adobe chickened out recently but appears ready to do the same)
Message 32 of 101
JamesMaeding
in reply to: barrett

you are also ignoring the fact that when adesk goes to "rental only per named user", which is what desktop sub is, you can stop paying sub until you decide to switch versions.

That might make sense if you planned on skipping 5 versions, but run the numbers yourself.

Desktop sub is more expensive in the long run, than normal or "maintenance" sub.

 

If they just wanted to raise prices, why not just do it.

This playing around with certain products desktop sub only is just muddying the waters, and cad managers, you know - the real customers - do not like that.

I've never seen a large company play with fire like Adesk is doing, as Bricscad is now a mature replacement for AutoCad.

 

That's all fair business play though, nothing we did not agree to.


internal protected virtual unsafe Human() : mostlyHarmless
I'm just here for the Shelties

Message 33 of 101
ss5design
in reply to: AllenJessup

Suing Autodesk is the only option left. If it forces them out of business then sobeit. Maybe then someone will step up and provide good software. As it is Autodesk has aquisitioned its way into nothing more than a mafia approach to the software market. Its time that they are held accountable.

Message 34 of 101
sbrittin
in reply to: ss5design

I support a class action lawsuit against autodesk b/c they sold me a software license with a maintenance program and, rather than providing that, they now are forcing me to buy something different i.e., a subscription plan. For some reason, I feel like I bought a car but got a rental. I think that's fraud. 

Message 35 of 101
JamesMaeding
in reply to: sbrittin

but they never said the maint fee would be some number.

From their point of view, you have the software forever, if you can make it work, so you do get the value you paid for.

 

Honestly, we have known they would go to rental for a long time now.

I did not guess it would cost double, and that is really the problem here, but no breech of contract.

Now, one time I had a sales guy tell me one thing, then adesk switches the sales rep to a new guy, and the magically forget their deal (option to drop suites in favor of just acad if I wanted - and I did want).

They honored it once I pushed, but that was educational.  Get any deals in an email.


internal protected virtual unsafe Human() : mostlyHarmless
I'm just here for the Shelties

Message 36 of 101
gkjdi
in reply to: JamesMaeding

Cadsoft looks real good. After using auto ad since 1989 version 9 I really like this Cadsoft. Works and looks the same even works with my dwg files. Lot cheaper and one time cost too. Way of the future plus it's basic all you need

Sent from my iPhone
Message 37 of 101
pendean
in reply to: sbrittin

Hop off the Autodesk train if you feel that strongly about it: suing a company for wanting to make steady money really goes no where fast, but taking your money somewhere else does get a lot of attention.

Just realize this fact, once the low customer-base alternate you may go to get enough customers they too will adopt this rental model so be ready to jump ship again eventually. It's the wave of the future in software. You can't hide from it, you can't shield yourself from it for too long.

Good luck.
Message 38 of 101
sbrittin
in reply to: pendean

The issue for me is not the cost of the maintenance fee, although, that proves AutoCAD's long term clients are not small businesses Architects. The issue for me is, when the person sold me the software, She assured me AutoCAD wasn't going to do this. The other day when I learned they are doing it, I called and she wouldn't take my call. Sure I'm mad and she knows it. She know it's why I called and, I know it's why she won't take my call. She knew it was coming and didn't call ahead. I will support a class action lawsuit against Autodesk. I think they owe us a refund of our software purchase price. If our only option is to relinquish our maintenance plan to buy a subscription, that's a change to our agreement and, we deserve a refund.

 

 

Edited by
Discussion_Admin

Message 39 of 101
JamesMaeding
in reply to: sbrittin

but they have not done anything other than raise the price on your maintenance fees.

They did not end that method of doing things yet, and I don't think they will need to to accomplish their goals.

By the time 3 years comes around, I wonder if this whole experiment will have changed anyway.

 


internal protected virtual unsafe Human() : mostlyHarmless
I'm just here for the Shelties

Message 40 of 101
sbrittin
in reply to: JamesMaeding

I don't know who you are and, I don't care what you think. You haven't purchased a license. I have. I'm writing hoping others who have purchased a license will reply. The person who recommends switching to another software package is making sense. 

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