Request for money back ignored

I tried to keep this private between me and Damien but I think I’ve been patient enough.
I licensed Audirvana 3.5 on March 6, 2021, with the understanding that I was purchasing a lifetime license. I’m not naive enough to think that “lifetime” means forever. However, less than three months of developer support due to the advent of “Studio” is simply not honest. I have to believe that back in March, they knew they planned to stop supporting 3.5. I should have been warned of this fact.
I would be happy to continue running with 3.5 and my existing setup, without a peep if not for the problems with 3.5 database updating. I use the “Tag Editor” app to correct and perfect my music file’s metadata. When I swap the updated files with the corrected version, 3.5 simply does not update the database. Specifically when I correct the Artist’s name. Example: “Beatles, The” to “The Beatles”. I expected that this problem would eventually be resolved by ongoing developer support of 3.5. However, Damian has stated that there will be no ongoing support of 3.5.

After privately explaining my situation with Damian, he asked for specifics regarding the database issue. I provided specifics, with hopes that he might address the issue. Instead, he has ghosted me. No further response.

I’d like a refund of my $96 - Please.
I think It’s fair to ask for this.

If in the future I upgrade my Mac and want to subscribe, I will do so.

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It might be “only $96” to you but that’s a chunk of change for me.
Plus, I think it was dishonest. After less than three months, to stop supporting 3.5 “lifetime”, does that seem like an honest business practice?
I’m not an a-hole and I truly, simply want the 3.5 to work properly. Essentially, the database update/sync function is defective.
Would you like to buy my licence?

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Unfortunately, there are more people who have experienced the same.

I don’t think 3.5 is no longer supported. Bugs or support for Streaming services will be solved. Since Studio has similar issues to 3.5 I expect it to be mostly the same underneath the new skin. This has the advantage that everything that is solved for studio could also be rolled out to 3.5.

What you don’t have to expect for 3.5 is that new functionality is added.

Not too long ago there was a 3.5 update. It is not dead.

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@Jacob, thank’s for your reply. I hope this is the case. In the Studio presentation, I thought someone said that 3.5 would not be supported. Perhaps I got that wrong. If you are correct, that was all Damian had to say. Instead, he went silent.
Again, I’m only wanting 3.5 to sync. I’ve had to delete the database and re-load everything twice now.

€96 is not ‘only’, to many people it’s a significant amount, myself included.

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The reactions from the Audirvana team are currently rather limited in number and also minimal in terms of content.

I have been using Audirvana since 2016 and in that time all bugs have been fixed for me. Sometimes they come back with an update unfortunately.

At this point I feel like they have created a strategy and marketing plan for a larger size organization. And then with too few men into the field to win the war. I hope that once the biggest problems have been solved, everything will return to calmer waters. For both the customers and the ones who have to solve all the shit.

And that we can just enjoy music.

Are you joking or what?
If $96 were nothing, Damien would have paid him back his money.

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You may be right, but it’s a bit naive to believe that it will be the case. It is clearly not in the interest of the company. As A3.5 won’t bring them any new revenue, their interest will be that the users will abandon it and will migrate to AS. So it’s not in their interest to improve A3.5 in any way.

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I did not say it. You said it. You said: “IT’S ONLY $96. FORGET IT AND MOVE ON”.
What does it have to do with a fatal illness that you seem to wish me to get?

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You could call me naive. That could also be true in this case. Until now I don’t see Damien as a commercial organization, but as an enthusiast who just wants his child (software) to do well.

There comes a time when it becomes a business and sometimes that is the beginning of the end.

I hope it will be a reasonable success and that Damien will get the issues and the direction of the company under control.

Have you asked the purchase price to be transformed into subscription of the current product? Maybe you’ll have more luck with that request. Just write to support@audirvana.com.

Hello,
If you have read the general terms and conditions, you would know that you have little hope.

I bought 3.5 in December 2020 and after 5 months something new comes out, so I can’t claim my money.
Even though they were probably already working on it.

It’s more annoying for those who bought in April and May.
Nevertheless, you can continue to use 3.5 as long as the streaming provider doesn’t change anything serious that makes 3.5 unusable, you will still be able to use 3.5.

I also think it sucks that there are no updates for 3.5, but what can you do?
When something does come, it will probably be something like the kulumatives in Windows.
But unfortunately that is also legitimate.
Otherwise you have to find something else or set something up yourself.

You probably won’t get the 96 dollars back because the trial version was also available for testing.
You can still test AS, maybe you’ll like it better, but it’s connected to a subscription.

Personally speaking, use 3.5 as long as you can until AS has matured and is better.
I haven’t tested AS myself yet because I don’t see any need for it and 3.5 is more than sufficient for my purposes.
Alternatively, Roon might be more suitable for you, if so then write off the 96 dollars.
Even if it may not be legal, offer 3.5 and have the email address changed later.

I might consider a subscription (key word “consider”) IF I was confident the database issue was resolved. Additionally, the lifetime license was one of the attractions that prompted me to pull the trigger and make the purchase. The fact is, there are other options out there. Particularly subscription based options. My purchase was based on the marketing buzz word, “lifetime”
If you read my original post, I’m not naive and realize that lifetime does not mean forever. But, having bought my license March 6th, I think it’s reasonable to expect that the lifetime of the software I just purchased would be longer than a couple of months. That said, I have purchased software that has had a disclaimer informing new customers that a new, pay-to-upgrade version is soon to be released. That’s an honest transaction. I was an informed buyer.
In this case, I was not “informed” and that being the case, I feel misled.

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I understand, but no software manufacturer announces new versions in advance, I’ve been burned in the past is similar circumstances. One needs to be aware where in the lifecycle of the product you are.

Audirvana did indeed release a new version (3.5.46) after the release of the new product.

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Some do. For example Parallels or Capture One to name a few.
Some advertise that if you buy the current version today, then your next version upgrade is free.
Some, when they release a new version announce that whoever bought the previous version in the recent past gets the upgrade for free.
The timeframe is usually 3 months.

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True, but in this case that would not apply anyway since they changed to a subscription model. There is the option to transform the purchase price into subscription, it was mentioned in the stream. Not sure to which users this would apply, I believe they mentioned those that purchase in the last month before the release of Studio, but it’s worth trying through support.

Well that’s convenient LOL

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That’s what happened to me when I bought the license of A1.5.
A few months later A2 was released, and Damien offered it to me for free.
But maybe he is not the person who decides on commercial practices anymore, because now he has a partner whose job is to be in charge of the commercial strategy.

Here you go again. Do you realize you are imposing YOUR value of money on others?

$96 is not a lot of money to me, but I do NOT want to be cheated out of it. Supposed you were told that the $96 key-ring you loved so much was hand-made in Europe, and found out later that you could buy the exact key-ring for $5 at a street corner.

Enough said.

That’s what is better known as bate-and-switch.

“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on both of us.”
~ Stephen King

I’m not convienced that a subscription is what I’d be happy with.

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