Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!polyslo!vlsi3b15!vax1.cc.lehigh.edu!sei.cmu.edu!krvw
From: XRJDM@SCFVM.BITNET (Joe McMahon)
Newsgroups: comp.virus
Subject: Shareware? Hmm... (Mac)
Message-ID: <0009.y8907131623.AA04591@ge.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: 13 Jul 89 15:36:59 GMT
Sender: Virus Discussion List <VIRUS-L@IBM1.CC.Lehigh.EDU>
Lines: 29
Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu

I received a visit from a Mac user here at NASA this morning who was
very upset about a letter he received concerning Virus Detective(tm).

It seems that he had decided that he wanted to keep VD, so after reading
the dialog telling where to send the money and how much, he sent in
a check for $25. (He had version 2.2; I verified that the "Credits"
dialog up to and including version 3.0 specified this amount).

He then received a letter from the author *billing* him for an extra
$15! It seems that the price went up with version 3.0.1. (I verified
that too.)

He has returned the disk which was sent him and has requested his money
back. I have never heard of any shareware author billing anyone before.

I'd appreciate opinions on whether we should continue to support the
author by making this software available. I'd even more appreciate a
direct response from the author, if he reads this list.

I'm posting this partly in the hope that he will respond, and partly
because I truly dislike denying access to a good tool possibly because
of a one-time mistake or misunderstanding. I'd appreciate _direct_ replies
from the readers of this list as to their thoughts and feelings on the
subject. Thanks.

 --- Joe M.

Internet: xrjdm@scfvm.gsfc.nasa.gov |  "NOOOOO one expects the Spanish
   Phone: (301) 286-8090            |  Inquisition!" -- Cardinal Ximenes