Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!usc!apple!netcom!ergo
From: ergo@netcom.UUCP (Isaac Rabinovitch)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.programmer
Subject: Re: Borlands Upgrade "Deal"
Keywords: grrrr
Message-ID: <13054@netcom.UUCP>
Date: 12 Jun 90 05:28:38 GMT
References: <970@dekalb.UUCP>
Organization: Netcom- The Bay Area's Public Access Unix System {408 241-9760 guest}
Lines: 30

In <970@dekalb.UUCP> greg@dekalb.UUCP (Greg Philmon) writes:

>[bought a lot of Borland products.  tired of waiting for upgrade
>to arrive.  and now the street price is only $20 more than the upgrade]

>But I'd rather spend the $20 and have the software NOW, then save a little
>money and wait a month.

>Does this bother anyone else?

Actually, Borland doesn't deliberately do stuff like this, but they
do it a *lot*.  Horror stories abound, about their disorganization,
and about how unpleasant it is for clerical types to work there.  (Presumably
programmers have it somewhat better.)  Couple years ago they lost most
of their registration list because a disk died and nobody'd backed it up!

Upgrade fees always bother me.  They usually cost *more* than the wholesale
price of the product.  So, rather than doing you a favor, the publisher
is actually getting more money than if he just sold it to you.

Anyway, you want some *useful* info, so here it is:  call their order desk
(800 331 0877) and ask what's happened to your upgrade.  Be polite, but
make sure they know you're perturbed.  They'll hand you some BS about
"Oh yes, that order was in batch 23, that'll arrive within the next week."
and after they hang up they'll bump you to the head of the queue.  Works
for me.

On the other hand, you could just go the software store, spend that extra
$20, and then when your order finally shows up just refuse to sign for
it.  Then again, the UPS guy might leave it with your neighbor....