So, for the price of $29 I suppose I could philosophically accept that the money was well spent. But backup programs are supposed to be able to be used any and every time they are needed, aren’t they?
Your product is good for regularly scheduled backups. I set up the software to copy my files every day and then enjoyed the fact of knowing my files were safe and up to date for when I needed them.
In November of last year I experienced one of the most horrible experiences a computer could go through, my motherboard had a breakdown. While researching a replacement for the motherboard I discovered that my single core CPU was pretty much outdated so I had to buy a dual core compatible motherboard which meant I had to purchase a new CPU as well.
After being without my computer for three weeks I finally got everything together and the computer was up and running, new motherboard, new CPU, new hard drives, and a new operating system.
I used the backed up files that were updated faithfully by your software to reload everything to the position I was in when the motherboard experienced its meltdown.
When I reinstalled the AlmerBackup software that I purchased in 2005 and inserted the registration key that worked at that time I learned it no longer worked. The software ran as a trial version for thirty days, telling me everyday that it would expire in x number of days.
During this time I sent you several requests for assistance, politely explaining my situation. I did not hear from you until the day the trial period ended and I had to remove the software from my system. I was asked to send a reason why I decided to not purchase your software. The response I sent to you was that your customer support was non-responsive to my several pleas for help.
One of your managers, Max Fadeev, contacted me through his email address saying that several responses were sent to me that went ignored.
I have received email from AlmerSoft in the past without any problem, why these recent response did not get to me, I have no idea. But, I asked him through his email address for help to solve my problem.
He responded, not by offering help, but by reiterating that he did respond to my requests. I again assured him I did not receive the responses and to please help.
On his third contact with me he asked for the original registration key which I sent to him that very same day.
This last exchange took place on January 17, 2008 and I have not heard from this company again.
I have sent three requests for status updates since then without any response.
I can think of three possible reasons for not helping me:
1. you are stumped and embarrassed to admit it
2. you just flat are not responsible enough to try to solve this problem
3. you think I am lying and simply trying to get another copy for another computer without paying for it.
Since you won’t talk to me I can only speculate as to your lack of response.
Another outstanding issue I had asked about before purchasing but has never been addressed is:
You can copy to a CD but only if your backup size does not exceed one disk. It simply will not work if you need multiple disks. You said you was working on improving this feature but I suspect that was just to get me to buy it because you never did get it to work.
By the way, other software that reverted to trial software after the computer rebuild , their customer service helped me get their software working after providing proof of purchase. How does this make you look? I’ll leave that up to who ever reads this.
So, my question to the reader is: What do you get when you decide to sell your software online and then refuse to assist a customer with problems getting it to work? AlmerSoft.
I just want to warn everyone out there that if the time comes to rebuild your computer with a new motherboard and CPU, as we all have to do occasionally, and you have AlmerSoft as your backup of choice then you will get only one chance to use it because they will not honor your software purchase after that one use.
Do yourself a favor and look at all the newer free backup software and stay away from AlmerSoft.
Here is a couple sources of free backup software to use instead of AlmerSoft:
thefreecountry.com
freebyte.com has some free disk utilities.
Please feel free to send in your suggestions for some good free backup utilities.
Thank-you
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