SITE UPDATES, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND CUSTOMER SERVICE INFORMATION

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Comments

  • PetraPetra Posts: 1,143
    edited December 1969

    I fully agree:)

  • Sal UKSal UK Posts: 432
    edited July 2012

    Sal UK said:
    I put one in 5 days ago for a refund on the hexagon tutorial as I cant get hexagon to work through the tutorial process it keeps coming up with program has stopped working. so I want a refund on it as its no good if I cant keep hexagon working.

    Still havent been sorted.. :(

    Sal.


    Thanks its been sorted now..
    Sal.
    Post edited by Sal UK on
  • edited December 1969

    why is the store trying to charge me taxes?

  • AscaniaAscania Posts: 1,838
    edited December 1969

    Because your registered address is in a state that requires DAZ to?

  • edited December 1969

    sigh That must be new then. I'm in GA and the last time I heard it was just Texas or Utah can't remember which but it was just one state. I bought something recently & wasn't charged. :/

  • LindseyLindsey Posts: 1,983
    edited December 1969

    aqrose said:
    sigh That must be new then. I'm in GA and the last time I heard it was just Texas or Utah can't remember which but it was just one state. I bought something recently & wasn't charged. :/

    There was an announcement of issues with the new store which included clarification of states subject to sales tax. See "2. Sales Tax" in the link below:

    http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/2055_4/

  • LillianaLilliana Posts: 99
    edited August 2012

    There is a serious Database issue where the store is not acknowledging Monthly Platinum Club memberships purchased prior to the change over. The current work around seems to be that affected members need to purchase the membership again and then Management issues a refund for the difference..

    Highly unacceptable.

    Post edited by Lilliana on
  • LordHardDrivenLordHardDriven Posts: 937
    edited August 2012

    I'm wondering if it would be possible if Daz could give us some idea of how we customers are supposed to handle product updates. Emails announcing updates stopped a good while ago and now with the new forum the sub forum dedicated to updates is no longer available. Just before the site change I saw in the update forum that a bunch of files had been updated but I didn't have time then to compare it to my itemized purchases. Then when I finally had the time the product update forums were no longer there.


    I've been a customer for 10 years now and over that time I've accumulated well over 3000 items that I've purchased. I know daz has been bringing alot of older stuff up to speed for today's newer technologies. Without product update info though the only choice I have is to keep using older versions that may work poorly or reset every item I've ever bought and put myself at a huge inconvenience having to download so many files (many that probably haven't been updated) so I can compare them to what I have already. Of course that would also mean me being an unnecessary drain on the server for several days as I attempt to download well over 3000 items. Heck, I can't even compare them to the product page since you stopped giving out the information of how many files an item contained and what the total size of those files were.


    I've asked this before in other threads about the new site but got no answers. I've tried to be understanding and wait so Daz could focus on getting problems worked out. Now I'm really needing an answer because I'm trying to rebuild my runtime and don't want to waste time and energy installing a bunch of files that need to be updated but I just can't tell. Surely this has also got to be a major problem for other customers as well?

    Post edited by LordHardDriven on
  • DAZ_bfurnerDAZ_bfurner Posts: 62
    edited December 1969

    I'm wondering if it would be possible if Daz could give us some idea of how we customers are supposed to handle product updates. Emails announcing updates stopped a good while ago and now with the new forum the sub forum dedicated to updates is no longer available. Just before the site change I saw in the update forum that a bunch of files had been updated but I didn't have time then to compare it to my itemized purchases. Then when I finally had the time the product update forums were no longer there.


    I've been a customer for 10 years now and over that time I've accumulated well over 3000 items that I've purchased. I know daz has been bringing alot of older stuff up to speed for today's newer technologies. Without product update info though the only choice I have is to keep using older versions that may work poorly or reset every item I've ever bought and put myself at a huge inconvenience having to download so many files (many that probably haven't been updated) so I can compare them to what I have already. Of course that would also mean me being an unnecessary drain on the server for several days as I attempt to download well over 3000 items. Heck, I can't even compare them to the product page since you stopped giving out the information of how many files an item contained and what the total size of those files were.


    I've asked this before in other threads about the new site but got no answers. I've tried to be understanding and wait so Daz could focus on getting problems worked out. Now I'm really needing an answer because I'm trying to rebuild my runtime and don't want to waste time and energy installing a bunch of files that need to be updated but I just can't tell. Surely this has also got to be a major problem for other customers as well?


    LordHardDriven:


    Thank you for the questions. I hope that I can do justice in answering these. We are making several changes moving forward to help with product information and updates. The changes to our store have made it necessary to handle some of this differently. We will be storing the read-me files online in the document center, we are working on having the ability to see and access the read me files on each product page. People will be able to download a PDF of the read-me on each product as needed from the doc center. As we are an online business we feel it's necessary to handle these files in this way. These files will be updated and kept in one central location. This should make it easier to find and keep up-to-date information on each product.


    We are also in the process of finishing and testing an Installation Manager that will help to keep your products up to date. The way the tool is working will be a great way to update each product that needs it. It's a fast and very easy tool use. It also helps with custom content locations. More information will be available when we get closer to bringing it out.

  • SpottedKittySpottedKitty Posts: 7,232
    edited December 1969

    The changes to our store have made it necessary to handle some of this differently. We will be storing the read-me files online in the document center, we are working on having the ability to see and access the read me files on each product page.

    And...? Sorry, I don't see a reason there to stop putting the readme and related files in the download as well. If the readme is updated, mark the download as updated, just as if it were a dud texture or materials script that had just been fixed.
  • LordHardDrivenLordHardDriven Posts: 937
    edited December 1969

    I'm wondering if it would be possible if Daz could give us some idea of how we customers are supposed to handle product updates. Emails announcing updates stopped a good while ago and now with the new forum the sub forum dedicated to updates is no longer available. Just before the site change I saw in the update forum that a bunch of files had been updated but I didn't have time then to compare it to my itemized purchases. Then when I finally had the time the product update forums were no longer there.


    I've been a customer for 10 years now and over that time I've accumulated well over 3000 items that I've purchased. I know daz has been bringing alot of older stuff up to speed for today's newer technologies. Without product update info though the only choice I have is to keep using older versions that may work poorly or reset every item I've ever bought and put myself at a huge inconvenience having to download so many files (many that probably haven't been updated) so I can compare them to what I have already. Of course that would also mean me being an unnecessary drain on the server for several days as I attempt to download well over 3000 items. Heck, I can't even compare them to the product page since you stopped giving out the information of how many files an item contained and what the total size of those files were.


    I've asked this before in other threads about the new site but got no answers. I've tried to be understanding and wait so Daz could focus on getting problems worked out. Now I'm really needing an answer because I'm trying to rebuild my runtime and don't want to waste time and energy installing a bunch of files that need to be updated but I just can't tell. Surely this has also got to be a major problem for other customers as well?


    LordHardDriven:


    Thank you for the questions. I hope that I can do justice in answering these. We are making several changes moving forward to help with product information and updates. The changes to our store have made it necessary to handle some of this differently. We will be storing the read-me files online in the document center, we are working on having the ability to see and access the read me files on each product page. People will be able to download a PDF of the read-me on each product as needed from the doc center. As we are an online business we feel it's necessary to handle these files in this way. These files will be updated and kept in one central location. This should make it easier to find and keep up-to-date information on each product.


    We are also in the process of finishing and testing an Installation Manager that will help to keep your products up to date. The way the tool is working will be a great way to update each product that needs it. It's a fast and very easy tool use. It also helps with custom content locations. More information will be available when we get closer to bringing it out.

    Yeah I saw those options for the readme files and I guess that offers a counter solution for the now obsolete content manager program I paid good money for to be able to keep info on my files. That still does not adress my questions though as the readme files at least so far do not contain the information of how many files to install a particular item and what the total size of those files were. Since that info is now no longer on the product page just above the templates like it used to be.


    Personally what I would like to see is two columns of information be visible in the itemized order history. One column representing the date a file was last updated and another showing when it was last downloaded. A nice optional bonus would be if the update date is ever more current then the last download it generates a private message to the customer's inbox notifying him/her of the need to reset an item for download. As long as that info is visible a customer can at least browse his/her history and know which files he/she needs to reset and which he/she doesn't.

  • SimonJMSimonJM Posts: 5,942
    edited December 1969

    The store is back showing me a wishlist that I do not have - this time a mere 5 items.

    On the plus side it goes away if I do 'something', like change items per page to 30.

  • SpottedKittySpottedKitty Posts: 7,232
    edited December 1969

    Same here, I just did the logout/login dance a few minutes ago and saw my wishlist count bounced up to a couple thousand. When I actually looked at the wishlist it was my own one with only 54 items, though.

    Here we go again...

  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 40,514
    edited December 1969

    ...OK, now two things.


    First,


    Links need to open in a new tab if your browser is set to do so. I am tired of losing everything I've written when I click on the "back" arrow after testing an embedded link in "Preview".


    Second.


    Yesterday evening I attempted to make a couple purchases using the PC 5$ x 2 coupon. When I selected the item I wanted, I clicked the big bright Checkout button. Apparently as I discovered to my dismay, doing so bypasses the options page where one can enter coupon/GC codes and completes the order process. Hence I was billed for the full price of 13.95$ for the V4 Fairy dress.


    As I found out, one needs to click on the almost "unnoticeable" Go to shopping Cart link to get the page where coupons/GCs can be redeemed. This is very bad. When I tried this with another item the discount was correctly reflected after I entered the coupon code. However, when I advanced to the next step, the item was listed with the full non-discounted price. Considering what had already happened earlier, I cancelled the order.


    As this was my first paid purchase (up until now I have only dealt with the weekly freebies) it really doesn't instill confidence in the new store software. Consequently I ended up paying full price for one item, had to cancel out of the order for the second one, and thus never was able to take advantage of the coupon offer before it expired.


    This needs to be fixed. It has now been two and a half months and we still are floundering around like a ship with a broken rudder here.

  • KeryaKerya Posts: 10,943
    edited December 1969


    LordHardDriven:


    Thank you for the questions. I hope that I can do justice in answering these. We are making several changes moving forward to help with product information and updates. The changes to our store have made it necessary to handle some of this differently. We will be storing the read-me files online in the document center, we are working on having the ability to see and access the read me files on each product page. People will be able to download a PDF of the read-me on each product as needed from the doc center. As we are an online business we feel it's necessary to handle these files in this way. These files will be updated and kept in one central location. This should make it easier to find and keep up-to-date information on each product.


    We are also in the process of finishing and testing an Installation Manager that will help to keep your products up to date. The way the tool is working will be a great way to update each product that needs it. It's a fast and very easy tool use. It also helps with custom content locations. More information will be available when we get closer to bringing it out.




    Excuse me ... but am I supposed to look through all the online readmes (where I have to remember what I bought) to find out what is updated? That is worse than going through my itemized order history (which contains only things I bought) and resetting.

    Will the new Installation manager rely on the content management system?
    What about those people who uninstalled CMS after having problems with it?
    Or will it rely on the content being installed exactly in the folders as they are in the installers/zips?
    I am renaming folders to show the real name of the item, as the folders often have other names than the item's name in the store.
  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 96,191
    edited December 1969

    Kyoto Kid said:
    ...OK, now two things.


    First,


    Links need to open in a new tab if your browser is set to do so. I am tired of losing everything I've written when I click on the "back" arrow after testing an embedded link in "Preview".


    Second.


    Yesterday evening I attempted to make a couple purchases using the PC 5$ x 2 coupon. When I selected the item I wanted, I clicked the big bright Checkout button. Apparently as I discovered to my dismay, doing so bypasses the options page where one can enter coupon/GC codes and completes the order process. Hence I was billed for the full price of 13.95$ for the V4 Fairy dress.


    As I found out, one needs to click on the almost "unnoticeable" Go to shopping Cart link to get the page where coupons/GCs can be redeemed. This is very bad. When I tried this with another item the discount was correctly reflected after I entered the coupon code. However, when I advanced to the next step, the item was listed with the full non-discounted price. Considering what had already happened earlier, I cancelled the order.


    As this was my first paid purchase (up until now I have only dealt with the weekly freebies) it really doesn't instill confidence in the new store software. Consequently I ended up paying full price for one item, had to cancel out of the order for the second one, and thus never was able to take advantage of the coupon offer before it expired.


    This needs to be fixed. It has now been two and a half months and we still are floundering around like a ship with a broken rudder here.

    There's a link to claim vouchers when you get to the payment method screen using the Check out button.

  • SpottedKittySpottedKitty Posts: 7,232
    edited December 1969

    There's a link to claim vouchers when you get to the payment method screen using the Check out button.

    And it's so small that in the last 2+ months I've already blown past it twice and had to back out of a purchase because I didn't notice it. Why are there claim code boxes and buttons on the first cart screen if we're supposed to ignore them and click on a teensy little unobvious link a couple of screens further on? A link that takes us to AFAICT an identical set of claim code boxes and buttons.

    Every time I see or hear of this kind of thing popping up, I find it harder to believe this is a software suite thousands of online stores swear by. Swear at, I could believe.... Was it supposed to work like this, or is this one of the things that went Horribly Wrong™ when the DAZ store went live?

    Over two months? Already?
  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 96,191
    edited December 1969

    If you go to the cart page you can, as far as i can tell, claim the coupon there - in fact the link on the step-by-step checkout takes you to that page. I was just pointing out that there is a link to claim coupons using the step-by-step checkout without using the View cart link.

  • SpottedKittySpottedKitty Posts: 7,232
    edited December 1969

    Yes, I realise that, but this unobvious claim procedure is the only one that's detailed as The Right Way To Do It in every coupon announcement thread so far. Adding to the possible confusion, these announcements don't mention that after successfully adding your coupon, you get dumped back to the beginning of the checkout process. I was certainly convinced something had gone wrong the first time I did it.

  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 40,514
    edited December 1969

    ...I have to agree with Spotted Kitty. The links are easy to miss. If I remember correctly, the old store site always took you to the page where you could apply discounts as part of the order process, not as a separate link in almost "invisible" text. This is why I missed it on the order I placed Tuesday evening. If this cannot be integrated into the order process by default then it needs to be a big bright button just like the "Continue" one on the Payment Information page. Same goes for the "Go to Shopping Cart" link in the drop down window when you click on"My Cart" at the top of the page.


    ...on another note...


    In the old store it was easy to check your voucher/GC balance and coupon status. For the life of me, I am unable to find the code (or even a link) for claiming the "new" PC coupon anywhere on my account page. Having to go through additional steps perform what originally was a simple operation is not what I would consider an "improvement".


    ...and isn't improving the experience for the customer the whole purpose of upgrading a retail site?

  • Sfariah DSfariah D Posts: 25,609
    edited December 1969

    How will we know the difference between the old mac zip files and the new universal zip files? that is without opening them up?

  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 40,514
    edited December 1969

    ..universal zip files? So this means that when I download a file I'm getting both the PC and MAC versions even though I only work on the PC platform? That is a waste of download bandwidth especially if you have a slow or spotty connection and/or monthly download limitations.

  • Sfariah DSfariah D Posts: 25,609
    edited December 1969

    Kyoto Kid said:
    ..universal zip files? So this means that when I download a file I'm getting both the PC and MAC versions even though I only work on the PC platform? That is a waste of download bandwidth especially if you have a slow or spotty connection and/or monthly download limitations.

    that is what Rendo and Rdna have. One zip for both mac and pc. they do not seem to have any problem. Which reminds me I need to download some of my rdna purchases.

  • KeryaKerya Posts: 10,943
    edited December 1969

    Kyoto Kid said:
    ..
    ...and isn't improving the experience for the customer the whole purpose of upgrading a retail site?

    Well, in this case we are told again and again that this change was for improving the experience of the Daz staff who was tired of maintaining the old site.
    Nobody said it was meant to be better for customers, and it is not.

  • KeryaKerya Posts: 10,943
    edited August 2012

    Kyoto Kid said:
    ..universal zip files? So this means that when I download a file I'm getting both the PC and MAC versions even though I only work on the PC platform? That is a waste of download bandwidth especially if you have a slow or spotty connection and/or monthly download limitations.

    No, not like that. You get a zip that works on PC and Mac, just like at Renderosity or Runtimedna or most of the Sharecg files. The two versions at Daz were necessary because they used installers and exe wouldn't have run on Macs.

    Post edited by Kerya on
  • DanaTADanaTA Posts: 13,063
    edited December 1969

    Kyoto Kid said:
    ..universal zip files? So this means that when I download a file I'm getting both the PC and MAC versions even though I only work on the PC platform? That is a waste of download bandwidth especially if you have a slow or spotty connection and/or monthly download limitations.


    It seems that the Macs can read and use the same files that we do...the only reason they had separate files here at DAZ3D is because they insisted on using those damned installers, which wouldn't run on Macs. By going to zip files, they no longer have to have a separate product file. So you won't be suffering the use of extra bandwidth, in fact, the zip files will be smaller than the installers, so you'll have less strain on your bandwidth! :-)


    Now if they'd only get their butts in gear and actually start providing the zip files! So far, all the new products are still being put into installers.


    And another thing, DAZ3D, if you're going to provide the ReadMe files only online as PDFs, then be sure that they are actually published! The newest freebie didn't have one in the installer and when I checked the checkbox to view the readme, I got an error page! I think most people would rather have it on their local drive, rather than use up bandwidth every time they want to view it. But either way, at least be sure it's actually available!


    Dana

  • KeryaKerya Posts: 10,943
    edited December 1969

    DanaTA said:

    Now if they'd only get their butts in gear and actually start providing the zip files! So far, all the new products are still being put into installers.



    Well, they are beginning with redoing the old files, because the old installers are broken for Macs. I can understand that.
    The "new" stuff in the store is probably months old, that's why it still get exes.
  • DanaTADanaTA Posts: 13,063
    edited December 1969

    Maybe so, but it probably takes no more time to make a zip than to make an installer. In fact, I've used InstallShield and it takes a bit to create an installer. But a zip file is quick and easy to create. Why make extra work for themselves that they'll have to re-do in a little while anyway?


    Dana

  • LordHardDrivenLordHardDriven Posts: 937
    edited December 1969

    DanaTA said:
    And another thing, DAZ3D, if you're going to provide the ReadMe files only online as PDFs, then be sure that they are actually published! The newest freebie didn't have one in the installer and when I checked the checkbox to view the readme, I got an error page! I think most people would rather have it on their local drive, rather than use up bandwidth every time they want to view it. But either way, at least be sure it's actually available!


    Dana

    It would also be nice if they were accurate, I can't begin to tell you how many readme's I got over the years where nobody bothered to fill out the notes section or include the product image. In a number of cases the readme isn't even the one that matches the product in the installer. Hopefully by it being online now Daz will feel more pressure (for the sake of their company image) to make sure the readme's actually provide useful, accurate information?

  • LordHardDrivenLordHardDriven Posts: 937
    edited December 1969

    DanaTA said:
    Maybe so, but it probably takes no more time to make a zip than to make an installer. In fact, I've used InstallShield and it takes a bit to create an installer. But a zip file is quick and easy to create. Why make extra work for themselves that they'll have to re-do in a little while anyway?


    Dana

    Given the problems they had switching over to new site software can't you just imagine the problems and confusion switching file formats might be if there was a transition period where some files were still in the old format and some in the new format? I would think it would be in Daz's best interest to make the new zips for every product they have first and then put them in place and remove the old ones. Then let consumers know. As things stand right now, without the ability to specify to only show Mac or PC it would be extrememly confusing to have the old mac zips, the old pc exes and the new universal zips potentially able to all appear on a customer's download page (depending on what items that person buys and/or restores from history)

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