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Old September 23rd 04, 06:21 AM
Kent
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Peace Mr. Meehan. I don't care what the newspapers say, I'm not the guy who
stole your lollipop!

Well, it looks like somebody went back to an earlier post and discovered
that I purchased the subject CD from Mark at Adirondack. Let me make
something perfectly clear: I don't hold Adirondack responsible for this!
I've purchased many a part from Mark and I couldn't be more impressed with
the way he operates his business. Adirondack is top-notch operation and no
one should hesitate for one moment to do business with them. I of course
notified Mark of my problem and he tells me that he is working the issue
with Bentley.

There was no way that Mark could have known that this was an obsolete CD.
When Bentley sends these CDs out into the supply chain (yes, believe it or
not, Bentley Publishers is the originator of this product and thus
ultimately responsible for its content), they package them in ultra-paranoid
super deluxe tamper-resistant cardboard boxes. If you open the box, you buy
it. This is what the outer cardboard packaging says:

Bentley Publishers - EVA2
VW GTI, Golf, Jetta, Service Manual: 1985-1992 Electronic Edition
ISBN 0-8376-0759-0
W42 CD-ROM VW A2 92.03

Okay, pop quiz folks. Where in this information can the distributor or
consumer determine that this is an obsolete product that will no longer work
on current operating systems? Is that Mr. Meehan with his hand up in the
back row? Great answer! YOU CAN'T!

Now, since I ponied up the big bucks for this fine product, I was the guy
that got to open the outer cardboard wrapping. No turning back now. Inside
was the familiar shrink-wrapped jewel case with the obligatory product
information. Still no indication that it wouldn't run on my system, so I
broke the plastic seal and loaded it up on my computer. Well, you all know
by now what happened next...

I believe someone asked, "how could Bentley be expected to notify all the
first-, second-, and third-party distributors out there that they may be
offering a product as new that no longer runs on current computers?" The
answer is they don't have to. The consumers that eventually purchase the
product and find out it doesn't work will come to them. Like I did. And what
should Bentley do? They should let the customer keep the friggin useless 10
cent obsolete CD (after verifying the serial number), and send them an
equivalent replacement product. Or offer a downloadable patch. Or agree to
reimburse the dealer who originally sold it so he doesn't have to take it in
the shorts for refunding the customer's money. Or refund the customer's
purchase price directly.

But instead, they want me to pay postage to send the obsolete CD that I just
paid $82 back to them with a letter "requesting" replacement, and then wait
patiently and quietly until a micro-fiche based Version 2 CD WITHOUT WIRING
DIAGRAMS is sent back to me at their leisure. Or even better, I can opt for
the print version of manual and eat the CD premium that I already paid.

No way folks. I don't want Mark at Adirondack to have to eat his cost for
this "open" CD if he refunds my money. He's already out the time it's taking
him to deal with the issue. And I'm out both time and money. Bentley screwed
up on this one when they originally distributed this product and they need
to settle up. Plus a little extra for my trouble. I'm holding out for the
Version 2 CD (without wiring diagrams) plus the latest print version (so I
have access to the wiring diagrams). As far as I'm concerned, this is the
only equitable exchange.

--
Kent
1987 VW GTI 8V, original owner, 220,000+ miles

"Joseph Meehan" > wrote in message
...
> Kent wrote:
> > I disagree. The CD case clearly says that the CD will run on Windows
> > 95/98/NT and Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer 4 or higher.

Bentley
> > may consider this an obsolete "out of circulation" version, but they are
> > still out there in the supply chain being sold to unwitting consumers
> > (like
> > me) as new. There is nothing on the packaging to indicate that the CD is
> > out-of-date. In fact, I had to give Bentley software support a number

off
> > the CD itself before they could tell me that I had the obsolete version.
> > Why
> > should my distributor be held responsible when the case represents that

it
> > will run on systems that Bentley now concedes that it won't? Bentley is
> > ultimately responsible for providing updates, equitable exchanges, or

full
> > refunds if their product does not function as advertised. This is
> > especially
> > true when you consider the outrageous pricing for the CD version.

Instead
> > they are beating around the bush, offering non-equitable exchanges, and
> > hoping it will all go away. I won't go away.

>
> The more I think about this the more it sounds like you bought this

from
> a bootlegger and you knew full well that it was an iffy product and bought
> it anyway. Now you found it you were ripped off by the seller and you are
> mad but you know full well the seller is just going to laugh in your face
> now that he has your moeny.
>
> >
> >
> > "Joseph Meehan" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> Kent wrote:
> >> ..
> >>>
> >>> I received my CD for the Bentley GTI, Golf, Jetta 1985-1992 service
> >>> manual
> >>> late last week. I followed all the instructions, installed it on my
> >>> computer, and...big surprise...it didn't work. I screwed around with

it
> >>> for
> >>> a few hours, and then broke down and emailed Bentley software support.
> >>
> >> " I was
> >>> told that I had purchased "Version 1" of the CD, and I must have
> >>> purchased
> >>> it from a third-party vendor as it was not longer supported by Bentley
> >>> and
> >>> was "removed from circulation".
> >>
> >> ...
> >>
> >>> I got the feeling that the Version 2 CD
> >>> was a desperate attempt to deal with a serious software compatibility
> >>> problem.
> >>
> >> It sounds like someone sold you an old version that will not run on
> >> current operating systems and/or current versions of IE. That is not

the
> >> fault of Bentley. Bentley can't control Microsoft or predict what they
> >> may
> >> do.
> >>
> >> Your grip should be with whoever you bought the disk from because
> >> they
> >> sold you an out of date product.
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Joseph E. Meehan
> >>
> >> 26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

>
> --
> Joseph E. Meehan
>
> 26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math
>
>
>



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