Complaint Review: NCH Software

Here is a review I posted  on Google tonight...

I downloaded the PhotoStage program to create slideshows. It was listed as free. Once I downloaded it, it said it was the free, unlicensed version, and had a link to buy. I tried it out, and liked it. But before I completed my first slideshow, it said the trial was over, and I could continue to enjoy some of the features of the free version. It let me use everything, so I thought that was pretty good...until I tried to burn to DVD, or share in ANY way. You can create as much as you like, but you can't DO anything with it. Since I liked the trial, and just wanted to be able to make DVD slideshows, I bought the license.

When you buy it, all these other programs pop up, including tech advice...each one for an additional price. I thought I'd be able to burn DVDs of my slideshows with the slide show software, and I thought I'd figured it all out how to use it, so I paid for the one program. They recommend that you save a backup, and I wanted to save it to my portable hard drive, but there wasn't an option to do that, so I clicked on the option to save it to a CD. It didn't save the backup software installation, it saved the trial slideshow I had up. It saved it in a form with no slideshow menue, and when I played it back, it was pixilated and choppy. Horrible.

I went to the menu of the program to see if there was a DVD menu creator included with the program, and when I clicked to burn to DVD, another pop up appeared asking me to download software for their DVD burning program with versions up to $60. REALLY???

By then, I was disgusted, and went back to the invoice email they sent to see how to get a refund. They directed me to a support page on the website. There was a link to getting refunds, and a guarantee of full refund within 30 days. I clicked on it, and it was an uninstall page, nothing about refunds. I went back to support page, followed other links, and was led everywhere, except an actual, REAL link to getting a refund.

On their contact page, they have snail mail, fax, and email that are accessible to everyone, and phone numbers for support that are only available to people that have paid for support. They won't talk to you unless you have proof you paid for support. For the email, they have subcategories relating to reasons why you are writing to them. You guessed it...no category for returns. I finally picked one of the other categories and sent a message saying why I wanted a refund. The page that appeared after the message went through said that they answer messages within a couple of business days, if the message was sent correctly. What does that mean? Are they going to try to tell me that my message wasn't sent correctly? By the way, on the fax option, they have in parenthesis that you can't send refund requests or information about refunds, unless you have been directed by them to do so.

They keep giving the run around, making refunds difficult or impossible, probably hoping you'll give up and suck up the loss. I'm not going to do this. They are about to see how persistent I can be. Sad thing is, the program itself, in it's full form is not bad, but they turned trying to buy it long tern into something shady, nickel and diming you at every step, and trying to keep you from getting a refund when you decide you've had enough of the BS.

I do NOT recommend this company or their software. I would encourage everyone to go to Office Depot or Best Buy and get one of their programs for much less money, hassle, and more features included. I wound up with Photo Explosion Deluxe, a $40 program, but after a coupon and rebate and a special offer of a $10 visa gift card, wound up paying about $15. Tons of image editing filters and options, tons of templates for not just slide shows, but calendars, greeting cards, and so much more. You can also include video, and it had video editing as well. And the DVD burning software is included too. You buy it complete, and the backup is there too. But there are other programs available in stores too that are also a better price and better support. I would stay away from NCH software.  reviewers

I'll be contacting my card about taking the charge off.

The first complaint was years ago, yet this still goes on.  Does this company even care about its' customers?