Complaint Review: Plimus Inc. - Milpitas California

I had the misfortune of purchasing this product based mainly on documentation and a promotional video.  Knowledge

Dynamics only allows a trial version of 10 rows and 5 columns for a prospective spreadsheet user to evaluate the

product's look, feel and functionality -- obviously not enough allowable substance to do a practical evaluation.  Even though, I made a purchase for $1,499 in advance of the download and installation, I was only given access to the trial version.  

A nag screen and the "About" selection from the Help System confirmed that the acknowledging email message had

steered me to a trial version of the product.  I attempted to use the registration key that I was provided to

register the product and to gain full functionality.  When entering that key failed to provide registration, I

contacted customer support of both Knowledge Dynamics, the publisher, and Plimus, the reseller.  I was told to open

the application as an administrator, despite the fact that I had opened the file on a computer for which I was

already the administrator.  This time, the product failed to open but suggested that I register by using the web

browser.  After following those guidance set forth, the product's website would not open in either IE8 or Firefox

3.65.  When I conveyed my frustrating experiences to the publisher and the reseller, I was advised that the server

was down and would not be functional until 9:00 CST that evening.  

Being appalled by this sequence of events, I immediately requested a refund.  The Knowledge Dynamics' response was

to send, as email attachments, the spreadsheet that I wanted converted and to also forward a registration file that

would enable registration without having to wait 10 additional hours for the server to be operational again.  After

spending about an hour combing through hundreds of files many of them in nested directories, it was clear that the

registration file being requested did not exist.  At that point, I again in a P.S. at the end of the email message

expressed frustration and requested that I be provided a refund.  

The preceding events took place on 6/25/2010.  Two days later I received an email advising me that my files could

be viewed on KDCalc's web server.  Both the interactive HTML file and the ASP.NET file had most of the worksheet

rendered as un-editable while the formulae were sometimes not reporting computed results or in other cases was

reporting the wrong results.  After taking considerable time to offer a constructive critique of my findings, the

sale/tech support rep became very defensive and insisted that my criticisms could easily be rectified.  

I reiterated that I was not impressed with the product and that the events of the past two days had not given me

any reason to have confidence in the company's tech support.  I again requested a refund.  Even though I had

included Plimus on the distribution of all my email correspondence, the publisher requested that I address my

request for a refund to Plimus -- which I did while including the publisher as part of the distribution.   The

publisher then requested that Plimus make the refund.  

From June 25, 2010 until July 6, 2010, I have neither received a refund nor a explanation for the long delay.  I

have since filed a PayPal dispute which has also gone ignored by these two parties.   This represents a shameful

display of greed, incompetence and total disregard for moral rectitude.  Let any and all prospective buyers beware!