Are refunds possible? Sonar purchase last 6 months

Have you read any of the stickies?

You are aware that Gibson stopped development of SONAR.

Bandlab have now taken over the some of the IP and assets of Cakewalk Inc. but have not purchased Cakewalk Inc.

I suspect you would need to address your question with Gibson who I believe still own Cakewalk Inc. 

See the last Q&A on the BandLab Announcement FAQ. It directs you to the Gibson/Cakewalk FAQ and their refund policy.

knightsparker
I purchased sonar platinum less than 6 months ago...

I purchased lifetime updates platinum around the beginning of 2017.

knightsparker
just now that they have made the software free. I dont think its fair for those who have purchased...

There are things we got when we purchased Platinum that Bandlab hasn't just given away to everyone for free, and this isn't even an exhaustive list:

3rd party software:
Addictive Drums 2 Producer Bundle $149.95
Melodyne Essential $100-130

Cakewalk Synths:
Z3TA+
Dimension LE Pro
Rapture LE Full
Cyclone PSYN II
RXP
Classic Lounge Lizard
SONAR Strum Session 2
TruePianos Amber
Rapture Session
Ultra Analog Session 2

Cakewalk plug-ins:
Adaptive limiter https://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR&language=3&help=NewFeatures.15.html
LP-EQ
LP-MB https://www.cakewalk.com/Products/L-Phase

I don't know how much, if any, of the Boutique Suite was given away, like this:
http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/SONAR/TH3-Cakewalk
so don't feel like you paid and everyone else got for free what you paid for,
because that's really not the case.

When I purchased lifetime updates, the way I understood the phraseology was that I would get DAW maintenance updates for free for life, but not new Synths or for purchase plugins. Bandlab is doing that, in fact, it sounds like they might even do more than that at least for the first fully featured release, so don't feel cheated. Gibson did cheat you, but Bandlab is stepping up and trying to do right by the entire worldwide Cakewalk community - that's a fact. If you can't get past what Gibson did, get a good lawyer and try to take them to court for false advertising, that selling 'lifetime updates' knowing that you're going to pull the plug as soon as you get a good number of fish biting at the line, is fraud, but please don't misdirect your anger at Bandlab.
Meng has said that if you link up your Cakewalk account with your Bandlab account, you can crossgrade to the first fully featured version for free, but that offer is only available to us former Cakewalk users, not to the general public.
His team is working hard on making that release awesome, and you'll pay nothing for it, while Gibson still has own money in their hands. Remember that. There's a reason some loyal Cakewalkers are putting money in the tip jar, because they get how Meng and Bandlab are taking care of us and how they're committed to keeping Cakewalk alive for years to come.

The people who will download the free version will not have all the stuff I mentioned above which we have.
It's a win-win for everybody concerned. You can get your friends, children, nieces and nephews to download CbB for free
(lots of parents like sharing their favourite movies with their kids, don't you want those close to you to understand why you like using Cakewalk, instead of it being dead and burried thanks to Gibson)
then you can send them projects if you'd like to musically interact with them, just render down the synths into audio for them because their version won't have the VST synths, unless they purchase them from Bandlab in the future.

Cakewalk by BandLab (CbB) does not have all the Platinum plug-ins. For now, leave Platinum installed and add Cakewalk with the BandLab Assistant. Do not bother with the CbB additional content, that is already installed with Platinum.
 
After installing CbB make sure to check the preferences are setup as you want them.

Daibhidh

knightsparker
I purchased sonar platinum less than 6 months ago...

I purchased lifetime updates platinum around the beginning of 2017.

knightsparker
just now that they have made the software free. I dont think its fair for those who have purchased...

There are things we got when we purchased Platinum that Bandlab hasn't just given away to everyone for free, and this isn't even an exhaustive list:

3rd party software:
Addictive Drums 2 Producer Bundle $149.95
Melodyne Essential $100-130

Cakewalk Synths:
Z3TA+
Dimension LE Pro
Rapture LE Full
Cyclone PSYN II
RXP
Classic Lounge Lizard
SONAR Strum Session 2
TruePianos Amber
Rapture Session
Ultra Analog Session 2 ...............

.......................The people who will download the free version will not have all the stuff I mentioned above which we have.
It's a win-win for everybody concerned. You can get your friends, children, nieces and nephews to download CbB for free
(lots of parents like sharing their favourite movies with their kids, don't you want those close to you to understand why you like using Cakewalk, instead of it being dead and burried thanks to Gibson)
then you can send them projects if you'd like to musically interact with them, just render down the synths into audio for them because their version won't have the VST synths, unless they purchase them from Bandlab in the future.

Just FYI......
From another thread........There is apparently an issue with the future life of the 'Sonar Command Center' in that it needs to authorize the above listed installs IF say you need to move to a new PC. Noel has indicated that they will look into this and make provisions before turning the lights out at the command center.
Let's hope so :)

Anderton

Daibhidh
Gibson did cheat you, but Bandlab is stepping up and trying to do right by the entire worldwide Cakewalk community - that's a fact. If you can't get past what Gibson did, get a good lawyer and try to take them to court for false advertising, that selling 'lifetime updates' knowing that you're going to pull the plug as soon as you get a good number of fish biting at the line, is fraud, but please don't misdirect your anger at Bandlab.

I realize this isn't a popular opinion around here, but the people at Cakewalk when the lifetime updates strategy was formulated, and Gibson, truly believed that the lifetime updates (which were part of a larger plan) would be viable and ultimately keep Cakewalk alive. I don't want to get into why it didn't happen as planned, but the original motives were honorable.
 
Remember that Gibson kept Cakewalk alive for another four years, at a loss, after Roland had given up. Also remember that while people were complaining about Gibson just casting Cakewalk aside and not giving a damn about the users, the company was working behind the scenes (presumably with Noel) to find a buyer that would keep the program alive, and enable the users to work with their software of choice.
 
Note that I was fired from Gibson. I have no reason or incentive to express these opinions other than my belief that Gibson has gotten a bad rap in all of this.
 
 

Craig,
 
Thank you... seriously. It is so bizarre that, even in the face of those in the know (you and Noel) repeatedly saying what you just wrote, people for some reason still find the need to believe that Gibson "cheated" them.
 
Thanks for continuing to set the record straight.
 

SEE NEXT POST
Cheers.........Frank in OZ :)

Who do you expect to give you a refund? The company that owned a product that no longer exists? A company you never had a contract with? 
 
This is pure logic. Gibson is not required to honor the contract they made with you via Cakewalk, a subsidiary they owned, but which is now defunct. No contract is forever. they all have an endpoint. That particular endpoint was reached when Cakewalk was discontinued.
 
As for Bandlab, they are not Cakewalk or Gibson. They were never a party to your now meaningless contract with Cakewalk/Gibson.
 
Besides which, you can install and use for free the continuation of Cakewalk, which means that you effectively still have lifetime updates. All the 3rd party plugins you had with Platinum will work in it. you have what you had.
 
Please, let this sink in once and for all. You'll sleep better.