Wait times will decrease once the backlog is eliminated. It is called a queue for a good reason since items are addressed in order of priority. All the steps we're taking have had a very positive effect and there are even more support resources coming online as we speak. Take a look at the problem reports and store forums as an example.

Hi Noel...working on Labor Day, I see. Slacker.
 

Thank you for looking into this, Noel. My tickets numbers are 318573 and 319048. If one was closed, I did not request it, nor was I not notified. With regards to transferring from Steam, I was already told this...
 

 
I replied on June 14 with the other items I need to have added, but nothing was done.
 

telecharge
Sooo...
 
Should I get lost? Punt? Lather, rinse, repeat?

I've always been told the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
 
Suggestion: get a squeaky wheel.

SO you would rather have nothing at all rather than "we're trying our best". Fine, no support for you and no sense complaining about it since it doesn't exist. Simples. 

wow.   spin central here.

telecharge
Thank you for looking into this, Noel. My tickets numbers are 318573 and 319048. If one was closed, I did not request it, nor was I not notified. With regards to transferring from Steam, I was already told this...
 

 
I replied on June 14 with the other items I need to have added, but nothing was done.
 

I definitely hear your frustrations regarding support. Fact of the matter is there's usually a rather simple explanation, even if it’s a disappointing one. Case number 318573 was closed as a duplicate of case number 319048. Case number 319048 is currently assigned to a robot because of a bulk operation we did where we issued coupon codes to customers. It's actually still "open", but it looks like it fell off the previous representative's radar because the robot hijacked the case.
 
(Side-bar – I’m going to close case 319048 since I’m replying here)
 
It's not a good answer, but when you're only one person and outnumbered by thousands of customers, it's the honest answer for what happens sometimes. In this example, it's as simple as missed communication. I realize you're probably not going to like it, but everything Craig and Noel are saying about support stepping up offerings is truth and the things you're suggesting (people working after Cakewalk office hours for example) is and are being done. We're trying to do better.
 
If I were to guess, the new support people probably didn't know how to handle your request because, as Noel mentioned, it's not something we honor as a request and it's actually not even something we CAN do.
 
Quite simply, Steam purchases must be installed through the Steam client. In addition to what Noel mentioned in regards to agreements, revenue splits, etc... the most important part of it is the back-end logistics in regards to store transactions and how licenses are delivered and activated. For this reason, Steam purchases MUST be installed through Steam or your products simply will not activate. They cannot be transferred to Command Center and aren't meant to be. To achieve this we would need access to areas of Steam we do not have access to, access to your system to a degree that we do not have access to, and would need to essentially erase things not ever meant to be erased.
 
I anticipate the next argument will be "well it SHOULD be possible", and it's a normal and fair response. At this time, however, we do not have access to the data from Steam purchases to make this a possibility even if we decided to bite the bullet. It's a conversation we can continue to have internally and with Valve based on customer demand, but as of right now we don't have any immediate solution nor anticipate one because at it's very simplest form, Steam purchases were and are meant to be installed through the Steam client.
 
So, in summary, when someone at Cakewalk says they cannot transfer your licenses from Steam to Command Center, it's actually more rooted in the fact that they logistically CANNOT do it and attempting to do it would break your licenses, effectively making a worse experience since you wouldn’t be able to use your products. Anyone who may have mistakenly suggested they can transfer the licenses has unfortunately misspoken from a position of misunderstanding.
 
For multiple reasons I’m very sorry. I apologize for poor response times from support, for misinformation, and for ultimately not being able to fulfill the request. Nevertheless, even though I’m not officially part of the support group here at Cakewalk, I did want to write to hopefully provide some insight as to why your case fell into limbo and never found resolution.

What did Steam say when you called them for support? I assume you would have contacted them first since you bought the software from them.

Anderton
What did Steam say when you called them for support? I assume you would have contacted them first since you bought the software from them.

Steam is a storefront with DRM. They only provide support for their own client.

You didn't answer my question, so I assume what you said above is an indirect way of saying you didn't even try to contact Steam.
 
You said they provide support only for their own client, so it seems odd you would expect Cakewalk to deal with an issue that involved moving your software from the client of the company from whom you bought the software, and for which you say they provide support.
 
At least we're getting to the bottom of the issue. This is a very different situation compared to, for example, buying SONAR from Guitar Center.

Never got the Advanced Workshop: Modern Drum Production videos either.

telecharge
Got this email on July 29...still hasn't happened.
 

You need to say what "hasn't happened." Did you request a redemption code and not get it? Or did you think the redemption code wasn't for the Steam version? Or did you not register in time, then contacted cakewalk support without an answer? Also, was the email from Cakewalk or Steam?That would make a difference as well.
 

telechargeNever got the Advanced Workshop: Modern Drum Production videos either.

 
That's available through the Cakewalk Command Center. Don't know if it's available on Steam or not, try Steam support or the Steam forums.
 

telechargeI don't remember exactly, but in addition to the rep who said he would do it, this is likely what led me to believe I could transfer my licenses.

 
It's a post from 2015 that stated "I do not speak for Cakewalk but I do recall the question about upgrading from Steam when the new SONAR was released. It was not immediately available on the Steam site and CW staff replied that it was possible to purchase from the SONAR site. At the time it took Customer Support involvement because there was no linkage between Steam and CW store purchases. I suspect this still might be the case but cannot say for sure not having purchased anything from Steam."
 
Not exactly a definitive statement from Cakewalk so I don't know why you brought it up, especially since Ryan already apologized that someone who DOES speak for Cakewalk gave you incorrect information.
 
Ryan wrote a detailed email to you at 7 PM Boston time, so first of all that's even more "non-anecdotal" evidence that what I said is true. Second, he acknowledged your frustration, apologized that you were given the wrong information from someone at Cakewalk, and apologized for the delay in responding. However, it's also clear that since you said Steam provides support for their client, and since your issue apparently involved attempting to move SONAR from the Steam client to the Command Center (at least that what it seems like to me), it is Steam's issue to solve because it starts with their client. Steam should have been your logical first point of contact, not Cakewalk. 
 
I recommend thanking Ryan for the apology and detailed response, and then pursue your Steam issues with Steam. If they tell you that moving from their client to Cakewalk is Cakewalk's problem, then CW needs to know that this Steam's position, and pursue a resolution.

What I've read in this last exchange is that Cakewalk sent an email to telecharge that says that he would be ELIGIBLE to get a redemption code for the lifetime version.  Is that right?  Having not purchased this through Steam, I don't know how they handle this. 
 
Is it Steam or Cakewalk who should be providing the redemption code? 
How should telecharge expect to receive this? 
Does telecharge then use that code with Steam or with Cakewalk to be sure that Lifetime updates are honored.
 
Again - as an owner of a technical support company who supports many small businesses who have everything from minor inconvenience issues to complete business down scenarios, I can tell you the wrath that would be incurred if one of my technicians had done this THIS wrong.  It seems like mostly a problem of a support system (on Cakewalk's part) that didn't work right and a human (the technician) who didn't follow up on their tickets.  The end result is that the user is being a bit "hung out to dry" here on the forum.  As much as Ryan has gone above and beyond because he's not in support, closing the ticket out with a "the tech shouldn't have told you that, so I closed your ticket and as much as I don't want to say it, we misinformed you, but your ticket is closed nonetheless and there is nothing that you or we or anyone else can do".
 
This is just an outside-looking-in perspective, but it really reads poorly from here. :(

telecharge
Got this email on July 29...still hasn't happened.
 

HI Telecharge,
 
I'm the Steam Community manager and Liveops Engineer.

After looking at your Cakewalk store account, I see that you registered SONAR Platinum 2015, on June 1st 2016.
 
This does not qualify you for above quoted Lifetime Pass Redemption Code. You would have had to have purchased and registered SONAR Platinum 2016, between the above dates to receive your free redemption code. 

Due to our conversion from Subscriptions to a Season Pass model on Steam, we issued 2016 redemptions to some 2015 users to cover any membership time obligations. I'll set our automated processes to e-mail you a SONAR Platinum 2016 redemption code, so you'll be on the latest version and get updates till the end of the year, but you'll still need to purchase the DLC separately like other annual upgrade users. 
 
Please feel free to send me a private message, if you would like to discuss your account further.

Best,
Seth Kellogg