I've tried to contact Cakewalk three times during last month (when i was still able to use Sonar without registration) because the online registration just won't send me the code. Guess what: NO ANSWER. Now sonar stopped working.

If i had not used Sonar for many years now i would not even hesitate to switch to something else. No commercial studio or someone depending on getting work done is able to put up with software and customer support like this.

ORIGINAL: dj xl garcia

I've tried to contact Cakewalk three times during last month (when i was still able to use Sonar without registration) because the online registration just won't send me the code. Guess what: NO ANSWER. Now sonar stopped working.

If i had not used Sonar for many years now i would not even hesitate to switch to something else. No commercial studio or someone depending on getting work done is able to put up with software and customer support like this.

You just registered as a forum member today, yet you've used SONAR for many years? And this is your first post? Please be a little (or a lot) more specific about your problems...

I don't need to post to the forum to use the software i bought do I? I like the forum though, it's helped me many times with various problems, I've just never had the need to post. Maybe i have a lot more free time now when i can't make music with sonar and will start lurking around here. :)

I can't be more specific about the problem, the online registration does not seem to work for me (registration page tells me that the code has been sent to my email but it does not arrive) and customer support won't answer. I guess I'll have to do the registration by phone which is of course not a huge problem.

It is probable that your ISP or your email program filtered Cakewalk's email (containing your serial/registration number) as spam. Either that or you deleted it accidentally. If you had searched the forum you would have likely found several threads about this occurring to other people. It always seems to be straightened out with a phone call.

A general rule for anyone having a similar problem and who is searching the forum for a solution before posting a rant (we can dream, can't we?):

If you have your box in hand, but no registration info sticker or email, call them. Don't email, don't post here, just call them. Email/web form support is *not* for time sensitive issues (nor is it ever frankly.)

In USA phone 617-423-9021

Thanks for your answer.

I should've used the search and like you suggested i should've just called the customer service. For some reason calling for registration didn't even cross my mind. I've never had to call anywhere to be able to use legitimate software and it's also not a first thing to do for a non native english speaker to call long distance to other side of the world.

Maybe I was just depressed by the fact that when i contacted customer support regarding a problem with installation i also didn't get an answer. Now when i read the email technical support page better i noticed that you can't get support for unregistered product. That's pretty damn helpful if you first have a problem installing the software and then registering it..

Well, enough of this already. I hope my problem will be solved with a phone call. Only couple of hours left and it'll be 9PM in the Land of the Free.

BTW, my ISP does not filter anything, i get a lot of spam and they end up neatly in junk email or spam folders in outlook, depending on by which program (f-secure or outlook) they were tagged as spam.

ORIGINAL: dj xl garcia
Thanks for your answer.

I should've used the search and like you suggested i should've just called the customer service. For some reason calling for registration didn't even cross my mind. I've never had to call anywhere to be able to use legitimate software and it's also not a first thing to do for a non native english speaker to call long distance to other side of the world.

Quite so.

imho the original post is perfectly justified - why should the average user have to search through forums - or even know that such a forum exists - in order to find a solution to a problem brought about not by his own failings but by a defect in Cakewalk's systems.

To get no response after three attempts at contact in a month is not acceptable. Nor is it acceptable to expect a non-English speaking person on the other side of teh world to have to phone Cakewalk who, I'll bet, don't provide multilingual telephone support.

Look, I think Cakewalk make great software, but that's no reason to blindly say the company is incapable of making a mistake or that there aren't areas where they can and need to do better.

I hope you get your problems sorted out.

Best,
Geoff

Actually Cakewalk has what I think is one of the best customer support teams/solutions of almost any software company I've seen. I've called them on more than a few occasions - always got a real live human being within a few seconds and they've always provided a quick solution. I don't understand why people (at least people here in the US) have such a problem with picking up the phone and calling. I've made overseas phone calls to software companies too (a little trickier I agree but not outside the realm of human understanding).

Being a business owner myself, I can tell you that I encounter more than a few "customers" who have zero phone skills. The concept of using an answering machine for example. I had one guy call me recently who claimed he had been trying to reach me for weeks. I have not one, but two, answering machines here (not to mention cell phone voice mail). He understood none of that apparently. Oh well. Hope you get your issue resolved.

ORIGINAL: krizrox

Actually Cakewalk has what I think is one of the best customer support teams/solutions of almost any software company I've seen. I've called them on more than a few occasions - always got a real live human being within a few seconds and they've always provided a quick solution. I don't understand why people (at least people here in the US) have such a problem with picking up the phone and calling. I've made overseas phone calls to software companies too (a little trickier I agree but not outside the realm of human understanding).

Larry,

In 2006 email is a legitimate form of communication. For many people, myself included, it is the preferred form of communication. The problem here is that (quite often it seems) Cakewalk doesn't answer emails. They offer a way to contact them through email but then they ignore you. If they don't have the resources to support customers through email, they should hire more people or they should discontinue this form of support. There's nothing more discouraging than having a problem installing, registering or even buying the software, emailing support and getting no reply.

Agreed Kriz,
I've always gotten someone very helpful and polite. I do know that they are super-busy right now with all the "6" madness, and it's always harder to get thru at this time of year. Also that the emails are slighty backed up too, again because he told me that they are coming in at such a rate that they almost virtually impossible to keep up with -but they are trying. But- all that nonwithstanding, all one has to do is be a little patient; they are NOT open 24/7 as some seem to think. It's strictly business hours, and weekdays only. And, you MUST be registered to get help. Hope that clarifies some of the basics.
CakeMaker