One thing I'm not sure about is if the key fails and it is still on warranty then VSL will send you a new key free of charge? I think that's right.
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1) Why did you decide to introduce the new Vienna Protection Plan as a subscription based service instead of just charging users with a one time fee for the needed services when the key is actually lost/stolen?
Wouldn't that be like buying auto insurance AFTER you get into a car accident?
If you had just a quarter of the possible licenses that VSL offers it will still cost them much more to replace those lost licenses than it would cost you for the protection plan.
No. It would be like paying for the necessary repairs of your car yourself instead of having an insurance at all.
Probably a more realistic scenario would be people who don't buy health insurance, but have to cover doctor's fees themselves in case of illness.
So in other words: If lose my USB key (and ONLY in that case), I would be more than happy to pay for the additional work caused for the VSL support to replace my licenses. Until now, that fee was an outrageous 50% MSRP, due to the fact that VSL feared people would sell off/pirate the key and get a cheap replacement.
But as I have written above, this has changed with the new license system - stolen/lost licenses can now be deactivated.
So important questions are:
- How much does it actually cost for VSL to replace a license?
- And I would still like to know, why I have to pay an annual fee, even if there is no problem with my USB key - thus causing no additional work/costs for VSL at all.
If I were to play the devil's advocate, I could argue that VSL just created a comfortable new revenue stream for themselves, because:
a) VSL decided to use the USB licences copy protection. In comparison, other popular companies such as Spectrasonics and Fabfilter just hand me a serial and demand an online activation, which (though admittedly less secure) are obviously vastly superior in every way for the customer - because there is no danger of license loss whatsoever if you are registered.
b) Only due to the choice of VSLs copy protection, until now users were in danger of losing 50% of their investment in case of key loss/theft.
c) In order to remedy this obvious disadvantage of the chosen copy protection scheme - which again has no benefit for the customer at all - VSL wants me to pay them extra money to offset the risk caused solely by their choice of said protection?
See the problem there? With the new possibility of deactivating keys, it's like a car dealer, who says: "Hey, if you lose your car key, we will not authorize a new key, unless you pay 50% of the car's MSRP. Otherwise, we will repossess the car.
But fortunately for you, we have this shiny new "Car Key Protection Plan", so if you lose your car key now, you can buy yourself a new key and we will reauthorize it, so you are still able to use the car.
I am not unreasonable, I can understand users who have have spent +$10,000 on VSL instruments and use the software in their daily work on tight deadlines. These people might just see the protection plan as a negligible business expense and are happy their investment is safe and they can get quick replacement licenses.
Heck, even I am grudgingly thinking about purchasing the protection plan, because I recently got the Cube with the Mir Pro roompack and I know I could never afford to pay the 50% replacement fee.
But the more I think about it, I believe this new protection plan was not the best choice from a PR standpoint. IMHO, it would have been a lot smarter to offer at least an unlimited one time license replacement for free with every key.
I would have even been ok with a little more expensive USB key or a few percent price increase on all libraries if VSL has new additional costs that need to be offset. Going this way would have invalidated the #1 argument against USB keys: Potential loss of licenses. Now if you read through neutral forums, opinions are much more divided because of the recurring cost.
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As i mentioned in another forum, i suppose this "Protection Plan" is acceptable for those who invested a vast amount of money on VSL libraries. Ofcourse they are relieved that they won't have to pay again for their big investement ! They are forced to pay an annual fee instead.
But it's BAD service because now we know that a dongle that's stolen can be disabled. VSL could follow Steinberg's or i-lok method but choose to punish us customers. As much as i like these fine libraries, this whole licensing scheme is almost offensive .
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Hi,
I have just added those 2 questions to our VPP FAQs, the answer is the same for both:
K) Can I move the Vienna Protection Plan license to another key?
– Yes. All VSL licenses on a key which contains a Vienna Protection Plan license are protected.
L) Can I also use an old key?
– Yes. All VSL licenses on a key which contains a Vienna Protection Plan license are protected.
Best,
Paul
Just purchased the Vienna Protection Plan yesterday! Thank you Paul for the clarification! I have a permanent setup and my Steinberg Key doesn't move at all out of my studio, but I feel safer that way. I wasn't even aware of the alternative and how costly it could be if something happens to your dongle and you have no plan! Been paying yearly ZDT plan on my iLok for years at very similar price. After communicating with a VSL representative a couple of times, I realized how great it is to finally have this Protection Plan!
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Hello, as my time is indeed limited, please clarify me.
Just bought the vienna protection plan. I put it on the key where I have most valuable things like Synchron Strings and one of ViennaEnsemblePro licenes
1. What if this key gets broken and does not work anymore?
2. What if this key gets stolen?
I read " you should have a spare key(s) because, with or without the protection plan or warranty, you can't run the libaries without a Vienna key" but it is not clear to me. Where should I keep this protection plan. I want to secure the licenses mentioned above.
How to behave to secure it?
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Hello Adia,
1+2) Simply report it to us.
Please keep the VPP license on the key with your licenses.
The spare ViennaKey is there so you can keep on working RIGHT AWAY in case anything happens (you will receive a time-limited license right after reporting a key).
Best,
Paul
Paul Kopf Product Manager VSL -
Hi, when VPP was first released I remember reading that it was a one-time use thing. If you report your key as lost / stolen / damaged, then you get a 50-hour emergency license, the original key is deactivated, and your protection plan is used up.
I was under the impression that those licenses would never be eligible for protection again. That is, you'd get new licenses, but you wouldn't be able to buy VPP for them again. If you lost a second key, those licenses would be gone forever (and you could replace them for 50% off, per VSL's original policy).
However today I see on the Protection Plan page a bullet point (#6) that I think wasn't there originally:
5. Your lost/broken/stolen ViennaKey will be disabled and cannot be used anymore. Your Vienna Protection Plan is now used up.
6. Buy a new Vienna Protection Plan for new coverage.
My reading of that is that if I lose a protected key and receive replacement licenses, I can buy a new protection plan for the new key / licenses. If I were to lose this new key, it would be protected and I could use the protection plan to receive replacement licenses (and buy a new protection plan).
Is that correct?
Also, will VSL notify me when the 2-year protection period is about to end, so I can renew it?
(Obviously my goal is to never lose my key in the first place. When I thought VPP was a once-in-a-lifetime use thing, I still needed a fallback insurance in case I ever had to use VPP. But if it's a one-claim-per-purchase thing, it becomes a lot more comfortable to buy in to)
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Hi everybody, Please may someone explain to me what is going to happen if I don’t buy VPP and I get my USB licences device or my HDD/SDD with VSLs and Software broken? Should I loose the ability to load again my software and consequently all my money? It seems very strange to me... and being honest even barely legal (at least 2 years of warranty should apply to the USB licences device). Many thanks and best regards, Marco
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Since day one and until yesterday I assumed that the eLicenser application “manages the Licenses”. I had fabricated this dream —entirely reasonably but critically incorrectly— where eLicenser secures in their database one’s license information (i.e. the license itself).
Having awakened after reading the entire thread here, I once again realize I know just enough to be dangerous, and I see I don’t understand the features & limitations of dongle/key protection. The level of responsiveness and dedication of all VSL folks is indisputable, and I admire and appreciate it. Please and thank you, it’s with respect I voice my blunt opinion to be weighed on whatever merit it may have.
The fact that the VPP itself goes on the key —& ∴ is subject to being lost when my 15-yr. old key fails— is just (redundantly?) silly. From my evidently ignorant perspective I believe issues of licensing implementation should be maintained by the vendor 100% so that customers shouldn’t have to think about it (much less pay for insurance!). But what do I know? I’m an individual, out of the loop, expecting Amazon to deliver my purchases in 2 days and for free… and then take it back for free.
Don’t misunderstand; I recycle & I voted for Bernie ;) My relevant experience, and where I learned the word “dongle”, was working customer field support for AVID in Manhattan in the early-mid ‘90’s, then as a software engineer for two other companies for a few years. In those mostly pre-internet days, licensing issues were resolved with a 5-minute telephone call and a database tweak. Of course there are probably administrative expenses for VSL, but, absent the Protection Plan, charging the customer 20 Euros per license is disproportionate.
Is this (and VPP) revenue stream industry-standard practice?
Contributors to this thread are very polite, understanding, and grateful to give VSL more money for something that, imo, should be included in the original cost of purchasing any license —especially if it’s the case that licenses on failed keys can be deactivated (who knew they couldn’t be?). Great that “this new system” is so much better, but as Gustar pointed out, this situation we need insurance for was created by the vendor. You understand I’m not wearing white gloves b/c I believe you respect my input/ opinion. Neither the history or the particulars of the issue should concern customers, should they? The reality of my indignance is that replacing my 22 licenses for a failed key would cost me $500US, so, it’s a no-brainer that I need to submit (buy a VPP).
~Itchy
(wishing you are well while he eats his feet)
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Itchys comment is in fact a comment VSL should learn from. All technical hardware can broken/lost/stolen, so we are responsible for that, it's true enough!
But there is a "MyVSL" button top right on the homepage. Is that really "MY" what I have paid for? I have 16 licenses, just a small amount instead of pro-users, but wich costs are there for VSL? If they have to deactivate the sticks "numbers" just to generate new "numbers" for another stick... ok, I will pay maybe 50,00 Euros for that. 16 or 250 licenses, doesn't matter. I don't think they use a paper storage with all that informations about theirs customers. Otherwise it will be ok for the effort. But hey, they use computers and on that computer they can see our payment for the software we bought.
There are just a few companys outthere using this old methode. No one of them wants to get money for a retrieve so far I have verified... (expt. transfer from ilok to eLicenser and vice versa)
I'm with itchy (so pleasing to read his lines), or Gustar, I will pay the VPP.
Next month.
But with protest and feeling a gun on my chest.
Michael
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Hello everybody,
This is still a significant topic and it has been discussed in many long threads, also in this forum.
Best regards,
PaulWell...it's nearly a year ago that an iLok - solution is on its way. I'm not a coder, but other companys are way faster in that matter... I can't understand what problems could stop that significant question! The protection plan is now dropped to 30,00 €, a sign, a light at the end of a tunnel... "step into the light..." 😉
I hope that VSL will give us the cloud and enfranchise us... "I need that USB-port for a new HD to buy more VSL products..."
Deal?
Best regards
Michael
