Big Geek

iTrader: (2)

As one can tell from my profile I stay in the shop more than on the computer. As such I go to purchase a credit for another vehicle I bought and discover I cannot. It seems that HP Tuners no longer supports the serial cable based software. I thought ok, no biggie. I will just send it in for an upgrade. Then I discover that there is a timeline on that that seems to have expired Sept 30, 2009 and as such I am most likely going to have to now purchase an entire new software package.

I have been patient with the fellows at HP Tuners over the years despite issues that have arisen such as trying to get credits and it taking weeks, smartazz replies to tech questions and the like. (There have been some very helpful folks as well though.) The last time I didn't even recieve and email about the delay until I posted on here asking for input from someone/anyone about what may be going on. Only then did I get an email stating that it would be taken care of over the next week. As such I believe that if the case is such that I have to spend another $650.00 PLUS $360.00 in credits for a grand total of $1010.00 (Before shipping.) just to get back to where I need to be now I may just go with EFI Live this time around. I'm not sure things could get any worse or more expensive. I sure hate this because they do make one awesome piece of software. I emailed them asking if I was going to have to purchase a completely new package and from everything I read the answer is unequivocally "Yes". If not it probably will be now (I'll say it before some other smartazz does.). LOL.

Jim C.

PS - Well got a response to my email and the answer is yes I do. They are offering a 25% discount but that still puts me at $500.00 plus all the credits. I'm not happy right now. I'm going to think about this overnight and probably call someone about EFI Live tomorrow. Thanks for listening.

venom99

iTrader: (32)

go with efi live version 2

NicD

iTrader: (7)

Do you really expect any manufacturer to upgrade you to the latest and greatest for free? They have advertised their upgrade deal for YEARS before that and it's their fault that you didn't act when it was available? Then they offer you a 25% discount anyways even though you are well out of the time frame for that upgrade deal yet you still aren't happy. Not really sure what to say to this other than good luck.

macca_779

There was plenty of notice about the upgrade policy. So its not like they didn't warn us. Still though the policy itself is pretty ordinary. I got it done last year but I never unerstood their reasoning for sending the old cable back.
I know with the EFI LIVE upgrade policy, they let you keep your V1 when you upgraded to V2 and that upgrade policy never expired even though the V2 has been out for years now, you can still upgrade V1's.

Old Geezer

iTrader: (3)

Jim, check your PM'S...

Big Geek

iTrader: (2)

Hmmmmm............... Read the post quote below and then tell me that what I'm asking about is unreasonable. EFI Live seems to be able to allow their customers to upgrade at will. Since I posted this I have recieved 3 emails and 1 PM stating that I may be happier with EFI Lives customer service. That tells me something.

I see your point now that I have been on their site and here. However, I don't live on the internet as I stated, I am too busy (Yes, I really am.). I am stuck with this and I accept that but as I stated it just seems sh*tty plain and simple. I will lick my wounds and take my non internet living azz over to the EFI Live camp. At least I will know that if they upgrade something I will be ok even if I am 8 months behind everyone else. It may not mean anything to the folks that make these decisions but I wonder if they have not gotten so large that they have lost touch with the individuals. In my opinion it has become ONLY about money now. It only takes one at a time over a period of time. To the folks at HPTuners that helped me I say thank you very much for said help and thank you for a wonderful product. I hate to leave it but I guess it is time to move on. Maybe they will rethink their policy one day but then agian; who knows? I'm sure their policy on the cutoff date is probably related to not having someone to address upgrades at least on an as needed basis. Thanks again and take care.

Jim C.

macca_779

I should reword my reply as it could be a viewed incorrectly. The EFI LIVE upgrade to V2 doesn't involve a purchase discount any more. But upgrading does allow you to transfer all your licences and still does. The V1 is then locked out from adding any more licences but you can still use it with the previously loaded licences.

This is irrelevant to the OP but it may apply to someone else reading.

chasgiv3

iTrader: (1)

I used to have EFI Live and when they had an upgrade to the hardware I asked if I could upgrade. They gave me no response. I called....we'll get back to you...no response. Emailed again nothing.

I swore that I'd warn everyone out there about EFI Live and their lack of caring about their customers.

So I use HP Tuners. I kept up with their upgrades. I've been rewarded with excellent results and excellent support. Hopefully EFI is doing a better job with thier support but I was really upset with their lack of support.

For me the EFI Live doesn't collect dust...it is dust. I threw in in the trash many many years ago.

Long live HP Tuners.

Big Geek

iTrader: (2)

Ok, lemme clear this up. It's not like I think that paying any upgrade fee is unreasonable. Actually quite the opposite. However, to put a cutoff date for said update is unreasonable. Not being able to transfer credits you already purchased is greedy as hell as well. Everyone has their opinion and I have mine as well. I do like their product very much but I don't feel like they give two ***** about whether or not I am having to purchase a completely new software package.

The attitude I am picking up from them is pretty much - "Tough ****, we posted it on our site and the LS1Tech site". Well **** on me for being to friggin busy to come here more often. As for their website I can't remember when the last time I logged into their site was before today except when I bought a credit several months ago. I was in and then out. I have too much **** to do to stay on the friggin internet reading all day. Am I expecting anything out of them; nope. At this point I am just venting as I already got my answer. I have a question for some of the older folks here that can actually remember a time when people supported what they sold and went out of their way for a single individual as word of mouth mattered. WTF happened to that train of thought? Oh lemme guess - it was replaced by the internet; no? To think that you are going to sell a piece of software and upgrades and not have some straglers is just plain strange. Why wasn't their a timeline on the software upgrades in the past then? I deal with customers on a regular basis and know this for a fact - There are two types of vendors in this world. Those that will go out of their way to keep you as a customer and those that are simply worried about the dollar PERIOD.

Jim C.

PS - And FYI I have upgraded the software several times in the past w.o. issue. This cable **** seems to be the issue and I know from two of the emails I received that I am not the only one.

macca_779

I'm sure there are more details than that. The EFI Team has very good support channels. Things have changed over the years. The main one is that the EFI LIVE hardware now ***** all over your MPVI PRO. And that is from someone who brought both brands current hardware. People call me biased. Damm right I am. If HPT was better my EFI V2 would sit in the corner gathering dust rather than display engine data to me every day.

joecar

chasgiv3,

Can you give some specific details...?

When did this happen...?

Who did you email...? Who did you call...?

Did you post a complaint on the efilive forum...?

Where did you buy your V1 cable from...?

If you bought a used cable from someone, and they already applied it towards their V2 upgrade, then your V1 can't be upgraded... (can you see the reason why...?).

You threw it away... why...? If it can't be upgraded (because the previous owner already used it in a V2 upgrade), then it still works as a bidirectional scantool (and it can still flash the previous owner's vehicles)... you could sell it for $100 as a scantool.

If you threw it away, then I'm guessing you didn't pay much for it, so you must have bought it after the previous owner applied it to a V2 upgrade.

What is your efilive forum username (you can pm me if you like, I'm ok either way)...?

2xLS1

iTrader: (25)

You don't have to transfer the licenses on your serial cable to a new HPT MPVI. You can maintain both cables. I do. Continue using the serial cable on the vehicles you have licensed on it and use the MPVI for anything new. So for the price of the MPVI Pro you will be getting $400 worth of credits to use toward new licensing. Yes you will be spending an additional $260 (650 - 400 worth of credits + 10 shipping) for the new cable but it is not going to be the $1010 you are thinking.

macca_779

Well of course you could go buy another cable. But that would be starting all over again. Most workshops will have year model licences. Adding all them again is big money and why would you want to lug that old shitty serial cable around if you also had a MPVI PRO.

2xLS1

iTrader: (25)

No it's not starting all over. Shouldn't be that hard to understand but I guess it is for some.

macca_779

What because you get 8 credits included? Big deal, that's nothing when you start talking year model licensing.
If this guy already has a serial cable with all LS1's open for example then if he wanted to use his new MPVI pro he would start to have to pay for more credits after using the included ones. ie starting over again as if he didn't even have the serial cable.

Your right on the end part though. It shouldn't be that hard to understand, but it is. Thankfully there are other, better, simpler alternatives over HPTuners.

Big Geek

iTrader: (2)

Ding, ding, ding!!!! We have a winner. This is my point EXACTLY!!!! One would think that they would want to keep business from a former customer but it would appear that it is more important to get the extra money in the short term rather than keep an existiing customer happy who would spend more money in the long run. To each their own. I would recommend their software as I got in on it early and learned to like it allot but as for their customer relations well............ it kinda speaks for itself. I hope the folks at EFI Live treat me better regarding upgrades. I would offer it for sale cheap to someone here but what the hell could they do with it now. Nice to know that it also has some type of resale value. Thanks guys.

Jim C.

2xLS1

iTrader: (25)

Just keep using the serial cable on the cars you have licensed on it. What is so hard about that. I tune and datalog with my serial cable just like I do with my MPVI. Same tables, Same scanning. If anything it is more reliable. It never freezes up and the software never crashes like it will occasionally with the MPVI. If you can't understand that you probably shouldn't be tuning. If you think it is suddenly useless because they are selling a different cable now then just throw it in the trash and buy EFI Live. Morons.

foff667

iTrader: (2)

We sent an email to all of our serial customers in Sept 2008, one year before the deadline telling them of the deadline. So your talking nearly 2 years ago, sorry to hear of your particular situation but we simply don't have the resources to swap over licenses to a new interface and is the reason for the discontinuing of sales support for these interfaces which haven't been sold since late 2005.

-Bill

macca_779

The guy I got my Serial cable off didn't know about the upgrade deadline either. He ceased using it much back then and when I told him about the dead line he decided to sell it to me very cheap and I upgraded it myself. So while you say emails went out. Obviously not everyone got them.

What I don't get is why would it take up resources to do the upgrade. Why dont you write a simple upgrade program to do it for you like what EFI LIVE did with their upgrade policy.

Big Geek

iTrader: (2)

Woah, first off maybe you should think before you type. Don't say **** here you wouldn't necessarily say in person. I am well aware of what you are saying and I see your point but apparently it is you who is the moron as you must be too friggin obtuse to understand my point which is this - Don't turn your back on long time customers. If you don't get that then do everyone a favor and stop posting. I will buy EFI live and see how I like both the software and the service. It can't be any worse at this point.


Jim C.