Disappointed with CoPilot Live GPS

[byronlandry]

To all of our FMCA friends:

FYI and a long story made short.

We've used CoPilot Live Version 8 on our laptop for some years now. Laptop totally crashes. Try to load version 8 into new laptop, software tells me to contact company for activation code.

Unknown to us when we purchased version 8, there is a hidden expiration time period within the software and the company will not give us the activation code. They say version 8 is old technology and we need to buy the new version 11.

Retired seniors on a fixed income can't afford to buy new technology when it comes out every day. The old technology worked fine, but we are penalized because our laptop crashed.

So, beware of CoPlot Live software with it's hidden expiration time period. They will not give you the needed activation code unless you upgrade. Your right to decide when to upgrade has been taken away without you knowing about it.

Has anybody else encounted this problem with CoPilot Live? We are now looking for another GPS program for our new laptop and it won't be CoPilot Live.

Drive safely

Byron and Linda Landry

FMCA # F405810

[wolfe10]

To all of our FMCA friends

FYI and a long story made short.

We've used CoPilot Live Version 8 on our laptop for some years now. Laptop totally crashes. Try to load V8 into new laptop, software tells me to contact company for activation code.

Unknown to us when we purchased V8, there is a hidden expiration time period within the software and the company will not give us the activation code. They say V8 is old technology and we need to buy the new version 11.

Retired seniors on a fixed income can't afford to buy new technology when it comes out everyday. The old technology worked fine, but we are penalized because our laptop crashed.

So, beware of CoPlot Live software with it's hidden expiration time period. They will not give you the needed activation code unless you upgrade. Your right to decide when to upgrade has been taken away without you knowing about it.

Has anybody else encounted this problem with CoPilot Live? We are now looking for another GPS program for our new laptop and it won't be CoPilot Live.

Drive safely

Byron & Linda Landry

FMCA # F405810

Out of curiosity, from time of purchase/activation, what is the length of activation before it expires?

Was that mentioned anywhere on the packaging or manual?

Brett Wolfe

[tbutler]

Byron,

Don't feel like you are the Lone Ranger! I have a Garmin unit (etrex Vista HCX) that I got in 2008. I purchased the City Navigator Maps for this unit at the time of purchase. I wanted to get an update for the City Navigator Maps only to find out they have discontinued those maps. Now they are selling City Navigator NT so I will have to purchase a new map program in order to get an upgrade to current maps. Not only that, if I want to be able to further upgrade the maps I'll have to purchase a Lifetime Map Update contract or I won't be able to upgrade again.

I think part of what is going on is the normal shake out of programs and systems that occurs as new technology is developing. Still, I think these companies are not being responsible to their customers. This clearly is not good customer support. I'm not sure that anyone will find any GPS system that isn't subject to the same adjustments and upgrade problems until the technology matures.

Garmin has been threatening the same with the GPS Pilot that I have. It is an older unit, purchased about 1994. They are indicating that it will no longer be able to update the maps at all on that unit meaning I would have to purchase a new GPS unit to get current maps which are a must in aviation.

This all goes along with the modern attitude about electronics and consumer goods in general. When is the last time you took a cell phone in to have it repaired? It costs almost as much to have a printer for your computer repaired as it does to purchase a new, faster, better printer. I don't have any idea where you would take a TV to get it repaired, I think you would have to ship it to a repair shop, the old mom and pop repair shops are pretty much gone. Millions of old analog TV sets will likely never be repaired because of the newer LCD digital TV's. The trend is to consider items as disposable rather than repairable. The technology changes so quickly that you are expected to purchase the newer much better item rather than have the old item repaired. I love the new technology but the resulting waste is disturbing.

[byronlandry]

Brett

Long story, but every word is truth.

We purchased the CoPilot Live V8 sometime in late 2005, we believe, because we wanted a large screen with the GPS. This software program that cost us about $300.00 has performed flawlessly on our 17" Toshiba laptop and we have never needed to contact the manufacturer, ALK Technologies, aka CoPilot.

There is no mention in the manual, which is on disc, nor any mention of any type of expiration date on the outside of the original box nor any mention by the well known company that sold the software to us. It is odd though, that they recently stopped handling CoPilot at the local store we purchased from originally.

We were just happy pigs at the trough travelling througout the North American continent with this V8. No problems until our laptop crashed totally.

We purchased another large screen laptop and tried to install our V8 CoPilot. It installed, then a information box pops up and tells us to un-install the program from our other laptop which couldn't be done anyway. It also said we needed to contact CoPilot and ask for an activation code. Sounds normal to this point.

We then contacted ALK Technologies for the first time since purchase of the program, by e-mail, and told them truthfully what happened. They responded by e-mail saying that because technology marches on, they don't support that software anymore, but we could buy Version 11.

After a couple of other e-mails, they basically, but politely tell us that they would be sorry to lose us as a customer, but no activation code will be coming as it is best for them to spend time on the new technology.

That answer didn't set well with us old retired fixed income folks, so we e-mailed them back saying that there was no mention of a time expiration on that software in any way and that we would take our money to their competitors and notify every forum we belong to about this little expiration ploy they use to take a customer's right away to decide when to buy an upgrade. This should be determined by the customer, not the manufacturer.

That software was our property as long as we didn't give it away to others and didn't use it in any other way then what it was designed for. Never knew there was a time limit on it's use because of technology marching on. This software should run on a compatible computer forever and for as long as we wish to use the program. There should not be a time limit on the software because our computer crashed.

Still no activation code, so we took time out today to post this as a general topic just FYI. We also plan on writing to RV Life, Escapees magazine, Motorhome mags and all other magazines we've subscribed to in the past.

As a loyal customer for so many years of CoPilot Live, we've convinced many of our RV friends to buy their product. These old folks will not recommend their products anymore for their uncaring responses.

Shame on CoPilot Live, aka ALK Technologies.

We saved all of their e-mail responses along with our heated responses so we could prove how they treat old retired fix income folks like us. We don't have the money to buy programs everytime technology marches on when the original program worked fine.

We wonder how many other people have been treated like this by them??

Respectfully

Byron & Linda Landry

[hermanmullins]

When I have purchased programs for my computer I always have a code to activate it with when installing and registering. Each time I move the program I use the same code and it works. I do have programs like Notron that I know is a subscride to service and must be renewed each year (And they start telling you 6 months in advance). With the copilot program will your old activation code still work? If you have the disc and old code try that. It might work if it doesn't then you can get more angry and frustrated.

Sorry, hope you get it solved soon.

[fwardsr]

Byron,

Sorry to hear you are having trouble with ALK. I know it has been a long time but did you write down the activation code when you first activated you CoPilot GPS v8. Activation codes are like that and you need to keep them in a safe place just incase you loose a hard drive or just want to upgrade you laptop. While checking out the ALK site I noticed that CoPilot Live v8 is now listed for smart phones. Obviously their older developments have found a new life. I appreciate the fixed income situation but the trend for software publishers over the last 4 to 5 years has been to sell their product for less and charge the full "reduced" price for each version upgrade of their product. Similar trends are surfacing from the hardware manufactures also. I would bet you paid a lot less for your "new" laptop than the one your are replacing. Just don't expect to receive much if any support from the manufacture after 3 or 4 years. If you don't need a new GPS the ALK's site lists CoPilot v11 for $149.

[Guest Wayne77590]

I purchased Co-Pilot back in 2005. I did not find it user friendly. This was after I purchased Microsoft Street & Trips. The MS S&T, with GPS Antenna was $125. All subsequent yearly production is less than $30, but you don't have to get a new version.

The antenna you have for Co-Pilot will work for MS S&T, so for less than $30 you can still have that nice big laptop screen.

[byronlandry]

Byron,

Sorry to hear you are having trouble with ALK. I know it has been a long time but did you write down the activation code when you first activated you CoPilot GPS v8. Activation codes are like that and you need to keep them in a safe place just incase you loose a hard drive or just want to upgrade you laptop. While checking out the ALK site I noticed that CoPilot Live v8 is now listed for smart phones. Obviously their older developments have found a new life. I appreciate the fixed income situation but the trend for software publishers over the last 4 to 5 years has been to sell their product for less and charge the full "reduced" price for each version upgrade of their product. Similar trends are surfacing from the hardware manufactures also. I would bet you paid a lot less for your "new" laptop than the one your are replacing. Just don't expect to receive much if any support from the manufacture after 3 or 4 years. If you don't need a new GPS the ALK's site lists CoPilot v11 for $149.

Frank

We have always saved everything, including original boxes for anything with our computers. We have the original disc, original box, original Product Key, original License number, but the one thing we don't have is the original activation code they sent us by e-mail. We never thought this would be an issue later in life. We guess some things can come back and bite you in the a_s.

We will go to our graves before we buy another product from ALK, no matter how cheap they sell their programs. It is now the principal of their actions that have soured us towards ALK, not the software. We decided years ago in our early married lives to be consider of others, do no harm to others and to help others less fortunate than us. That has been and will continue to be the way we live our lives. We just will not tolerate any company or person(s) to treat us like ALK did. Please believe us when we say "It's their loss".

Maybe, with us telling the true tale, other people won't fall to their business practices.

We wish to thank all who responded to our plight. We will start looking for a competitor's software and we plan on sending the receipt showing our purchase from their competitor.

Drive carefully

Byron & Linda Landry

[pkunk]

"The antenna you have for Co-Pilot will work for MS S&T, so for less than $30 you can still have that nice big laptop screen."

That's what I would do in your shoes. I like my S&T and renew every couple of years, not because I have to, but because I like to have the newer version & the latest goodies.

[ehchvac@verizon.net]

The code key should be on the front of the "quick start" manual.