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Problems ordering Hobbyist version

lblythen

Hi

 

I've printed, signed and scanned-in the declaration that has to accompany an order for the Hobbyist version of Eagle. But nowhere at Cadsoft USA's on-line shop can I find a way to specify that it's the version I want to order. If I choose 'Buy EAGLE' from the Shop menu I get the wizard for configuring an order. The Welcome page has a link 'EAGLE Hobbyist', but that just describes the version and the licence, and links to the declaration that must be signed. So, back to the wizard and click Next. I choose my region, Next again, then specify Individual as the 'Type of use' - Hobbyist is only available for individual users. Next takes me to the Edition page - but Hobbyist isn't available there, only Professional, Standard and Light. Hobbyist has the same modules and limitations as Standard, so I guess at Standard and click Next to get to the Users page and specify '1'. Next again and specify the Hobbyist modules - Layout + Schematic + Autorouter - then Next presents a summary of my single-user Standard order, but I'm getting suspicious because only the Standard pricing - $US820 - is offered; there's no sign that Hobbyist pricing might be available on the same order configuration. Next from there, fill in all my details, Next again and the Pricing page also has only the $US820 Standard price - no indication of a Hobbyist option. Agree to be "informed" - yeah, OK - then Next takes me to the Confirmation page. This too is only showing an order for $US820 of Eagle Standard, and the button to go further is labelled 'CONFIRM ORDER'. I've no way to tell whether clicking that will confirm my order or just take me to a page named 'CONFIRM ORDER' - and there's no way I'm going to risk trying it; I want $US169 of Hobbyist Eagle, not Standard at nearly five times the price. So, abandon the order at that stage. I guess that maybe Hobbyist is just a Standard order but accompanied by the signed declaration - but I'm not having $US820 paid out of my credit card only to be told that wasn't the case and I'm stuck with Standard. The site's instructions say the Hobbyist declaration has to accompany the order - fair enough - but there's no link anywhere in the order process that would allow me to attach it. There's an instruction to email the declaration separately from the order, but again there's no means of ordering Hobbyist anyway. I emailed sales@cadsoftusa.com for guidance. That's two days ago and there's been no response. Later I 'phoned their sales number - an international call - and got voicemail saying "I" - a male voice - was absent or busy. Yikes, is the whole sales outfit served by only one 'phone line and a single salesman? I left a message with my contact details, a brief explanation and a request to be called back. No response from that either. It's clear Cadsoft doesn't want my money but I'm determined, for their own benefit if not for mine, to find a way of forcing it on them - I just can't figure out how. Has anyone had more success please, or if anyone from Cadsoft watches these forums would they please respond?

 

TIA

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  • 0 in reply to fritzz

    Thanks for the tip fritzz, really appreciate it. I guess I can only try again and hope someone at Cadsoft replies to the email this time. I'll have a look at the support forum too - good idea.

  • 0 in reply to lblythen

    OK, here's the answer :-)  Hobbyist is offered from the on-line shop for the Americas/Africa region at least - and probably for others - but it's not offered if your region is Asia/Pacific (nor, I'm guessing, if your region is China which is listed separately). That still leaves Asia/Pacific customers with a problem though: you can step through the wizard having selected Americas/Africa as your region, filling in a Hobbyist order - but you'll hit a wall when you fill out your details. I'd expect, since I'm paying on-line, that a foreign-currency conversion would be applied to the $US price, shipping costs added for my destination, and my credit card charged accordingly. But it doesn't work that way: as soon as you enter your country, the wizard detects that it's not in the Americas or Africa and won't process the order any further. So you have these options: select Asia/Pacific correctly as your region but accept that Hobbyist can't be bought on-line; select Americas/Africa and have Hobbyist delivered to someone who lives there and will forward it to you; give up in hair-tearing frustration; ..... or call George! Unlike whoever was staffing the sales line when I called several days ago, George is a support technician at Cadsoft who also looks after the 'phones when the sales team has left for the day - and best of all, he answers them! This thoroughly helpful guy stepped through the on-line sales process with me, suggested the "try Americas/Africa" tip, noted that the on-line method just wasn't going to work no matter what, and told me how to order Hobbyist from over the 'phone from here. That's it: if you're in Asia/Pacific and want Eagle Hobbyist, until Cadsoft changes its shopping wizard you can only order it by 'phone (or, presumably, by sn@il m@il). George's suggestion: call the sales line between 9am and 4.30pm EST and have your printed-out Hobbyist declaration ready along with your credit card and other details. You'll get an order number which you'll then have to write on the declaration. Sign and scan that, and email it to the sales line, and they'll process the order for Hobbyist edition. I'm going to try it tomorrow - not sure how the product will be delivered, whether they'll email me a secure download link or what - but I'm hopeful. Big thanks to George :-)

  • 0 in reply to lblythen

    Glad it all worked out. Thanks for reporting back.