UPDATE Helios Software Audit

[Scott Bogdan]

Aimeekat,

I'm not feelin' the peace out here...you guys are a scary bunch!

PEACE!!

[Din]

Scott,

I'm not knocking your software, just your methods. Me being a legitimate Helios salon and purchasing the software TWICE and running it at 2 salons for 9 years now find that "locking out your customer" is not a correct way of doing business.

I as well did not receive any emails about Helios locking me out and getting an update (via email, postmail or any other method.) Only reading on here.

I understand you have to protect your business and your investments, by all means, i understand. I'm a business man myself. But by locking out your customers that have paid and DON'T want to upgrade to any other version....they shouldn't be forced to, nor locked out for not doing so.

I'm just stating that maybe there are other ways of going about this without causing service interruption to paying customers. This isn't a Satellite dish that gets zapped...this is my livelihood that i've invested hundreds of thousands of dollars and sweat and blood into for each location.....and don't like anyone deciding my fate. Sorry, but that's just how it is.

I've read what the TANTODAY USERS have posted on here and that's how i found out. And to find out that my business is affected by this and didn't know about it before reading here, wasn't very appealing to me.

That is why i'm posting my opinions on here. The fact that we're locked out again in 1 years time while we wait for more fixes again doesn't appeal to me either...

I'm sure you can see why we're expressing our disbelief and our opinions on this. You can't expect us to be happy about it. We were running just fine before this.

It's made me rethink a few things about how much control software developers have through their updates and hosting/servers for multiple locations....as well as standalone systems.

my eyes have been opened....time for some changes.

[Scott Bogdan]

Din,

With all due respect, your software and/or livlihood is not in danger whatsoever because of this software license audit. If you have authorized versions of Helios it's business as usual.

Our next version that will be released later this year will provide you an opportunity to upgrade or exchange your existing V11 dongle with one that will eliminate future interruptions.

I appreciate your passion and hope you can understand our method...maybe not agree, but understand.

I also apologize if you did not receive an email notice of this process. If you email me with your salon name and phone number I would like to check to see what email address we have for your salon on file.

PEACE!

scott@gohelios.com

[gottatanfl]

I am getting errors this morning and I downloaded the update.

I was going to order the software for our other salon but if this is what we can expect I will look elsewhere

[irtkid]

I can't believe so many of you are willing to take this abuse from Scott and Helios. It's clearly evident just from the way he responds to his clients on here that Helios does not deserve your business. If it was a great program maybe I could understand a little...but it is CRAP. There are programs out there that are SO much better, with management that has half a brain and knows how to speak to/treat its clients. Helios does not give a shit about you...all they care about is their monthly fee regardless of what they have to do to collect it....this includes locking out hundreds of it's customers during busy season, many of who they will have given little or no notice. If this isn't a sign to say see you later I don't know what is!! Labor market must be tough in the US if Scott still has a job...

[Kathe]

I used helios for the first 5 years I was in business. Then one mid-march the software crashed and helios was not there for me one iota. For three days I had no computer and our salon was doing 150+ per day. I was sick. They were so uncooperative. Tony was a fool. I switched the next week to Suntouch. I've had that since 1999 with zero issues. I wouldn't touch helios with a 100 foot pole.

Kathe

[irtkid]

Kathe has 15+ years in the business so a 100 foot pole may suffice. However, for anyone with any less experience, I would strongly recommend a 10,000 foot pole.

I know there many others out there who feel the same way. I often get emails from people asking how I switched programs and many of them are scared that Helios will screw them over if they post anything negative on the forum. Reminds me of the time I choose not to buy a bar code scanner from them with their 500% markup and they then refused to offer me ANY technical support with any inventory items since I didn't purchase from them and had posted something on a forum...even though I was paying monthly fees for several stores. Even the tech support guy at Helios told me he couldn't believe it but that was the order that Scott Bogdan gave him. I could tell he thought Scott was a total jerk.

I'm sure Helios will be there for what is sure to be 100's of salons that stop working after their kill date who didn't receive notice about the upgrade...NOT!

[Kathe]

Yeah, Tony himself called me and told me if I switched he would sue me. Sue me - HA! I said go ahead. I would love to see you in court with how you treated my issues with your program. I had no issues switching and it was the best thing I did.

Kathe

[Din]

Scott,

We are about 4-5 months away from Helios Shutdown. I'm sure salon owners don't want to wait until the last minute for the new dongle.

Any updates as to how and when we are to exchange the dongle?

I can't unplug my dongle and ship it to Helios and then wait for them to receive before they ship me a new one, that would mean my salon would be offline for like 2 weeks, not an option.

I'm sure that a new one will be mailed to everyone first along with a return envelope to put the old dongle in and return it to Helios.

Are these dongles available right now? How can we go about getting them.

Thanks in advance
Dean

[unity]

The dongles cost just a few dollars to make. They are generic krypto-keys.

There should be no issue in them sending replacements. Although I see no reason for dongle replacements. The dongles do not expire, its a software issue.

I am betting they are changing the dongle software key. So this will be a two sided approach. Update Helios which will look for the new code on the dongle and thus replace the dongle.

So its not the dongle that needs replacing, its just that they are changing the software to look for the new one.

This is basically another attempt to shutdown salons that did not originally "purchase" a support agreement directly with Helios.

I will be with SunLync before this next shutdown. They NEVER sent me notice last time yet a week later I got a lovely post card promoting SmartMail. Go figure.

[Din]

thats exactly what they are doing. But not to shutdown salons that don't have support. I don't have support and i'm still entitled to one.

They are doing it to shut down salons that got the software illegally.

It's like saying why does the illegal copy of windows xp i have on my computer shut down and not work anymore with the crack i used. I got it off torrent site fair and square. I'm sure Microsoft would go for that one and give you a new version for free.

I understand why they are doing it, to shut down the illegals. The stolen ones, the burned copies and illegal dongles.

If you got your helios from helios directly, you will get a dongle. If you bought yours for cheap from a salon closing down, you don't have a legit copy and you are SOL.

[bash0918]

I do not believe that it should be considered 'illegal' to purchase a used tanning program or a NEW one that is no longer or NOT in use. The program cannot be used if they don't have the dongle. Tanning programs are different than other computer programs for that reason.

If a salon is no longer in business or is no longer using the program, program should be salon owners option to sell. Then Helios may attempt to get new owner of program on their support program & carryon business as usual. Legit programs should be allowed to be transferred no matter how they are obtained.
Is Helios going to buy back the tanning program once it's no longer going to be used-NO, so why shouldn't someone else benefit from it. You may send the dongle back to Helios if you are no longer using it-so they can in turn sell it to another salon. THey can double dip, but salon owners aren't allowed to recoup any costs.

We all know that everyone tries to sell everything they have for the best price they can get from stickers, to lotions, to accessories, furniture, tanning beds, etc. Should be the same for tanning programs no longer in use.

[sparky]

Understand that you did NOT 'buy' the Helios software program.

You are a 'Licensed User' of the software. As such part of the 'licensing ' process is to register with Helios.

The dongle is not 'sold' to you , there was a $25 Deposit on it, that is refunded when returned.


Any used software can be registered with the company for use, but guess what, the program's free to begin with, so .....................


Registered Users would get all critical updates, such as the upcoming dongle exchange.


Microsoft started doing similar security after Office 2000 ans for Win XP and above.

It's called protecting the brand from theft of service.

[unity]

Originally Posted by Scott Bogdan

I also apologize if you did not receive an email notice of this process. If you email me with your salon name and phone number I would like to check to see what email address we have for your salon on file.

PEACE!

scott@gohelios.com

What a joke you are. I never got notice too. But I certainly got a SmartMail postcard a week or two later. So lets see, you can spam salons but cant even get work out about a "critical" update. LOL

Incompetence at its best I see!

[unity]

Originally Posted by Din

thats exactly what they are doing. But not to shutdown salons that don't have support. I don't have support and i'm still entitled to one.

They are doing it to shut down salons that got the software illegally.

It's like saying why does the illegal copy of windows xp i have on my computer shut down and not work anymore with the crack i used. I got it off torrent site fair and square. I'm sure Microsoft would go for that one and give you a new version for free.

I understand why they are doing it, to shut down the illegals. The stolen ones, the burned copies and illegal dongles.

If you got your helios from helios directly, you will get a dongle. If you bought yours for cheap from a salon closing down, you don't have a legit copy and you are SOL.

Yes, that is the method of their madness. I got my copy for a former salon, but I did the legit transfer of license so I am all good.

Point is how are we salons suppose to know about this? Most never got an e-mail or a phone call or ANYTHING. That is where I have the problem. Its not what they are doing, its how they are doing it.

[movieking]

I got the email. Maybe you didn't for some reason but if they send the email(s) to everyone how are they supposed to know you never got it?

[unity]

Originally Posted by movieking

I got the email. Maybe you didn't for some reason but if they send the email(s) to everyone how are they supposed to know you never got it?

How about a phone call or a card in the mail? My e-mail is in their system, they checked.

I think MY problem is that I got one of those dang SmatMail postcards two weeks later. Sure, they can send those out but not something for and item so important?

[JaredM]

If I cancel my support through Helios will I also lose my credit card merchant through Helios?

[unity]

Yes you will which is why I have not cancelled yet.

[JaredM]

eff me running... me too...