[Skybird]

Considering the time difference, I had not received a reply after this day, although their service claims to answer all requests after some hours.

However I downloaded the main program, but not purchased it. After installaing it, I found that activation is done from within the game, you get a number, and that needs to be typed during purchase of the license. If you type the number wrong, the license you get does not work.

Conclusion: the number could represent a download count as well as an encryption of the hardware configuration you are using - I do not know, and they did not answer my according question. If it is the latter, you will need a new license every time you change a component of your system, or buy a new one. More precise: you need to refresh it, and depend on contacting them. If they have disappeared since the last time, or you lost your web access, you are screwed.

I also noticed that the purchase screen does not correctly calculate dollars into euros. If you pay in euros, you get overtaxed. they also do not say in advance that the ability to book a new license key if you loose the old one or need a new one for any reason, also gets you billed during purchase. the price is without VAT, which needs to be added to the more already more expensive euro-price, although by exchange rate in europe you should pay significantly less including VAT than in dollars excluding VAT. finally they leave it to the credit card company to tell you how much money inclduing the VAt you actually havbe transferred to them, for during the purchase screens nowhere the final total price gets shown to you ( I ran the purchase process as far as possible and just stopped short of activating it.)

That is the kind of business model I do not put my trust into, and that is the kind of customer service I do not reward, and that is the kind of purchase procedure where I cannot escape the impression that I getting tried to be talked into something.

You can't even register in their forum if you have not already bought the software - so that you cannot ask questions on the product or the activation and pourchase procedure in advance! Forum registration only from within the registered software running. not nice.

So I pass on this one, without regret. with FS2002 I had a bad experience with download software that had a limited number of activation processes only, and after that needed internet communication to get new licenses every time I reinstalled the system, and I know of people having problems with a weather tool back then whose maintenance was interrupted after some time by customers being demanded to pay a new full version for very dubious reasons - until the guy disappeared completely from the scene, leaving the customers alone. I do not encourage or support business models of download purchases where I do not get full control over the options when I reinstall the product, and how often , and on what kind of computer - without depending on future communication with the producing company.

the wrong Euro-Dollar-price calculation, the hiding of VAT even in the final bill screen (at least their credit card partner should be able to calculate the VATs for various places, since they collect the payments anyway), the forum denial, the questions not answered, the inability to put up an according question myself in their forum - trying to do business like this leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Youn want to know certain things before you buy - not finding out at your own risk afterwards.

Handle with care.