There is a simple reason why they remove the negative comments - they constantly send out newsletters saying how the vast majority love their apps and there are few negative comments. What better way to prove the point in the future 'look at are forums - all our users are tremndously positive and happy about our products'.

It is simply a cynical marketing ploy and if they manage to alienate long term users so much the better from their warped perspective.

I have three life time licences and they have won with me - I no longer request updates and it is a long time since I have bothered to use the software I purchased because I know it has a limited life span - either Windows upgrades will kill it or source catalogue changes will kill the versions I have.

Personally I have no interest in only having access to only US catalogues for Books, DVDs and Music (I live in the UK) when every country has different editions, cover art, editors etc. and I can't see for the life of me why a European business wants to exclude the rest of the world - including themselves!! I presume they perceive the biggest market is the US - but with the US only representing about 3% of the world population - and about 85-90% are likely to be online by 2020 the whole policy seems stupid and short sighted.

I haven't looked for a while but when they released the latest version bumps they specifically said they were using US catalogues only. Maybe they relented but it was certainly off putting - and if they can do/say that sort of thing it doesn't instil confidence that some other random decision will be made in the future.

Here's a screenshot (because I'm not sure that the posts will be around a week from now) of an exchange that took place yesterday on the Collectorz.com mp3 Collector forum that gives some insight into the mindset at Collectorz.com:
(see attachment in previous post)
Just to note, I understand that forum mods are free to do as they please on their forums, but this kind of response to what to my mind appears to be a rather innouous, though admittedly negative, post does nothing to assure me that Collectorz.com is interested in their customers.

Another example of what I would call unprofessional treatment of unhappy customers. I think it's a good thing that the director of the company is active in the forum, but I'd expect some professionalism and not so much sarcasm. It's obvious that we as customers should follow some general guidelines as to how and what to post, but there is only one part that has an obligation to be professional even if the customer may complain.

Still happy with Movie Collector 5.6 and Book Collector 6 is growing on me, but the way the company is going means I still have to look at alternatives from time to time :/

Actually that is pretty mild compared to a lot of the posts from January - but those were deleted.

Thanks!

Jim

Got an email today from Collectorz saying how much they love to hear from their customers and inviting me to fill in a survey.

What a lot of BS - I have no intention of massaging their egos and I know any negative comments will simply get ignored.

New email from Collectorz regarding the latest update to their Movie cataloguer.

This email says a lot about its attitude towards customers but you have to read the PS after all the glowing praise they shower on themselves. Users love this version so much and it is doing so well they are even offering three different upgrade paths (including for free - it must be doing REALLY well if they can't give it away). Heavens one of the free upgrade paths even includes free premium support.

I have always wondered what premium support is ... I'd guess it goes along the lines:

Caller: I have a problem
Response: No one else does
Caller: But I have a problem
Response: You are just being difficult
Caller: Can you help me?
Response: Click

Here is the P.S. ... interesting marketing and psychology here ...

P.S... URGENT NOTICE:  While Movie Collector is the fastest, most powerful
version we've ever made, it does not fit the cataloging methods or
collection styles of all of our customers. If you have an collection of
older films, mostly adult movies, or MUST have data from sources like IMDb,
this upgrade is NOT FOR YOU.  I repeat, if you fit into one of these
categories, then you are most likely not going to be happy with Movie
Collector 6.1.

Why?

Because in order to make our software easier, searches faster, and move
toward things like an online version and iPhone apps, we had to bring all
the search data into our in-house database. The Collectorz.com database has
over 100,000 movies, with almost 150,000 barcodes... and it continues to
grow, get faster, and be more complete everyday.  But it still does not
have very many older or more obscure movies.

Again, with Movie Collector 6.1 you will NOT be able to access info from
IMDb, DVD Empire or ANY OTHER external source.  Wondering if your movies
are in the new version?
Give v6.1 a test drive with the trial version and see.

Of course, you can continue to use Movie Collector 5 indefinitely, but
coming December 31, we will no longer support this version. Already all
development and upgrades have stopped on this out-dated version. I hope
you'll join us as we move forward, but understand if you can't.

The first paragraph is intereresting - basically they are saying if you are over 20 forget it (and if you are under 20 and like older films forget it).

Also they now seem to admit that the in-house database (which by the way is supplied by the users for free) is not designed with users in mind but rather with their market placement of future products for other hardware!

It is particularly 'good' to see that v.5 will have no more development for those users that paid for and need those features denied them by this model in new versions. So carry on using version 5 until the source sites change their search mechanisms (a primary reason for regular updates in earlier versions) at which point you are high and dry without an application.

Today -

A few days ago we sent out a notice that we have seriously reduced the
price of upgrading to the faster, easier Movie Collector 6.1.

Because the offer has been so popular... and because we are only letting
you upgrade at this extremely low price until Sunday at 11:59pm... I
thought I would give you another chance to join the thousands of happy
Movie Collectors that have already made the move to v6.1.

Here are your three very special offers...

**** NOTICE: These Offers Expire Sunday March 22, at 11:59pm ****

How long will it be before they stop believing their own spin?

J-Mac: DVD Profiler

Any other info on that? Are you using it? Are you recommending it? Or just an informational link?

Thank you.

Jim

Can you use a barcode reader with it?

I'll give it a go and let you know.

And yet another email pushing the new, unimproved version. This is getting silly!

Jim

I think this post says it all. I am taking screen caps of the posts I can now so as to prove collectorz is deleting posts which display negativity towards their products.

This is exactly how I feel. Companies which ignore what users want will not last very long.

Plus, like I said, DVD Profiler has been doing the whole "Self-Maintained" DB thing for years so theirs is pretty well developed. I wouldn't have minded collectorz doing this, however, they should have had it at the start and not decided to just "cross the streams", old ghostbusters ref, I know,  with the existing user base being hooked on "Search for what you want with various sources".