QuickBooks 2010: Registration Hassles Continue?

Oh boy, this is going to be great! Or so I thought...

When I saw some discussion about QuickBooks 2010 that referenced "an improved registration process", I was hoping that QuickBooks users everywhere would be rejoicing!

I immediately thought - full online registration capabilities and no more need to call the product registration desk in order to get QuickBooks registered. No more annoying sales pitches for other products and services while I was on the phone.

Well, I'm quite disappointed to report that I am 0 for 10 so far in being able to get QuickBooks 2010 registered online without having to call the registration desk.

I have asked Intuit to provide some additional insight into why the "black box" that is used during the software registration process has kicked me over to the registration desk all 10 times. Maybe I'm just unlucky I guess? To date, I haven't received any feedback or insight on my request. I hope to have some additional insight to report to you soon.

What has been your experience with registering QuickBooks 2010? Good? Bad? Really Ugly?

Post a comment and sound off below. The more Intuit hears from end users about their registration experiences, the more likely problems that are being reported will go toward the top of the problem resolution stack!

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Scott Gregory is a specialist with QuickBooks Pro, Premier and Enterprise software. Download his free QuickBooks guides today to help you get more out of QuickBooks!

Comments

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

BJ:

Great work on your post regarding your experience with the registration process.

Your observation is spot on about the "please wait while..."

Someone commented earlier "what are they using, a 286 computer to generate the code"? and I chuckled a lot about that.

Glad to see that you do not agree that this process was "highly satisfactory" toas I have been told it is to many others based on Intuit research.

Scott

[BJSebastian]

Hey Scott,

I posted an entire blog article about my QuickBooks registration experience at http://bit.ly/bog1Jc which is rather lengthly (like my registration experience itself).

However, my biggest problem is when, during the registration process, the representative lets you know that he is generating an activation key and it will take a few minutes. The representative then says "While we wait, let me tell you about some other products we offer...".

I really think they need to skip the "it is going to take a several minutes to generate your activation key". I have to believe most people know that is not true, so it is condescending. It is really bad taste to play tricks on your customers in order to keep them on the line. If it really takes that long to generate a key, Intuit needs to hire new programmers.

I also love how they packaged this up as "improved", when it is clearly more of a hassle to the customer.

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

Susan:

Thank you for sharing your comments and feedback on your experience with the QuickBooks registration process.

I have been pressing Intuit to abandon this forced phone registration and documented user experiences like yours will help build the case.

As I mentioned in our Twitter posts, I have been told directly that QuickBooks users "have a high degree of satisfaction" with the registration process.

Really? All of those who posted here must have missed out on that...

Scott Gregory

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

Bryan:

Wow, I couldn't have said it better myself!

Thank you for taking the time to post your candid feedback on this issue.

Over the last several days, I have seen a number of tweets from the director of product registration at Intuit apologizing for the users experience during the registration process. You are absolutely correct - it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know how to solve this problem.

I know you are going to find this very hard to believe, but I have been told that upper management within Intuit believes users have a "high satisfaction rate" with the product registration process. I was actually stunned to learn that.

I can only imagine what Intuit might do if some news agency got a hold of your stories and others about this "deceptive marketing" and called them on the carpet for it. My guess is that we'd see some extensive changes a LOT sooner.

Scott

[Bryan Alexander]

Hi Scott. There is no need for me to repeat what everyone else has stated already. Just know I have encountered the exact same issue and the frustration Intuit has caused and I find the tact disturbing. Please STOP saying you are sorry on behalf of Intuit. Saying the company is sorry is akin to saying that a door is sorry that it cut your finger when it was slammed upon it. A company is not a person. This issue needs to be taken to Intuit's marketing department immediately. By offering your apologies on behalf of the company, you are miming the problem itself in that no solutions are being offered and we are all still being told to wait. Wait for what? It doesn't take a rocket scientist nor months to review this problem and to instruct Intuit's marketing department to halt all sales related harassment. Those to whom are pandered are paying customers and deserve to be respected, not put off with promises of investigation and possible changes in the future. Customers deserve, no, need to be heard when there is a problem of this magnitude and more importantly, immediate changes need to be made. In this case, changes should been made long ago.

I will be happy to join or start a facebook page to not only warn potential customers of the nightmare they face in choosing Quickbooks, but I will also suggest to those currently using Intuit's product to take back their power and choose a different program when upgrading next. We have power collectively and when anger is this strong and deewp, things will change regardless of Intuit's choices. I hope that this and all other posts are being passed on to Intuit's marketing department. The decision makers in the department should be ashamed of themselves. Their employment of beyond-pushy sales tactics may provide incoming revenue short-term (albeit deceptively obtained) but they should have thought of the long-term CONSEQUENCES of their quick profit turning into an even bigger loss long-term. The QB registration process is absolutely despicable, downright dishonest, cruel to the customer service employees who are subjected to the anger, and downright un-American.

To Intuit's marketing peeps I say, "Best of luck, but you are too late. The train has already left the station."

[Susan Taliaferro]

Scott,

Wow! Just read through these comments. I have a similar registration story. Pushy guy from who knows where threatening me with potential problems requiring expensive tech support unless I give my credit card number for 30 days of free help...

I finally just asked if he had the registration number for me...

I have used Turbo Tax for years now and absolutely love it. I had used Quicken a long time ago and also thought it was a good product. So, when I decided to get serious about turning a hobby into a business I immediately thought of QuickBooks for my accounting needs. It didn't even occur to me that there were other accounting solutions out there (I tend to be a loyal consumer).

Had I seen these beforehand I would have done more research into other possibilities. As it is, I plan on getting to know and using the QuickBooks software that I have gone through the hassle of registering. If, however, this type of nonsense is something I can continue to expect than I will give my money to a more deserving corporation.

It is almost unbelievable that the same company produces TurboTax and QuickBooks. If they cared about their customers at all they would enable the online registration and stop pissing off and/or chasing away their own customers. In this economy what company can willingly afford to do that?

Thanks again for giving us a place to vent. I'll check out the rest of your site for other good information.

Sue (@fearlessknitter)

[John T]

Glad I found this page. I'm an IT consultant, and have just finished installing Quickbooks 2010 on 3 workstations for a client. The Activation process has actually gotten worse than in previous versions, unbelievably. It took about 15 minutes for one activation code and the rep kept pushing the support package until I told her to stop (for about the 5th time) and she gave me the code. Now I'm discovering that I can't register the other workstations using the same Activation code. Unbelievable. What is wrong with Intuit??

[Drew Miller]

@DMillerMpls -- just off the phone with Intuit. Had to change computers due to a power supply failure, now QB2007 won't register (counting down from 15 uses). Mac OS 10.5.8 -- and the app had been running just fine before the hardware change. Two hours wasted on the phone, and all they can do is try to upsell me to QB2009. Any advice?

[Roy Stucky]

January 2010 and the above mentioned update for accounting professionals is still promiseware.

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

Marci:

Thank you for taking the time to post your thoughts about the registration process and your experience with it.

I completely agree with your perspective on this, and have been keeping up the dialogue with my contacts at Intuit so they can eventually see the error of their ways in forcing this whole process upon users.

Hope to have more insights to share soon.

Scott

[MarciDahms]

As a professional bookkeeper & virtual assistant who purchases the new version of QuickBooks each year, I have almost reached my breaking point with Intuit and the ridiculous registration process. It's unbelievably frustrating to waste my valuable time on the phone to get a validation code, and then to have to get angry with the guy from India on the other end who's trying desperately to get my credit card number to sign me up for ongoing support which I don't want. I was forceful enough with him that my call only lasted about 15 or so minutes, but that's unacceptable for registering any software. Add to the mix the fact that previous versions of QuickBooks (that my clients still use) have compatibility issues with Windows 7, and I'm ready to switch to another accounting solution altogether. Of course Intuit will only support the newest version with Windows 7 which completely screws me simply because I got a new computer. I've had it!

[DavidBlizzard]

I can't believe going in to 2010 we still have to call to register. Worse yet, on a 2 license online purchase we had to call for both installs even after logging in with an Intuit account that already had one install registered.
During the first registration call the agent tried to get me to give her a credit card number so she could create a zero charge invoice for 30 days of free support. That was 10 minutes after I purchased QB 2010 from the Intuit website. The following day we activated on the second computer and the rep kept my wife on the phone for 20 minutes with all kinds of questions. She tried to get her to sign up for payroll services claiming it was going to cost $300 to setup but she could give her a 30% discount if she signed up while on the phone. It was not a good experience.

[Ryanshrout]

I also want to say how upset and aggravated with the Quickbooks registration process. Not only did I have to call in to register my copy of Quickbooks Pro 2007 but was harassed by multiple sales pitches before they would give me my registration number. First, I was told that there "problems" with Quickbooks 2007 on Windows 7 and that I would need to upgrade to QB 2010 soon anyway, so why shouldn't I just do it now? Then I was told I needed to get the Quickbooks support program for $40/mo but the first month would be free (wow, gee!) because I wasn't going to get QB 2010.

I'll be looking towards one of the free, online options instead of trusting Intuit ever again.

[Anna Schibrowsky]

Last week I installed QuickBooks for the first time. I wouldn't say I encountered any problems during the registration process. I would say that the registration process IS the problem.

I was on the phone 20 minutes. I was asked to repeat a bunch of information I'd already keyed into the registration screens. There was the attempt to upsell the 1-person office where I work 1 day a week to the business edition. Followed by the even more clumsy attempt to sell the tech support subscription. When you imply it's a shitty, difficult-to-use product requiring extensive tech support, I want to return it, not give you more money.

Luckily for Intuit, this install was for my client, a CPA who's used QB for years. Despite having worked for a CPA firm that required QB-using clients to upgrade to Peachtree, I always had a fair opinion of QB until this year. It was a budget solution for places that couldn't afford something like Peoplesoft or JDA MMS. Between this registration BS and the shortcomings I've seen in another client's retail version, I now know I want nothing to do with QB for my own business.

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

Hi Matt:

Thank you for taking the time to offer your insights on this registration issue.

It's too bad that those who purchase QuickBooks are subjected to both the in-product marketing on a regular basis plus what they get when they have to phone in and register.

Scott Gregory

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

CEA:

Thank you for taking the time to offer your insights on this issue.

I like your approach in mentioning to the CSR that if they had anything to say other than your registration code, the software would go back to the store.

Unfortunately, many people don't understand that they don't have to answer these questions to get their registration code. In many cases, they simply go along to be nice or figuring these responses are required, since that isn't disclosed as part of the dialogue at any time.

Your suggestion about getting a class action attorney involved in this is a very interesting take on the problem.

I know Intuit is following this dialogue, and I truly hope they end this forced phone registration. Hundreds of other software companies can get it all done online. Intuit can do it as well if they choose to.

Scott Gregory

[twitter.com/howardgr]

Hey, Scott, Thanks for publishing this piece. My take on QB Registration: http://howardgreenstein.com/blog/archives/2009/12/if_ever_there_was_a_reson_for_vrm_vendor_relationship_management.html

[Bryan Slatner]

I registered 2010 this morning. I was forced to call the registration desk. It took several minutes to get someone on the phone, and then it wasn't a simple "here's your code, sir" kind of a thing. I was pitched on technical support services ($39.95/month, but your first is free!) and then asked to give me credit card number because "even free orders require a credit card number." I refused, the lady on the phone tried again, I refused again, and finally we were done. The whole process took about 10 minutes.

[Matt]

I'm annoyed about the fact that I am forced to give over my business contact information (name, email, address, phone, etc.) to register the product...and registration is required! I don't want to give out my info because I know Intuit will use it against me; that is, Intuit will market to me using that data. It's none of their damn business.

When I called in to register, I told the CSR this, and he reassured me that none of my data is sold to third parties. BUT he couldn't assure me that my information wouldn't be used internally to market to me.

Look, I bought Quickbooks; the transaction was complete when I paid at the cashier. I shouldn't be required to "pay" with additional personal information to use the product I just bought.

[CEA]

Rich, how about "working on an update to the registration process" for _all_ of your customers? I have in mind a process where, say, we can walk into Office Depot, pay a few hundred bucks for your software, take it back to our offices, and use it--without having to participate in the lengthy, cumbersome, barely-disguised pretext for harvesting marketing information which you call a "phone registration process." I have no objection to registration processes with legitimate aims such as reducing software piracy, but Intuit wanting to know how many employees we have or whether or not we have a web site clearly has no basis other than the obvious: targeting spam. And there's absolutely no basis for requiring a phone call either, other than requiring your more gullible customers to sit through an upselling pitch for other Intuit services. In my case, the several minutes of "waiting to generate the validation code" (i.e., the delay designed to give your CSRs time to pull out the upsell script) were a rather awkward silence after I told him that if he had anything for me other than the registration code, the product was going back to the store.

Based on my satisfaction with past versions I've never thought about looking for an alternative to QuickBooks, but given the contempt for your customers which your registration process seems to indicate, I'm far more likely to do so in the future. An enterprising class-action attorney would be doing the financial community a favor by bringing suit to require that you prominently label your retail boxes to indicate that a minimum of 15 minutes' live participation in Intuit's internal marketing efforts, including the provision of confidential corporate data such as employee headcount, is a condition of licensing the software.

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

Hi Ryan:

Thanks for taking the time to report your experience on this issue.

I am considering putting together a letter to the CEO of Intuit on this specific issue, letting him know that what one part of his company is working so hard to build up (reputation), the other part of his company is tearing down with great speed.

Scott Gregory

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

Jesse:

Thanks very much for taking the time to comment on this issue.

Just to check on something – were the 10 copies all purchased under the same license? If so, the same validation code would apply across all 10 installs. If they were all single copies, forget the idea above - you then have just entered the validation code game that is stacked against you as you have discovered.

Curious – if not QuickBooks next year, what will your firm turn to?

Scott Gregory

[Ryan Smith]

I had a terrible experience registering Quickbooks, I don't mind that I had to call, it's because I've reinstalled Windows 3 times recently so that is understandable. If I have to call Microsoft it's a quick automated process to register. When I called Intuit I was kept on the phone for an extremely long period of time being sold credit card processing, online backup etc. I kept saying I'm not interested but it didn't make any difference. You could tell the rep had a script he had to read. I couldn't get my registration code until I listened to the whole thing.

[jesse]

It's nearly 2010 and you STILL have to call a rep to register/activate your product? That is unacceptable. I have 10 copies to install and I'm having to call, wait on hold, then wait for the validation code for each install, which is a HUGE waste of my valuable time.

When it's time to get next year's accounting products, my firm (50+ accountants) will NOT be getting QuickBooks.

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

Ben:

Sorry to hear about your experience with registering your new QB. I haven't had any instances yet where I was able to register it directly online. I have more installations coming up in the next few weeks. We'll see how they go.

Believe it or not, their installation time has improved. It's the time to register it that hasn't, and that is indeed a shame.

Scott Gregory