Absolutely Zero Support. Disappointing...

drval said:
Have you actually posted your note, your issue, directly to parallels via:

beta@parallels.com?

That is the proper place if you want/expect to get a direct response FROM Parallels.
Click to expand...

Hi,

Yes, I emailed beta@parallels with crash reports on January 9th, 10 and 20th, in addition to submitting at least one report via their web form.

After reviewing my emails, I see that I did receive one automated response from them (in response to the support request submitted via their web form), on January 9th, stating that a support engineer would contact me within 3 days. - No love...


I also think the suggestion of having a rep monitor the forums for similar issues is a wise one.

If you think reposting my issues here would help, I'm happy to post one of the KP logs.

Cheers
 
drval said:
Perhaps -- and/or people could read the release notes, understand the difference between beta, RC and official releases, as well as direct specific, unanswered issues/bugs to the address indicated BY Paralles to use for such purposes: viz:

beta@parallels.com
Click to expand...

You're right. It's our own fault for using their products. :confused:
 
There is a difference.

Released is SUPPORTED.

Beta is CONTRIBUTED TO.

If you expect support, stick with 1970. Most companies who run public betas have a registration program, screen the beta users, and establish communication protocols with them, and only allow a few into the program. Parallels took a different route and created a wide open public beta, along the lines of the open source community. That means there's no way to fully communicate with everyone, so the paradigm is different. Understand that. Kudos to them.
 
Anyone considered picking up the phone??

I'm just curious as to why any of you haven't considered picking up the phone and complaining to someone who's actually listening.

If you call Parallels directly I'm sure you can get someone on the phone who would be willing to assist in some manner or another.

You can't continue to blindly send emails!!! If you've paid for the product then tell them.
 
Still sucks

BillInSoBe said:
I'm just curious as to why any of you haven't considered picking up the phone and complaining to someone who's actually listening.

If you call Parallels directly I'm sure you can get someone on the phone who would be willing to assist in some manner or another.

You can't continue to blindly send emails!!! If you've paid for the product then tell them.
Click to expand...

If they promise to get back to me within three days I expect them to do just that. Even if just to say that someone is looking into it or that they can't resolve it. I would settle for ANY lifesign at all at this point.

Receiving NOTHING is just shamefully bad and they've lost a customer.
 
BillInSoBe said:
I'm just curious as to why any of you haven't considered picking up the phone and complaining to someone who's actually listening.

If you call Parallels directly I'm sure you can get someone on the phone who would be willing to assist in some manner or another.

You can't continue to blindly send emails!!! If you've paid for the product then tell them.
Click to expand...

Nobody has purchased a beta or RC version. There is no contract, no agreements, no commitment for support of the non-production code. If you have real complaints about software you have purchased (boxed release or version 1970), and you are not getting the results you expect from Parallels support (support@parallels.com is where such queries go), then start contacting their parent company, SWsoft at swsoft.com. Don't bother them over beta code issues because it's not supported.
 
dkp said:
Nobody has purchased a beta or RC version. There is no contract, no agreements, no commitment for support of the non-production code. If you have real complaints about software you have purchased (boxed release or version 1970), and you are not getting the results you expect from Parallels support (support@parallels.com is where such queries go), then start contacting their parent company, SWsoft at swsoft.com. Don't bother them over beta code issues because it's not supported.
Click to expand...

I'm not saying to contact them regarding the beta. Most companies don't offer support for pre-release products. That's the nature of the beast. If you can't deal with issues you shouldn't install a pre-release product.

When reading this thread I get the impression people are bitching about support in general. Support for the GA in addition to support for the Beta. Thus my response.

Personally I haven't gotten any replies to messages sent to beta@parallels.com and I don't expect to. An automated response confirming they got my message would have been nice.
 
Why don't they support theri beta versions?

If I spend my time reporting bugs in their beta version...why must I have no answer from them?
Of course...I paid a full version....so I'm waiting next GA....
But, they must RESPECT the effort we are doing. Only sending an email tell you that they are taking your problem and analizing it.
IMOP.
 
paco.blasco said:
If I spend my time reporting bugs in their beta version...why must I have no answer from them?
Of course...I paid a full version....so I'm waiting next GA....
But, they must RESPECT the effort we are doing. Only sending an email tell you that they are taking your problem and analizing it.
IMOP.
Click to expand...

Escalate your problem to their parent company, SWsoft.com. Perhaps someone will get the message that the parallels beta testing program needs some work.
 
lithe951 said:
There is a difference.

Released is SUPPORTED.

Beta is CONTRIBUTED TO.

If you expect support, stick with 1970. Most companies who run public betas have a registration program, screen the beta users, and establish communication protocols with them, and only allow a few into the program. Parallels took a different route and created a wide open public beta, along the lines of the open source community. That means there's no way to fully communicate with everyone, so the paradigm is different. Understand that. Kudos to them.
Click to expand...
I don't get support for 1970 (the official, current release).
I posted to their support form.
I posted to the forums.
My message was not rude.
Yes, I'm a paying customer.
There was no response, automated or otherwise.

People should know that if they purchase the product they may be on their own with whatever problems they experience. In that regard, they should exercise the program extra hard during the trial period.

I don't mean to imply that I wish I hadn't bought. Even with the problems I experience, I'd rather have build 1970 than not. I'd also rather get support. :-)
 
echuck said:
I don't get support for 1970 (the official, current release).
I posted to their support form.
I posted to the forums.
My message was not rude.
Yes, I'm a paying customer.
There was no response, automated or otherwise.

People should know that if they purchase the product they may be on their own with whatever problems they experience. In that regard, they should exercise the program extra hard during the trial period.

I don't mean to imply that I wish I hadn't bought. Even with the problems I experience, I'd rather have build 1970 than not. I'd also rather get support. :-)
Click to expand...

It's really simple. If you're not getting support on a GA product that you purchased CALL THEM. File complaints... do something other then sit on your hands.

If you don't do anything their practice of not answering support questions will continue.
 
"My guess is that their product has gotten popular more quickly than they can currently handle. Too bad for us...[/QUOTE]"





Sounds like they may be spending more time going to the bank than reading email.
 
Overloaded

It is very easu they can not manage the big number of user of their MAC product.
The problem for us is clear: the beta version is far (I think) from GA.
Their problem is obvious: most of us require Virtual Machine for our day to day work, so we will pay the solution that fulfills our requirements.
Actually I use Beta3036 and I had experienced some issues in the "release" version, that, in the first months they solved. I'm happy with this and I can live with some issues.
Usually I work with Open Source code so for me is normal to fix other programs.
Although I'm happy with this software, I believe Parallels is overloaded with the number of people using their product, and VMware Fussion is not making this situation easier, and I suppose , increasing the pression over engineers.
 
We’re putting out considerable efforts to improve support since the more versatile and genius Parallels becomes the more thoroughgoing treatment to support issues should be given.
You have been encountering a great deal of trouble communicating to Parallels support and that mislead you into thinking that in Parallels there’s a principal trouble with support.
It wouldn’t be a gross exaggeration to say that you felt aggravated with such treatments towards you when handling your trouble report in such a way, however, it would certainly be as much more again to say that not providing a solution quickly is something Parallels reckons as approach to the support of you.
We always do have willingness to listen to customer’s issues and then provide a solution as soon as possible.
But you should be aware of fact that In the event the problem is connected to Beta it’s not easy to sort it out quickly.
Please send me a private message with your contacts so the dedicated Technical Support Engineer engaged in Beta release operations could get in touch with you and give update regarded to the current situation.
Please submit KPs logs for review as well, be assured these reports will be of great value to our QA staff which will be able then to reproduce your problem in lab as well as for Engineering staff to include the permanent fix in upcoming release.

Thank you in advance for your dedication, knowledge and patience on assisting Parallels Support in resolving Beta related issues.
We would not be where we are today without the customers’ reporting and assistance in getting relief of Beta bugs.
 
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I think its a good step that Parallels is acknowledging that there are issues which are not being explicitly supported in the betas, but I think that if Parallels wants to be a real player in the business virtualization market as a player against a heavyweight like VMWare, it should be an absolute imperative that Parallels has business class support, or IT managers will simply not even consider Parallels as a viable option when VMWare Fusion is released. Spotty email support and occasional forum support is not adequate (even for beta products), and Parallels market share will quickly erode if this is not improved. You guys have a fantastic product, but if that product is not adequately supported (and I'm not talking about beta versions, I'm referring to fully released versions) you will quickly find that no matter how many features you pack into this product, you will only win over customers in the early adopter market, but businesses will stick with VMWare as a name they know, and a company with a reputation for enterprise level support. In addition if you truly only wish to offer support to full releases (which I would argue is still pretty spotty from my own experiance with email support) you should make it beyond explicit during the installation process for the beta with a popup dialog that explicitly explains this product is NOT supported beyond the forums (putting this message in the release notes is clearly not getting noticed)

-J
 
BigPoppa said:
I have tried calling them and you only ever get voicemail. Trust me I have tried everything.
Click to expand...

How about trying the solution just suggested: viz, send an email directly to emilm?

Do let us know how that goes.
 
IMHO when ya get a couple users whining about no service and then posting the name of the competition... sounds like shills to me. Thousands of users have running installs with no issues what so ever.
 
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