Comments on: Handango Download Protection…Legalized Extortion?

By: Strategize Your Backups « Stevenator65’s Weblog

Strategize Your Backups « Stevenator65’s Weblog — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:12:21 +0000

[...] now charging for download protection. Chris Spera of Gear Diary likened it to extortion in this article. If you pay for software, download it, then subsequently lose it, you must actually pay to [...]

By: Strategize Your Backups | Mobility Site

Strategize Your Backups | Mobility Site — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:46:34 +0000

By: download protection - Web - WebCrawler

download protection - Web - WebCrawler — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:00:18 +0000

[...] clicks. … http://www.alouwebdesign.ca/store/soft-132.html [Found on Google, Yahoo! Search] Handango Download ProtectionLegalized Extortion? at Gear Diary Feb 7, 2007 … For years, Handango has been offering Download Protection. For about $5 bucks [...]

By: clickgamer

clickgamer — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 14:08:30 +0000

Check out http://www.clickgamer.com (for games) and http://www.clickapps.com (for apps).

We offer FREE DOWNLOAD PROTECTION on all purchases – absolutely no catches whatsoever. You can download again whenever you like – for ZERO cost.

Simply sign up for a free clickpaygo account using your original purchase email and all of your previous purchases will be hooked up – automatically.

Alternatively just open an account now and download some free stuff !

Go there now : http://www.clickgamer.com/clickpaygo

Check out http://www.clickgamer.com and http://www.clickapps.com for 1000′s of top quality games and applications.

A great choice, great support and FREE DOWNLOAD PROTECTION

How can someone charge for that ? It’s simply isn’t ethical !

By: warthog

warthog — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 03:44:17 +0000

It is WRONG! I, too, have stopped buying from Handango since they implemented this bonehead policy! Doesn’t somebody at Handango troll the forums on sites like this? It doesn’t take Gallup or Harris to deduce that they are turning away paying customers by the droves! Wise up, Handango!

By: Christopher Spera

Christopher Spera — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 15:17:51 +0000

I don’t know that the next move is mine. I think its up to Handango to make changes to their business practice. Personally, I want to cash in my reward points, get all of my purchases one last time, and then be done. I don’t want to sound inflexible, or completely exhasporated; but I’m really frustrated. I don’t think its fair to charge extra to reacquire something that I’ve already paid for.

By: Lex

Lex — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 14:42:51 +0000

I seldom comment twice but forgive me… Handango operates the way they do because they can and they’re permitted to. What can make Handango change? Two thoughts come to mind. 1) Competition. If lots of developers would leave Handango for a more customer-friendly competitor and communicate to humans at Handango why they’re leaving, market forces would bring about positive change, or Handango would evaporate, either of which might be positive change . 2) Departure for one’s own sales site. I know Handango and similar sites serve as advertising which has a value. Users may not find an individual developer’s site. But what else can effect Handango’s non-customer-friendly and non-developer-friendly operation? I’ve read various reports over the years of unanswered complaint emails to Handango from end-users and developers. When small, non-monopoly companies act like they are a monopoly, they are in danger of being shown how mistaken they are. If Handango is ‘listening’, what are you doing to heal the bad blood?

By: Christopher Spera

Christopher Spera — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 14:10:07 +0000

I also keep a database of all my purchases simply because I have a number of different devices as a reviewer and enthusist. However, I am so NOT happy with these people. They are difficult to work with, and they don’t seem to listen very well, IMHO.

By: mbranscum

mbranscum — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 13:39:42 +0000

I purchased software from Handango since 2001. I have bought over 100 titles from them. Since they enabled the “download protection” several months ago, I have purchhased a whopping 2 titles from their site.

Usually, if I have to redownload, I get the trial copy and get the registration number from the developer site.

If possible, I will NOT buy from them again. Whoever dreamed this idea up wasn’t very smart. I can’t see it helping the company out in the long run with people like me who purchase a lot of PPC and smartphone software. But… maybe I’m in the minority! I don’t know.

By: Lex

Lex — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 11:26:04 +0000

Sorry this happened Chris. Looks like Handango has gotten way too big for its britches. I only use Handango if something isn’t available directly from a developer’s site and not available at any other commercial site. FWIW I keep my reg. codes in e-Wallet.

By: hishamh

hishamh — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 07:30:28 +0000

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=429908#429908

By: hishamh

hishamh — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 06:17:55 +0000

I just tried downloading some of my older purchases, and I don’t seem to run across this at all (and I’ve never purchased download protection). Could they be enforcing this based on location (I’m not in the US)? i.e. they can only enforce where they’re sure of their legal grounds?

Still there’s a principle at stake here, and I too have long since given up buying stuff from Handango, if I had any choice over it at all.

By: Gear Diary:Handango Download Protection�Legalized Extortion? at Just Another Mobile Monday

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 05:48:01 +0000

[...] Check it out HERE [...]

By: JDTagish

JDTagish — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 04:54:01 +0000

I found that out in an unfortunately similar situation myself. Fortunately, I was able to take my proof of purchase information to the vendor directly and they were kind enough to forward to me the registration code or file I needed. (I’m a little type A, and keep a spreadsheet with all the registration codes and download sites for every software title I have purchased for my PPC)

I stopped buying from them a few months ago for the same reason, and I have seen similar topics pop up recently on other sites as well.

I hope that they catch on to the idea that they only hold value as a reseller because they are as much a “warehouse” location that I can go back to as a “storefront” to purchase from.