Bite your tongue Wayne - today's saga

I will just refund your money... I am not going to argue...

After nearly 15 hours of frustration over 3 days, trying to reinstall my ACT Database [version 10] after a hard drive crash, that is the response I got from the "leading ACT consulting company in Australia." I can't complain to his boss because he is the owner!

Obviously the story has a little more to it...

I paid for an upgrade to a web based version, on the advice of this same expert:

"Hi Wayne The $10 plan is minimum 3 users per month and is certainly an option for you. " [paid him $207 instantly] "

To prepare the data for the transfer to the web based system, he wanted to access my database by remote but the ACT Software install had corrupted my .net program... [you know that program that makes the other one work..] and that wouldn't work after another 2 hours of frustration.

No problem, I burnt the data to a CD and Express Posted it to Sydney on Friday... and contacted him VERY early this morning to get everything going...

Just an aside in case you think there was a lack of knowledge here: Now this is someone who knows what we use ACT for, having helped in the past with an upgrade from ACT6 to ACT10. This is someone who I have sent a recommendation to my 20,000 strong client base.

I asked him, whilst we are waiting for his people to fix the database for transfer to the web based one...

" If we can't get the database converted to the web [hope we can] then we should have the old data somewhere when you converted it before...

But I have lots of material I want to add to the database... exported from our sales system... and from rating sheets etc.

So, I was hoping that we could have the system working on the net and start that process ASAP"

to which I received this answer:

"The ACT! SaaS Lite model does not give you import capabilities, that is the Pro Model $45 (per user per month)"

mmm simple enough words but that takes the price from $360 to $1,620...

at which time he says... "I will just refund your money... I am not going to argue..."

Ah well, I promised myself that from today to take responsibility for my own way in the world... and obviously it is my fault I couldn't read the spec sheets they sent me, that I relied on the advice given - The $10 plan is minimum 3 users per month and is certainly an option for you - and the time invested to fix such an easy thing... it must be my fault.

So, in the new spirit of you get what you deserve... "Wayne, bite your tongue...""

Request: If you know of a good Aussie CRM / database that someone like me might use, that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, please let me know.

[I am off ACT and "Australia's leading support partner" though.]