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I realize this is a Christmas decorating site, but I am SO burned up right now I need to vent :)
Since 1998, I've been an Intuit customer. My first entry into Quicken was a $10.95 debt card transaction at my local grocery store. In 2005, Intuit forced me into buying a new version of Quicken so I could continue to export transactions to my roommate's Quicken at a cost of $50. In 2007, Intuit forced me into paying ANOTHER $50 for an upgrade so I could continue to download transactions from my bank. This year, they pulled the same thing - ANOTHER $60 if I wanted to continue to download stuff. Last year I started a new business. The cost for the lowest level of Quickbooks 2009 was $100. I paid it. Let's forget for a moment that just about EVERY click in the program generates an advertisement for other Intuit products/services. I also signed up for Intuit's on-line payroll service at a cost of $10/month since I could integrate the 2. My company only has 1 employee (me), so $10 seems a bit costly for twiddling a few bits. All my state taxes still require manual processing, so this is not a turn key solution. But it's convenient so I pay it. A few months ago, I installed QuickBooks onto my new 64 bit machine. When I try to download my payroll (from Intuit) into QuickBooks (also from Intuit), it crashes. I call Intuit support, and the answer is that 2009 isn't supported on 64 bit machines, or Windows 7. I need to buy QuickBooks 2010 at a cost of $100. At this point I throw up the 'Time Out' sign. $60 for a Quicken update, $100 for a QuickBooks update. That's a chunk of change - especially for software that is now full of ads and constantly trying to sell me MORE Intuit crud. $160 pays for a lot of typing (or a lot of Christmas lights.... HA! I knew I could work decorating into this!). Every year up until 2008, I purchased Turbo Tax. I paid the $40 software price and rip-off $12.95 fee for eFiling, because it was convenient. For my 2009 taxes I used a free on-line service that included free eFile. I will never buy Turbotax again. Today I'm surfing around thinking that I should just suck it up and buy the $60 Quicken update. Suddenly a new eMail appears in my inbox. Intuit is raising the monthly cost of my payroll from $10 to $40! You have got to be kidding me. For $30 I can get FULL SERVICE payroll where I don't have to do a thing but answer the phone and say 'Yes, you can pay my employee this week'. Every time I turn around Intuit wants MORE MONEY. Guess what Intuit? Your products have given me enough information over the years to know when something is a good deal and when something is a rip-off. You have squarely moved into the 'ripoff' category. ----------------- Tax: This year I discovered free services/sites. I'll never buy Turbotax again. Payroll: I do have to thank you --> Your eMail prompted me to find an alternative payroll provider, which I did. Cost? Nearly FREE. I'll have to move some cash out of a savings account to a new bank, but the interest I'll loose on that money is less than $1, and $1 is a LOT less than $10 (or $40!). You were 'nice' enough to give me 3 months of payroll at the old $10 price - which is going to be 2 months more than I need to move it to a new processor. Quicken: GNUCash. Free. Open Source. And it downloads from the one place I need it to. Quickbooks: I have a MS Technet subscription for the business. Microsoft Office Accounting is looking good (and free). See ya Intuit! You went to this well one too many times. |
