I downloaded several programs over the last few days and now I am just getting a chance to install them, but none will install. Each one says the giveaway timeframe is over. But I downloaded the program on the giveaway day. Nothing with the download or in on the web site says I have to install the program on the day I download it. So is this really a scam? It sure seems to be.
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Is Giveaway of the Day a SCAM?
(22 posts) (12 voices)-
penneddragonone
MemberOn the download page of today's giveaway I found the following text: "Unzip the package you've downloaded, and carefully read the instructions which you can find in the readme.txt file. This readme.txt file is included with all our downloads. Follow the instructions carefully to install and activate the software.
DoubleSafety 4.3 is available as a Giveaway of the day! You have 10 hours 14 minutes to download and install it.
Terms and conditions
Please note that the software you download and install during the Giveaway period comes with the following important limitations:
No free technical support
No free upgrades to future versions
Strictly personal usage"YOU HAVE 10 HOURS AND 14 MINUTES TO DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL IT." Not to mention a second reference "the software you download and install during the giveaway period..."
No program I've installed takes more than five minutes to install. I fail to see how anyone cannot have time to install the download.
Personally I find people who post baseless, offensive accusations like "scam" repugnant. Take some time to research your subject before you start hurling accusations.
You also need to pay attention to whether or not your system will support the software...memory, operating system, etc. Take time to read the comments before you decide if the software will meet your needs.
Giveawayoftheday provides a great service. I've been using their services for two years and with the occasional exception of a technical problem or two which the forums and comments section quickly address, I've had no problems with the site or its programs.
Posted 15 years ago # -
watcher13
Memberpenneddragon, I understand you're upset, but it's just a misunderstanding. Jereece, you don't just have to download that day, you have only one day to install, also, just like the warning penneddragon quoted says. You'll have to bear with us. We get a LOT of ignorant trolls in the comments section. I believe you honestly just missed the warning.
Posted 15 years ago # -
RosnSC
MemberJereece, when I first started with GOTD, I made the same mistake you have - downloading to install at a later date, only to discover the same thing you did. I THEN read the instructions Penneddragon posted, and thought, "Oh, okay - serves me right for not reading the directions, first"...(chuckle).
Penneddragon, we do have a lot of people posting complaints that such and such software doesn't work on their computer - some are legitimate complaints, but some are from people who don't read the system requirements, first. I know, also, that while I have seen plenty of the 'scam' posts, seems like it gets a bit easier to ignore such after a while. Same with the posts complaining about the voting system, as well as people who gleefully post that theirs is the first post for that day - often times they will say that, and wind up being any number BUT the first...heh heh heh. I know I used to chime in with my $.02 worth about the same, but learned over time that it is useless, and only adds to the annoyance...lol.
Sue
Posted 15 years ago # -
Flib Gibbet
MemberIn vino veritas - what I posted here was too blunt.
Posted 15 years ago # -
jereece
MemberThat is very sneaky. The main page says nothing about having to install it that day. What is says right now is "Active Giveaway time left: 5 hours 12 minutes". On the download page the "and install it" part is BELOW the download link. As for the "readme" file, I have never read one of those for anything I have downloaded. Bottom line is GOTD needs to post this in a more prominent place.
Posted 15 years ago # -
kodaly2001
MemberJust remember you DO have to check the readme files because for some of the programs, you have to copy the registration number from there & enter it into the program.
Posted 15 years ago # -
The "install it" part is part of the download instructions, as in:
Unzip the package you've downloaded, and carefully read the instructions which you can find in the readme.txt file. This readme.txt file is included with all our downloads. Follow the instructions carefully to install and activate the software.
DoubleSafety 4.3 is available as a Giveaway of the day! You have 4 hours 14 minutes to download and install it.
I am not sure how much more "prominent" you need it to be able to understand that you need to download, install and read the readme text. Failure to follow simple instructions is not GOTD fault. If you are too bothered to read the readme text you get what you deserve. All the information you needed was right there in front of you.
Posted 15 years ago # -
RosnSC
MemberJereece, it's as prominant as it needs to be, really. It tells you right below the download link you have X amount of time to download and install the current days software. As for the ReadMe files, they are there for a reason! If you're not reading them and the instructions - often with crucial registration User Name and Key/Code - you really can't complain. ;)
Posted 15 years ago # -
watcher13
MemberYou have a point, jereece, though I think it was a misunderstanding, not sneakiness. I didn't realize it wasn't more prominently displayed until you mentioned it, but I knew about the limitation because I had read a review of GOTD somewhere else. The other part penneddragon mentions "the software you download and install today" is part of the Terms of Service posted below the download button. It's in small print, but it's there and it's always good to glance at the Terms of Service, especially when they're so short and straightforward. I think GOTD thought those two notices would be sufficient, and most of us managed to figure it out. Maybe GOTD just got lucky in that regard. Sorry.
As far as those criticizing jereece for not reading the Readme, if you don't realize the one day install limitation, you have no reason to check the readme until your ready to install. Still, the info was on the download page. When in doubt, read the instructions.
Posted 15 years ago # -
RosnSC
MemberWatcher, no one is "criticizing" Jereece, but merely pointing out that the read me files is there for a reason. HOSS said it best (as for what *I* would have said)! :)
Also, though the instructions on the Home Page aren't in really big print, they ARE there. Heck, my eyesight isn't 'all that, and then some', but I can see/read them easily.
Sue
Posted 15 years ago # -
watcher13
MemberSorry, Sue. You're the last person I want to disagree with, but I hardly think I was completely disagreeing with all of you and agreeing with jereece when I wrote: "It's in small print, but it's there". As for the Readme, I stand by my logic when I said, "if you don't realize the one day install limitation, you have no reason to check the readme until your ready to install." As a matter of fact, I was writing that before I saw your post which referred to the readme. But I also said to jereece, "Still, the info was on the download page. When in doubt, read the instructions." Looking at all that was written, some less than flattering, I hardly think you can say that nobody was criticizing jereece, including me. But, criticism or not, most of what was said was understandable. And, sorry jereece, but when you post it in two places on the download page, one in bold black letters, it's hardly sneaky.
Posted 15 years ago # -
RosnSC
MemberJereece, I just realized you are a brand new member to the forums; actually, I had realized with my first post I hadn't seen you post before. I don't know if you are new to GOTD, though. If you are, then your (pardon this expression) ignorance of the rules and such are understandable.
""if you don't realize the one day install limitation, you have no reason to check the readme until your ready to install.""
Watcher, the first part of that is understandable if the person is new to GOTD, and doesn't 'know the ropes' of things, but after a week or so, one should have figured that out. As for the 2nd part....that's a duh....lol. Some of the readme's are the standard download/install within the 24 hour period, whereas others have registration info, and such - there is no way you can check the readme ahead of time, because each day's software readme may be different than the previous. Well not unless you download and extract all ahead of the time you actually install the software.
"Sorry, Sue. You're the last person I want to disagree with"
(Sue chuckling says) Watcher, I'm not sure I want to ask why, but I will...lol.
Sue - sharpening her teeth to bite Watcher's head off...lol...j/k Watcher
Posted 15 years ago # -
Whiterabbit-uk
Games GuruHi jereece,
Welcome to the forums.
The good news is that virtually all of the applications and certainly most of the games given away will probably be repeated at some point in the future, some even more than once; (for example my favorite DVD ripping/copying software Starburn has been offered 4 or 5 times now since the giveaway project started in Oct 06)
Regards
Whiterabbit
Posted 15 years ago # -
Well, do you know what this site is called people?
It's "Giveaway Of The Day"
Not giveaway of tomorrow, next week, whenever I feel like it, but TODAY!!!
I hope you understand this jereece and don't get agitated in the way poeple might be speaking to you on here. It's just the fact that it's annoying when people don't take the time to read simple directions even if they are in fine print.
It's like if you signed a very important document without reading the fine print. Maybe it was just a mistake but what's done is done now. There's no going back.
I'm sorry if you missed out on some good giveaways but just like whiterabbit said, they could be offered again. Just remember next time to install them the day you download them and all will be good. Good luck and welcome to the GOTD community :]
~Chip
Posted 15 years ago # -
Hi! Certainly all of my fellow forum-members have advised to read, read and read the rules, so I don't need to say that you have to read the rules. Instead of telling you to read the rules, I would like to come back to an old proposal - I think it was from BuBBy - let's send a singing Gorilla to those who could not find the rules. Well, Gorillas are an endangered species, so a Bubby-Gram will have to do it.
The Read the Rules- or the Bargain -Song will be appropriate, when you are really pleasure-seeking click all 10 at the same time.
rulesreadingloxBTW I only dare to post this because the Land of Oz is slumbering now. Don't tell him - you know who.
Posted 15 years ago # -
watcher13
MemberSue, because you're a nice, agreeable and helpful person. Does it suprise you that I had formed that opinion? Saying you were the last person is just a standard phrase. I should have put it differently. BUT, what you say is irrelevant and unreasonable.
Irrelevant because jereece shouldn't need to have figured it out by reading the read me, jereece should have gotten it by reading the two places on the website where it's CLEARLY stated. Something I said more than once in my posts. Nobody here should ever have to even get to the point where they would have to look in the read me for that information. Nothing I said contradicts that.
Yes, it's debatable on whether it's prominent enough, but it's there and there's no excuse for someone not seeing it. Mainly, sometimes we do things because it's easier if we take even extraodinary steps to avoid confusion, but I'm not arguing that GOTDs wrong if it doesn't place it more prominently. I was willing to suggest meeting jereece part of the way, but not insist on it. If you look in past threads, you'll see this accusation against GOTD has come up quite a few times before. Bubby, Lee, and others have had to respond to it more than once. Maybe a more prominent placement would save them that trouble and save the blood pressure of those who get insulted when someone suggests GOTD is a scam. Just a suggestion.
Unreasonable, because when I download software for install later, I don't read the read me until it's time to install the software. Logically, why would I? Any major use restrictions, especially limited time of install, are placed on the website. Have you seen a lot of exceptions to this rule? I've never seen one! Partly because, if the developers only put it in the read me, people would be inundating them with accusations of fraud. Sound familiar? And other than date restrictions, I feel reasonably certain that I'm never going to open a read me and see, "You can only install this software standing on your head, cooking a souffle, and whistling Dixie." And, no, I don't expect I ever will ever cpnsent to an install under those circumstances. The only other thing would be system requirements, and how many times have you downloaded software that only had the system requirements in the read me? I don't think I ever have. In other words, why would you look in the read me for information readily available elsewhere, information that you really should know before you download the software, anyway? Unless you want to read the Eula. That's the only valid argument I can see for opening the read me ahead of time, and even that can be postponed until you're ready to install. In short, I'm sorry, but I see no reason why anyone would have brought up looking in the read me for time limitations in the first place. And jereece was under the impression that he/she already knew the time restrictions. He/She just had it wrong. And that's what I said all along.
What I have been trying to do was cut jereece some slack and diffuse the situation. Partly in the spirit of what someone else posted: "Jereece, I just realized you are a brand new member to the forums; actually, I had realized with my first post I hadn't seen you post before. I don't know if you are new to GOTD, though. If you are, then your (pardon this expression) ignorance of the rules and such are understandable." Recognize it?
I'll put it more simply: If you're going to make arguments, it helps to think about them first. Which would apply to things like your "that's a duh...lol" which is full of inconsistencies. How do you know that jereece has been here more than a week, which is apparently your standard for cutting people slack? How do you know jereece got more than one read me with the limitations in it? Who proposed the impossible notion of checking the read me before the sofware's released? Not me. And "unless you download and extract all ahead of the time you actually install the software" is exactly what jereece said, and what I've been arguing all along. Duh.
Tommorrow, I'm going to ask that the moderators remove all my posts in this thread since they seem to be the source of some frustration. But not today, I'd like this one to be seen first.
All I was trying to do was diplomatically smooth things over, never denying that jereece was in the wrong, partly by applying a little clear thinking about the issue. But, I can see that my statements were misintreprated, maybe because one or two didn't read carefully or think it through.
Sue, I assure you, you don't have teeth big enough to bite my head off, at least not in print. Not mad, but not kidding, either.
Sorry, Chip. I don't mean to pick on you, but "Giveaway of the Day" would still apply if the restriction was only that you could download the software with a free key on a certain day, but could install it any day, which is what jereece thought. Though that doesn't work as well becuase keys can be passed around.
Jereece was wrong, but let's only convict people of the crimes they actually commit.Posted 15 years ago # -
watcher13
MemberNever fear, folks! It seems that pretty soon I won't be able to post at all. More and more of my posts are being moderated out of the comments section. I posted 2, yesterday. Neither one attacked anyone. One was only 3 lines long. Yet, they were deemed unworhy. Maybe they felt they were off topic. LOL! An off topic post in the comments section? What a rarity! So, you probably won't have to put up with me much longer.
Posted 15 years ago # -
Well, I think Jereece gets the point now. So let's all stop saying the same thing over and over again, lol. She made a simple mistake but now knows to install the software on the offered day. :]
Posted 15 years ago #
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