584,833 active members*
5,612 visitors online*
Register for free
Login
Page 1 of 3 123
Results 1 to 20 of 41
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Posts
    218

    Customer Service

    The customer service and support Bobcad offers is AWFUL. I bought a software off them, like 8 years ago, and had to pack it up for that period of time. So I finally got to unpack it and set it up, only I dunno how to use it anymore. So I call them to buy the training discs, for 8 YEAR OLD software, and they need $200 to send me ten, wait for it, cd-rom discs.

    So, If you're considering a purchase of wares from Bobcad, reconsider. Either that, or buy everything they tell you to, because once that sales call is over, so is their customer service concern.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Posts
    168
    I personally can't stand anything "BOB CAD". They've called me so often about upgrade this, training that, I know pretty much what caller ID number to not answer.

    CDROM tells me that they haven't upgraded any of their training materials and I can't say I'd berate them over that either. Why upgrade anything from 8 years ago?

    As for customer support, yea, they'll sell you just about anything but when it comes to after the sell, it's an "O, by the way, you need to pay more money for that answer, yes, we know it's not documented but we still have to "teach" you the answer". Hence the reason their software doesn't exist on any of my machines. Tech support sucked.

    It's also a reason that I don't give companies a second glance that sell their software as a part of their machine package. I don't care how good the hardware is, the software and the folks that stand behind degrades the package and I want NOTHING to do with them.

    Bob Cad still calls me even after I've told them multiple times to stop calling.

    I don't even want a free copy just because of the phone calls.

    Yep. They have left a bad taste.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    2100
    LOL. It took a couple years and cease and desist order mailed certified return receipt, but they did finally stop calling me.
    Bob La Londe
    http://www.YumaBassMan.com

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Posts
    18
    I have been using Bobcad since V19 and now using V24 and I love it for 90 % of what I do. Everybody love to slame this software. Why comment here if you don't like. So you have obsolete for software and want free training videos. Yeah I have upgrade over the years and have learned how to play the salesman game and get the price I want and I'm only a small homeshop hobbyist. Having Predator cnc editor has save so many times from problems on the mill. yeah I have the training videos and it is nice to be able to go back to them review stuff. It TAKES time to learn any software. I also pay for Bobcad support for the basic package. They have always been there when I needed help. They even quickly update online and emailed me the Mach 3 no atc post so it would show the correct tool size in Predator cnc editor and this way end of the day on a Friday. Sure Bobcad has issues with some things and they aren't perfect. So go pay 5k-10k and see what you get. Most people just want this to show up and it work for them. You have to want to learn how to cam work. I spend almost as must time working out my cam files as I do my design work in Autocad. Planing out your cam strategy will save you big time when you get to the making chips part. It is quite easy to run the tool path and then on the fly go back and change it till I get what I want. To be honest I also use Vcarve Pro for some of my other stuff but that one isn't really set up for "machining" in some aspect that Bobcad is. I'm sure ANY software somebody can find something they don't like about it. I've invested this much time and learning to Bobcad I feel I have gotten my monies worth out of it and still have fun making chips and still learning the more I do and I"m not even close to pushing the software to what is can do.
    Take care,
    Fritz

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    2100
    I'm not slamming them at all. I am praising them for honoring a cease and desist request backed up with threat of litigation.
    Bob La Londe
    http://www.YumaBassMan.com

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Posts
    4548
    8 years?? Really? wow... SHOCKING...

    Maybe this training is more up your alley:

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	lunch.jpg 
Views:	188 
Size:	149.5 KB 
ID:	150444

    You can "feel" really good afterwards too, because you get "Lunch!"

    (Do they even support the software they were selling 10 years ago?)

    Oh hey thanks Bob.... Your a wealth of information!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    2100
    Quote Originally Posted by BurrMan View Post
    8 years?? Really? wow... SHOCKING...

    Maybe this training is more up your alley:

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	lunch.jpg 
Views:	188 
Size:	149.5 KB 
ID:	150444

    You can "feel" really good afterwards too, because you get "Lunch!"

    (Do they even support the software they were selling 10 years ago?)

    Oh hey thanks Bob.... Your a wealth of information!
    Why, thank you. And you're obviously a fine unbiased fellow as well. Master(everythingisextra)Cam is not the example I would have chosen for comparison. LOL.
    Bob La Londe
    http://www.YumaBassMan.com

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    2100
    To, the OP. If you are willing to subject yourself to unending string of sales calls I am led to believe that you might get what you want for a little less money by just saying no to their offers for a six months or a year. You may also be able to buy what you want from somebody else who is getting rid of it through Ebay. Just make sure you get any necessary unlock key or dongle or whatever. In other words communicate with the seller before you buy. If they don't make you feel all warm and fuzzy don't buy from them.
    Bob La Londe
    http://www.YumaBassMan.com

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Posts
    218

    bobcad

    They don't support the software at all. There are no training materials available, and their software, although more difficult to use than I'd thought, isn't terrible. My complaints aren't by any means reasonable. Thing is, if I don't upgrade, neither is the team at Bobcad. I could have spent better money and time on cnc than I did on Bobcad. Next time I will.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Posts
    18
    Software that is years old must be like V 18 or 19 and they have completely changed how there software works compared to back then. I have the training cds from back then and are nothing like what you can get now. If I remember you had to plan a whole lesson at a time and it was hard use them. It' hard to fault them not support really old software. Try and find go support for a computer that old and see what type of response you get. If you really want to cad/cam work why not upgrade to something more current. Yeah there sale people are royal pain and cut them ZERO slack at times. I also give you a tip. You can always undercut the sales price. I got the latest V24 training videos for @ $ 175 and a lot of the time I get them to not charge me the $25 for shipping. I'm sure you could get a good price on a upgrade. Push them they will give in. I'm only a hobbist and remind them of that all the time. They make there money of large companies that don't mind paying full price. You just have to learn how play them to get what you want. It is also worth the $250 a year for the basic Service On Demand and I've got them to dicker on that before. Now I will admit I don't use SOD all that often but when I do I get the help I need and I don't waste time surfing forums for help. You are going to need support learning any software and that need to be considered in what ever you buy. As I mentioned before I use Predator cnc editor all the time and very glad I have that to run my code so I don't have crashes on my table top mill. While homeshop machining has come a long way in the last 10 years it still takes some capital investment to have a good set up. Now I spend my time getting better at cnc machining and not always banging my head with software issues. I can help with some issues on the latter version to some extent.
    Have a good time making chips.
    Fritz

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Posts
    4548
    Quote Originally Posted by Bob La Londe View Post
    Why, thank you. And you're obviously a fine unbiased fellow as well. Master(everythingisextra)Cam is not the example I would have chosen for comparison. LOL.
    Funny. I believe myself unbiased! I would love to own mastercam! However, with your last post here, please tell me the software you refer to so I can call and ask about their 8-10 year old version and the support I can get for that.

    The idea that there is not free training for BobCad is fairly laughable. The paid training is probably a bit better though... (Like the 10 cd set.)

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    2100
    Quote Originally Posted by BurrMan View Post
    Funny. I believe myself unbiased!
    Of course you do.
    Bob La Londe
    http://www.YumaBassMan.com

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    35538
    So I call them to buy the training discs, for 8 YEAR OLD software, and they need $200 to send me ten, wait for it, cd-rom discs.
    I'd be surprised if any other software company still would have had training material for 8 year old software. So on one hand, you should be happy.

    On the other hand, I've heard that numerous people have purchased the current version of BobCAD for $300, if you're persistent enough.
    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Posts
    9

    Smile

    Quote Originally Posted by dang View Post
    They don't support the software at all. There are no training materials available, and their software, although more difficult to use than I'd thought, isn't terrible. My complaints aren't by any means reasonable. Thing is, if I don't upgrade, neither is the team at Bobcad. I could have spent better money and time on cnc than I did on Bobcad. Next time I will.
    I am a hobbiest and have used V22, V23, and V24. Along with V22, I purchased the set of training video CDs and found them to be very helpful in learning to use the software. BobCAD/CAM is a very sophisticated software and the learning curve is long. While V22 was much-maligned in some circles, the final release was quite stable and worked well for me. I also purchased a small on-demand support package - which I never found necessary to use.
    When I upgraded to V23, I also purchased the training video CDs. There were enough feature changes in V23 to make that a reasonable purchase in my mind. As new releases were posted, I updated my software and it functioned well.
    I purchased V24 to take advantage of new features. The training CDs from V23 were quite adequate to support me with V24. The software works as advertised and I have no complaints. Since I am an occassional user, having the CDs keeps me going when I forget or encounter new uses.
    This forum has also been a valuable support group. BurrMan, though not affiliated with BobCAD/CAM, has been a major source of help for many people, including posting his videos to illustrate solutions to problems. Sorin, who is affiliated with BobCAD/CAM, has been very active in providing support here, as well as his own web site and videos posted on YouTube. We should all be grateful for the support available here.
    Yes, I do receive phone calls from the sales people - usually quarterly. I do not find them high-pressure nor obnoxious as has been claimed by many. I just tell them I am not interested and that is the end of the conversation. If I am interested, it is the perfect opportunity to do the negotiating that everyone says to do. I am known locally as a penny-pincher and do not part with my money easily. If I can negotiate a price point for the software THAT I WANT, a deal is done. If not, there will be no sale.
    In summary, I am a satisfied user of BobCAD/CAM. I got a good value for the money spent. The training materials and help are available, some of it is free. Take advantage of it.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    217
    I used to think of BobCad as junk software, ver 22 used to crash the computer frequently.
    I actually like ver. 23 for all 2.5D and am just beginning to become comfortable with doing some 3d work. I am still learning, but my like for it is still increasing. I agree, 8 YO software is unlikely to get anyone Else's support at any price. I think my ver.22 problems were due to software conflicts, which were resolved by cleaning house in Win XP, threw out my bosses grandsons junk & programs, gutted it's internet access, trashed the AV software and no problems like that anymore.
    If my boss had not purchased a 3rd seat and given it to me I would most likely buy Bob Cad myself. I still would like to tweak the post processors to add a G4 between starting the coolant and performing the first cut, because the coolant seems to drain back on both of the machines I program for.
    This Forum is a Great Resource !
    We're not in business to make parts, we're in business to make money, making parts is just how we do that.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Posts
    88
    BUUUUUUUUUURMAN to Bobcads rescue!!!!!!!!
    If you don't like and/or respect the gentlemans opinion DON"T open the thread!
    His frustrations are shared by thousands. You take such a utter contempt for ANYONE who doesn't have Chris Matthews"Thrill up his leg" for Bobcrap. He wasn't asking for free stuff from Babcrap. He was simply illustrating his experience with their customers support(as the title of the thread reads). That what forums are for to share experiences. Don't get so worked up. So you won't get a commission of this one sale! Big deal, you'll get the next one.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Posts
    4548
    Quote Originally Posted by mtlhe View Post
    BUUUUUUUUUURMAN to Bobcads rescue!!!!!!!.
    How did I "rescue" BobCad?

    Maybe your big mouth will present the 10 year old software that lalonde failed on?

    You take such a utter contempt
    Funny how people project their own issues on others... I was trying to find the "utter contempt" in my post. However, yours is riddled with it!

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Posts
    4548
    I think you will have found me in this forum regularly, participating in all types of threads. like this..

    http://www.cnczone.com/forums/bobcad...me_thread.html

    You???? Well, we all know you now, dont we?

    BurrMan to the rescue? Ok, I'll accept that one....

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    2100
    Quote Originally Posted by BurrMan View Post
    How did I "rescue" BobCad?

    Maybe your big mouth will present the 10 year old software that lalonde failed on?

    Funny how people project their own issues on others... I was trying to find the "utter contempt" in my post. However, yours is riddled with it!

    And maybe the FanBoy burrman will continue to rush to the defense of Bob Cad. Rescue? I think the OP over stated your value in this discussion. I don't think anything could ever "rescue" BobCad in my view, but my reasons are not germain to this particular conversation. Still you never know. I left an invitation open to BC some time ago to try and fix my problem with them. It doesn't include telephone or email solicitation though.

    Fail? Sorry, what are you wiling to pay for my time to document various pieces of software I use today professionally for other purposes that I can still get support from the manufacturer for?

    You see I "owe" you nothing. Why would I take any effort to work within a narrow group of constraints you attempted to craft to try and self justify your position, when you yourself went to the opposite extreme and used a good product (while very expensive) to try and shore up BobCad's reputation. The fans like it. That should be good enough for you. If that is not good enough for you then you obviously and by your own demonstrative behavior are not unbiased.

    Point proven to my satisfaction. I could theoretically care less whether you are satisfied or not, but in practice that is not likely.

    As to the OP. BobCad has shown to me upon multiple interactions that they are all about the money. It would be very unlikely that they would provide any support for an older product for free, but they will gladly try to hard sell you on buying a new product, and then sell you support and training. Are there other companies that will provide support for a ten year old software product for free? Not likely. For a fee? Yes definitely. In the CAD/CAM business? I don't know. I haven't been doing CAD/CAM long enough to be excessively familiar with all the offerings or the current offerings history in the business.

    Hmmm.... I guess that could be interpreted two ways. BurrMan is either right, and the CAD/CAM business is universally more mercenary than other professional software fields, or was he trying to mislead us with the cost of training of another product. Trying the old, "yeah but our price is better than a superior product," arguement. LOL.

    You know. Now that I think about it I am running some communications software that is substantially more than a decade old for remote programming certain specialized types of equipment. I can still get support and updates for it for free, and I haven't bought any of the matching hardware from those vendors in ages. Am I going to be goaded into detailing that information? Hardly.

    Personally I expect BM will get to make one or two last jabs and this thread will be locked, but it will be interesting to see.
    Bob La Londe
    http://www.YumaBassMan.com

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Posts
    4548
    You see I "owe" you nothing. Why would I take any effort
    Thats because your selfish....

Page 1 of 3 123

Similar Threads

  1. How to get customer service from Haas
    By ctyler888 in forum Haas Mills
    Replies: 22
    Last Post: 10-07-2011, 11:52 PM
  2. CUSTOMER SERVICE
    By ctyler888 in forum Haas Mills
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 04-15-2011, 10:45 PM
  3. Tormach Customer Service
    By Capteod in forum Complaints and Praise Discussions
    Replies: 30
    Last Post: 10-25-2009, 10:45 AM
  4. Hypertherm customer service
    By plain ol Bill in forum Waterjet General Topics
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 12-27-2008, 04:39 AM
  5. Geckos customer service
    By Bill Wann in forum Gecko Drives
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 07-27-2006, 06:51 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •