Element 5 - Digital River Inc - DRI The Ultimate Steal: Digitial River, Inc. is a Rip-Off and Doesn't Believe In Customer Communication Over the Phone Eden Prairie, Minnesota

    Before you read on, do NOT even think about buying Microsoft Word 2007 !  Why?  Because you can save lots of money and achieve a much happier piece of mind by downloading same type of program FOR FREE!  You read right:  "For FREE."  $0.00 cost and the program is compatible with any Microsoft Word version.  It's called OpenOffice.org and here is the Website you can find further information:
                      www.openoffice.org
    THE ULTIMATE STEAL:  This is what Digital River, Inc. touts when listing their Microsoft Word 2007 downloads for $59.99.  Sounds too good to be true?  You are correct if you said, "Yes."   I had nothing but problems with Digital River, Inc., as they don't believe in doing business over the phone or by mail; instead, they want their customers to talk to a "computer" via emails.  Imagine telling the company same thing repeatedly and all they keep doing is resending emails directing you to click onto their links to purchase $13.00 backup disk, even though same methods just don't work!  It's messed up when you consider it's been almost a year and I am still begging for my backup disk, as their so-called "robot reps" keep giving me passwords to relog onto Website, and all that continues happening is either these following things:  I end up having to pay another $59.99 if I wish to purchase $13.00 backup disk, or if I delete the $59.99 for another Microsoft Word 2007 download, then everything is gone and the $13.00 for backup disk automatically disappears off the screen.  In other words, the company claims customers can purchase backup disk, but during first time around, the system is faulty and doesn't allow disk to be added on.  Then their policy is "within 30 days" to download once program is purchased and all I did was have to try and pull teeth to get them to accept my $13.00 check and send my backup disk.  What did this sorry a** company do?  They sent my check back to me saying I have to purchase disk online.  How can one do this, when only a generated computer message is the only communication and each time, it's check out with $59.99 + $13.00, or not buy disk at all?  
     As you can see, this is all messed up.  "You certainly get what you pay for," as there are quite a few complaints against this company, as people horridly testify having their Paypal accounts totally raided by Digital River.  So here I am with the Microsoft Word 2007 download and when my computer finally dies on me some day, I have no backup disk for it.  So what are my alternatives?  To either pay for another Microsoft Word 2007 or higher download, or do without.  I am in college and needed Microsoft Word 2007 to access assignments from instructors, which is why I purchased it.  I figured since $59.99 is a lot cheaper than what 99% of other vendors charge for same program (many Microsoft Word 2007 programs are over $200), I got suckered into downloading it, since I met the criteria of being a college student qualifying for a big discount.  What I didn't realize is that Digital River only communicates via automatic computer messaging, so any problems consumers have are not settled.  The message keeps telling consumers the same things over and over, like a Paul Parrot.  I would surely think that if there's a technical problem then a human would comprehend that telling the customer to perform same actions that don't work are not the solution.  I "get it" and so do many other people, which is why Digital River must have only brain-dead people working for them; otherwise, they would converse via phone with customers and have a live human being on the other end. 
     Had I known there was a FREE program available like OpenOffice.org , I would have downloaded it to start with, instead of wasting my money fooling with a creepy company like Digital River, Inc.  I have since downloaded OpenOffice.org on my laptop computer and it works well!  At my college, I can save the documents I created from "OpenOffice Writer" onto my USF Flash Drive and when I arrive on campus, I just plug it in and everything works.  I do this feat in order to work hard on my essays and other assignments when I have long breaks in between classes.  I did have slight problems with the USF Flash Drive not allowing me to open up documents I created on OpenOffice, but what I did to fix the problem was this:  I also downloaded OpenOffice onto my main home computer, despite the fact that Microsoft Word 2007 (from Digital River, Inc.) is also one of my programs already in my computer system.  It costs $0.00 to download OpenOffice.org onto any computer and they do charge "something" for backup disk, but I haven't looked into it yet.  So far, OpenOffice is growing like wildfire and they are definitely in the consumers' corner!   The more members that join OpenOffice.org , the better!  When you see "org" at end of a Website address, means they are a non-profit organization (unless the computer world has changed this recently).    OpenOffice.org is only a "competitor" of Microsoft Word 2007; therefore, they are not infringing on anyone's copyrights.  Shame on Microsoft, Inc. for allowing a flimsy company like Digital River, Inc. distribute their products! 
     So anyone that is sick and tired of substandard companies like Digital River, at least if you download a program for FREE, there isn't the computer-generated messaging that is the only source to try and solve any technical problems you may have.  It's hard telling WHO is on other end of computer during the emails, except from what I gather, a "robot rep" is the one!  A live human being doesn't seem to be feasible to promote customer satisifaction.  There should be stiffer laws and fines against companies like Digital River; but, they are based from Germany, so from what I seen, many international companies figure they can get away with murder and still practice their operations in the U.S.A.  Just read more reports about Digital River and you can make your own determination.  There are only a couple of offices here in U.S.
     "Let the Buyer Beware," when it comes to international Digital River, Inc.!  Buy the computer programs like Microsoft Word 2007 at your own risk!