My Account rep - MAX for $995

[BulldogTom]

I got an e-mail from my "account manager". Here is the transcript of our exchange. I think this means that renewing will get all of us a $995 price for Max. At least that is their opening offer. Seems like a pretty good deal.

Mr. Carlson,

What I can tell you is that you can expect a far better program for 2013 filings versus what we had for you in the 2012 season.

It does not matter when you place your order, I have your ATX MAX package priced at $995, instead of the retail $1249 minus 10%. Also, I’ve added an additional $49 discount to that as well.

Your final price, with processing and sales tax included, is $1,101.28.

Simply give me a call when you are ready to order.

Thank you for all of the years of using ATX and, hopefully, the opportunity for ATX to regain your trust next season.

Have a great Thursday!

Will Van Kleef

Account Manager

CCH Small Firm Services,

a Wolters Kluwer business

225 Chastain Meadows Court NW

Suite 200

Kennesaw, GA 30144

(PH) 1-800-495-4626 ext. 1223

[email protected]

From: Thomas R. Carlson, EA [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, September 27, 2013 10:13 PM
To: Will Van Kleef
Subject: RE: Hello from your ATX Acct Mgr

What are you offering for a discount to keep me after that disaster of a software package you unloaded on us last year? And if you come back with 10% if I sign up early, I am going to be very insulted.

I have been a client since 2001. Lets see how much you value me.

Thomas R. Carlson, MST, EA

[Margaret CPA in OH]

That's the deal I got in August. Could be their bottom or near bottom offer. Because I had very few issues, I took it and anticipate a better season. My tax was higher, though, at 6.5% so my total was $1133.16. $995 + s&h $69 + $69.16 tax. I like the program and have used it since 1997 filing season so am loath to change for my remaining couple of years. Even if it was no better than last year, I would not be grief stricken. I just really hated how slow it was to move between fields and the inflexibility of the letters. Well, maybe a few other gripes, too, but not so many.

[Randall]

I haven't gotten my email yet. But I'm looking for a discount too. I think they need to have some kind of 'loyalty' discount to keep as many people as possible. I think they need to keep as many as they can and 'prove' the 2013 program is much improved. The 2013 program may be do or die for them. They won't survive two consecutive years like 2012.

[Guest Taxed]

CCH last year offered their Taxwise software for $995 with a three year price lock. I had posted about that earlier this year.

If you guys are renewing ATX for $995, demand that three year price lock??

Just my opinion.

PS: CCH does charge like a $50 handling fee and you can get that taken off too after you complain to the rep. Obviously you will have to pay the full sales tax for your state if applicable.

[JJStephens]

Last year I got a three year lock at $795 to induce me to come back from the disaster that was/is TRX. Was that a good price?

On the other hand, I remember when I first started with Sabre back in the early 90s it was like $295. I don't think prices in general have increased four-fold since then. Granted, the software is more capable now . . . but not 4x more.

[Guest Taxed]

If you are going to stick with ATX 2013, then I would say $795 with a price lock for 3 years is a great price.

I remember when EZ Tax was $49.95 in the DOS days.

[jklcpa]

Someone over on the official forum posted that their rep gave them a price of $895, processing of $69 and sales tax of $58 AND was given a deferred payment, so it was only going to cost this user $127 to try out the program by paying only the processing and tax. He also asked if the sales tax would be refunded if he declined to use if after testing it out. He's waiting on an answer about that part.

[Guest Taxed]

That is not a bad idea. Try out the program for 2013 @$127. If it works for you pay them the $895. If it does not all you lost was $127. Hopefully you will have a backup software lined up before tax season starts in full swing.

[joelgilb]

Aren't you happy with Drake?

[jklcpa]

Joel, I'm not sure if you are asking me or someone else. I've renewed with Drake for the coming season and was only posting so that others could see the deal that was offered in case anyone here missed seeing it.

[joelgilb]

Joel, I'm not sure if you are asking me or someone else. I've renewed with Drake for the coming season and was only posting so that others could see the deal that was offered in case anyone here missed seeing it.

Thought maybe you were disenchanted with Drake.

Me, I also renewed Drake. Not saying I was a beta tester, but guess I did not see anything in ATX 2013 that would make me want to repeat the experience.

BTW, have you been on the Drake Board? If so, what is your nick over there (you could PM it to me if you don't mind)?

[SFA]

Can anybody report their experience negotiating the ATX-MAX package unlimited user license? This year they sent a 2013 renewal notice with a retail price of $634.50 for the network unlimited user license, in addition to the ATX MAX package price of $1,249.00, plus the "processing" fee of $69.00. Total renewal after a 10% discount and sales tax: $1,870.00.

My rep called last week to sign us up! Ha!

BTW, we are still experiencing serious problems. Our backups are not working. We have worked with technical service on three separate occasions this summer and the feature is not corrected yet.

Also, we had a problem yesterday--when a dependent was removed from the return, it popped up again, after everything was printed? Caught the error when I was signing the returns.

[Jack from Ohio]

As I have posted several times, there will be no more "fixing" of 2012. Sounds like there are fixes and updates that you have not applied to your computer or program. If you are trying to use Windows XP, these problems continue to be compounded.

At our firm, the unlimited license is 50% of the price of the program. No negotiating.

[jklcpa]

BTW, have you been on the Drake Board? If so, what is your nick over there (you could PM it to me if you don't mind)?

Joel, I use the same name on the Drake board. I only have a handful of posts over there though. I read some posts early on last season that helped me get over the humps as I eased my way into using the program, and other than that I only had to call twice with very specific state related issues that I thought would never receive an answer.

[SFA]

As I have posted several times, there will be no more "fixing" of 2012. Sounds like there are fixes and updates that you have not applied to your computer or program. If you are trying to use Windows XP, these problems continue to be compounded.

At our firm, the unlimited license is 50% of the price of the program. No negotiating.

I believe we have all the fixes and updates, and have good computers all on Windows7 and our server was replaced in December 2012.

Don't want to rehash all the problems, but must admit I am more than a little bitter and angry at ATX. Still . . . I feel like Charlie Brown and ATX is Lucy promising not to pull back the football when he goes to kick it. Argh.

[Lion EA]

In today's mail: ATX MAX Only $1,099. You save $150. LIMITED TIME OFFER! Purchase by October 31, 2013 to receive this special price...Defer your payment! Purchase by Oct. 31, 2013 and pay only sales tax and processing. You have until Dec. 11, 2013 to pay the balance. It's a win-win!

I haven't used ATX in years. Don't know what mailing list they found me on.

[Guest Taxed]

>> I haven't used ATX in years. Don't know what mailing list they found me on.

They are using a blast mail to all their users current and ex. I still get them.

[jklcpa]

How much of a win is that really though? They usually ship the program sometime around Thanksgiving, so you'd have it for 2 weeks with hardly any forms to test with. I never loaded any of the early shipments until I needed to prepare W-2s and 1099s.

I got an email from the Chief of Technology, or some title close to that, but I haven't received any offers. My account rep left sometime before Feb 2013, and a rep did call in late April trying to get me back and then got really nasty with me when I said I was considering other programs. Yeah, that's the way to win back a customer for sure! Heck, this reps call came in only a couple of weeks after receiving my refund that I had to call repeatedly about.

[joelgilb]

Judy:

Now that you are not using ATX, any ideas as to what to use to do payroll returns?

Was trying to avoid buying Superforms, and not really up to speed on the Drake CWU; and well I just want to produce the returns.

I know I can create a fillable PDF, but seems like too much work for me and the small number of returns I have.

[joanmcq]

This year the initial shipping might have most of the forms since there haven't been any last minute changes to the tax code. At least not yet. One year the program was damn near complete on the initial shipping! And I got it right after thanksgiving.

I haven't renewed yet, and will be damned sure to negotiate a bigger discount. I'm 99% sure I'm renewing.

[michaelmars]

1099 ETC IS Reasonable priced for payroll

[jklcpa]

Judy:

Now that you are not using ATX, any ideas as to what to use to do payroll returns?

Was trying to avoid buying Superforms, and not really up to speed on the Drake CWU; and well I just want to produce the returns.

I know I can create a fillable PDF, but seems like too much work for me and the small number of returns I have.

Joel, I don't do that many, so I used the fillable forms for this year because I used Drake on a PPR basis this past season. For next year I purchased it on an unlimited basis, and I'll probably use their CWU component. At first I didn't realize, but it is possible to use the CWU like a fillable form without entering all detailed write up. It does require that you sign up for the IRS FIRE system with a user # assigned. I still have to do that.

[JohnH]

Judy: Now that you are not using ATX, any ideas as to what to use to do payroll returns? Was trying to avoid buying Superforms, and not really up to speed on the Drake CWU; and well I just want to produce the returns. I know I can create a fillable PDF, but seems like too much work for me and the small number of returns I have.

Joel: I found that the fillable forms are not so bad. I created an Excel spreadsheet to do all the calculations for me and it is formatted in such a way that the entries line up closely with the fillable form. I populate the fillable form with recurring data and save it as a template. Then just load the template and enter the info from the spreadsheet. I only prepare quarterly reports for a small number of clients, so this works pretty well.

[RBowersea]

ATX appears to have written me off as a user even though I was a Beta tester. No one calls, no emails with special offers. It appears everyone else including previous but not current users are getting special offers.

I am just sick over the decision of what software to go with. 15 year ATX user (since Parson's was purchased and eliminated by Intuit).

Absolutely hate Drake,

Many other programs (OLT, Tax Act, etc.) are missing forms or states that we prepare.

ProSeries requires a bunch of extra add-ons to give me a usable program (most notably the import module).

Don't like the layout of any other program.

Sorry, just venting.

[JohnH]

My suggestion. If you will break the obsessive dependence upon forms-based software (if you suffer from it), discard the affection for bells & whistles, and focus on software being a tool for getting work done fast in order to increase your productivity and potentially earn more profit, you'll likely change your attitude about Drake.