Our client (bought the program) lost its license (reinstalling Windows) - do we have to service it after the warranty period expires?

Question

Service maintenance

I am a program developer, distributing the program over the Internet.
To protect the program, I use a binding to the hardware.
And everything seems to be fine in general - but lately more and more situations have begun to arise:
1) I reinstalled Windows, the license flew off (the old activation does not work). Generally speaking, when reinstalling Windows in 90% of cases, activation does not crash. But it happens that the user at the same time changes the size of the partitions, adds hard drives, RAM, etc., and the license flies.
2) I want to transfer the program to another computer.
3) My computer burned down/stolen, how can I restore the program?

A lot of water

Мы предоставляем гарантийный срок на программу - 15 месяцев. То есть в течение 15 месяцев мы отвечаем за работу программы и устраняем проблемы при их возникновении.
Если возникают ситуации (1), (2), (3) в течение гарантийного срока - разумеется, это одно. Как-то их можно решить (кроме тех ситуаций, когда компьютеры "горят" постоянно или программа постоянно "переносится" - скорее всего, с целью одновременного использования на нескольких компьютерах - тут нужно разбираться отдельно).
Но бывает так, что пользователь использовал программу 2 года и переставил винду.
Ключ у него слетел, пользователь запрашивает новый ключ.
В случаях (2) и (3) - в принципе, можно сказать, что перенос программы возможен только когда программа на гарантии, после окончания гарантии не обслуживаем программу и не выдаем новые ключи. Если нужен перенос и т. д. - продлевай поддержку. Неприятно, конечно, для пользователя - но все-таки определенный компромисс, более-менее устраивающий обе стороны.
Но случай (1) неприятен для обоих сторон - и для нас и для пользователя.

If the user's key expired after 2 years (or maybe 20 years) when they reinstalled Windows - and the user requests a new license - we need to do the following:

More water

- Запросить у пользователя старый и новый ключи, дать нам их для сравнения.
- Переписка с пользователем, выяснение деталей, по какой причине слетел ключ, требование объяснений (почему мы должны выдать новый ключ).
- Убедиться, что ключ поменялся по причине переустановки Windows, а не по причине переноса. Кстати, это не всегда возможно. Бывают ситуации, что поменялись какие-то железки/оперативная память или 50% конфигурации, но пользователь утверждает, что это переустановка Windows, а не перенос.

And all this, it turns out, we have to do for free.

And some more water

- С одной стороны для пользователя, конечно, неприятная ситуация, что при переустановке Windows слетел ключ.
- С другой стороны, у нас указан гарантийный срок на программу - 15 месяцев, в течение которого мы отвечаем за работу программы. А по какой причине там программа не работает после 15 месяцев - по причине багов, по причине того, что слетел ключ и т. д. - нас не волнует. Если хотите, чтобы мы разбирались с вопросом - платите за продление поддержки (продление поддержки, разумеется, дешевле, чем приобретение новой программы). Мы же не можем ПОЖИЗНЕННО разбираться в ситуациях каждого пользователя если он заплатил за программу ОДИН РАЗ.
- Если мы (чтобы облегчить себе работу) будем налево и направо раздавать ключи в таких ситуациях (без выяснения причин у пользователя) - не уверен, что тоже это закончится чем-то хорошим. Пользователи (а также их друзья, знакомые) вместо покупки новых программ при такой необходимости будет "переносить программу", "переустанавливать Windows" и т. д.

Can we ask for an extension of support to deal with the situation after the end of the warranty period (15 months) if the user lost the key?
I would like to hear first of all the opinion of those who sell programs via the Internet.

Answer 1

Can we ask for an extension of support to deal with the situation after the end of the warranty period (15 months) if the user lost the key?

Are you asking us for permission?

Answer 2

IMHO. Users should not suffer because of the curve of the activation system.
Generate a key based on the parameters of the processor and motherboard.
Sticking to disks and memory is a bad idea.
Give the opportunity to activate the program 2 times.

Answer 3

I think for such critical moments, you need a database of keys that you can check at any time.
And there is no need to cry over the unnecessary actions that you have to do because of your own key system.
In general, the keys are already so commonplace :) I would sell a subscription if I were you. Login password couple and all. Install anywhere but use only under your account. This is actually how STIM works. Represent the keys to all games to enter and remember.
If you take money for your product, the person has the right to use this product according to the conditions. Either a perpetual license or make a subscription for 3 - 6 - 12 months and generate keys for these periods.

Answer 4

Leave the hardware binding, but make an activation key that will always work. The bottom line is if they reinstall or change the hardware, enter the key and the server will remember the new hardware and block the old config. This way you can solve this problem.
And what kind of software, if not a secret?

Answer 5

Idea! Alternatively, if the user constantly reinstalls Windows and the key flies (and the guarantee for the program has ended a long time ago and does not want to pay) - you can send him not a simple key, but a Glitch (a slightly modified key)!
After entering this key, the program will normally work for 2-3 weeks, and then every 5 minutes it will start crashing with the error "Access Violation", "Index out of bounds (1), "Divizion by zero", etc. (you can text errors were displayed randomly, for example).
And then if the user asks why the program became buggy - ask for the text of the error and say - let's figure it out and offer an extension of technical support. In this case, the user will have 3 options:
- Refuse to use the program.
- Work with mistake
- Extend those. support.
In any case, the user will not be able to complain about why the key does not fit (the key does, after all). And those. we are not obligated to provide free support after 15 months.
Glitch to issue only to greedy users who constantly strain, but do not pay for the renewal of support.

Answer 6

as a refrigerator manufacturer, for example, is not responsible for the operation of the refrigerator after the end of the warranty

A little wrong - don't fix it for free. Any equipment has a warranty period and a period of operation. If, due to a design defect, a non-warranty refrigerator catches fire and burns down the apartment, the manufacturer will have to answer.
Let's say I have 1C software licenses on the server that are tied to hardware - I recently changed the system disk to a larger one (cloned the disk), the licenses remained, they did not fly off. Again - these licenses are purchased once, there are 3 PINs to reinstall on other hardware, and there is a procedure for obtaining new PINs when these run out. These licenses do not expire.
So make it impossible for the program to work with the old key on the old computer, if a new key is issued for a new computer - the problem with "greedy" clients and "stolen" computers will go away by itself.

Answer 7

As a user, I appreciate it very much if the activation key of a particular product flies, so that technical support would fix it and help me. Of course, we can all refer to a bunch of internal documents, it's important to understand the end goal. Now there is already a little competition, the market for most services is represented in one way or another by more than one product. If they answer me in technical support that these are not their problems or something else, and I understand that no one will help me, I choose a different product, another team, not going to waste my nerves and strength and teach such an unprofessional team the rules of the game in business . Sometimes people and the desire of support to help in general saves the product itself, winding up its use. You need to understand that people vote with the ruble. Refusing to resolve any issue, no matter whose fault and how,