OK normally I don’t like to air personal disputes publically but I feel that I have no choice but to bring this up, in the hope that it will act as a warning to others who might fall foul of AirSimmer and their “customer support” the way I have.

 

I have been on the fence for a while about the AirSimmer A320, as I don’t get a lot of spare cash and had read mixed reviews. About a week ago I eventually took the plunge, and the next day when I got a spare couple of hours, I excitedly printed off the included flight tutorial to jump in get a feel for the Airbus. The first page of the tutorial mentioned loading the tutorial flight in the sim, so I tried to do that, only to find that it wasn’t under the list of saved flights.

 

So off I go onto the AirSimmer forums, and find that you can’t access the technical support forums until you activate your product online. No qualms from me, as I presume it acts as a piracy safeguard which can only be a good thing for the simming community.

 

Anyway, the registration process is automated – you just need your Flight 1 order number and certificate number and away you go. So I try and enter my 7 digit Flight 1 order number, and the field only accepts 6 characters. Bit of a problem.

 

So I post a message on one of the unrestricted forums explaining my predicament - asking if someone could please point me in the direction of the tutorial flight and stating that I would have posted this on the technical support forum only I was unable to register my product due to the length of the order number and the field only accepting 6 characters.

 

I then receive a reply from one of the moderators saying “register your product and post in the technical support forum”.

 

Feeling a little frustrated, I reply, explaining again that I can’t do that due to the website issue, and something along the lines of that for a $40 add on would it really be too much trouble to include the tutorial flight in the package, rather than having to go through this process to get it.

 

I then find the next day that a nice polite message has appeared from the moderator on the forum to all new customers stating that Flight 1 have recently transitioned to 7 digit order numbers, and that the website would be updated shortly to allow new customers to register. Happy days.

 

I also then find to my dismay that my message has been removed from the forum, and have an email from said moderator saying – and I quote:

 

“OK, let me explain how it works here. If you think I am some monkey in a call centre that you can talk down to then you are mistaken. If you have a problem with your order number contact Flight 1”. Nice.

 

I then go back to moderator asking whether he is customer support and whether or not he works for Airsimmer? I explain again the problem I’m having with the order number and asking why he was being so hostile towards me.

 

A reply comes stating that if I think I can talk to him or his staff “in the way you initially posted than I suggest you take your money elsewhere”.

 

I then go back to the moderator again, totally gobsmacked, and asked what I had said to cause such offence (the irony being that my post has been deleted so could not recall word for word what I’d posted) – but it certainly wasn’t anything offensive or hostile. Frustrated possibly, but not offensive.

 

I also say that I find it astonishing that he is “customer support” and inviting customers who can’t use their product fully to take their money elsewhere.

 

I then get another insulting message back saying that all the tutorial file does is place the aircraft at a location, and “if you are unable to do that yourself then I question your ability to use a complex add on”.

 

More back and forth – me explaining that by this stage, the usefulness or otherwise of the tutorial flight is not the issue at hand, and trying to ascertain exactly what I have done or said to cause such hostility – and then get a message back saying that “for every 100 customers one like you turns up”.

 

I was in absolute disbelief at this stage, and eventually let it lie, consoling myself that soon the website issue would be fixed and I can enjoy browsing/participating in the “paid” forums and actually enjoying what I’d paid $40 for. Or so I thought.

 

When the issue does finally get fixed and I successfully activate my product, I find that all my posts have now been set to require moderation, whereas other users don’t. I posted two messages in the forums on Sunday morning which still haven’t appeared, so I can only assume that the moderator in question has put this restriction on my account to make it so that I can’t participate in any discussion at all on the forums – whereas other customers can. This restriction even applies to the open forums where product activation is not required. I have verified my theory by registering another forum login (however this is the "free" rehistration which means that I still cannot access the "paid customer" forums with this so is not a long term solution).

 

Clearly this person has a vendetta and is trying to make things difficult for me. 10 messages back and forth and he still won’t (can’t) tell me what I’ve supposedly said to deserve being treated like this!

 

Part of me wants to use the Flight 1 guarantee to get my money straight back, however I really like the product. At any rate, why should I be bullied into a corner just because a customer support rep/forum moderator has had a power trip and doesn’t like me for some reason. I have asked more than once to be told what I have supposedly said to cause such outrage, so that I can ascertain whether I said something to be sorry for, and I get messages back from him such as “I have more important things to do in the real world than discuss this with you”.

 

So I’m not really sure what option I have now. It seems like thanks to the actions of this person I will be unable to enjoy participating in the operational and technical support forums. I don’t suppose it’s worth trying to contact AirSimmer about it as I imagine my email will only end up back with him as the first line of customer support!

 

Hopefully this will help future potential customers make informed choices about where to spend their hard earned money. I certainly won’t be buying anything else from AirSimmer, even if they ever do release the long-fabled advanced version.

 

Buyer beware.

Get your money back and get something else. Put it down to experience. Plenty of more worthy addons and devs that are more helpful.

 

I had no plans to buy this anyway but am glad I didnt give them any money for it.

That's the thing, I really like the product, and if it weren't for that, I would be getting a refund like that. And as I said I refuse to be bullied out of using a product because of the actions of one.

 

But I will certainly be taking them up on their offer to take my custom elsewhere from now on!

Good to know, I was considering, now I'm not. Thanks for the info.

Well Bristol, I don't find it surprising that not only have you edited part of my reply's but chose to omit most of yours.

 

It also seems clear that you don't remember your initial posts on the forum, fortunately like most forums posts don't actually get deleted but hidden in case they are needed for future reference.

 

As I mentioned in my initial reply, for every 100 customers I have the pleasure of helping someone with your attitude has to turn up.

 

I don't need to defend myself, I have been helping others in my free time within the FS community for over ten years now and fortunately it's rare that I have to deal with people like you.

 

I won't be taking part in this topic anymore unless absouletly nessasery. I have much more important things I could be getting on with right now

Rob

 

I have no problem divulging anything that I said in my messages to you. And I haven't edited anything that I've put down as a quote from you actually (other than to correct spelling) so I'm really looking forward to you showing me otherwise.

 

"fortunately like most forums posts don't actually get deleted"

 

Well - rather ironically - you removed my posts from the forum, so like I said I can't actually quote myself word for word, but I know full well I said nothing other than questioning why a $40 add on does not come with a file referenced in it's own tutorial.

 

I'm not expecting you to defend yourself, and I'm sure you've been very helpful to countless other people. However. to me you've been arrogant and unkind.

 

You can think what you like about me, it bothers me not even a little bit I can assure you.

 

What does bother me is that you've taken it upon yourself to essentially ensure that I cannot post on the tech support/operational forums over at AirSimmer by making all my posts be moderated (no doubt you are deliberately stopping my posts from going through - either that or you must have a massive backlog as I posted on Sunday morning and they're yet to appear!

 

As far as I'm concerned, as a paying AirSimmer customer, I am entitled to use those forums. If you can show me where I've voilated their terms of use then I can understand being banned from them - as this is essentially what you have done (for no valid reason other than posting my opinion).

 

I also find it amusing that you locked my initial post (having deleted out whatever you didn't like) and then sent your "reply" through the PM system so other AirSimmer customers couldn't see how you spoke to me.

 

If you post my original forum post which you deleted, I will be happy to apologise for any offensive comments. Luckily I know that I didn't make any. Until that point I look forward to being able to actively participate in the forums like every other paying customer.

 

EDIT

 

Oh, and I see that since I posted this, you've banned me entirely from the AirSimmer forums so that I cannot access my personal messages from you!

 

Something to hide?

 

Luckily I had the forethought to take screenshots.

Hmpf. First, I hate forums cross-postings.

Second, to bring in some balance here. I am an airsimmer customer and the only experience I have so far is, since Rob took over customer support full time for AS, the quality of the support shot straight up by 200 %.

 

Rob IS very helpful and patient, never seen him posting anything out of this world, like the "story" told here.

Diesel

 

I hate forum cross postings too but since I am no longer able to post in the AirSimmer forums, what else am I meant to do? Why should people be able to get away with treating people this way?

 

I'm sure it did - from what I've read online it couldn't have been any worse, and I've seen many helpful and knowledgable posts from Rob here too.

 

And as for this being a "story" I'm not dumb enough to post slander on the internet. I have screenshots showing the entire conversation between us, and nothing I have posted on here is a lie.

 

I'm not trying to smear someone's good reputation, I'm recounting my experience of AirSimmer - that experience being that I've essentially owned the product a week and been forced into a corner by a mod on a power trip so that I cannot enjoy the full community experience that other paying customers can. And all because I supposedly said something to offend a customer support official?

 

I've also asked in the personal messages and on this thread to be told what it is I have said which caused such great outcry, so that I can apologise if necessary, and still nothing.

 

The fact that I've now had my entire forum access revoked (funnily enough only since sharing the experience here) including access to my personal messages from Rob should speak volumes.

By his own admission, the moderator was reacting in an unprofessional manner (like this is anything new around here). Get your money back, absolutely. If I owned that dev company i would give you the plane at this point for no charge and I'd rip that mod "a new one".

 

Sorry, because some devs and mods are very pleasant and honest people...but some out there have been acting like sick little children for far too long now IMO...and getting away with it simply because we refuse to speak with our wallets and need our fix (addons).

 

Do the right thing by yourself and for the community in general...get your money back immediately.

 

...just my .02

By his own admission, the moderator was reacting in an unprofessional manner (like this is anything new around here). Get your money back, absolutely. If I owned that dev company i would give you the plane at this point for no charge and I'd rip that mod "a new one".

 

Sorry, because some devs and mods are very pleasant and honest people...but some out there have been acting like sick little children for far too long now IMO...and getting away with it simply because we refuse to speak with our wallets and need our fix (addons).

 

Do the right thing by yourself and for the community in general...get your money back immediately.

 

...just my .02

 

Dave

 

Great to see someone talking like a consumer and not a cow following the herd, and acting like they don't have a voice or an opinion for their money.

 

My first thought in all of this was - if I owned AirSimmer and found my staff speaking to paying customers like that - even irate, frustrated ones - my staff would be out of a job! If I talked to my customers like that, I would be out on my &@($* before I knew what hit me.

 

These days because people can hide behind the relative anonymity of the internet they think that they can do and say what they like.

 

And I'm still considering getting my money back, however I'm enjoying the product just fine, andit's just not about money! Quite how anyone can think it's acceptable to speak to your customers like this is beyond me.

Quite how anyone can think it's acceptable to speak to your customers like this is beyond me.

 

dunno...but must be YOUR generation, not mine

I suspect this thread will get locked down pretty quickly.

OK normally I don’t like to air personal disputes publically but I feel that I have no choice but to bring this up, in the hope that it will act as a warning to others who might fall foul of AirSimmer and their “customer support” the way I have.

 

Bristol, your answer as to why it went downhill for you is right there! You are actually DOING what you don't like yourself?! Posting PM's publicly is not the way to go.

All the language used in your initial post is not helpful in any way to trigger a positive response from Rob.

Yes, you are the customer, but I learned long ago, you can achieve the most by being nice, even at times where you don't feel like doing that. Don't be the victim.

 

So you consider my post or me the cow following the heard? Well, then my posts here are obsolete, all you wish to see here is backup for your anger and support to decide to refund your purchase.

 

Can't we all just get along, I wonder...

Bristol, your answer as to why it went downhill for you is right there! You are actually DOING what you don't like yourself?! Posting PM's publicly is not the way to go.

All the language used in your initial post is not helpful in any way to trigger a positive response from Rob.

Yes, you are the customer, but I learned long ago, you can achieve the most by being nice, even at times where you don't feel like doing that. Don't be the victim.

 

So you consider my post or me the cow following the heard? Well, then my posts here are obsolete, all you wish to see here is backup for your anger and support to decide to refund your purchase.

 

Can't we all just get along, I wonder...

 

Given that my voice in the AirSimmer forum has been revoked by a mod on a power trip, I didn't really see what else I could do. What am I supposed to do, hand over my $40 and accept being talked to like something that crawled out from under a rock?

 

Why do I have to pander to elicit a positive response? I'm the one who has been sent menacing messages from the face of customer support of AirSimmer because I dared to post a message on "his" forum which clearly rubbed him up the wrong way. A week later I'm still waiting to be told what I apparently said. Meanwhile I have my access revoked to essentially the only outlet of customer support.

 

I have no problem being nice. I believe I posted above that I would happily apologise for anything I said that caused offense, had I indeed said something offensive in my initial forum post which generated Rob's messages. I'm still waiting to be shown proof of this allegation. And the subsequent one where I apparently altered the content of his messges, despite having them all still in my posession, despite the attempts to hide them on his part.

 

I'm not saying you're following a herd at all, but customer service is so poor in general these days that the majority of consumers don't even bother trying to stand up for themselves and allow themselves to be treated poorly.

 

And as for seeking support to refund my purchase, I think I made it pretty clear in my messages that I want to keep the product, and not give Rob the satisfaction of washing my hands of AirSimmer as I have been urged to do.

 

Frankly I'm beyond caring whether or not I ever get my access reinstated. It's not right if I don't, but worse things happen.

 

I posted this as a warning to others for what to expect when they say something...anything....against the AirSimmer product on their forums. If a few people steer clear of AirSimmer as a result, I certainly won't be losing any sleep over it.

Well Bristol, I don't find it surprising that not only have you edited part of my reply's but chose to omit most of yours.

 

It also seems clear that you don't remember your initial posts on the forum, fortunately like most forums posts don't actually get deleted but hidden in case they are needed for future reference.

 

As I mentioned in my initial reply, for every 100 customers I have the pleasure of helping someone with your attitude has to turn up.

 

I don't need to defend myself, I have been helping others in my free time within the FS community for over ten years now and fortunately it's rare that I have to deal with people like you.

 

I won't be taking part in this topic anymore unless absouletly nessasery. I have much more important things I could be getting on with right now

 

Bristol86 I'm wondering why you even bother with the Air Simmer product when the Airbus X Extended is due any day now. Not sure if the systems will be as complex (though they are very good) but the graphics are phenomenal and Aerosoft have great customer support and will treat your custom with respect, unlike this moderator who doesn't seem to be able to act professionally or with any ounce of integrity.

 

If I were you I'd get my money back from Flight 1 and use it for the Airbus X Extended. I've never seen such a disgusting set of replies from a customer support person in all my life.

 

Bristol, your answer as to why it went downhill for you is right there! You are actually DOING what you don't like yourself?! Posting PM's publicly is not the way to go.

All the language used in your initial post is not helpful in any way to trigger a positive response from Rob.

Yes, you are the customer, but I learned long ago, you can achieve the most by being nice, even at times where you don't feel like doing that. Don't be the victim.

 

So you consider my post or me the cow following the heard? Well, then my posts here are obsolete, all you wish to see here is backup for your anger and support to decide to refund your purchase.

 

Can't we all just get along, I wonder...

 

Why should he be blamed for taking a stand against this kind of thing? I think Bristol's original post is more than fair given his experience and he is right to make it known. This is the gift we have in a modern open market where the consumer should have the knowledge and the choice at their fingertips to make decisions as to where they will put their money. What you are saying is that he should hang his head and quietly go and ask for a bit of support like a scared little Oliver Twist asking for more when he gave his money to this company and is perfectly entitled to decent support.

 

I very much doubt there is anything he said initially at the AS forums that would warrant the response he has received.