Dear video friends,
Is this normal behavior of Magix?
In 2017 I bought the boxed version of Magix Video deluxe Premium. Video deluxe is the same as Movie Edit Pro, just another name for the same product. In the advertisement it said that it would come with Vasco da Gama as bonus software and 1 year of update service. And indeed, also on the box it says: “Now incuding Update Service / 1 year all new functions free / Always the newest version / Program usable for an unlimited time” (texts were in Dutch, translated by me).
Unfortunately I was not able to start installing and using the product immediately, due to an unexpected long time work assignment. I contacted Magix about it and they assured me that I could install the product later when I would in the opportunity to pick-up video-editing again, even if that would be a few years later. The date of registration of the product would be decisive and would also be the start date of the update service. The bonus software would also be included, even if I installed the product a few years later.
Three month ago, in December 2019 I was finally in the opportunity to resume video editing again. So I installed Video deluxe Premium and also successfully installed Vasco da Gama version 9. Vasco da Gama v9 functioned fine. My Video deluxe Premium was registered on my Magix account on December 8th 2019. Next I started the built-in update function and indeed after a few update cycles it reached the 2020 version, like I just bought the product. In the course of the update process Vasco da Gama v9 was replaced by v11.
Initially that looked fine to me, but I soon discovered that Vasco da Gama v11 couldn’t start without a serial number. According to publisher (MotionStudios) the serial number should be provided by Magix. However, when I contacted Magix the Dutch speaking support-person refused to give me a serial number for Vasco da Gama v11.
And I couldn’t use Vasco da Gama v9 neither, because is was overwritten by v11.
So, I payed for a product with bonus software, but I ended up with the product only, without functional bonus software.
Magix gave several reasons for not supporting this deficiency:
- “Couldn’t give support to old plugins, because the codecs aren’t valid anymore.” ??? Very strange, because Vasco da Gama operated fine until I started updating, .
- “Bonus software is only provided with new installs and paid update-service”.
So, there are apparently 2 types of updates: free 1 year update service and paid 1 year update service. At the moment that one buys the product, only one type of 1 year free update service is mentioned and even used as a promotion feature. No mentioning of the fact that it is a crippled update service compared to the paid update service. Even this Magix-site is not clear about the 2 types of update-service: https://www.magix.com/int/support/update-service/ .
One of the headings literally say: “All new features and extras for 1 year”. Note: “and extras”.
This sounds like a misleading policy and in conflict with European consumer rights. There are users on the German community site (https://www.magix.info/de/video-forum/ ) too, who point at Magix' contempt of consumer rights.
Conclusion: To receive the free bonus software I have to buy another 1 year update-service, despite the fact that I already have a 1 year update-service that came with my boxed Video deluxe Premium and is valid until December 8th 2020.
Thus to achieve the “free” bonus software will cost me at least € 69,99 (or $ 69,99) extra.
In their advertisement in December 2019 Magix promised a large bundle of bonus software if one updates Video deluxe Premium before January 2nd 2020:
- Vasco da Gama (v11)
- FXhome Ignite Lighting
- NewBlue Filters 5 Refocus
- Ultimate Mix
My registration was on December 8th 2019 and I finished the updates on January 1st 2020. So, I assumed that I would somehow receive the 4 bonus programs. At that time I was still thinking that my 1 year update-service would cover that. I had no indication that there were 2 types of 1 year update-service (the paid version). (Nothing about a restriction in the manual neither.)
Result: Now I still have no functional bonus software at all.
Of course I contacted Magix about it. See their answers above. My last question about it was on January 25th by email to the Dutch speaking Magix support-person, but until today I didn’t receive an answer yet and I still have no functional bonus software.
Is the above normal behavior of Magix?