Arturia Customer Support - The lack of!

[Guest]

It's not very often I post negative feedback but this has to be said.

I'm an experienced user of plugins and software so over the years I've had dealings with most of the leading software manufacturers customer support ie Sonnox, Slate, Waves, Lexicon etc etc.. I won't go into the long winding details but needless to say my current support situation with Arturia is by far the most unhelpful and unprofessional I have experienced. It included possibly the most arrogant and abrupt email I've ever received from any customer support giving no help, no support and no apology for a string of errors. Actually it verged on rude.

So lesson learned. Goodbye Arturia over the years you've been ok but recently you've been rubbish. When I buy a product from a software manufacturer and continue to pay for updates I expect professional customer support. Compared to the brilliant support I've received from most of the other software manufacturers you go to the bottom of the list.

So If you are considering Arturia as an option for your next purchase my advice is don't bother, you can do much better.

[muzines]

It's certainly not the first time I've heard of such experiences of Arturia customer support, unfortunately...

[Guest]

I've never known a professional software manufacturer be so unconcerned by a long term paying customer needing support. If I wasn't experiencing it I don't think I'd believe it!

[TheChorltonWheelie]

I've never known a professional software manufacturer be so unconcerned by a long term paying customer needing support. If I wasn't experiencing it I don't think I'd believe it!

Oh, UAD is much worse, particularly if you're one of those unlucky enough to have been promised Console 2.0 for FW for the last 18 months; they're a disgrace, not least because they still sell the FW Apollo on the premise that Console 2.0 is "imminent".

Once they have your money, they couldn't give a shit.

[Guest]

I've had brilliant support from a few manufacturers - Sonnox, Slate, FabFilter to name a few so they aren't all the same. I decided a while ago to base my customer loyalty on the kind of support I am given. Some it has to be said don't give sh*t. This is definitely the case here. Now day 9 and I am still nowhere near getting support, help, apology or satisfaction. Looks like I'll have to write the money off and put it down to a bad experience. Arturia the worst customer support I have ever received - by far!!

[job]

What problem do you have? Maybe we can help

I doubt i'll buy Arturia again either, not because of support but rather because i bought the modular V and at the time i was on the Mac, then go to PC and it turns out that you don't get it for both platforms. Man i was so annoyed. Felt like writing them a bunch of abuse just to let them know how i felt ha. Almost cracked it just to give them the middle finger, but i really like this thing and wanted it official. Although lesson learned i guess

[kinglouis]

I hear what you're saying with Arturia - I bought some software from them that seemed to be killing the audio on my Mac, let alone actually working. They were less than useless. A few upgrades later and it all got sorted, no thanks to any customer support. However when I broke a knob off my Arturia keyboard, they sent me a bunch of replacement parts immediately, free, no questions.

In general I find online support amazing. Much better than in years past. In the last few weeks, Spectrasonics, NI, UAD and Cinesamples have all come through big time.

[OneWorld]

It's not very often I post negative feedback but this has to be said.

I'm an experienced user of plugins and software so over the years I've had dealings with most of the leading software manufacturers customer support ie Sonnox, Slate, Waves, Lexicon etc etc.. I won't go into the long winding details but needless to say my current support situation with Arturia is by far the most unhelpful and unprofessional I have experienced. It included possibly the most arrogant and abrupt email I've ever received from any customer support giving no help, no support and no apology for a string of errors. Actually it verged on rude.

So lesson learned. Goodbye Arturia over the years you've been ok but recently you've been rubbish. When I buy a product from a software manufacturer and continue to pay for updates I expect professional customer support. Compared to the brilliant support I've received from most of the other software manufacturers you go to the bottom of the list.

So If you are considering Arturia as an option for your next purchase my advice is don't bother, you can do much better.

I too have bought into quite a few Arturia products and I find them quite innovative and useful. However their customer support sort of flips between excellent and non-existent. It gives me the impression the company is run on a sort of hobby company, where they have very clever creative people who pride themselves on innovative products but don't go the extra mile to be as creative with their support, and support is seen as an inconveneience. And that every now and again they have a blitz on support communiques and get on the case, then they get a bit bored with it and get back to making noise. Over the years I've had some support dealt with almost by return post and in other cases, no reply at all.

In their defence. I do end up buying/selling (it is so irritating you have to go through the whole registration/activation gubbins just to try a product out) and in one case there was a licensing issue. Within day Arturia had emailed me back with a completely new licence and within minutes my product was working.

I think if you push them in the issue, you might just drop lucky and they grant you the PC licence. In one issue I did remind them that I was a long standing customer, and that seemed to make them respond.

On the subject of the Modular V - great product though I do wish Arturia would produce more in the way of tutorials, could be a good revenue stream for them, I'd happily pay £10 or so for a good tutorial

[Guest]

IT started with wrong advice regarding compatibility with V3 of their plugins with current projects I have using V2. I was assured there would be no issue with compatibility,mall my current settings would be OK and I wouldn't loose any sounds. I was even assured that if I do they would give me a V2 license to roll everything back. So after updating I find that V3 is a completely separate programme to V2 (it doesn't overwrite it). Any sounds I have saved in V2 sound different and the automation for both versions doesn't match. So in reality not compatible at all!!

I contact support for ...well support really. And heard nothing. Until the 4th time in contacted them via Facebook with was the start of the excuses etc etc. Now day 9 and still no support, help or apology.

I'm giving up Arturia aren't so good that I need to put up with the sh*t support or the hassle. I'll go else where,Mike I should've done in the first place.

I do wish some companies would realise that when we pay for quality software and continue to pay for updates it should come with quality customer support too.

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

Oh God, don't get me started. See my other threads about them. Fantastic products but crazy, crazy support.

[Guest]

For me the worth of a manufacturer is judged on their customer support/service. There is so much brilliant software out there now that we can pick and choose where we spend our money.

When I get rubbish support I politely let them know and if there's no change - or in this case an arrogant disregard - I move on. They don't deserve my custom or my money. Ive had brilliant support from some of the big companies and from the smaller ones too. So I measure it against what I have already experienced. Arturia is by far the worst I've experienced.

[AdiT]

Arturia has some image problems because they are not able to launch the AudioFuse audio interface. Taking account that it should be for sale by more then a year(it was on thomann as ''available soon'') this says something about what is happening inside.

[Guest]

Unprofessional. They've been arrogant, unhelpful, full of excuses and time wasting. But most of all unprofessional. They are selling music gear to music professionals. Being unprofessional isn't acceptable we would accept it buying hardware on the high street and I don't accept it online with software either. Unprofessional. Plain and simple.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Thanks Phil. You repeated your complaints six times now and I think we're all very clear as to how and why you feel dissatisfied with Arturia.

You've vented your steam, and created a high-profile thread which will pop up in google searches for weeks and months to come, and I think that's fair enough given your situation...

...but I don't think there's anything more to be gained from going over the same ground again and again, do you?

H

[Guest]

Thanks Hugh. But each reply of mine has been in response to a previous post by other users. My aim isn't to create a "high profile thread which will pop up in Google searches fo weeks and months to come". And I resent the implication.

The aim of my post was to bring to attention the bad quality of support I received directly after making a purchase and share my experience and thoughts with others who have experienced similar, worse or better.

I resent your policing a legitimate post in such a way. It speaks volumes!

[Kevin Nolan]

I have to chime in. I own V-Collection (5), Analogue Experience 49 and BeatStepPro. I've logged perhaps 20 - 30 issues over the past 10 years, and have always found Arturia to be very responsive. I agree of late they are taking longer - surely because they are bigger - but - of the 5 - 6 issues I logged this summer associated with linking my Arturia controller to VC5 plugins - they not only answered every call (admittedly some taking a week or more to reply) - but they stuck with me over multiple emails until all issues were resolved. Genuinely - all issues resolved.

Furthermore - about 18 months ago when they released their special edition black KEyLab bundled with some plugins I already had - I sent them an email asking if they had any pricing for the Keylab bundle at a lower price for those owning VC4 - and although they had no such price plan - they sent me a voucher for 20% discount on it (which I didn't avail of).

Finally, last year I was giving a training session in Film Scoring (a new Masters program here in Dublin) - a new session on synthesis - and I wanted to use a BeatStepPro in the session. Contacted Arturia - and they sold me one at a large discount (and this was just for a single, one off training session to a small number of students so no major promotion for them).

I agree Arturia are taking longer to respond these days - but - they always respond (to me). Only yesterday they replied to a call I logged about two weeks ago - with a solution - and an apology for being late with the reply.

In my opinion, all of these companies are broadly the same. I believe they want to help - but because they are typically small companies, they do not have the systems in place as do the likes of Vodafone or other large organisations with well structured support systems; and even with a growing company like Arturia, I get the impression they are, over all, not very large personnel wise ( and likely never can be because this is a tough business to make a profit from). I've also found that if you are polite - and mean it - you get a better response. Some here know I speak from experience where I've had, on occasion, a tendency to shoot from the him a bit too quick, and in such instances where you're not respecting your colleagues, you don't get a favourable response. These days I try harder to treat people with respect on line, and indeed with Arturia I've found them to be very polite at all times.

I have no vested interest in defending Arturia - I agree they can take a few weeks (sometimes) to respond - but for me - they have always responded, with robust solutions.

[Hugh Robjohns]

...each reply of mine has been in response to a previous post by other users.

Yes, clearly, and each time you essentially used the opportunity, consciously or unconsciously, to repeat the same complaint. Let me be clear: I totally understand and appreciate your grievance with Arturia, and it's not the first time I've heard or read similar complaints about the company's support. But repeating the same thing over and again doesn't get anyone anywhere, it's not constructive, and it's not acceptable.

My aim isn't to create a "high profile thread which will pop up in Google searches fo weeks and months to come".

Okay. I'll take your word for it, but given the evidence I'm sure you can appreciate my concerns.... it wouldn't have been the first time someone has sought to use the site in that way.

The aim of my post was to bring to attention the bad quality of support I received directly after making a purchase and share my experience and thoughts with others who have experienced similar, worse or better.

Yes. You've done that very well, seven times, now.

I resent your policing a legitimate post in such a way. It speaks volumes!

I sense a lot of unnecessary anger in your posts... Maybe you should reflect upon that. The role of a moderator is to police the site. I questioned the legitimacy of your continuing posts. You've said you weren't deliberately trying to raise the thread profile by repeated posting. I'll accept that, and as there really is nothing more to be said I think we're done, don't you?

H

[Beats N Gear101]

It’s now September 17, 2024 and Arturia has the same issues from 2016, as a consumer I can say there is better company’s with better hardware/software and way better customer service that I will be spending my money with. I’ve contacted [support individual's name removed --ED.] at Arturia about my minifreak on August 26th just for the license to be registered and software update and have yet to hear back about the registration smh never again.

[resistorman]

Arturia has been great for me

[Kypresso]

It’s now September 17, 2024 and Arturia has the same issues from 2016, as a consumer I can say there is better company’s with better hardware/software and way better customer service that I will be spending my money with. I’ve contacted [support individual's name removed --ED.] at Arturia about my minifreak on August 26th just for the license to be registered and software update and have yet to hear back about the registration smh never again.

I always just register my arturia products in my account on their website, never had to contact support for that.
Never had any problems with them when i have needed support in the past.

[ef37a]

Never had any dealings with Arturia so cannot comment. I nearly bought one of their AIs but there was no stock so I went for the MOTU M4 instead.

SO happy with that and the swift and friendly support that I bought my son one as well!

Poor customer support coupled with extreme difficulty in making contact seems to be the norm these days. A few months ago there was a phone in specifically about this on Radio Four's You and Yours. They could have made the programme every day for a week forever!

Dave.

[MarkOne]

I can only speak as I find.

Few years ago I bought a B-stock Keylab 88 MkII from PMT (Which was a 'customer bought it and returned it within the 30-day period' product)

However the customer had registered their copy of Analog Lab V, so when I put in the serial number to register the device I got an error.

Raised a ticket and sent them a photo of the actual device in my position and a close up of the serial number sticker and within hours I was able to register and I was off and running.