Is anyone here using the RedHat online update service? I signed up for it some time ago with the license from a CD purchased in one of those pocket book publications. It worked so well that when I went to set up a server for a local community group I went to their new online "RedHat Network" section of their web site and paid $US60 for the same thing I got for free with the $20 CD mentioned above. I thought at the time that it was odd to pay $A120 for something that came with a cheap CD but hey, I was in a hurry and I don't mind supporting good work anyway. We can only expect so much for free and I've been with RH for many years now (yes, that's flame bait for those of you who are bored).
Anyway, a few months ago I noticed that my subscription had changed to two servers using the "Basic" service to one server on Basic and the other on a new "Workgroup" offering. I didn't think too much of it as I rarely use the web site as I do all the updating from the client side command line. After recent discussions with their sales people (which took over a month for them to contact me, and then only after a complaint) I discovered that they have been charging me $US20 a month for this new service when I had only paid for a one-off $US60. That's about $A480 a year for something that came for free with a CD not long ago. Not to mention the issue of billing someone's credit card without permission. I cry foul! I've been faxed the invoices but no proof of the original order. They have stated that they will refund my money but they have yet to explain to me why anyone would pay this in the first place when you can get the service for free upon purchasing a CD at any newsagent? Strikes me as a very odd way to do business. So heads up about the service and I'd be most interested to hear from anyone else who is using it. Cheers. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ darrell@home -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ More Info: http://lists.slug.org.au/listinfo/slug
