RE: Tier pricing (was chgsysval QMODEL)

~~~Is the administrative fee documented in the contracts?  If
~~~so, is the $10K
~~~specifically mentioned?
~~~
~~~Such a charge to generate a new license key for a user-based
~~~license is
~~~unethical, but it sounds like you're gonna be beating your
~~~heads against a
~~~brick wall.  You might start by demanding an itemized,
~~~detail quote for the
~~~fee.

Yes, I think there is going to be a lot of fallout soon.
The train is not sustainable. There is a good thread on this issue in the
midrange.com BPCS list archive if you missed it.
This vendor has participation on midrange.com so we know it is loud and
clear.
I have an associate that took employment at an installation with a very old
install, that is unsupported.
(which was surprise #1) I doubt many have seen this version since Y2K preps.
The installation I am referencing has not been on vendor support for more
than several years.
Now the vendor wants back pay plus the 10K license key fee. I don't want to
name numbers but I am sure it is much more than 100K. Now "that" is taking
advantage of a situation.
Not only is it ridiculous, even a very healthy company would never go for
that.
The only objective is: Continue normal ops after new CPU on the same tier.
This is the equivalent of  a vendor saying "We have you by the XXXXX, sooner
or later you are going to have a failure or need an upgrade and call us"

In my book, the vendor has lost all respect and will never again thrive.
I am surprised that IBM does not squeeze policy's gone astray such as this.
It's bad for IBM, in fact are losing big sales over this. Green Streak had a
hidden streak.
I sure would like to know what a Jan. 2003 new prospect for this vendor is
thinking when they get close to signing on, think they know about the
ticking time bomb this thread is referring to?

One more example, concerning a long time well respected AS/400 forms
software company.
Charging a surprise fee for license key on an upgrade to V5R2, where the new
OS level triggered the key mechanism.
You have a grace period to decide, the software now contains apparently an
undocumented expiration, perhaps a new feature slipped into an upgrade, and
it was a surprise.

Both of these came to my attention in the last few weeks so not ancient
history here.

I ask! Enron-training? Bad economy? not enough H1-B? Mortgage too big? or
What?

Mark Villa in Charleston SC