I Can't Believe HomeGauge is charging $200/year for what was a free

[Russell Buchanan]

For everyone else the changes in HG Internet tools services
are explained below. This change is for the HG Internet Services only
and everything remains the same for the software. The software still
has free and even toll free phone support ongoing.

HG Service Changes:

Bronze Plan: Included a free listing on HomeGauge.com -- Was free and
now has been removed. This was done at the request for many years from
users of the service that felt there was too many inspectors in the
listing. It being free made it very hard to verify which inspectors
were still in business and hence the quality of the search has greatly
improved for the users (home buyers and agents ). I assume the other companies offering free listing services will run into this same problem once they get enough and have been around long enough. Internachi's search is included in your membership fee so they will not have this issue.

Silver: now called Inspector Search Listing Only -- Previously was
$20/month or $200 a year and still is the same price. The search results also use to be broke down by the levels but is now all equal giving the Silver/Inspector Search Listing more value.

Gold: now called HG Services - Includes report uploads / business
scheduler / search listing / free software upgrades and much more -
Still priced at $30/month or $300 year. Nothing changed but the name.

Platinum: Use to include the Gold and a hosted website but now has been
removed.We did this because many inspectors were wanting more than one website. So they now all use the base HG Services and as many web site hosting services as they desire. Hosted websites are the same $15/month or $150/year as they always were.

I hope that explains it. We removed one free service, renamed some
things but kept all other prices and delivered services the same or better.

[Russell Buchanan]

Come see HomeGauge at the CAHPI in Montreal on October 15th where we will be giving our excellent customer service and we can show you more of the HG Services.

[Kevin A. Richardson]

Russell,

Thanks for all your continued support and great customer service. I have used eInspections and I own a license to HIP. All are great products.

I personally use the HG Services and pay 30 bucks a month for it, even though I do not use the upload and report hosting features (I use the ISN for that). I see value in participating in the HG services plan even though I don't use all of the features. The free upgrades and the inspector listing are awesome.

Keep up the good work, Russell

Kevin

[Mario A. Kyriacou, CHI]

Originally Posted by rbuchanan1

Mario we are not discounting the existing users. Please call the
support line and we will help like we have done many times. Your
software will work exactly the same. I do not understand why you are so
upset about losing a tiny little free extra service that you already
claimed in a previous post that has no value to you.

We are working to improve the listing to the home buyers and agents so it will have better results for the inspectors that get the calls. The other guys that fork over $300/year do not think they are suckers they get the listing plus much much more and many have stated they feel like they should be paying more.

I looked your account up just now and see that you never tried the services? You are welcome to try them out if it helps you to make an informed decision. Try another free 30 day trial of the HG services and see the value of all it has to offer which is much more than just the listing.

But you ARE discounting users that do not buy into your additional services.

What do you call someone who feels they are entitled to features they didn't pay for and expects it to be free?

Betrayed, deceived, back-stabbed, abandoned......take your pick Russell

[Mario A. Kyriacou, CHI]

You are absolutely correct Russell. I do not care about the free listing it's only a matter of principal.
When I purchased your software I was however promised a FREE listing with the basic Bronze package. It is now gone. I have to ask myself what’s next. What does Russell have up his sleeve for us? Charging a fee for users (one time purchasers or should I say the undesirables) to download new versions of the product? Maybe version 4.3 or 4.4?

Lucky for us we do have alternatives!

2008 InterNACHI Member and Innovator of the Year

HOME INSPECTOR PRO HOME INSPECTION SOFTWARE
$599 ($499 For InterNACHI Members)

Easy to use, customizable Home Inspector Software that runs on Windows, Mac & Linux

InterNACHI members receive 3 months of FREE home inspector website hosting

List yourself in our Home Inspector Directory Free

Watch our NACHI.TV Software & Search Engine Optimization videos!

Dominic@HomeInspectorPro.com

[Russell Buchanan]

Mario, HomeGauge is not for everybody. You bought software you got software, You havent been paying for free support, you got that free. I wish you the best with that other software company and hope all their services remain free so you will be happy.

All those who use HG Services continue to support us and we in turn promise to give you our best in updates and marketing ideas.

[Mario A. Kyriacou, CHI]

Originally Posted by rbuchanan1

Mario, HomeGauge is not for everybody. You bought software you got software, You havent been paying for free support, you got that free. I wish you the best with that other software company and hope all their services remain free so you will be happy.

All those who use HG Services continue to support us and we in turn promise to give you our best in updates and marketing ideas.

Nothing wrong with your software Russell, just your business practices. Can you for the record answer my question in my previous post? Will there be a charge associated with versions 4.3-4.9?

Lucky for us we do have alternatives!

2008 InterNACHI Member and Innovator of the Year

HOME INSPECTOR PRO HOME INSPECTION SOFTWARE
$599 ($499 For InterNACHI Members)

Easy to use, customizable Home Inspector Software that runs on Windows, Mac & Linux

InterNACHI members receive 3 months of FREE home inspector website hosting

List yourself in our Home Inspector Directory Free

Watch our NACHI.TV Software & Search Engine Optimization videos!

[Russell Buchanan]

Are we talking about software now Mario? Because that is what you paid for was software.

When you purchase HG you purchase the whole number (version 4 today). You will get 4.x (however many decimal upgrades that is) until we come out with a major update which we give a whole number too. Currently we are at 4.2. There will be a 4.3 for sure, not sure if there will be a 4.4 or more. It just depends on our list of upgrades.

When we come out with a version 5, it will cost $275. Or, If you use HG Services you will get the upgrades free.

[Mario A. Kyriacou, CHI]

Are we talking about software now Mario? Because that is what you paid for was software.

Yes, I paid for the software licence and I was also promised a FREE listing that was included with the basic "Bronze" package. You now claim that HG service members (The Elite members) wanted to thin the pool of inspectors listed. In turn you have obliged these "PHANTOM" inspectors and removed ALL FREE listings. It is ultimately up to all former bronze HG users whether we believe you or not. Personally, I think it’s a money grab on your part, plain and simple.

BTW Exactly how many “Phantom inspectors” in total requested Bronze members removed? A % or an actual # will suffice.

[Russell Buchanan]

Mario, just move on. Or, stop guessing and call me direct

[Mario A. Kyriacou, CHI]

Moving on........................


Lucky for us we do have alternatives!

2008 InterNACHI Member and Innovator of the Year

HOME INSPECTOR PRO HOME INSPECTION SOFTWARE
$599 ($499 For InterNACHI Members)

Easy to use, customizable Home Inspector Software that runs on Windows, Mac & Linux

InterNACHI members receive 3 months of FREE home inspector website hosting

List yourself in our Home Inspector Directory Free

Watch our NACHI.TV Software & Search Engine Optimization videos!

[Dan Bowers, CMI]

Mario -

When I signed up with HG, I was told my $$$ got the software. It was mine. I could save it as a pdf and email it to anybody I wanted to. Even though MOST other software providers I had worked with over the last 16 years charged for Tech Support after the 1st year; Russell didn't.

If however I wanted to STORE my reports in his servers for 5 yrs; if I wanted to be able to UPLOAD my reports to the HG website AND let my customers have the HG staff send them emails and passwords telling them there was a REPORT waiting for them; If I wanted periodic and ongoing UPDATES, the use of the Business Scheduler, the automatic Tie-In to the AHW warranty program OFF the HG site, the ability to take credit cards for payment, etc, etc, etc / You COULD (didn't have to) buy the GOLD Pkg (now called HG services) for $30 p/mnth.

Many of us thought that was reasonable as heck since we had been at Ahit, 3D, AND many others.

I for ONE was tickled to death to see the HG site loose some of the crowd that bought the software BUT 3 years later did NOT really use the HG services NOR do much but take up space on the HG users page.

Russell's reasonable on this stuff and gives a lot of support. From what I can tell they only really fall short in one major area.

[Blaine Wiley]

I have been using HG since 2005 and have been more than happy with all of the service I have received from HG. I chose the Gold package for all of the reasons Dan stated, and continue to use them until this day. In addition to those services, I have peace of mind because all of my reports are automatically "backed up" in their entriety by being on the HG website. This was a really big deal to me when my hard drive crashed in January and lost about 8 months of reports.

As far as the listing on HG, since 2002 I've received 3 inspections through the various INACHI sites. Since 2005, I've received 9 through the HomeGauge site. Perhaps that is because so many more inspectors are listed on the NACHI site that referrals are diluted, but...bidness is bidness.

As long as Russell provides the services of HomeGauge, I'll be a customer.

[George E. Russell]

I too am quite happy with the service I've received from HG and Russell.
G

[Erby Crofutt]

Originally Posted by rbuchanan1

Suckers? So if your fellow inspector sees value in something and pays for it (keyword "pays") they are a sucker? What do you call someone who feels they are entitled to features they didn't pay for and expects it to be free?

Originally Posted by mkyriacou

Betrayed, deceived, back-stabbed, abandoned......take your pick Russell

More like welfare queen! Don't wanna pay for what they get. Don't wanna get a job

Remember this Youtube video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Lge1dZylwA

Funny stuff!

Happy Homeguage User here. Give me good service and I'm willing to pay for it. Those free listings always bugged me. Half of them were out of business anyway.