X Site Pro 2 is an HTML authoring program that automates the job of making web pages and web sites. I recently purchased this program with high hopes that it would take the place of Dreamweaver. I was/am hoping that it will make the process easier and faster than making sites like I have been in Dreamweaver.
I haven't completely finished the first tutorial that comes with X Site Pro 2 but am already compelled to write this review because the tutorial is frustrating at best and leaves you wondering what's going on.
I actually think that the first tutorial is from the previous version of X Site Pro because there are so many holes in it, I can't understand why they would sentence their purchasers to go through it. Why they would not update it is so unprofessional to make their users go through this. I have been very upset from the beginning. Actually before I ever started the first tutorial. The download page is missing many things that they state you on their sales page. You have to search, finally give up and go the the support section to find these missing promised items. Not to mention that they tell you it is absolutely necessary that you take this first tutorial that doesn't seem to apply to the new version of X Site Pro 2.
When you do purchase X Site Pro 2, you get added to their mailing list. So far I've gotten 2 emails and the second one has a statement that says:
"Unlike many other software publishers who give you very scant documentation, or absolutely none at all, we have done our best to provide you with the most comprehensive and detailed documentation possible. Our reason for doing this was to really help you every step of the way, so that you're not scratching your head as to what you need to do next."
This statement is such a joke. It's like they never bothered to have ANYONE go through the tutorial to make sure it matched the software program.
I work for a software company by day at the moment and can tell you that we would NEVER release a product before making sure that the documentation and learning materials MATCHED the program for which it was for.
Shame on the management of X Site Pro 2 for letting this happen and taking money from people without having their learning documentation
right.
Maybe you're asking why I don't ask for my money back? Because I am hoping that at least the higher tech features work in the program like the RSS capabilities and the silo features that they have. If the documentation and the features still don't seem to work after I've given the rest of it a fair shake, then yes, I will ask for my money back.
I'll update this review again in a couple of weeks.
So, if you are considering buying X Site Pro 2 for yourself or someone else... prepare yourself to be frustrated, starting from the time you press the button to confirm your purchase.
More on this as it progresses...
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So, after trying the product again, I just decided that it wasn't for me and my wife. That it seems to be a good tool for those who are just starting to get into web design and don't want to go through the headache of actually learning HTML and how to code. I thought this would be perfect for my wife.
But all in all, we decided that it just wasn't for us. I wrote the company, asking for a refund, which they state clearly on their web site that:
Your “TRIPLE STRENGTH”
Customer Service Pledge
We are so sure that you'll be overjoyed with your new XSitePro Web Site Designer that we provide you with a unique 'Triple Stength' Customer Service Pledge.
Pledge #1 If for ANY reason you are not one hundred percent happy with your purchase of XSitePro just let us know within 30 days and we will give you a full refund. You don't even need to provide us with a reason if you don't want. Sounds good! |
There are 2 other "Pledges", but for the sake of this review, I was only interested in the first one.
Below is the correspondence between "Rob" and myself.
| Posted On: 01 Oct 2009 09:15 PM |
Hello,
I would like to request a refund. There really isn't anything wrong with the software, it just isn't quite what I thought it would be.
I do apologize for the inconvenience.
The transaction ID and the serial number are below.
Thank you,
Tim Johnson
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| Posted On: 02 Oct 2009 11:02 AM |
Hi,
Thank you for your email.
I'm happy to pass your refund request to our billing team, but before I do I'd be really grateful if you could let me know what was wrong with it and also what exactly it was that you were looking for as this will really help us with future development.
We don't get refund requests very often, so if it's anything at all that I can help you with, I'd be very happy to do so. Out of interest, did you make use of the tutorial, manuals, videos and webinars that are available?
I'll keep an eye out for your reply.
Best regards
Rob.
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XSitePro Support & Knowledgebase
http://xsitepro.helpserve.com
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| Posted On: 04 Oct 2009 10:10 PM |
Hi Rob,
Thank you for your interest in what my problems were/are.
Honestly, my frustrations started almost as soon as I clicked the buy button. A lot of the promised materials that are on your sales page you have to go hunting for after the purchase.
The sales page promises 3 PDF manuals, when in fact there are only 2, and one on line manual.
Then multiple points suggest that you go through the first tutorial and not to move on until that is complete, which makes perfect sense. I live sleep and breath any manual that comes with anything that I buy like this to try and get as thorough of an understanding as I can of all the capabilities of a product.
I come from using Dreamweaver for YEARS now and was trying to help my wife learn that and she found you guys on the net and suggested that I read the sales page and consider buying it to ease the learning curve that she's having with Dreamweaver. I was also interested in it because of the SEO features, the scheduled dropping of content, siloing and RSS capabilities which I have seen in other programs costing a lot more than X Site Pro.
So, I was on board at that point to go ahead and get it.
Once we did, we immediately sat down with the tutorial and started getting busy.
I have to ask Rob, did anyone actually sit down with THIS version of X Site Pro, and follow along with the tutorial BEFORE you released it?? I hate the way my question to you sounds as I type this because I'm honestly NOT trying to be insulting here, but there are blatant holes in the tutorial that don't match the product.
Missing images, folders that don't exist, functions that don't work.
Not to mention scouring all the pages from the stuff that was sent trying to find these missing things, giving in to finally going to submit a help ticket and seeing some of the things that we needed there on that page.
And man, I gotta tell ya, it's so frustrating when you don't find some of the things that the tutorial tells you are there because it definitely leaves you scratching your head and forces you to move on, feeling like your missing a piece of the puzzle. The only word I can come up with is a "vulnerable" feeling. I don't think that exactly sums up the feeling me and my wife had, but we had the feeling that even though we were lost about these missing pieces, we still had to move on in the tutorial to get done with it.
I actually think that the first tutorial is possibly from the previous version of X Site Pro because there are many holes in it.
In the middle of going through the tutorial we also got an email from being added to your mailing list. The second one has a statement that says:
"Unlike many other software publishers who give you very scant documentation, or absolutely none at all, we have done our best to provide you with the most comprehensive and detailed documentation possible. Our reason for doing this was to really help you every step of the way, so that you're not scratching your head as to what you need to do next."
I work for a software company by day at the moment and can tell you that we would NEVER release a product before making sure that the documentation and learning materials exactly matched the program for which it was for.
So there it is Rob. My request for a refund was more fueled from frustration more than anything else. I swore that I was going to install it on another computer of mine, go through the entire tutorial process again and take notes of everything that was missing or frustrated me and THEN ask for a refund. But I just thought that it would not matter one way or the other in the end.
May I please get a refund now?
Thank you for listening Rob,
Tim Johnson
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| Rob |
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| Posted On: 05 Oct 2009 09:48 AM |
Hi,
Thank you for the reply.
I am so sorry that you've had so much trouble! I assure you that the tutorial is for Version 2 of the software.
We have altered the tutorial to fit with recent updates in the software, perhaps you have accidentally gone through the older tutorial? The latest one is found in the HELP menu.
We have many people going through the tutorial each week so I am really surprised that you've had so much trouble! Again, I am really sorry about that.
If you'd like I'll go through with you, the parts of the tutorial that you had trouble with via remote login software. Do you have any remote access software?
If not, www.logmein.com offer a free version of their product we would recommend.
We will need to agree a time, we are based in the UK with office hours of 9am - 5pm (5am-1pm EST). You will need to send me
logmein email address
logmein password
logmein access code (if applicable)
if you will not be at the machine at the time, we may also need your
Windows username
Windows password
I'd like to offer this to you as I really believe you will love XSitePro, I'm so sorry you got off to a bad start!
I'll look out for your reply.
Best regards
Rob.
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XSitePro Support & Knowledgebase
http://xsitepro.helpserve.com
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And there it is. I've asked for a refund twice now (nicely) and gotten nothing. I even took the time to go into some detail of why I wanted a refund.
And nothing.
I do give him the fact that they are trying to make an effort to square up my problems, but when you have a customer who tries to exercise his right to a refund, really, you should honor that guarantee, the first time. PERIOD. Not to mention the fact that I've asked TWICE NOW.
So I have decided to leave this post, this page as a warning to anyone who is considering buying X Site Pro 2.
If you ar not happy with X Site Pro 2, be ready to have to haggle to get their "Guaranteed Refund".