Avoid This: Rosepoint Navigation and Coastal Explorer Review

Four Suns

Not a pot stirrer
TECHNICAL Contributor
Oct 4, 2006
10,533
Williamsburg, VA
Boat Info
2003 480 DB
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QSM-11 Diesels
It's always fun doing an upgrade to electronics and the associated software as it

1. Always costs more than expected and
2. Get to install new stuff and play with it and
3. See which companies treat their customers well

As part of my navigation PC upgrade (new PC and Windows 7), I needed to upgrade my copy of Coastal Explorer. This a PC-based navigation package and I know some of you have bought it since I wrote about it in the past and recommended it.

http://rosepointnav.com

It has performed fairly well and the only interaction I had with the company up until this past week was when I bought it back in 2007. That process didn't really go too smooth as I paid for it with my PayPal account and then didn't hear from them for awhile and had to send emails and finally got it a few weeks later... kinda crazy.

So earlier this week, I got online to update it. I noticed that they had been giving out updates for free for the past few years but now they are charging $99 for Coastal Explorer 2011. I pull out my original case with the CD's in it as the serial number is in the case. I try registering the product and it bounces me out and won't let me do it. Oh well... I then pull out the CD to just put the old version on my new PC and the CD player spits it out... the CD has a small crack in it... Great...

So I call Rosepoint Navigation and a nice guy answers the phone. I tell him what happened with the CD and he tells me I can upgrade to the 2011 version for $99... I say "Let's do that." I give him my key over the phone and he asks if I am "Jay Dunbar" or something. I say "No." He said my key was registered to someone else. He said he needed to track down the problem and I offered to send him a picture of the CD's I have in the case with the license key and he says sure... I email it to him.

This is where it gets strange. I get an email back asking if I have a receipt. I didn't think I kept stuff that old as it was all done electronically and I had a different laptop back then. Long story made short but I found my PayPal receipt along with the email communication with someone at Rosepoint Navigation called Christine. I had a few emails asking her why it was taking so long to get it. I forwarded this off to the support person at Rosepoint Navigation this past week.

Now it gets stranger. I have not heard back from them so I called this evening. The support guy picks up the phone and I tell him who I am and he knows. He said he got my emails and my receipt but it has "moved to a higher level." I'm a little confused about this and ask and he says they can't do anything because they don't know what is going on. He then puts me on hold for about 5 minutes and comes back and says he's sorry but the person who makes a decision on how to resolve this is out of town. I ask "resolve what? Are you saying you are looking at the possibility I may have stolen this?" and his response was "I guess you could say that." I asked who had the copy of my key and if they had bought it direct and he said it was an "installer" that did the key...

So here's the deal... All I wanted was to receive the same upgrade treatment that every other Rosepoint Navigation customer has received. Given the multiple copies of this product I've recommended and the fact I bought it direct and have the receipts, one would think they would gladly put the rightful owner in their database... The only thing I know is I did nothing wrong. CD's, case and license key have lived in my bedroom dresser drawer after I installed it on a single PC.

Unbelievable... I guess I'm now a software pirate with receipts.

Good software or not, business behavior and support is worth alot... especially in this market.

Guess I'm off to buy MaxSea for the PC. And I would recommend staying away from Rosepoint Navigation. It appears their keys are not secure and if yours get's hacked, you can kiss any support good bye. (It's a sad day when a French company steals business from a US company because of "people skills")
 
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that's why an ipad and inavx is your friend. ditch the portable bow thruster and come to to the dark side.
 
pirate.jpg
 
Oh man, I think this beats the AC story...

I guess if you send the the photo of your broken CD with the key, it might help to bring this to closure.
 
Oh man, I think this beats the AC story...

I guess if you send the the photo of your broken CD with the key, it might help to bring this to closure.

I did send the photo of the CD, case and key... and the receipt... They didn't believe me...
 
I blurred out the key but I'm not sure how I could have stolen this when it was shipped direct from Rosepoint Navigation:

DSC_0819.jpg
 
I did send the photo of the CD, case and key... and the receipt... They didn't believe me...

They must be totally out of their minds.

So, let me get this right, this is between you and some other "party". So, you presented receipts, pictures and email exchange to them. What did the other "guy" had presented that they still think you're a fool? I doubt "he" has better evidence than yours, so in this case ......there's no case, especially if all you asked for an upgrade for $99.
 
Well... I dumped some coin on MaxSea Time Zero through Active Captain tonight... that product looks fairly sweet... See if that takes a month to get here.
 
They must be totally out of their minds.

So, let me get this right, this is between you and some other "party". So, you presented receipts, pictures and email exchange to them. What did the other "guy" had presented that they still think you're a fool? I doubt "he" has better evidence than yours, so in this case ......there's no case, especially if all you asked for an upgrade for $99.

I'm not why I should/would have anything to do with the other "party." I just know I bought it, got it and have the receipt...
 
I'm not why I should/would have anything to do with the other "party." I just know I bought it, got it and have the receipt...

I was just trying to be somewhat understanding looking at it from their point of view, just ot be fair. Things happen and any software is at risk to be hacked. So, I would just question thair position given all the stuff you have provided. At this point they should appologize and proceed with the upgrade.

Or it must be something you told them and this guys just doesn't like you no more..........you...the head pot stirrer...LOL
 
Gary,

Is it possible you originally purchased a bootleg copy from someone you thought was the company, only to really be a pirate seller who mass produced an original?
 
I was there when he bought it in Chinatown. The guy swore it was legit. The same guy sold me the Star Wars DVD collection. Looks OK to me

imgres
starwars.gif
 
Gary,

Is it possible you originally purchased a bootleg copy from someone you thought was the company, only to really be a pirate seller who mass produced an original?

I bought it direct from the company. Unless the "bootlegger" has hijacked their email domain and their paypal account (both were "rosepointnav.com" and Rosepoint Navigation), I doubt I bought it from a bootlegger. The email correspondence and receipt (I sent them both) has their company domain on it.
 

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