A while back, someone started a thread asking which was the preferred Bentley Manual, electronic or print version. The consensus seemed to be that the electronic version was not worth the premium price. Well, I should have taken the group's advice.
I received my CD for the Bentley GTI, Golf, Jetta 1985-1992 service manual late last week. I followed all the instructions, installed it on my computer, and...big surprise...it didn't work. I screwed around with it for a few hours, and then broke down and emailed Bentley software support. I was told that I had purchased "Version 1" of the CD, and I must have purchased it from a third-party vendor as it was not longer supported by Bentley and was "removed from circulation". I'm not even sure what that means. They didn't come right out and say it, but the feeling I got was that they had had serious compatibility problems with this product that they were quietly trying to fix. Keep in mind that this was a brand-new, shrink wrapped CD that I purchased from a reputable supplier that is highly-regarded by this group.
Well, after a single unsuccessful fix attempt by software support, I was told that the only possible way that the Version 1 CD "might" run on my computer was by installing and maintaining a "dummy" version of an obsolete Netscape browser. Am I the only one who finds this odd after paying $82 for a brand new CD? I objected, and I was told that they would do a straight exchange of my CD for a "Version 2" CD this is derived from microfiche and doesn't include the wiring diagrams. I got the feeling that the Version 2 CD was a desperate attempt to deal with a serious software compatibility problem. Alternatively, I could do a straight exchange of my CD for the print manual, which is significantly less expensive than the CD. Oh, and I would have to return my CD to them at my cost, and include a letter requesting the exchange.
I insisted that the more equitable exchange would be my Version 1 CD for the Version 2 CD and the print manual, since the wiring diagrams were an important part of why I decided to purchase the CD in the first place. This is when software support stopped talking to me. I've since emailed my dealer to see if he will offer a refund, or at least help me negotiate with Bentley for an equitable exchange. I've also attempted to contact the president of Bentley Publishing. No luck yet.
Has anyone else had a similar experience with this particular CD manual? Any sage advice? Is the microfiche-derived Version 2 worth the money? Any good/bad experiences with Bentley customer service?