Serious Bentley Manual Problems

Kent · 2004-09-21T21:01:34+00:00

A while back, someone started a thread asking which was the preferredBentley Manual, electronic or print version. The consensus seemed to be thatthe electronic version was not worth the premium price. Well, I should havetaken the group's advice.I received my CD for the Bentley GTI, Golf, Jetta 1985-1992 service manuallate last week. I followed all the instructions, installed it on mycomputer, and...big surprise...it didn't work. I screwed around with it fora few hours, and then broke down and emailed Bentley software support. I wastold that I had purchased "Version 1" of the CD, and I must have purchasedit from a third-party vendor as it was not longer supported by Bentley andwas "removed from circulation". I'm not even sure what that means. Theydidn't come right out and say it, but the feeling I got was that they hadhad serious compatibility problems with this product that they were quietlytrying to fix. Keep in mind that this was a brand-new, shrink wrapped CDthat I purchased from a reputable supplier that is highly-regarded by thisgroup.Well, after a single unsuccessful fix attempt by software support, I wastold that the only possible way that the Version 1 CD "might" run on mycomputer was by installing and maintaining a "dummy" version of an obsoleteNetscape browser. Am I the only one who finds this odd after paying $82 fora brand new CD? I objected, and I was told that they would do a straightexchange of my CD for a "Version 2" CD this is derived from microfiche anddoesn't include the wiring diagrams. I got the feeling that the Version 2 CDwas a desperate attempt to deal with a serious software compatibilityproblem. Alternatively, I could do a straight exchange of my CD for theprint manual, which is significantly less expensive than the CD. Oh, and Iwould have to return my CD to them at my cost, and include a letterrequesting the exchange.I insisted that the more equitable exchange would be my Version 1 CD for theVersion 2 CD and the print manual, since the...

Sep 21, 2004 42 Replies

Rate this thread:

Tony Bad 21 years ago

Could be...I am not a lawyer, and never played one on TV...and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night either!

I think my issue with Bentley is residual anger about my crappy experiences when I bought my CD...which I bought directly from them...yet it was delivered with an outdated version of their reader. Their customer support really seemed like they wanted to help...but were a tad clueless. This is going back a couple of years, so maybe they are better now.

Vote

Joseph Meehan 21 years ago

Yea, that does not surprise me, sorry to say and that would be a Bentley issue. I seem to remember other people reporting that problem with the reader version.

I don't sure don't want to praise Bentley in all this. They should feel some shame if nothing else.

Vote

jimbehning 21 years ago

Jim B.

Vote

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required