Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Avid Technology, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

close

Find a Location

Avid Technology, Inc. has 5 locations, listed below.

*This company may be headquartered in or have additional locations in another country. Please click on the country abbreviation in the search box below to change to a different country location.

BBB accredited

Near

Country

USUnited States

Please enter a valid location.

Filter

• 

  Avid Technology, Inc.

  75 Blue Sky Dr Burlington, MA 01803-2770

• 

  Avid Technology, Inc.

  2600 10th St Ste 200 Berkeley, CA 94710-2595

• 

  Avid Technology, Inc.

  2903 Bunker Hill Ln Ste 100 Santa Clara, CA 95054-1133

• 

  Avid Technology, Inc.

  101 S 1st St Ste 200 Burbank, CA 91502-1938

• 

  Avid Technology, Inc.

  60 E 42nd St Ste 600 One Grand Central Place New York, NY 10165-0006

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/07/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  **** which owns and distributes the music recording software Protools practices deceptive auto renewal subscription policies. **** refuses to refund an auto renewal of a software purchase. I bought a 1 year software purchase of Protools Studio Software and had no interest in renewing the software because you keep the software after the purchase (Only up to the last software update). I was not made aware of an auto renewal although the company claims it is buried deep in their TOS. 2 days before the software was set to expire I received an email from **** stating that my software was set to expire and I would need to click the link or find a 3rd party dealer to renew the software license. Since I had no interest in renewing the license I took no action. No where in their only email to me did it say anything along the lines of "In 2 days your software will auto renew" actually quite the opposite...It said in 2 day your software will expire. This company is deceptive and hopes any TOS you agreed to a year ago wasn't read or you don't recall so they can enact an auto renewal and steal money from your bank account.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/09/2025

  Hello ****,

  Thank you for reporting to the BBB with your concerns.  I have researched your issue and have received approval to cancel and refund you the Pro Tools Studio renewal that just occurred.  You shud be hearing from ****** in our web store team today 7/9/2025 with information on the cancelation/refund.  

  I apologize for this and our Marketing team is working to ensure that users with auto renew engaged, received the renewal email with a disclaimer.    Again thank you for reporting this and allowing me to make an internal change to our processes.

  If you have any questions of need further information on case # 05002427, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly at **************************************************

  Bet regards,

  ******** Montague 

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/09/2025

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  **** ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/25/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Hi, I bought an Avid Mbox Studio audio interface and I am having a lot of trouble registering it. I bought it on **** and have my proof of purchase. The previous owner started the transfer of ownership, but once he found out he was going to lose his Pro Tools studio license, he then demanded an additional $ 275, which I believe is extortion. I have chatted with 2 different avid support employees, and they seemed not to understand the issue that I am having. 1. I can't download the Mbox Control software so I can update the interface and use all of its features. 2. I can't register the device because the previous owner is holding the transfer hostage unless I pay him an additional 275 dollars. 3. When I explained this to the avid support employee and manager, they both kept giving me the runaround and told me to register the interface, which I can't. I bought this interface because it has all of the features I need for my work. I'm a disabled student (autism, poly glandular autoimmune disease type 2) and I don't understand why registering the interface is such a headache to register. All I want to do is download the software so I can use all of the features the interface has to offer. I watched a lot of reviews on the interface and I knew it was the interface for me, and now this whole situation has been a huge let down and very stressful. My Avid case number is :********

  Business Response

  Date: 06/30/2025

  Hello there

  Thank you for reaching out to us here at ****.  

  The only way we can proceed with the transfer of ownership with the *********** to the new owner is if the original owner agrees to it, signs the Transfer of Ownership (TOO) form, and explicitly approves the transfer of the bundled Pro Tools Studio license and Sibelius license.    This product is a bundle of 3 items and I have confirmed with the product manager that separating the items in the MBox Studio bundle is not feasible, as it is sold and registered as a bundled product. 

  Additionally, if we proceed with request as an exception, there is a risk that the original owner could sell the Pro Tools Studio and Sibelius licenses to another individual. This would create complications in the future, as it would be difficult for **** to verify ownership if someone else were to claim the ***********.   Furthermore, it is my understanding that bundled products should remain under a single Site ID associated with the users registered address. We are unable to request that a bundled product be split across different Site IDs.

  Lastly, the MBox Studio bundle's original owner has declined to proceed with the transfer, citing that the Pro Tools Studio license was not included in the sale and would require additional payment. The buyer does not want to pay for that therefore, the Transfer is moot and the original owner has stated they will take it back for a refund.  Unfortunately, it seems that the buyer doesnt like that response.decision but **** remains firm and will not split a bundle product and transfer individual items.

  Thank you.

  ******** ********

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/02/2025

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  

   

  So you guys can provide a new registration code but you are worried if I sell the interface a problem might occur if I sell the interface right? I can assure you I don't have any plans on selling the interface.  I chose this interface because it has all the features I need.  I see there is also a concern that the previous owner can still sell his bundled software, well if that is any issue isn't that even more of a reason to transfer his ownership to me? I mean I am the new owner and I am not going to sell it.  I bought this interface because It has all of the features I need in an interface.   It doesn't seem right that I spent a lot of money on it and I can't even use those features. 
  Regards,

  ****

   

   

  Business Response

  Date: 07/08/2025

  ****,

  With all due respect, the answer still remains no.  Avid sold the MBox Studio bundle as a " bundle" with one registration.  The part # for the bundle is one item ( SKU ) and not 3 items (MBox, Pro Tools and Sibelius).  The bundle can not be broken up and registered separately or have pieces of it transferred to a new owner.  The original owner has also denied the transfer and will not sign the TOO form.  The original owner has offered to take it back for a refund but you seem to not want to do that yet pressure Avid to do something that we do not do - break part bundled products.  

  Bottom line:  There is no TOO on an Mbox Studio bundle without transfer of the included software. 
  

  I suggest you log in to the ******************** @  ***********************************************  and download MBOX Control for free.  

  best regards,

  ******** ********

   

  
  
  

   

   

   

  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process. 
  
  FAQ
  
  
  So you guys can provide a new registration code but you are worried if I sell the interface a problem might occur if I sell the interface right? I can assure you I don't have any plans on selling the interface.  I chose this interface because it has all the features I need.  I see there is also a concern that the previous owner can still sell his bundled software, well if that is any issue isn't that even more of a reason to transfer his ownership to me? I mean I am the new owner and I am not going to sell it.  I bought this interface because It has all of the features I need in an interface.   It doesn't seem right that I spent a lot of money on it and I can't even use those features. 
  Regards, 
  Juan 
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/07/2025

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Complaint Description:I purchased a perpetual license for Pro Tools from **** in November 2020, paying approximately $600 with the understanding that I would own and be able to use that version of the software indefinitely.Since then, Avid shifted to a subscription model, and I paid an additional $800 to stay current. Now **** is switching back to a perpetual licensing model but is requiring me to pay an additional $200 just to continue using the product, including the version I already purchased.This effectively locks me out of the software I legally own unless I pay again, which I believe is unfair and deceptive. I am not requesting free updates I simply want access to the version of Pro Tools I already paid for. Avids policies keep shifting and forcing loyal customers to pay repeatedly for the same product.Ive attempted to resolve this by reaching out to Avid support but have received no satisfactory resolution. I am seeking access to the version of Pro Tools I purchased under the original perpetual license terms without being required to pay again.Desired Resolution:Restore access to the version of Pro Tools I paid for in November 2020 without charging additional ************ Name: Avid Technology, Inc.Website: ********************

  Business Response

  Date: 06/10/2025

  Hello

  The customer, ****** ******** at ******************* aka Spank Shep at *********************************, has been in communication with Avid already regarding his complaint. 

  Regarding his comments on perpetual licensing, Mr. ******** owns a Pro Tools Studio Perpetual license, which means he owns it and can use the version he paid for forever as long as it is compatible with his operating system. The highest version of Pro Tools Studio he can install is ******* as he let the upgrade & support plan component lapse on Nov 22, 2020.  The Upgrade & Support plan comes with the initial purchase and  is optional each year after. It can be purchased in case the customer wishes to install higher versions of Pro Tools or upgrade the operating system past what ******* requires.  Contrary to what Mr. ******** stated about Avid going back to perpetual licenses, this is not the case and we continue offer BOTH Perpetual and Subscription licensing. 

  Mr. ******** did in fact buy a Pro Tools Studio Subscription for 1 year back on March 17, 2024 which was well past the date that his perpetual license had lapsed.  If he goes to **************** and logs in using his email ********************************* and password he created, he will have access to View My Products and Pro Tools Studio Perpetual which provides him access to Pro Tools ******* which is the last version he had access too and owns.

  Regards,

  ******** ********

   

   

   

  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/21/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My 19 year old son purchased a monthly subscription for protools for a college course he needed. It was charging him every month and his banking account wasnt always well funded. So I gave him enough money to purchase a one time yearly subscription to avoid this situation. Since then they have charged him 2 yearly subscriptions and continue to charge him monthly and twice several months, totaling to $337.86 over the past 7 months. When it should be either $10.96/month or $108.65 per year. I am desperately trying to get this settled but they refuse to accept any calls with his type of account (student account). I have no way of trying to make this right with them.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/22/2025

  I have sent ***** a direct email 5/22/2025 and waiting on response:

  From: ******** ******** <**************************************************>
  Date: Thursday, May 22, 2025 at 10:58 AM
  To: "***************************************" <*********************************************************>
  Subject: Need more information - Avid 
  
  Hello *****,
  
  I received your complaint from the BBB and need some additional information in order to investigate this.  Could you provide the following:
  
  Sons name
  Sons email used at his MyAvid account @ **************** 
  System ID of the one time yearly license?
  
  Standing by.
  
  ******** ********
  
  -------------
  Customer Information:
  ***** *******
  ********************;
  ******************
  Daytime Phone: **************
  E-mail: ***************************************
  
  
  The details of this matter are as follows:
  
  Complaint Involves:
  Service Issues
  
  Customers Statement of the Problem:
  
  My 19 year old son purchased a monthly subscription for protools for a college course he needed. It was charging him every month and his banking account wasnt always well funded. So I gave him enough money to purchase a one time yearly subscription to avoid this situation. Since then they have charged him 2 yearly subscriptions and continue to charge him monthly and twice several months, totaling to $337.86 over the past 7 months. When it should be either $10.96/month or $108.65 per year. I am desperately trying to get this settled but they refuse to accept any calls with his type of account (student account). I have no way of trying to make this right with them.
  
  Complaint Background:
  Order Number: 
  
  
  Disputed Amount: $337.86
  
  Desired Settlement: 
  Billing Adjustment
  
  
  ******** ********
  Director, Community
  m ***************** 
  ************************************************** 
  Avid | Remote - *******
  ************************
  ************
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/07/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Shameful, Deceptive, and Unethical Billing Practices I have been a Sibelius user since 2012, when I first purchased the software outright. In 2024, I was effectively forced to repurchase a perpetual license despite already owning the product, due to ***** aggressive shift toward subscription-based models.Before repurchasing, I trialed the subscription-based Artist version. Even after upgrading to a perpetual license, which I paid for in full, **** continued charging me for the Artist subscription even though I was told that the subscription would be cancelled. Attempts to resolve this have been met with complete silence or endless redirection. It is nearly impossible to reach a real person, and their customer service is among the worst Ive encountered.Its incredibly disappointing to see such shady and unethical behavior from a company many of us have supported for years. I sincerely hope Avid is held accountable for these practices. It is likely continuing to be charged for a lease on a vehicle that was outright purchased. Completely unacceptable. Desired Resolution:I am requesting a full refund for the subscription charges that continued after I purchased the perpetual license, and confirmation that all recurring billing has been fully terminated.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/09/2025

  The following email was sent to ***** ******* 5/8/2025.  The e-commerce team did not research the customers request to determine that a *** had agreed to the cancellation of the Artist license in Dec of 2024, yet never followed through.  As a result, he was charged 3 months in 2025 which we have refunded.  See below.  I have also issued a one year extension to his support / upgrade plan as a gesture of goodwill for the trouble this has caused.   Case is now closed and Mr. ******* in happy with the outcome.

  Thank you,

  ******** ********

  ----------

  From: ******** ******** <**************************************************>
  Date: Thursday, May 8, 2025 at 5:26 PM
  To: "*********************************" <*********************************>
  Subject: Sibelius refund and more........
  
  Hello *****,
  
  Thanks for taking my call today even if the beginning was somewhat unusual.  Im going to try that tactic with the spammers on my end.  ??
  
  It was great to speak with you and Im looking forward to purchasing and listening to your record.  Dont forget to send me the name when it comes out.  
  
  Here is the refund information on the Sibelius Artist license. 
  
  (January rebill) 3/17/2025 - Refund ID: ******************************
  (February rebill) 3/19/2025 - Refund ID: ******************************
  (March rebill) 3/22/2025 - Refund ID: ******************************
  
  Your Sibelius Ultimate Perpetual license (System ID: ************ is active and the support/upgrade plan attached to it expires Dec 27, 2025.  Normally, since it is an Ultimate it would be $149 per year for the added Perpetual support/upgrade plan but as I mentioned on the call, I am covering that for an additional year at no charge. I just checked your MyAvid account at **************** and your Sibelius Ultimate is now set to expire Dec 27th, 2026. ??.    Auto-renewal is turned off so you want to be aware of the 2026 date so you can decide if you wish to renew then.
  
  Again, thanks for being so cooperative and for accepting my apology on behalf of Avid. 
  
  My email and cell are below, and I am only an email away if you need me.
  
  ********
  
  p.s. dont forget to send me the info on your concerts in *******
  
  ******** ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/02/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have been a Pro Tools user for 10 years, and I am absolutely outraged by Avids treatment.Since 03/28/2025, **** has charged me $8.25 per day without my authorization. I did not update my payment info, and my next renewal isnt until April 28thso this shouldnt be happening (it shouldn't be happening anyways because they do not offer a product which you are charged for daily...) Avid refuses to stop the charges while they investigate why Im being billed daily. Despite multiple requests, their support team has told me they cannot stop the charges and that I must wait ***** hours for an internal investigation, all while continuing to be billed daily. On top of this, their email support is incredibly slow, and based on past customer experiences, this process could take ***** days before I receive any resolution. That means I could be charged hundreds of dollars before Avid even finishes their investigation.They have also refused to provide a direct escalation path to a manager, making it impossible to get timely help. Their only communication option is somebody reaching out to ME by email, which deliberately drags out the process while they continue charging me. When I asked if they could confirm that no further charges would occur during the investigation, they outright refused.Even worse, **** forces customers to pay extra for phone support, even for something as urgent as billing issues. Unless youre willing to pay for a support plan, youre stuck with email-only responses, even when being unfairly charged every day. This is completely unacceptable, especially from a company that sells professional software. Billing issues should always be prioritized and handled promptly, not locked behind a paywall.Avids handling of this situation is predatory and unethical. Their refusal to stop unauthorized charges during an investigation, combined with deliberate roadblocks to proper customer service, is completely unacceptable.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/04/2025

  The issue has been resolved as of Friday April 4, 2025.  

  ****,

  Per our conversation today April 4, 2025, the requests you had made of Avid have been met.  

  Pauls demands were as follows:
  1. Cease all charges immediately.
  2. Fully refund all unauthorized charges incurred starting March 28, 2025, immediately, back into my account by the end of tomorrow, April 4th 2025.
  3. Restore my perpetual license status as originally purchased and updated.
  4. Provide written confirmation that no further charges will occur and that my license has been correctly restored.

  To reiterate the actions taken by Avid were:

  1. All charges to your CC have been stopped
  2. **** has fully refunded all 3 charges incurred to your CC starting March 28, 2025
  3. As of today, April 4, Avid has restored the Pro Tools Studio perpetual license back into your Avid account under *******************************  
  4. **** has providing you at no charge, a renewal upgrade to your Pro Tools Studio license as a gesture of goodwill for another year. This is an upgrade is from PT Studio perpetual EDU to PT Studio Perpetual Commercial.

  The following Reinstatement code PTAUR308-NJ5141305-128R524 was used to extended the license through April 2026.

  The cases with Avid are now closed.

  If you need anything at all, please reach out to me directly at ************************** and I will assist directly.

  Thank you **** for your cooperation while we worked through this situation for you.

  ******** ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/29/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Im requesting a refund for a $211.44 charge from Avid Technology, which was an unwanted and unapproved auto-renewal for a software subscription I do not use. I did not see or receive any reminder prior to the renewal, and the charge was processed without my awareness or consent.I contacted Avid Support immediately after the charge appeared (the same day) to request a cancellation and refund, but they refusedeven though I have not used the product, and the renewal occurred less than 24 hours prior.Their policy states that subscriptions are non-refundable, but this was an automatic charge for a product I had no intention of continuing, and I believe this is an unfair and exploitative practice. I would not have paid had I been properly notified or given a ********* requesting ******* help to reverse this charge and reclaim the funds, as I believe the vendor's refusal to refund under these circumstances is unjust.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/31/2025

  Hello *******

  Thank you for reaching out regarding your request for a refund for your Sibelius license system ID *********** purchased 02/18/2023.  When purchasing the license, you agreed to ****'s Terms and Conditions (T & C's) located here:  *****************************************************************;

  Annual Product Subscription
  Your annual subscription for **** will start when **** confirms your payment and will continue for a period of one year. Annual subscriptions purchased on the Avid Online Store are either billed monthly in twelve equal payments or annually at the beginning of the subscription. Annual subscriptions purchased from ********************* are paid in full in advance. When you purchase an annual subscription on the Avid Online Store, auto-renew is automatically selected in your Avid Account. At the end of the annual subscription period, **** will sign you up and bill you for an additional subscription term of one year at then-current pricing. If you do not wish your subscription to auto-renew, you may turn off auto-renew in your Avid Account prior to the end of your current subscription term.

  General Terms and Conditions for all Product Subscriptions and Software Updates + Support Plans
  Subscriptions and software updates + support plans are non-cancelable and non-returnable. You may change your auto-renewal preferences in your Avid Account, but no refunds will be paid on any remaining subscription or upgrade plan period.
  If you allow your Subscription to lapse, your Avid software licensed on a subscription basis will no longer run. If you allow your software updates + support plan to lapse, you will no longer have access to the latest software or support. An internet connection is required to use and manage software licensed on a subscription basis. Without an internet connection, your software may stop running. For annual subscriptions that are billed monthly, the computer on which your software is running must connect to the internet once per month on the same day of the month as the first day of your subscription start. Subscription and software updates + support plan pricing is subject to change. New pricing takes effect upon renewal of your subscription or upgrade plan. Educational subscription pricing, if available, is subject to verification of eligibility

  Unfortunately, **** is not able to refund you and are in strict compliance with our T & C's that subscriptions are non-cancellable and non-returnable. Our customers are also made aware of the auto renew button feature they can toggle off any time in the Avid account.

  Thank you,

  ******** ********

  **************************************************

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/06/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We've purchased a software package that was supposed to come with lifetime support and updates. The provider has absolutely failed to provide support and updates.Original purchase was $761.91 and additional subscriptions for 76 months with and additional cost of $2,659.24 The additional charges should not have occurred but because of the lack of support we've incurred more cost. The provider is now asking for $199 upgrade fee, transfers fees, and supports fees.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/10/2025

  *******

  I understand that Taiyo reach out and call you and assisted with the license transfer to another iLok, installation and activation of Pro Tools to your computer.   The Studio license is active and has support and upgrades until March 2026 where at that time you can elect to renew the support & upgrade plan for the next year.  If you chose to let the plan lapse then you can use the license for as long as you wish on the last version you were eligible to use before it expired.  

  Support has informed me that you are all set  now and your case # ******** is now closed.

  Best regards,

  ******** ********

  Avid Technology Inc.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/10/2025

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/06/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Dear BBB team,On February 27, 2025, I lost my iLok and needed to revoke my software licenses in order to restore them. I followed the proper procedure by submitting a service request on the **** website, and their support team provided me with an RMA number, instructing me to contact the respective software vendors for license recovery.I contacted all the companies from which I had purchased software, including ********, *********, Neural DSP, Eventide, and ***************. All of these companies promptly restored my licenses free of charge, resolving my issue without any complications. However, **** is the only company that refuses to restore my licenses unless I pay $39.99 for an Avid Support Code (ASC).I find this charge unreasonable and unfair. When I purchased my software from ****, I already paid for the license, and I am merely requesting to restore what I rightfully ownnot to purchase new software or additional services. Since every other software company I dealt with provided this recovery service at no cost, I believe ****'s decision to charge me is an unjustified fee.***** customer support representative stated that this charge is part of ***** policy, but I strongly disagree with a policy that forces customers to pay extra for basic license recovery, especially when all other companies in the industry provide the same service for free.I request that Avid waive the $39.99 fee and restore my licenses without charge. If this issue is not resolved, I will consider escalating my complaint to consumer protection agencies and online forums to raise awareness about this unfair practice.I look forward to your prompt response and a fair resolution to this *********** regards,Simai

  Business Response

  Date: 03/06/2025

  Hello SImai

  Thank you for reaching out with your concern.  Upon looking at your Avid Account and License, you have am Education license under System ID: ******** which expired Apr 22, 2022.  The license could be reverified as an Educational license, if you are still in school or a faculty member.  To renew the product, your Academic Eligibility should be verified and you can refer to our KB article (***************************************************************************** )  if you need help on Reverification of your Academic Eligibility.   However if you are no longer a student or faculty, then you should not be using the license for commercial purposes.  

  Per our End User License Terms ( ******************************************************************* )

  Academic Use. If the software is designated or specially-priced as an "Academic" or "Education" version, it is licensed only for educational, non-commercial use by students, faculty, and staff of an educational institution.

  As for the ***, since you do not have a support plan, the *** and money obtained, is what allows you access to our paid support team in order to do the necessary work to recover your iLok information.  If the license was on an active support plan, which it isnt and hasn't been in 3 years, then an *** would not be required. This is not just a recover or replacement policy process for Pro Tools but across **** products as support at **** is not free.  

  Here is the Knowledge Base Article which explains the iLok policy which has been in existence for a while now.  **********************************************************************************

  I am sorry you do not like the answer but that is our policy on this matter.

  Please feel free to reach out to me directly at ************************** if you have any additional questions.

  ******** ********

  Director, Online Communities and CX
  m ***************** 
  ************************** 
  Avid | Remote - *******
  ************************
  ************
  
  

   

   

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/06/2025

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  Dear Avid Support,

  First of all, thank you for your explanation. Regarding this issue, I would like to clarify the following points:
  When I made the purchase, I opted for a perpetual license, not a subscription license. According to the **** Copyright Act, purchasing software and obtaining a perpetual license generally means I own the permanent right to use the software, and this right should not be lost due to a change in personal status.
  The Avid **** (*******************************************************************) only mentions that educational versions cannot be used for commercial purposes. It does not state that the perpetual license will be revoked after a certain period.
  Chapter 3.8 explains the terms for educational licenses, but it specifically applies to rental or subscription models. Since my software was purchased with a perpetual license, the provisions regarding educational discounts are not applicable in this case.
  As for the *** fee that you mentioned, I understand the policy, but I must respectfully disagree, as other companies provide similar services for free. Given that your company charges for this service, I do not find it reasonable.
  In conclusion, I would appreciate it if you could waive my Support Fee.

  Regards,

  Simai

   

   

  Business Response

  Date: 03/10/2025

  This was sent to the customer on March 6, 2025).

   

  As a one-time courtesy, per Mariannas request, we have waived the Avid Support Code for this issue. Please note that if this occurs again in the future, you will need to purchase an Avid Support Code.  Additionally, your Pro Tools Studio Perpetual license has been successfully recovered from the lost iLok. You can now activate the license using either your iLok key or Cloud activation.
  
  To activate the license to the iLok Cloud: *************************************************************************************************
  
  To activate the license to the iLok Key: ***********************************************************************************************
  
  Additionally, regarding perpetual or subscription applies to section 3.6 which states:
  
  Academic Use. If the software is designated or specially priced as an "Academic" or "Education" version, it is licensed only for educational, non-commercial use by students, faculty, and staff of an educational institution.

  Let me know if you need any further assistance but this is a closed issue and the customer has been waved the *** code.

  ******** ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/19/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I downloaded an AVID technology product for a class I was taking online last year (1/2024). I ended up having to withdraw from the class because I couldn't figure out how to utilize the product. I attempted to contact **** many times for reasonable support, but was unable to. No one answers the phone there for technology issues. So they billed me for the product, which I understood, but what I didn't understand is that I was also signed up for automatic billing a year later for $106. So just recently, they charged by account again. I want a refund of my money. I haven't been able to use this product or reach a talking person in technology support. I shouldn't have to pay for a program that I couldn't figure out how to work let alone sign myself up for a renewal.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/20/2025

  Hello ******,

  I see that *******, in our Avid web store team has cancelled your license System ID ******** and issued you a courtesy refund. You will see the cancelled subscription on your Cancelled and Expired Subscription Tab in your Avid account. 

  Also, a one-time courtesy refund has been processed for the latest charge. Refund should reflect on your bank account within 5-10 business days and may appear on your paper bill or online bank statement within 30 days or earlier, depending on your billing cycle. You can contact your bank for confirmation if you prefer not to wait for the statement.
  
  ***********************************************************************************************;
  
  If you wish to access the software again, you may purchase it through *************. 

  I hope that the case has been resolved to your satisfaction and if you feel that the case should not be closed on Avid's end or has not been resolved, please reply to  to re-open the case. 

  Best regards,

  ******** ********

  Avid Technology Inc.

  **************************************************