Customer Reviews

TurboTax Premier 2002

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(28)

 

 

I've used TurboTax with good success for years. But this year, they slipped in an intrusive copy protection scheme (including a ... program left behind after uninstall) that adds hassle to the setup process and hampers legal, reasonable use of the software. If you want to refer back to your 2002 tax return at some later date, buy another program. I'm going to take a look at TaxCut.

Microsoft-style authentication is bad enough; at least they do it right. I just migrated all my software to a new hard drive, and all the Microsoft products happily re-registered themselves, without any of them accusing me of attempting to "pirate" their software. Same deal for Norton AntiVirus. The one and only software package that screwed this up was TurboTax, which told me I could only install it on one computer (I guess a new hard drive equals a new computer?!) and prompted me to purchase a new license. I eventually located an 800 number, only to learn that they only take calls during regular business hours, when most of us, myself included, have better things to do. When I finally got ahold of someone a couple of days later, I had to work with two different people and reinstall the software twice before someone finally got it to work. Now I'm worried that if I so much as sneeze on my computer between now and April 15th, TurboTax will define my computer as a "new" computer and disable itself all over again....

If Intuit cares that much about preventing us from using two or more computers to complete a tax return, and that little about giving us a reason to want their product in the first place, then I guess they don't really need our business that badly....

I read the reviews about the problems with the activation Intuit started this year. I thought, that's OK. I don't need to use the program on different computers and I'm not going to give the program to someone else.

Well, let me tell you, when I got to the activation part I tried to activate on the internet. It said it couldn't connect. I tried their online chat. That felt like I was talking to a computer. I tried twice, because they cut me off after telling me to load Internet Explorer 6.0 when I had 5.5. That was no help so I asked to talk to a Tech on the phone. After waiting about 20 min I was told to activate by phone and that the program would probably connect on the internet after it was activated. The phone process isn't easy (very long numbers to enter). So after I was activated, I tried to register on the internet. That wouldn't connect either. In the prior 15 years of using TurboTax I've never had any trouble like this. I spent 2-1/2 hours getting my program activated. I registered by phone. Then I tried using the internet to update the program. It worked fine. So there was no problem connecting to the internet. The Tech I talked to did indicate they were having trouble with people who were using DSL connections (which I have). I tried to register my complaints with a senior Tech on the chat line. He or she wouldn't even agree to pass on my complains to management or give me a VP to contact. Intuit better wake up. I'm going to look elsewhere for tax programs next year if Intuit doesn't correct their problems.

Have used TurboTax many years. Use primarily my small laptop to do my taxes while on the road and transfer tax files to my desktop computer to work on larger screen & keyboard when I get home.
You can only get full functionality on ONE computer. On my desktop it won't allow me to view whole forms or print or efile. Calls to their tech support people have been met with complete arrogance and indifference.
Honest users are being unfairly harassed in their attempts to thwart a few dishonest ones.
Even Microsoft allows users to activate Office XP on TWO computers realizing that many people use laptops on the road and switch to their desktops when they get home.
I have now also purchased TaxCut and will use it until Intuit starts showing a little more customer appreciation.

I've been using Turbo Tax since the second year it was available and long before it was purchased by Intuit. I am also a long time Quicken and Quickbooks user. This will be the last year I will purchase any Intuit product because of the product activation policy. The new policy allows you to install Turbo Tax on one computer, one time only. In my case, I first installed it on my notebook, then decided that preparing taxes on a notebook keyboard is not a good idea. When I tried to install the product on my desktop and uninstall it on my desktop PC, product activation told me I could not install a fully working product on my desktop unless I paid for the product again. I called tech support and asked for help and was told that the policy only allows one installation on one PC, no exceptions. That is unacceptable. No matter how well Turbo Tax helps prepare taxes, Intuit's new policy makes this an unacceptable product. Avoid it at all costs and show Intuit what you think of their new policy.

Turbo Tax has added a terrible copy protection scheme.
- If you need to reinstall or move to a new computer, you will likely need to call TurboTax to reactivate. Do you want to take a chance of that happening the day you want to file your taxes?
- The C-dilla is an intrusive and potentailly toublesome peice of code. It is very difficult to remove, takes a meg of memory, and imposes itself in the drive chain to your harddrive. There are many reports of decreased disk performance and anadotal stories of other problems. Do you want to take a chance?

GO WITH AN ALTERNATE PACKAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Intuit has made a huge mistake by requiring activation and adding Safecast to TurboTax. Reinstalling this software on a different machine in the future should be allowed without having to call the company. Safecast is "big brother."

I have switched and will not buy software from Intuit again.

Intuit - wake up. You just lost another customer.

The last thing that I want on my tax software is something that only allows me to use it on one computer and a possible big brother looking at my taxes -- that's worse than Microsoft and activation. I'm trying to return this piece of cr@p.

Intuit, Inc.
Returns Department
6060 Nancy Ridge Drive Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92121-3290

Dear Sir/Madam,
I have used your product for years and grew accustomed to the quality and support you have consistently given in the past even though I seldom, if ever, required it. This year I signed up for your permanent customer program. That was a mistake! Please remove me from this program and refund my money for this year 2002 Turbo Tax Deluxe.

I could not get any one click updates, upload an achieve tax form or in anyway access Turbo Tax within your program. I dropped my MSN6 browser to accept all cookies, something I didn't really wish to do! I also removed and installed your program twice. I could access your support site via my browser but found out my pin number was out of date just a few days after I installed Turbo Tax Deluxe and had just began to try and sort out the problems. I believe you must start the clock on the shipping date rather than when the customer actually installs and uses it.

The worst part is not being able to access any telephone support. I had tried two numbers 520 901-2510/3125. 2510 rang once and dropped the line. 3125 had a menu I gave up on. Income tax forms have remained fairly consistent over the years so I assume your "Bells and Whistles", security problems and desire to cut support costs are the underlying causes of the difficulties I encountered. Notwithstanding, this year I will look for a Tax program that works for me instead of the other way around. Hopefully one that works like Turbo Tax used to!

I've used TurboTax for years. This year I was unpleasantly surprised by their Activation process, which ended up with my having to call TurboTax tech support in order to get it working. Worse was in store. I upgraded to a new hard drive after the activation, only to find that TurboTax would no longer start up at all. Nor could I re-activate it. And, of course, this problem reared its ugly head on Sunday when tech support isn't available.

Doing research using Google lead to the fact that a ... program (Safecast), was installed on my PC by TurboTax, one that is capable of collecting and pushing information over the internet. Intuit, naturally, says they only use Safecast to protect their copyright. That certainly made me feel much better.

Needless to say, I will not be using TurboTax next year. While I appreciate their right to protect their software from piracy, I prefer to exercise my right to purchase from a company that does not put [C-Dilla] on my computer.