Subject: Attn Amiga LW3.5 SA users
From: Michael Whitten <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 1995 09:33:03 -0500 (CDT)

Hi, LW netters and, specfically, Amiga LW3.5 SA users,

   By now you may have heard that the Amiga LW3.5 SA $150 upgrade from
Newtek has been terminated right out from under your feet.  To find out
what the story is, I called Newtek yesterday, trying to get the CEO of
this company on the line and have not received a call back.  Rather than
explain what they told me, I am reprinting a letter I mailed to the CEO
yesterday. (What IS this guy's last name? [I think its VideoToasterUser.])
   As you will note, I'm pretty mad at Newtek right now, and I hope you
are, too, for even attempting to scam its users.  I urge you all to write
to the CEO.  This is NOT the Newtek I used to know and love.  The two
Newtekkers I spoke to on the telephone did, in fact, agree with all the
points I make in the five questions I pose below, and originated the idea
of writing snail mail to the CEO.  Again, I urge you to heed them.

Michael

Reposts of this entire article are encouraged.

--------------------------- 8< ------------- 8< --------------------------

August 16, 1995

Dwight, CEO
Newtek, Inc
1200 SW Executive Drive
Topeka, KS  66615

Sir:

This is completely outrageous.

I purchased Amiga Lightwave 3.5 SA in October 1994 and duly
registered.  Like many other Amiga Lightwave 3.5 SA users, I eagerly
awaited your Version 4.0 of the program, so that I could upgrade
under your highly touted $150 upgrade program.  This morning
(August 16, 1995) I read in the Lightwave Mailing List, that users are
saying that the Amiga LW 3.5 SA upgrade plan is now terminated and
that owners must pay full price for Amiga Lightwave 4.0 Stand Alone. 
This afternoon, I called Newtek and talked to two different people
about the upgrade:  one in Tech Support and another in Customer
Service.  

Here's what they said:
It seems that early in the release life of Amiga Lightwave 3.5 SA
(summer/fall 1994), Newtek's upgrade plan for Amiga Lightwave 3.5
SA had a termination date that was announced NOWHERE (their
words).  When 4.0 was late, Newtek extended this "termination date"
to August 15 and announced same in Video Toaster User magazine
ONLY!  Meanwhile, a few weeks ago, you sent me a Lightwave 3D
upgrade notice FOR TOASTER USERS ONLY.  Knowing English pretty
well, and NOT being a Toaster user, I ignored it, figuring that Newtek
screwed up somehow.  I know better now; you screwed up in major
fashion and I'm pretty angry about it.

Let's run thru the obvious questions this scenario begs:

      1)    Why have a termination date to an upgrade plan if it is
            not communicated to users?
      2)    Why announce an extension to an upgrade plan when
            the upgrade plan ITSELF was never disseminated?
      3)    Why announce an extension to an upgrade plan for the
            Stand Alone (by the way, Stand Alone means user has NO
            TOASTER) version of Lightwave SOLELY in a magazine
            100% dedicated to users WITH TOASTERS?  I do not own
            a Toaster, never have owned a Toaster, and probably
            never will own a Toaster.
      4)    Being an Amiga Lightwave 3.5 Stand Alone owner, why
            did Newtek send me an upgrade notice that is meant only
            for Toaster users?
      5)    Being an Amiga Lightwave 3.5 Stand Alone owner, why
            did I not receive the purported upgrade notice that is
            for Stand Alone users?

Now, you want me to pay $995 for Amiga Lightwave 4.0 SA when you
have committed what I consider to be fraud - plain and simple.  What
have you folks done with the real Newtek?  I can't remember ever
encountering so much incompetence in one single company.  I bet I'm
not alone, because this EXACT same scenario is being played out
with another Amiga Lightwave 3.5 SA user friend of mine here in
Minneapolis.  I think you've heard from him, too, as well as other SA-
users catching wind of this hoax on the nets.

The five questions I've posed above are not rhetorical, sir.  I want
answers to those questions, and your assurance WITH APOLOGY that
this atrocious business practice you've concocted is a complete and
utter mistake, and immediate reinstatement (with appropriate
notification!) of the $150 upgrade program for users like myself
wishing to upgrade from Amiga Lightwave 3.5 SA to Amiga Lightwave
4.0 SA.

Sincerely, 

Michael Whitten

------------------------------ 8< -------- 8< ----------------------------

 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
 +    M.D. Whitten   [email-masked]    Sentience is overrated.   +
 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

--
Michael Whitten <[email-masked]> sent this message.
To Post a Message           : [email-masked]
Un/Subscription Requests To : [email-masked]
(DIGEST)                 or : [email-masked]
Administrative Items To     : [email-masked]