From phdavison@aol.com Wed Aug 31 18:04:57 1994 From: phdavison@aol.com (PHDavison) Newsgroups: alt.comp.shareware Subject: 800# Service for Authors Date: 30 Aug 1994 12:01:01 -0400 Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) NNTP-Posting-Host: search01.news.aol.com There's been talk about registration services for authors, so I thought I'd post this: (If I shouldn't post something like this please don't flame me too hard ) PsL's Registration Service Overview: PsL is short for "Public (software) Library". We have been distributing public domain and shareware software on disks since 1982. PsL has been recommended in every major (PC) computer magazine, many computer books, and many non-computer publications such as NY Times. PsL offers a shareware registration order taking service primarily for the benefit of shareware authors who are unable to get a credit card merchant account. We began this service in January 1989 and presently take orders for over 675 shareware authors. PsL can take orders via our 800#, non-800#, CIS#, and FAX#. Our operators are available from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CST Monday-Friday and normally >from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekends. We provide the easiest and most direct way to register shareware via CompuServe - via email. FAX and credit cards are the primary means of registration for overseas customers. We charge a small fee per transaction. Statements and checks are computer prepared and mailed promptly at the end of each month. We have tried to price this service as close as possible to our total actual costs. What we get out of it is the name of a good shareware customer (one who is honest enough to register shareware) to whom we can send our monthly shareware magazine. As a result, we will take orders ONLY for programs that are being marketed as shareware for DOS-based machines. However, the program does NOT have to be in our shareware catalog; the order-taking service is a completely separate function from our shareware distribution service. (We would, of course, be happy to have you send us a copy of your shareware program for review for our monthly magazine.) 1. PsL's Obligations: PsL will process orders received directly (only) from customers on a non-exclusive basis for the Programmer for fully-licensed versions of the Programmer's product. (NOTICE: MC/Visa forbids us to process orders not received by us directly >from the customer. If you receive a mail order, for example, with a credit card number, you will have to notify the customer to contact PsL directly. Do not just forward the order on to PsL yourself.) At the Programmer's option, PsL will either ship the product or will relay the order information to the Programmer or to the Programmer's designated agent via CIS Email or telephone within one business day of the time received. Once a month, PsL will write a check to the author for orders received during the prior month, less an order processing fee of $5 per order and 4% of the total amount charged to the credit card (to cover our credit card expenses). The total amount includes any shipping to be charged the customer and remitted to the programmer. We also deduct $1 for each call received from a customer complaining about not receiving his registered materials. This is to cover the cost of the call and operator's time. PsL may delay payment to make sure of fulfillment of orders if a substantial number of orders are received near the end of a month or if complaints are received about non-delivery of registered materials by the author. 2. Programmer's Obligations: The Programmer will either provide PsL with products to ship or will ship the product within 48 hours of being sent notice of the order by PsL, or will notify the customer and PsL within that period if shipment cannot be made immediately. If you are shipping the product instead of the PsL, you must either have a CIS PPN and agree to check for CIS Email at least every other day, or you must have a phone number where you or an answering machine can be reached during the day. We generally prefer for the programmer to ship. However, if you have a large volume of business with us, it may make more sense to have us ship. There is no extra charge to you for this service, but $4 S&H ($6 overseas) will be charged the customer and kept by PsL. To inform users about the availability of this service, the programmer will add the following information to his docs: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- "CREDIT CARD ORDERS ONLY - "You can order with MC, Visa, Amex, or Discover from Public (software) Library by calling 800-2424-PsL or 713-524-6394 or by FAX to 713-524-6398 or by CIS Email to 71355,470. You can also mail credit card orders to PsL at P.O.Box 35705, Houston, TX 77235-5705. "THE ABOVE NUMBERS ARE FOR ORDERS ONLY. "Any questions about the status of the shipment of the order, refunds, registration options, product details, technical support, volume discounts, dealer pricing, site licenses, etc, must be directed to . "To insure that you get the latest version, PsL will notify us the day of your order and we will ship the product directly to you." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- RETURNS: The Programmer assumes all responsibility for product warranty and user satisfaction and for any refunds. If PsL ships an order or if PsL sends payment for an order to the Programmer and payment by the user subsequently fails in any way, the Programmer will reimburse PsL or PsL may withhold the amount from payment for subsequent registrations. If you accept returns, be sure to specify in your docs that returns must be made to you. If a customer calls PsL's 800# for a return, and we have to contact you and process the return, it's more work for us than taking an order and we will have to charge the $5 order processing fee. USE OF PsL'S 800 NUMBER: Several authors have listed PsL's 800 number in ads and in magazine reviews without identifying it as being PsL's number and without saying that it is for orders only. If this happens and we receive an excessive number of non-ordering calls, we reserve the right to charge the author for such calls. 3. Termination and Changes: Termination of this agreement or changes in the pricing or other information related to this agreement must be made in writing or via email to Nelson Ford, not by phone to our operators. This agreement can be canceled by either party at any time, except that the Programmer must ship any orders which PsL has processed as of date of cancellation and PsL must pay the Programmer for orders received and shipped. (With around 700 authors signed up to date, we have only terminated 4 agreements: one for trying to sneak 3rd-party credit card orders by us, one for not being able to prove ownership of a program which was being claimed by someone else, and two for not filling orders.) 4. PsL Shareware Registration Program Information: Your Name: Address: Telephone: CIS ID#: Program Name: Registration Fee(s): If you are shipping - Amount to charge for U.S. S&H: $_____ Amount to charge for Canadian S&H: $_____ Amount to charge for overseas S&H: $______ Phone or CIS number for relaying orders to you: __________________ If PsL is to ship: Please note in your ordering information that shipping is $4 in the U.S. and Canada and $6 overseas. Email the above information to 71355,470 or U.S. mail it to PsL Registration Service P.O.Box 35705 Houston, TX 77235-5705 For a free sample issue of our monthly magazine, PsL News, call 800-2424-PsL or 713-524-6394 or FAX 713-524-6398