That free trial of DraftSight got me hooked then hit me with a $300 bill

I figured the free version would last forever, but after 60 days it locked up mid-drawing and demanded payment to even export my file. Has anyone else gotten burned by those 'free' software trials that turn into ransom situations?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_viola9d ago

Did you try to find a way to crack it or use an older version? I remember a similar thing happened to me with this "free" photo editing app that locked all my project files until I paid up. It's basically malware dressed up as a trial, right? They bank on you getting deep into your work and then holding your own data hostage. That kind of business model just feels so slimy, especially when they don't warn you upfront how limited the free version really is. What software are you switching to now?

theagibson9d ago

Yeah, I used to be one of those people who thought cracking software was no big deal. I figured if a company was being shady with their pricing or locking basic features behind a paywall, it was fair game to find a workaround. But then I had almost the exact same thing happen with a video editor last year. @the_viola, you're totally right, it's basically ransomware but with nicer marketing. I lost three weeks of work on a project because the "free trial" suddenly refused to export anything. That experience completely changed my mind, I'd rather pay for something upfront than deal with that kind of sneaky hostage situation again. It feels way dirtier when you realize they designed the whole thing to trap you.

michael_coleman108d ago

Isn't calling a trial ransomware a bit dramatic when you chose to use it, @theagibson?