TurboTax Basic 2002 Software

Average Rating:

I bought a few weeks ago and installed - getting ready for taxes in January. The app installed a TON of "buy this, buy that" and CONSTANTLY bugged me for more money. Very annoying - especially considering I paid for this program - it's not shareware.

A week before Xmas my hard drive failed - I bought a new drive and re-installed. The new registration process first forced me to "activate" the software - then told me I had already installed and I had to buy another copy. I thought it was a simple mistake - so I called Tech Support. Oops - tech support is only open 9 to 5 M-F. Who works on their taxes in the middle of the day?? Oh, by the way - if you want to call them - its $14.95 per call - but you still have to call them in the middle of the day!

I searched high and low on their website - there is no info (FAQ or other) to help with this issue! My only option was an Internet Chat. The Tech Support told me - yep, that's right - if you re-install you have to buy another copy. I explained, in detail, my circumstance - no luck! He was more than happy to help me purchase another copy though! Finally - after nearly 45 minutes of arguing about it - he gave me "a one-time exception" and gave me a new key. All I have to do is uninstall, re-install from scratch (again) and type in the new key. Oops - new key doesn't work. I give up.

Goodbye TurboTax!

First, you should know that Turbo Tax can be installed on several computers, and you can even pass the Turbo-Tax CD around to your friends if you wish. You can sell it, or buy it used; no problem. The software must be activated to use it. That's all. Quick and easy. Once activated, you can do your taxes, your Mother's taxes, your children's taxes, all on the same computer.

That first activation is free. Each additional activation, or re-activation, requires what amounts to a licence fee, which ranges from $29.95 to $99.95, depending on the version. Fair enough. The Devil gets his due.

2: What if your hard drive crashes or the software does not install cleanly, and you need to reactivate it? What then? Do you have to pay again? No.

You can contact Tech-Support chat online live and free, 24 hours a day at [URL]. They have the authority to work through any problems and reactivate your copy without charge. They will get you up and running so you can do your taxes.

3: Good enough for now, but what about the future? Let's say you didn't bother to printout your tax return. (Tisk!) If you reformat your drive six months from now and then find that you need to check you tax records a year down the line, what then? Will they stick you for another registration fee? No.

"TurboTax 2002 CD-ROMs that currently require product activation will be activated free of charge starting October 16, 2003, allowing anyone to reinstall the CD-ROM on any computer without needing to pay for reactivation." (Turbo-Tax Web Site)

4: Is C-Dilla Spyware?
No.

C-Dilla does not contact the internet, or report on you in any way. C-Dilla does not spam you with pop-up adds, or send out your e-mail address or report on your hardware or anything obnoxious like that.

5: This brings me to the one glaring concern I mentioned earlier. C-Dilla runs continuously in the background, even when Turbo-Tax is not running. C-Dilla bleeds CPU cycles perpetually from the time Turbo-tax is installed until such time as you reformat your hard drive. The Turbo-Tax Tech-support guy called it 'quite benign', and perhaps it is, but that is for you to say. Personally, I want as few parasites feeding on my CPU as possible. Tech-support backed my sentiment. Quote: "I agree, I've tried ending it myself, but then TurboTax 'forgets' it is registered I'm afraid."

So there you go. The straight dope on Turbo-Tax. If you are an overage mom & pop user, you probably won't notice or even care if one or two CPU cycles is stolen every now and then. Turbo-tax may fit you fine. But if the very idea C-Dilla-like leaches really gets under your skin, why put up with it? Go with TaxCut instead.

-Science_1

To the person(s) claiming we are fools for talking ... about C-Dilla and looking like ... for doing so: Some of us just don't like programs installed on our system without our knowledge. Especially when the company takes EVERY precaution to hide it from the users; like making the folder hidden. All this makes me want to do is have a huge tax preperation party and print out everyone's taxes I can from my computer just to spite this company for making a very bad public relations decision. All I ask is that the software companies be honest to their consumers.

I probably would have still purchased the program if they had just disclosed what was honestly going to happen to my system, or at least disclose what C-Dilla was and what it was intended to do. Since the company chose not to disclose that information anywhere in the installation process, they have proven themselves to be untrustworthy of my hard earned cash.

So I had to uninstall TurboTax then go to Intuit.com and get the C-Dilla uninstaller to finish the whole thing up. After the uninstall I ran the spyware check and nothing popped up, so it would appear as though the whole thing is off my system, but who knows....