Comments on: I Can Honestly Not Believe How Bad PureTracks Is

By: the506

the506 — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:28:56 +0000

Same thing happened to me. Tried to buy 3 albums, but the connection timed out on me after the first 4 tracks finished. Can't go back, got them to reset my account and this time it downloaded 6 more songs before it timed out again. I'm not even going to try anymore. They've taken my money and didn't follow through on providing their service.

I usually try and buy CDs (so that I still have something in case my computer/mp3 player/etc fails), but couldn't find these ones in my hometown. I broke down and ordered the CDs online through amazon.

Technology sucks sometimes…

By: Juana

Juana — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:02:42 +0000

it’s realy bad….. all this comments came late to me, I spended some money on songs never download. After my my second request for help they blocked my account or took me off the system…. So DON’T USE THIS FOR ANYTHING….They steal your money.

By: Neal

Neal — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 22:04:32 +0000

I got a free coupon for Puretracks and downloaded a couple of songs. Then, when I tried to transfer them to my iPod, I found they were copy protected. Customer support told me I’d have to burn tham to a CD using WMP and then import them into my iPod. I’m not sure that would work, but even if it did .. in my opinion that SUCKS. So glad I found out that site sucks before I actually invested any money. The audacity of the music industry shows here - they frown on people downloading illegally and then make it next to impossible to download legally.

By: Rob McIntyre

Rob McIntyre — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 21:04:15 +0000

Oh, do I have a Puretracks horror story for you guys. They deleted their old accounts when they went to V2 so I had to re-enter my info today. But having my previous account and download/license info deleted just wasn’t inconvenient enough for yours truly. Oh no. When trying to download the free track I was subjected to not only a persistent server error but awful customer service. It’s been six hours since my first attempt to download and the customer service rep answering their email appears to enjoy skimming thru messages - I’ve had to repeat the issue twice and I am awaiting a response, by email - When I could have resolved this via the phone ! I will not be recommending Puretracks to any of my friends and family.

By: Detlef Wittmacher

Detlef Wittmacher — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 18:40:59 +0000

all I have to say PURETRACKS sucks……..

By: gary

gary — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 03:16:16 +0000

holy shit puretracks sucks ass. i tried downloading a free promotional song and it took me 15 minute to figure everything out, create and account, and finally downloading it. after that, I CAN LISTEN TO THE DAMN SONG BECAUSE OF SOME LICENSING BULLSHIT! Im not even going to bother going to the shitty ass customer service since they’re probably busy as hell answering all their numerous errors. FUCK YOU PURETRACKS!

By: jc

jc — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:31:03 +0000

Puretracks aboslutely sucks…I can’t even play the stupid songs back because of the licensing BS -This is the second time I have gone through this…The first time they had to reset my order and now this time they won’t respond to me! You click on help desk and they make you register again…then they tell me I am already registered and I asked them to send me my forgotten password so I can log in to make a freakin complaint - and they haven’t responded in over 2 weeks. How can they stay in business?????

By: Max

Max — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 02:22:48 +0000

I hope I had read this earlier, could have avoided all my miseries. Downloaded some tracks, paid for the licenses and cannot play them with any players; keep getting error code 1040. It does not play with Windows Media Player 9. I made another big mistake getting winamp pro 5.3.2 hoping I could convert them to mp3 and load them in the new ipod I just bought. winamp will not convert.
Puretracks and winamp are both tied to AOL.
Contacted both via e-mail and no response yet.
Stay away from WMA format- it really sucks

By: Tom E.

Tom E. — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 22:02:51 +0000

Thanks so much for this. I’ve been scouring the Internet trying to find out why the songs I bought legally from Puretracks and one its mirrors, chooseyoursongs.com (beware) can’t be burned onto my home PC, and can’t be played on any other PC at all, even though they say I can download x number of times. I’m basically out about $13. It’d be like if I bought a Big Mac to go but the moment I headed out the door, they grabbed it back and told me I could only eat if if I stayed in the restaurant!

Thanks for getting the word out. Puretracks is awful, awful, awful.

I’ve been using Itunes since the Canadian version came out and, even though their store isn’t as large as the USA version, it still beats the pants off of EVERY OTHER MUSIC PROGRAM I’ve ever tried. What’s more is that I have never had a single issue trying to burn, copy or play any legitimately downloaded song.

By: Wally Ballou

Wally Ballou — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 23:27:52 +0000

I, too am glad to see I’m not the only one suffering. I started out with a $10 purchase (seemed like an incredible bargain for the tracks from a 4-CD box set). Since then, I have been courting a stroke.

I have bought DRM music before that worked. In principle, I support DRM, because it allows the providers to get paid, so we will continue to get content.

BUT, BUT - puretracks is purecrap, as far as I can tell. I am an advanced computer user, and I cannot get their product to work - I’m pretty sure I blew a couple of veins trying. They are doomed, and soon. I will join you in a dance on their corporate grave.

By: Yousaf M. Shaikh

Yousaf M. Shaikh — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 00:25:33 +0000

A tad bit paranoid are we?

By: Tenggara

Tenggara — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 10:46:39 +0000

Ian, it’s interesting you say we should just go buy a CD next time. It wouldn’t surprise me that this is exactly what the music industry planned for all of us who thought we were smart by taking the cheap/free online route. They create an illusion of user-friendly and cheap online service, get us to think it will make our lives easier, make it impossible for us to get the music which is just a mouse-click away ( carrot anybody? )and frustrate us to the point of exasperation. End result : we go back to buying expensive music instore.

By: Ian

Ian — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 14:17:03 +0000

I arrived at your post by Googling “PureTracks bullshit”. Guess how I was feeling at the time.

It’s a relief to know I’m not the only one. I’ve reached the same conclusion as others: buy a CD next time.

The PureTracks homepage told me, “go away, you’re not a Canadian resident.” Yes I am, you moron; I just happen not to be in Canada today, thanks to this new invention called *travel*. I was quite glad to find I’d saved the url that took me past that first barrier, to the page that showed my past purchases. Oh, I was so close I could just taste it now; I clicked “download”, and it even mentioned something about downloading the licenses as well…

But when I tried to play the wma files, it gave me the same “license error” (error code 1040) error. Actually, that message was in Spanish by default–odd, as I’m in Vienna right now.

I saw a customer support email address. But don’t write this down; it will only get you a reply that apologises, “this email address is for outbound email only.”

So I go back to the “license error” page, and I clicked on the “here” link next to “click here for support,” and it took me to some Spanish website that was supposed to offer me Puretracks support. But it required me to login before I could lodge my complant. And to login, I needed to register; and to register, guess what…. I needed to provide a ****US**** address!

Okay, let me get this straight: I can’t go to Puretracks unless I’m in Canada, and I can’t go to their license support site unless I’m American…

I HAA-A-A-A-ATE THE INTERNET!!

By: Yousaf M. Shaikh

Yousaf M. Shaikh — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 23:40:33 +0000

You know,

It’s the funniest thing…..seems to me that none of this bullshit ever happened when just buying CD’s the good old fashioned way.
The worst case scenario? You’re stuck paying full price for only one song on a CD when you find the rest mediocre.

But at least you don’t have to worry about licenses and/or hard drive crashes.

By: Dick

Dick — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 18:28:32 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I ordered and downloaded 6 classical–(Paganini) items. They would not play or record. One by one license would pop up and be signed. Then “play ok” but still no record using Media 10 or 11, I have no e-Mail that says I can re-record??? No answer to my queations sent to Customer Service (who wrote back I sent to wrong place—They could not move my request to “Help”—which does not work. Now I go back to an old standby—no more PURETRAX!!!

By: Kevin Shields

Kevin Shields — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 02:03:18 +0000

I attempted to purchase a CD through Puretracks. What a joke! I guess that they’re still using the Pony Express; I’m sorry, the Turtle Express; or they just think you (the customers) are stupid! Their customer service was both impersonal and provided me with inaccurate information on the status of my shipment. This is no kind of business!!!!!

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 02 Jan 2006 12:11:26 +0000

Pure tracks does suck. In Kraft dinner you get a cuppon for 5 tracks. I thought I would try it. I ve got 5 useless songs because no matter what I do or how , I got songs but just no lic.
I can’t understnad any bus that thinks email is the only why to contact them.
dave k.

By: Bob

Bob — Sat, 26 Nov 2005 02:11:46 +0000

Hey, Puretracks sucks big, not just for their “new users” as you described yourself. I’ve been a Puretracks customer since they started, and they just continually get worse, and worse, and worse. Mt latest bitch with these idiots is an album that I bought today. However, the licenses won’t download, and I’m getting a mysterious error message in their “new improved” Download Manager. OK, so that happens. I call up their Help page. Nothing on this new error message. In fact, it looks like the same old Help page they’ve had since Day 1. OK, so I click on the link to “Contact Us”, which shows a URL that leads me to believ that I’ll be logging in to their sucky Helpdesk system. OK, maybe some progress. Oooops, spoke too soon since this page is just a redirect back to the login pagre that goes back into their “homepage”. I.E., definitely NOT their bloody Help desk! Fine so I send an email off to “customerservice@…”, and about a half hour later get that same stupid reply that you describe. Well now I’m just boiling!

If there is anybody alive at Puretracks who happens to bother to read these blogs, please be advised that I vow/pledge/promise to absolutely NEVR do business with you again. And that includes buying gift cards for my friends and family, which might have been a good idea at this time of year: but oh no!, you shameless idiots at Puretracks just can’t get it together. So Good Freakin’ Bye!

Ah, feeling so much better …

By: Russell

Russell — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 18:32:32 +0000

Being a really greedy consumer, I would expect the combined music databases of every country to be available for download purchase anywhere in the world.(fat chance).
The only people that can deliver electronically on a global basis are the PtoP free sites. Dumb isn’t it. Everyone seems to need a different agreement at every border to protect who?
The businesses and it’s partners associated with the music industry are not in it to serve us, we are only a byproduct of their profit plan.

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 17:04:11 +0000

8P - that’s a great question. I’d say “no DRM” would have to top my list.

By: 8p

8p — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 15:35:55 +0000

Out of curiosity, what would the perfect Canadian pay digital music service look like? I’ve never used one, but, infinite library, easy interface, top-notch support, and low-cost for certain… anything else?

By: Jason

Jason — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 06:19:35 +0000

Thanks for your comments Russ. I think really what we’re all experiencing are the foibles of Digital Rights Management. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever see it done right. From now on I’m sticking to DRM-free music formats, like MP3. Nothing wrong with it, why change, right?

By: Russell

Russell — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 03:41:18 +0000

Not only PureTracks, but also iTunes and Sony Connect ..SUCK ..for thier Canadian customers.

The databases: Sony does not offer anything to Canadian customers, period. So what is the point of offering the SonicStage software with the expensive Walkman/mini disc (I have one).

iTunes: Very often I find the classical stuff I want is only available on the U.S. site, and is just not available to Canadian customers. You can even search and get the info via the U.S. in the iTunes application, but it wont let you buy it, and you cannot duplicate your Canadian account in the U.S. database.

PureTracks: I do like the WinMedia 10, and it is appropriate for Windows … if it were really any good. The search options are awful compared to iTunes. And really, they do not have much of a database outside of the popular stuff.

The biggest nag I have is that this technology was supposed to make it easier to buy products, and one would have thought, internationally. All the databases on musical content in the world is useless, unless it can be both offered and provided. While the major providers (these three?) are selling pop and counting the profits, I have a ton of money I can’t spend online for the music I want. What is wrong with that picture?

Thanks, I needed to vent, as an old geezer who has to wait three weeks for the mail to deliver a cd from California to Ontario.

Russ

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 26 Aug 2005 16:35:52 +0000

I had the same problem with the support links. Their website needs some serious loving.

By: Glen

Glen — Fri, 26 Aug 2005 16:04:54 +0000

Don’t hold back Jason. It’s not healthy to keep your feelings bottled up inside. Tell us how you really feel.