pacestar
Policies
Try-Before-You-Buy
All of our software is available on a try-before-you-buy basis. Anyone may request a free evaluation version of the software under no obligation for further purchase. After the trial period, the trial license expires and the user must purchase a permanent license to continue to use the software. The trial version is designed to be "fully functional" containing all the functions and features of the full software with some limitations and incentives to purchase a license. The nature of the difference between the trial and real versions is subject to change from time to time, but Pacestar will always attempt to make the trial a true evaluation of the full product.

We encourage the free distribution, copying, and sharing of our trial versions (note trial versions have file names containing the word "trial"). However, the trial version must be distributed "as is" without any modification to the package including additions and subtractions of files. We also require that the trial version always be properly represented as a free trial version for purposes of evaluating the software for purchase, and never as freeware. Pacestar reserves the right to refuse permission to use any version of our software including the trial version to anyone we deem harmful to the company, its reputation, or its customers.

Privacy
Pacestar Software respects our customers' privacy and handles all customer information with the greatest of care. We do not share your information with other companies without your permission, or use it ourselves beyond the reasonable support of the products or services you have purchased from us. We will share with you occassional upgrade announcements. As we increase communications by publishing tip sheets or newsletters, you will be permitted to opt-out at any time. You can be sure that any additional spam or telemarketing DID NOT originate from the information you shared with us!

Support
We are dedicated to providing the best support possible to our customers. We provide free support to anyone who is using our products. From time to time we may have to prioritize support service in favor of paid customers, or in favor of those with the most serious problems. The primary method of support is by email. E-mail is the fastest and most thorough way to get support.

Bugs
Though we test our software quite thoroughly, customers do occasionally encounter a bug. Please report bugs immediately. DO NOT assume someone else has reported it or it may go overlooked. We take all bug reports seriously and address them as thoroughly and as promptly as possible. Serious bugs are very rare. In the event that a bug is reported that causes a serious effect such as a crash, corrupted diagram, or lost work, such a bug is addressed on the highest priority. In most cases, a serious bug can be fixed and an update posted for download on this web site. Upgrades for bug fixes are most frequently free (see following section). Exceptions may occur when bugs are not promptly reported, are deemed minor, or for some reason cannot be fixed in the current version and provided in a minor bug fix release. In such cases, if a fix or enhancement cannot be practically unbundled from the new offerings of a major release, it may be necessary to obtain the major release at the usual price to acquire the fix along with all the other new content of the new version.

Upgrades
We post bug-fix upgrades on the web site often. The upgrades are typically very minor in terms of adding functionality and are primarily intended to fix a reported problem. Customers can receive these upgrades without charge. These mini-releases happen often, sometimes monthly or more, depending on the nature of the bugs. Therefore the customer should check back from time to time to see if a new version is available (checking for updates is simplified in version 5.0 and later by a feature available in the product's Help menu). In order to avoid the appearance of 'spam', Pacestar will not notify customers of all updates by e-mail. If you encounter a bug, first try the Check for Updates feature to see if it may already have been reported and fixed.

Upgrades that are released within a minimum of one year from the date you purchase a license or an upgrade are provided for download at no charge. In most cases, even after a year's time, you will only be charged an upgrade fee for a Major Release. A major release is usually identified by a new whole version number (5.0, 6.0, and so on). If such a major release is not accompanied by a new whole version number, it will always contain substantial new capabilities from the prior major release. Note that this does not guarantee that the Major Release necessarily contains substantial new capabilities from its immediate predecessor, though that is also a goal. Major upgrades that become available after one year following your purchase will be offered to you at a discount rate. The amount of the upgrade discount varies greatly based on the product and the package purchased. Typically, large purchases such as site licenses pay only a fraction of the original purchase price.

Delivery
When your order is approved and contains all necessary information, you will be provided with a password that enables you to download the full software immediately. If your order includes a shipment by mail, it will be shipped promptly. Larger orders may occasionally take longer. Deliveries for credit card orders will only be made to the billing address of the credit card unless special arrangements are made with us. You will be notified if any order cannot be shipped within ten days, and you will be given the option to cancel the order or wait.

Export Restrictions
In accordance with U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Export Administration regulations, we cannot export to any of the following countries: Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria. In addition, we cannot export to other restricted persons or countries prohibited by US Government law. We may choose to exercise our discretion as required by law to deny shipment to any party if we deem there to be any potential direct or indirect violation of US law, or risk thereof. We will refund any pre-payment made for products not deliverable.

Payment and Transaction Currency
All prices and payments are in US dollars unless explicitly declared otherwise.

Returns, Refunds, Exchanges
We will exchange or replace any defective media (CD Rom) if reported within 30 days of purchase. Full refunds or exchanges are permitted only if the customer returns an unopened media (CD) to us and has not received a password for electronic download. Because we offer a free trial and provide instant download of purchased software, we retain the right to refuse requests for refunds on a case by case basis when an unopened shrink-wrapped CD is not returned. If we do decide to grant a refund in an exceptional case, we may at our discretion require the user to sign an affidavit to assure compliance with the rescinded license.

Exchange Upgrades
We permit our customers to upgrade from a less expensive product to a more expensive product by paying only the difference in price (less shipping and handling charges) in MOST cases. (In the reverse case we will not refund the difference to downgrade.) For example, if you decide to buy our low-end product today, you may later decide to upgrade to our more extensive product. Doing so will cost you only the difference in price. Exceptions occur if the original purchase is more than six months old, or if the products are multi-user or network licenses in which additional users are added. In the latter case, upgrade prices will often reflect only the difference in prices, however, due to complex pricing schedules, promotions, and other discounts, in some cases only a portion of the original purchase price may be applied to the upgrade. In such cases, we will make fair and generous account of prior purchases. It is our policy to reward past business and to accommodate our customers' changing needs in a way that maintains their confidence and loyalty.

Purchase Orders
We accept company purchase orders (net 30 day terms) for payments in excess of $100. We require a hard copy of the purchase order, on company letterhead and signed by an authorized agent of the company. The PO can be mailed to our postal address, FAXed, or scanned and e-mailed to us. We may request credit references to complete the order. In some cases, we may determine that pre-payment is required prior to shipment. Accounts more than 30 days past due will be considered delinquent and may be subject to a late fee of 2% of the unpaid balance per month.

Payment by Wire Transfer
We accept payment by wire transfer to our bank account. However, we require that a service fee of $38 be added to the transfer in order to compensate for fees we are charged. Please contact us by email if you require bank information to affect the transfer.