ATX Unimproves!

[Black Bart]

Just noticed this past weekend -- ATX support was closed. We had an EF problem come up late Saturday, called, and got a recording. Hours are now Monday through Friday from 8:30 A.M. until 6:00 P.M.

Last year they were open nights and weekends; staying up and staying right with me (well...sort of...I mean, at least we were on hold together). Now; the new, unimproved ATX; courtesy of corporate consolidator CCH. I'll bet it went something like this...

New CCH CEO: Okay -- where can we cut?
Former ATX tech support manager: But...you recently stated, very publicly I might add, that you were committed to providing the same level of service that we did.
CCH: I am, I am. But your support was just so-so anyway, wasn't it? We'll continue that with a few minor adjustments.
ATX: Such as?
CCH: Well, there's fifty to a hundred techs up in Maine on the corporate udder -- cut 'em loose.
ATX: But those are experienced and knowledgeable people; it'll take months to break in newbies. Tax season's right around the corner and --
CCH: Look, we've already got their money -- that solves 99% of our problems. As to theirs, you already had 'em used to an hour on hold, right? Okay, now they hang on for two; so what? It's not a perfect world. Besides, who'll miss people from...what is it?...Maine? Where's that at, anyway?
ATX: What about support hours?
CCH: Nine 'til five. What about them?
ATX: Normally yes, of course, but during tax season -- are we open nights and weekends?
CCH: The stress of extended hours is a major factor in employment-related accidents. As a highly-regarded and responsible corporate citizen, CCH is committed to a safe working environment. We feel that enforced prolonging of the intense concentration required of technical support personnel tends to exacerbate rather than ameliorate workplace demands and contributes to on-the-job injury. While they may simply be keyboarding, nevertheless, we are unwilling to expose our employees to unreasonable risk. Therefore the board has issued a directive to sunset prior time scheduling.
ATX: Say what?
CCH: No overtime!
ATX: But...my God...they'll throw fits...they can't be working like dogs for all hours while we're off snoozing, lolling around, strolling in the park, whatever...this is their time of the year; it's extremely important to our customers. These 3 1/2 months are a financial make or break for tax people. They need our help, sometimes desperately, and you pledged to give it to them -- in exchange for a pretty hefty fee, I might add. We can't just give up; we can't just throw up our hands and walk out of the office as if everything's hunky-dory and it's a normal work week. You made a lot of promises to these people, both express and implied and they've supported this company for years with their money and their loyalty. What are you going to do for them?
CCH: Look, if they complain too much we'll retaliate by shutting off that uh...that uhhh... whaddayacallit...the Knowledge Base. Geez, what a corny PR name -- anyway you closed down their ATX board and got away with it, didn't you?
ATX: This is different! A message board is one thing; real support from a real tech is another.
CCH: Oh alright -- you hicks from the sticks are a major pain, you know that? Got any relatives in Maine? Okay, okay; throw 'em a bone -- make it eight-thirty 'til six.
ATX: Well, that's not much; just a token, really. And if it's not enough?
CCH: I'll call India.

[LawrenceGR]

Sorry

to hear about this. I used ATX for a few years, the price was nice($69) but once I got a little bigger I switched. I would have to say this is a sharp stick in the eye of ATX users.

[sea-tax]

BB Hate to say it man I know that Lacerte is spendy but I have had not one issue yet. I am sure something will come up , but to this point it has worked flawlessly and I have prepared about 50 returns so far. Unfortunately I don't think things are going to get better for your ATXERS. Sorry to hear you are having so much trouble. Keep your head up only 2.5 months left.

[taxxcpa]

CCH's game plan

I think the CCH game plan is to get ATX users so dissatisfied that they will switch to TaxAct.

Step One buy ATX and Tax Act
Step Two discontinue the ATX Forum
Step Three reduce responsiveness to questions
Step Four Get rid of everything in Maine
Step Five Get rid of William Tasker
Step six Switch as many dissatisfied customers as possible to Tax Act
Step seven Alienate the rest if ATX lasts another year.

Step eight Discontinue ATX due to lack of customers.

I may be a little short on the number of steps. It may be more like with Alcoholics Anonomous--a twelve-step program

[ChEAr$]

why

would CCH want to get people to switch to a competitor? (TaxAct?)

[taxxcpa]

Switching from ATX

I may have the wrong company, but they seem to be trying to get ATX people to switch to the other company they own

[KBTS]

Cch

I may have the wrong company, but they seem to be trying to get ATX people to switch to the other company they own

They own TaxWise as well as ATX and their own software ProSystem fx. You had to figure one of the lower end softwares would be eliminated. Looks like ATX might be the one.

[August @ ADG Financial]

Atx

This is my third year with ATX. So far this year I've efile 75 returns with no problems and I'm happy. Should be another great year!

[Black Bart]

Dear No-Problems Augie,

This is my third year with ATX. So far this year I've efile 75 returns with no problems and I'm happy. !

Glad to hear it's working out for you -- but to assure the continuance of this blissful ambience of happiness, I suggest you refuse to allow problems to happen on Saturday night (or after six during the week).

Should be another great year!

You're not by any chance related to anybody in CCH PR, are you?

[taxxcpa]

No problems with ATX

This is my third year with ATX. So far this year I've efile 75 returns with no problems and I'm happy. Should be another great year!

There may be no problems with your returns if you only do 1040s and e-file promptly after you prepare them and do not have questions requiring technical support.

However, many people who renewed with ATX are complaining more than ever before. One of the things that really annoyed people was hearing that ATX is getting rid of William Tasker who used to make sure every problem got solved.

[Matt Sova]

Software

The thrill of buying inexpensive software. The euphoria felt by paying a low dollar is soon replaced with the frustration of getting it to work.

I liken this to the Detroit International Auto Show that I took my son to a couple weeks back. In the main area you had everything from Honda to Ford to Cadillac to Lamborghini. Downstairs in a separate room they had some miscellaneous cars as well as the new Chinese manufacturers. Holy cow what piles of junk!! When you shut the door it sounded like 2 beer cans smacking together. One car had a busted piece of liner on the A pillar (that is the metal bar at the side of your windshield). These vehicles are going to be substantially less than their Japanese, American and European counterparts. But, who in their right mind would buy one? Remember the Yugo? Same thing big splash when it first came out because it was cheap. And cheap it was the sorry owners soon found out.

I know UltraTax is pricey, but in my 13 years of doing this on my own I have never had these types of issues. I install the software, prepare returns, get paid. If I have to call support it is because I am unsure where to enter something in the program.

[Nashville]

Price Games

Matt buyers having been falling prey to the siren song of cheap goods since the beginning of time. From what my CPA friends tell me, there is nothing to compare with Creative Solutions, especially when you can go from a financial statement to a tax return with no hiccups.

But the ATX is not the "Yugo" of tax software. It has the largest customer base of any tax software in existence. It doesn't have a Cadillac pricetag, but it's not the cheapest either. More like a Buick or Mercury than a Chevy.

The complaints here are coming from people who thought they were buying an established product with a decent track record from a well-known and reputable source. They're all aware of the well-known story about the Yugo that fell apart on its way home from the showroom and were trying to avoid it.

I would think there would be fallout. I wouldn't buy ATX now if it were free -- and my disgust would carry over into the other CCH products.

By the way, my brother worked as a welder setting up the auto show. He had to rush back to Michigan after Christmas dinner so he could get put on the job. I would say the Detroit auto show is the most prestigious in the world, and if my memory serves me correctly, it is an annual event. Last time I went it was downtown in Cobo Hall, but that's been ages ago.

Also, he says instead of speeding tickets in Michigan, the police are giving Lions tickets. And then they make you go to the game. Lansing says enforcement has improved 100%.

[taxxcpa]

Cheap Goods

Matt buyers having been falling prey to the siren song of cheap goods since the beginning of time. .

Cheap goods are OK if they serve your purpose. If I did nothing but Form 1040s I would use TaxAct which only costs about $100. I need a little more than that so I use Drake. If I had a much larger practice, which I don't want, I might shell out $10,000 or $ 15,000 for software, but there is no way I could justify that with the volume of returns I do.

I see a lot of messages touting expensive software and saying it is worth it. There is no way to justify paying $ 10000 for software to do $9000 worth of tax returns. I don't doubt that all the bells and whistles would be better than what you get with ATX or Drake but price does matter.

[Matt Sova]

Way off

I do not know of any software that is 10 or 15 k. Well maybe UltraTax if you purchased EVERY entity (1040, 1065, 1120, 990, 1041...) and EVERY State and EVERY City. But, I do not. I purchase 1040, 1120 and all Michigan and Michigan Cities. When I do a 1065 or I have an out state return I use the pay per return.

The nice thing is I use to not order the MI-Cities and my practice grew to a point that I had done so many MI-cities that it was cheaper for me to go with the full version. THEY called me, during tax season, and informed me of this and refunded a couple bucks back to me and put me on the full version.

You can have a Cadillac for the price of a Mercury and pay a little bit here and there to "lease" the rest of it.

[Burke]

I do not know of any software that is 10 or 15 k. Well maybe UltraTax if you purchased EVERY entity (1040, 1065, 1120, 990, 1041...) and EVERY State and EVERY City. But, I do not. I purchase 1040, 1120 and all Michigan and Michigan Cities. When I do a 1065 or I have an out state return I use the pay per return.
You can have a Cadillac for the price of a Mercury and pay a little bit here and there to "lease" the rest of it.

The price for ATX MAX package which includes 1040 & all federal forms, plus 1120, 1120-S, 1065, 1041, 990, Payroll 941, 940, (also state payroll and unemployment tax forms) W2's, 1099s, etc, and every State & city in the US including instructions for each of these is around $1,000. (About 10,000 forms). Not cheap IMO, but not out of the ballpark either.