E-mail from TurboTax: apology & $25 rebate for the change

[robnplunder]

I've got the following e-mail from TurboTax. I think it's legit.


Cut and pasted from the e-mail - "We are giving $25 back if you purchased TurboTax Deluxe desktop software (CD or download) and filed your 2013 tax return and have to upgrade to TurboTax Premier or Home & Business to file your 2014 return."

 

[Options]

TaxAct download is $3 cheaper than TT's entire $25 (grief) "refund".

No thank you.

 

[2B]

So, you have to hope that you purchased Turbo Tax Deluxe last year, used it to file and Intuit doesn't screw up the cross check.

It sounds like this is only a one year appeasement to the rabble. They've lost me. I'm using H&R Block this year even though I get TT Deluxe free from Vanguard.

 

[robnplunder]

I think they made a marketing blunder, is paying for the mistake (customers deserting to other options), and scrambling to make the best out of the situation. The only reason I didn't switch was b/c I am too lazy to learn a new SW.

 

[rbmrtn]

TaxAct download is $3 cheaper than TT's entire $25 (grief) "refund".

No thank you.

If you can do without importing functions, TaxAct federal is free. Also if you meet the criteria ( less than $60k) IRS freefile has free options from several vendors ( intuit, taxact, H&R...) http://www.irs.gov/uac/Free-File:-Do-Your-Federal-Taxes-for-Free

 

[Options]

Thanks for the link. I'll have to check these out.

 

[RunningBum]

I got that email. I thought their rationale for the change was weak. Some mumbo jumbo about technology and new innovations and different offerings between their desktop and web products, which I'm pretty sure they caused in the first place last year by cutting schedule D out of the web product.

 

[Midpack]

I got it too, though I got TT Premier for free, so machs nicht.

Their explanation did seem lame, they wanted to standardize with their web product without Schedule C, D & E, etc. I might have thought (being kind) they would have made their much newer web version consistent with their long standing desktop download from the start. A poorly disguised, cowardly way to implement a price increase plain and simple. And then they compound the damage with their lame standardization explanation - they're not fooling anyone.

Could be interesting tax software sales this time next year...

 

[robnplunder]

Tax SW is like a subscription based product. I bet TurboTax lost a lot of customers who were hesitant to change to cheaper or free product b/c they didn't want the hassle of switching. So, like me, they keep buying TT year after year. TurboTax gave those folks an incentive to drop their product. If TT's revenue goes up b/c of the price adjustment (disguised as product feature reconfiguration), TT still wins. But based on the e-mail, TT may be hurting with their strategy. Time will tell.