topic Re: False adverting and ripped off! in Archived content

False adverting and ripped off!

affiliatebeast — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:50:56 GMT

I joined this site and service because of this adverting on the home page under premium accounts:
Listen on all your devices
Download music & listen offline ????
No ads & no commitment

Now it says download music, one would figure you could download songs if you never heard of spotify or used its service. I join the service to download one obscure indie song I like, as Id rather pay for it then rip it from a torrent. I live on SSI ( disabilty income ). I cancelled auto billing when I found out I indeed cannot download per song. I wrote customer service asking for a refund within 30 minutes of joining the service, this is the reply I got.:

" Spotify is a streaming music service, not a download service. We feel that our advertising is very clear about this so unfortunately we're not able to offer you a refund on this occasion. "

Nick Clarke

Spotify Customer Services
Cambridge

Um how is this advertising " very clear " that it is streaming only when it states on your home page this for premium service?????

Re: False adverting and ripped off!

Greg — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:02:40 GMT

Hi affiliatebeast,

I'm sorry to hear you feel like you've been ripped off, this is certainly not the Spotify experience we want people to have.

I've just replied to your last email so keep an eye on your inbox.

Re: False adverting and ripped off!

affiliatebeast — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:09:21 GMT

Its not that hard to give a refund. I joined the service under the assumption the statement on the home page was 100% true that you can download your songs. You cant its streaming only. MOST companies when you cancel right away will do the right thing and refund you. This company feels they should just keep the money. I bet this company never issues refunds no matter what as the almighty dollar is the only thing that matters, not good business sense and ethics.

I did the right thing and cancelled my billing, emailed customer service explaining things and got denied a refund on a service I joined under false pretenses, If they were very clear that it is steaming only they would not have this on your home page to sucker people like me:

Listen on all your devices
Download music & listen offline

Re: False adverting and ripped off!

affiliatebeast — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:10:50 GMT

Edit: They have finally done the right thing, thank you.

Re: False adverting and ripped off!

Sam — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:17:01 GMT

affiliatebeast - Just to clear things up, we are a streaming service, yes. With offline mode, you're also allowed to download music to a limited number of devices, for a limited number of time. You can read more about offline mode here.

Where streaming music and offline mode is concerned, Spotify relies upon a kind of "closed system". It needs to do this so that all plays can be logged, rightsholders can be compensated fairly and so that access to the music can be controlled. Streaming music can only be synced to Spotify apps, like on an iPhone, Android device etc.

If it were possible to download streaming music then you'd be able to walk off with as many tunes as you like for the payment of one month's subscription. I don't think any artist or composer would be happy with that idea.

Re: False adverting and ripped off!

affiliatebeast — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:19:28 GMT

They have refunded me. And yes it may say that elsewhere in the site deeper in. I just joined based off the premiums description which didn't have the caveat. It is all good problem has been addressed.