Corel Reviews 306

I made the error of purchasing VideoStudio 2019; the most buggy piece of software I have ever bought (keep in mind that at one point I owned a copy of Windows ME, I know what buggy software is!)

I want to edit a video - crash.
I want to edit a video - crash.
I want to edit a video - crash.

BUT, not only is the software junk - they have also installed their own SPAM advertising stream straight into my operating system. I keep getting adverts to suggest I might want to buy more of their software overlaid in Win 10. I don't, and I won't.

Let's be clear about this - I've had quite a long and involved search for better photo editing software than Adobe's Photoshop Elements 11 (current versions too expensive because of subscription-based pricing), and eventually found partly what I was after in Paintshop Pro 2020 plus Aftershot Pro 3 - a combination of which enables me to get dramatically better photo quality than I was getting from Photoshop Elements, with similar expenditure of work-flow time - though with the downside that I still have to keep Photoshop Elements on my system because only it enables me to easily and quickly create shaped, warp text, which indeed remains fully editable, which is essential for my CD artwork. But just for photo processing / editing, the two aforementioned Corel programs have been quite a step forward for me. Hence my giving a TWO-star rating!

My rating here is a balance between one-star (minus) for the company's contemptuous behaviour to their customers, and nearly five-star for the actually mostly good software of theirs that I'm now using.

My issue with then falls into three areas.

1. Major Corel programs being used as adware, even when purchased / registered. Like so many other users, I got really p*ssed of with the large and offensively intrusive popup advertisements for other Corel products, which still popped up even after program registration. As there was no official means to stop these appearing, I found what process was involved in those ads showing up, and blocked it from running on my system, so just for the moment at least I'm free of that annoyance.

2. When I came to registering my trial version of Aftershot Pro 3, I clicked on a button on the Buy Now ad that appeared at every close-down of that program in trial mode, which displayed a discounted price for buying 'now'. That led me through the Corel site's shopping cart purchase system, which made it look as though it was all going through fine, with a total price of £54.99 - but then at the final confirmation stage, about to click on the final button, I glanced at the total again, and it had jumped up to well over £100! Paintshop Pro 2020 (discounted price) had been surreptitiously added to the purchase, and there was no means to remove it! As I'd already purchased my copy of that program, that addition was in no way offering me a favour! Naturally, I didn't proceed, and was now breathing fire at Corel for their dirty dealings!

It took me quite some time, checking through each screen in the purchase process, to find out where Corel had done that dirty trick. It turned out that on the initial shopping cart screen listing one's purchase(s), below the table with those entries was a line of **faintly** visible text, **white against light blue**, saying "You may also like Paintshop Pro 2020 for just £69.99 more", which the eye naturally skips over as something irrelevant, and there was a prominent Add to Cart button, well displaced to the right, and looking as though referring to the items listed in the table - a bit odd as they were already in the cart. However, as no other button was visible to progress to the next stage, I'd naturally clicked that. That had then moved straight on without further review until that final Buy Now screen. In reality, the button one really needed to click on the Shopping Cart page required a fair scroll down to the bottom of the page to see it.

I chose to defer the purchase and contact Patrick Nicholls, the Corel CEO, about that underhand and dishonest if not actually illegal sales practice. He didn't respond to me directly (shame on him!), but a customer support person contacted me, saying she'd give me a link to make my online discounted purchase without any further problem. I did write back and say that wasn't good enough, because I wanted to see that the nasty trick had been removed, but, no, she didn't acknowledge any of that at all and just sent me the link. As the discounted price on that link was quite a bit lower still (an error of hers, I wonder?), I did use that link and make my purchase, but it was clear that they well knew they were doing wrong, and had no intention of acknowledging that to awkard old cusses like me who raise such issues with them.

3. I constructively raised a fairly small number of issues with Technical Support about particular functions in my two programs malfunctioning or in the odd case not functioning at all. In fairness to the Support / Development teams, I expect they are looking at and possibly addressing some of them - though I can see a cynical pattern with Corel, just as with Adobe (at least, before subscription pricing took over there) and various other large software companies, in that most fixes that are worked out are withheld to the next annual 'major' version, because it's perceived as more remunerative to the company to 'incentivise' users to buy each next version whether they really need it or not, just in order to get program fixes that should have been rolled out soon after their being reported. That makes the much-vaunted financial advantage of the supposedly non-subscription pricing start looking rather hollow!

Anyway, over one issue in PSP (the chromatic aberration removal tool in the Lens Correction submenu, which was completely non-functional for me, even though the same function in Aftershot Pro works brilliantly), after my making it clear after some correspondence that the issue remained and was as real as ever, my case got escalated to be handled by a "level 3/premium support agent" (her description), who I'll just call SH.

I'll give her due credit for spending a fair amount of time and effort with me - BUT that credit is seriously **negative**! What she was doing was going to considerable lengths, in a fairly patronizing manner, to try to browbeat me into accepting that, with regard to that chromatic aberration removal (non-)function in PSP there was nothing that needed fixing, because I'd already got an equivalent function working well in Aftershot Pro - and also, she claimed that because my camera wasn't one of the really expensive top-notch DSLRs (it's a Fuji FinePix S9600, quite long in the tooth now, but still a good general workhorse), it was unrealistic of me to expect it to work well or at all on my photos.

Yes, put all the responsibility on the user to find ways to get what he needs, and shrug off any responsibility of the software company to fix (or indeed even acknowledge) mal- or non-functioning elements in their programs!

I eventually wrote back saying I couldn't see any point in further correspondence, as the issue I'd reported was still unresolved and she was clearly seeking to browbeat me into living in denial of the issue. Sure, I do my workarounds where something doesn't work in PSP but does in other programs, but it's NOT for Corel to patronizingly tell me I should do workarounds using other programs (and also get a better camera), rather than apologize for the issues and get them fixed!!

Anyway, the reply I got from SH that time was **appalling**, angrily berating me for being such an unreasonable customer, listing a whole sequence of claims and complaints I'd actually not made - i.e., 'creative' distortions of what I had been saying. If what she'd claimed I'd been saying had been true, then indeed I would have been a pretty unreasonable and indeed unwholesome customer, but she fouled her pitch by getting angry to the point of abusiveness. It was effectively a Donald Trump type of response - only the second time I've ever had such behaviour from a company representative of any sort. Just bluster anger and any old false accusations at all who inconveniently insist on seeing things clearly and not accepting BS when it comes to one.

That is shocking and apalling behaviour from any staff member towards members of the public, regardless of their level in the company, and any sensible company would sack an employee for carrying on like that, because of the poor image they give the company.

I wish there were a click for zero stars instead of one. This product is horrible. I purchased 7 different products from this company, but apparently they are not satisfied with that, and I get a constant flow of pop up advertisements invading everything I do on my pc. I have used the settings to turn them off. Doesn't matter. I have called customer support, and they sent me a patch that stopped the ads for about 10 minutes. Please do not buy from Corel!

Every time we purchase a Corel product, it never works, no matter how hard you try, it says that the copy isn't registered and won't let you use it. Even if you provide the serial number. Corel is more worried about people using the product without paying that they are about the product being usable by paying customers. Once they have your money, they couldn't care less. There is NO customer support, except a foreign-based call center that only tells you what you want to hear, but always says they need to transfer you to someone else to actually fix the problem. It takes DAYS for them to respond, and even then you have to hound them constantly. We usually spend 3 business days trying to get software we purchase to actually work, and 3 to 6 hours of our time, and they are in NO HURRY to get it going, either. They simply don't care. Even the escalation form on Corel's site that they want you to use if you're not satisfied with customer service doesn't work. And the bug with the table headers in the latest WordPerfect still isn't fixed and I reported it a few days after it came out. And they aren't worried about it, because they already have the money. If you don't have to use this company's software, then DON'T! It's a waste of time and they don't appreciate their customers at all.

Abysmal
I had a problem when, after re-installing my operating system, Windvd simply would not install. After a few emails I eventually got someone who wanted to remotely connect to my pc to resolve the problem. I allowed this and one hour later they also couldn't install the software and so just left it. That was aver 3 weeks ago and I haven't heard another thing. I now have a purchased piece of rubbish which I can do nothing with.
I have completely given up on Corel and would recommend anyone looking for software to avoid this company and opt instead for software that works and customer services who actually care.

I just started using Corel Painter as it came with the tablet I bought, but the customer service is very poor. They tell you to wait for an e-mail (which can take up to 24 hours, I'm using chat for a reason!) Keep in mind I had a very simple question that I simply couldn't find it the FAQ. Later, I contacted the service again and they told me the feature I was looking for wasn't available in the version I use (while I've seen others use it). I told them that and they said 'Is there anything else I can help you with?'
All in all, I won't be purchasing this program again. I also use Adobe and they're kind and always help you amazingly when contacting them through the chat.

One of the WORST customer service I've ever seen. And as a former Customer Service Quality Manager, believe me... I've seen plenty of bad customer experiences.

If you got any of their products and try to contact their support (and be assured you will, because their software has some issues) be ready to be asked to repeat the same information over and over again. It doesn't matter how detailed you are on your messages, they will simply omit that and send you a template or ask you to read or do something totally irrelevant.

I would not recommend their services, mainly because of all the problems and hoops I've been going through as a new consumer. It simply feels like they cannot be accountable for their errors. They have to do many improvements, especially in their customer service department. Just get people that know how to read, comprehend and reply efficiently to what customers are trying to address. It's a Win-Win, people get to trust you better and you help your customers have it easier with your products. I can't believe that is so difficult to achieve.

I own several Corel titles - most are used in my profession. I have paid for several upgrades on all of them over the years. I have been a user of Paint Shop Pro since it's inception - long before it was owned by Corel. When making the dreaded change to Windows 10 I discovered the product keys for all my Corel software were no longer valid and I couldn't re-install any of the Corel software. I spent many hours trying to resolve this, including several chat sessions with Corel. As others have stated, they just basically give you the runaround, and if any of the software is critical for your professional use you will be forced to buy it all again! I purchased PSP again (the only other valid option is adobe's subscription model for Photoshop), but did not, and will not make any more Corel purchases in future. This is pretty inexcusable treatment for long-time supporters of Corel's product line. Bye-Bye Corel - and I won't miss your constant, nagging screen pop-ups either!

Addendum: I recently took a fling and tried to download one of the Corel products which I already owned and had no success re-installing again from the files still stored on my computer, after my conversion to Windows 10. Lo-and-behold, it worked! So apparently, even if you have all the installation files already on your machine, you must download and install it all again from Corel's web site in order to activate the software. No one I spoke with at Corel mentioned this little detail. I assume this is tied to Corel's invasive anti-piracy procedure which requires you to be connected to Corel at all times while using their software. One must also assume this band-width-eating telemetry (sound familiar Win 10 users?) transmits your usage info to Corel so they know what kinds of ads to feed you - which they do constantly, even if you configure preferences not to receive them.

I upgraded my previous version to 2019 on a special offer and was sent the link which worked. A couple of weeks later my desktop packed up and I had to buy a new one. Tried to upload to my new PC and was told it had already been installed on another system. Contact Corel help who said I could in the circumstances - didn't work - was given various fixes which didn't work. ended up going round in circles. Clearly the fault lies in their records which I have told them. They still try and get me to do the same things over and over again. They don't understand what you are trying to tell them. Told them to forget it put still getting emails. To add insult to injury they asked me to review their service after they closed the ticket, not me. I gave them a negative review and it appears the site wouldn't accept a negative review.

Bought their Game Capture HD pro and couldn't get it work with ps4. Chatted and emailed with 2 different people who went through the whole "did you try this?" script. In the end, they refused to refund my money. Countless other stories and reviews online mirror this experience with others. They'll just keep emailing you until you give up outside the 30 day return limit. Don't waste your money on this crappy brand. UPDATE 11/8/19. They saw this review on BBB and offered a refund. It's worth noting their customer service did finally come through. The rep apologized and said my problem should've been escalated but never was.

After experiencing a crash during the purchase and upgrade to Paintshop Pro 2020 I waited for e-mail confirmation of the purchase. Nothing. Then I see a charge against my credit card so I usd the 'Chat' feature on the website to get it resolved. After 7 minutes the agent told me he was putting me through to the 'Concern' team. I then chatted for a further 25 minutes having to explain everything again only to be told at the end of this that the agent would 'pass the issue on to the concern team who would contact me by e-mail within an hour or two'. I recieved an e-mail 2 days later asking me exactly the same questions. I responded and a few days later they told me they could not find my record and asking me to provide the last 4 digits of the credit card. I did this and then today they closed the case as there had been 'no activity (by them) within the last 7 days'. I have now written to their CEO to explain just how disappointed I am with their customer service. I have used Paintshop Pro since it's first release but will never bother with any Corel product again. Their support staff and process are as close to useless as it is possible to get. It could only have been worse if I had contacted some other random company to ask them to help solve the problem. - After copying in the CEO everything was suddenly fixed in a matter of hours

Oh my gosh! I've NEVER had worse service!! I had an issue with a feature that had worked and stopped working after a while. After days of emails as mentioned before (non human grammar and reasoning errors) that didn't resolve anything (after having me reinstall the program one email after that said I should reinstall the program), I finally got an email saying they would call me to remote in and help me. I was so excited, I gave them my cell and work numbers! For the next week I got emails saying they called and I didn't answer. When I pointed out that neither phone reported a missed call they said they tried again but I didn't answer so they left a message. Yeah, right - there was no message. Or missed calls. I finally asked that a supervisor contact me. After another week of giving my #s repeatedly, I finally got a call! Again, I was sooo excited - until I realized that the person (obviously from India) had no clue about my issue - I had even provided screen shots so they could see what I was talking about - nor could he help me or hardly understand me. He passed me onto another person who spoke a little better English, but instead of figuring out why the feature wasn't working (I don't think he fully understood the issue) he just gave me a work around. But I figured I should quit while I was ahead, so didn't push it. I just can't believe a company would provide such awful service. I hope I never have to call again!!!

Program doesnt save, and deletes work thats been done already, customer service is lacking in every way possible. Ive dealt with them on multiple occasions, and want to communicate through email only. I dont have a week to figure out my issue, I HAVE TO WORK!!!! Theres many deleted features from year to year on their "upgrades" that make it impossible to do what you did on the previous version. Dont waste your time on this software, not worth the money at all.

Regards,Nick

I bought Corel Painter last week. It will not download or install. Having spent hours on chat going round in circles I was promised a call today. The call didn't come. I called them only to be told I had been sent an email and if I replied to the email I would get a call. I still havn't had a call and now I don't get any emails either. A complete joke! I have used their products for years but not any more.

Do not do business with these scammers. Lack of technical support--just want to get money out of you to upgrade all the time. My program has bugs that they don't have a fix for. Their only fix is to extort more money from me. Go find a legitimate company to do business with and avoid these criminals.

The worst Customer Support of any site, tech or otherwise, I have encountered.

Calling the main number reached someone who could not speak intelligible English (not her fault - Corel's fault for giving her that job) and could not transfer me to anyone who could.

Using the Chat Line did put me in touch with a person who could (mostly) write in English, but whose interest in communicating abruptly ended when I reached the most crucial question of all.

Pity. I used to love the program - but it's fallen on hard times.

I hate Corel. Installed a test version and now its impossibile to uninstall. It's giving me spam popups all the time. Worst software around, stay away!

I bought the upgrade for CorelDraw in April or May this year. By the end of September, the software started glitching on me. I sent an online message to support. They answered once with a canned set of instructions. Nonthing worked. I explained this to the person on the other end of my email. No response.
I then called Corel and spoke with two different people in India. They promised someone would contact me by today. Nothing again.
Does CorelDraw care about their customers? I do not think so.
Does CorelDraw honer their implied contracts? Seems as they do not.
I had been using CorelDraw since version 12 many many years ago. It always worked fine.
I do Not Recommend this software at all to anyone.

If I buy software I should have access to that software in the form I purchased for as long as the license is good for. Corel doesn't follow this industry standard like most other developers. Instead, if you purchase a downloaded copy the provided link to obtain the software is only valid for 30 days. Of course, they will sell you a 2 year "insurance" policy and/or a disk with the software at an extra cost. Meanwhile, their software come with a perpetual license for the version you buy.

I had lost everything on my old computer so after building a new one I was trying to reinstall everything I had licenses for. No problems until I got to Painter 2019 only to find out my download links no longer worked and I hadn't even had the program a year yet. So, I'm on their site trying to find any means to download "MY" copy of software that I paid for. Of course, there was nothing I could do other than buy the newer 2020 version. I was ready to look for alternatives.

Immediately after leaving their site I get an email offering my version of Painter for $99 which is a good deal if I hadn't already purchased it, lol. So now I'm questioning their already shady business model...did they send that email because I was on there site searching through my account, looking at my previous orders which contain my serial numbers to the same software they were trying to sell me in this email. Which is also the same software they no longer offer anywhere on their site because it has been replaced since a few months ago with a newer version. Really? Wow! What a crappy company.

What makes all of this even worse is that I actually like their software and a lot of people do too. If they'd just change their business model to match they just might surpass their competition. Instead they seem to think the only way to succeed even if you do have a good product is to be as greedy AF.

By the way, I did end up solving my issue by borrowing a disk form a colleague and using my legit serial key.

I regret having bought Paintshop Pro. The only thing it is good for is manually touching up flaws in old scanned photos. Adding text to a photo should be simple. I spent an entire afternoon trying to add some basic text to a photo and finally gave up. The help facility is more of a hindrance than it is of any assistance. Everything is so confusing and frustrating. I'm a retired civil engineer and surveyor, so I don't consider myself a complete numbscull, but this software is the worst I have ever bought!!