cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
KJKoenig
Level 2

Forced and expensive subscription

After being a Quickbooks desktop customer for more than 20 years, we are not happy about the forced and very expensive subscription service.  We were doing just fine with our Desktop 2017 version which, by the way was WA-A-A-A-Y more than we needed for our small farming operation.  Since we do not have any employees, we do not need or do payroll, invoices, budgets. or tax forms through Quickbooks. 

Our Quickbooks use was mainly a very fancy checkbook register for several different bank accounts and loans, and to keep track of specific expenses such as out-of-pocket health, and farming supplies costs.  Although we do have a very extensive chart of accounts, it's mostly for personal purposes, and is a very basic accounting system.  We also DO NOT WANT TO GO TO THE ONLINE VERSION!  

Since we were more or less in a no-win situation with upgrading to the 2024 version, we paid the more than $600 for the Quickbooks Desktop Pro 2024.  In all of the years we've used Quickbooks, we have rarely called support , and only did so in April 2024 because we were having "sudden" logging in problems. Incidentally, the specific logging in problem did not improve even after paying for the 2024 Desktop Pro version. It still, for no apparent  reason, logs us out even if we used it the day before.  Then other times, it loads just fine.  If we would have known that, we would have stayed with the 2017 version for the rest of our lives.  We could care less whether we have the most updated version with all of the security features, and fancy bells and whistles, and actually prefer not to have all of that.  We have a very extensive Norton Lifelock Internet Security and Antivirus system on our desktop computer - which incidentally costs a lot less per year than Quickbooks now does, and we get a lot more bang for our Norton LifeLock buck.

What this comes down to is, now that we have that fancy smancy, very expensive 2024 desktop version, if we still have to pay anything more than $100 PER YEAR for an annual subscription -- WE WILL SACRIFICE our past 20 years of company data and will move to Quicken, or some other less expensive accounting or checkbook register program -- even if it means starting from scratch!

Do you have any suggestions or advice on how we can downgrade to a less expensive Quickbooks plan (but without going to the online version) or better-yet continue with our very expensive and unnecessary 2024 Desktop Pro version without worrying about subscriptions, updates and all of the other excuses Intuit uses for reasons as to why they need us to do things their way? Apparently, Intuit Quickbooks cares more about their bottom-line than the bottom line of their long-time customers.  We can not afford to continue at the current subscription rate!

12 Comments 12
Deity Alpha
Level 7

Forced and expensive subscription

Do you need to run any add-ons? e.g QB Payroll, QB Payment

KJKoenig
Level 2

Forced and expensive subscription

Nope!!

KimberlyS
QuickBooks Team

Forced and expensive subscription

I acknowledge that ensuring your business needs are met when choosing a QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) version is vital, KJKoenig. Allow me to share information about managing your product version, including how you can avoid logging into your account regularly.

 

QBDT undergoes yearly updates to ensure you receive the latest critical security patches, fixes, and features to protect your data and enhance your navigation experience. Each version of QBDT has distinct features, which makes downgrading your plan currently unavailable to prevent loss of specific data or functionality. Also, you'll be more likely to encounter compatibility issues without access to our live support if you keep using a discontinued product version.

 

On the other hand, you can set your company preferences to determine the days you'll stay logged in to your account. This way, you'll be automatically logged out of QuickBooks only after the specified period. Let me show you how.

 

  1. Head to the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
  2. Once on the Preferences window, pick General in the left panel.
  3. Proceed to the Company Preferences tab, then the Manage Login Settings section.
  4. Tick the Keep user logged in option and identify the days for the login period.
  5. Select OK to save the changes.

 

For more information, refer to this article: Stay logged in to the QuickBooks company file (sign in without entering your password).

 

Moreover, you might want to scan these materials for guidance whenever you need to update your credentials to access your company file:

 

 

Please continue to revisit this forum if you have further concerns about updating and accessing your QuickBooks Desktop. We're here to provide assistance with any questions you have.

Deity Alpha
Level 7

Forced and expensive subscription

@KJKoenig 

I have clients with the same conditions. @Fiat Lux - ASIA shared another option for them You should contact them for details.

KJKoenig
Level 2

Forced and expensive subscription

Thank you KimberlyS, but the log-in issue itself is insignificant.  The sudden log-in issue we encountered that necessitated contacting support in the first place, is what eventually led to us shelling out $600 for the 2024 version.  After tech support wasn't able to figure out what the problem was, the only option we had, as was explained by the second person I talked to (who was very understanding, but also wanted me to know what I was up against with the new Quickbook regulations), was either upgrading to the 2024 Desktop version by July (or after July never being able to get the desktop version ever again) or switching to the online version = Forced our purchase.

What was really frustrating, was after I paid the $600, downloaded and successfully installed the 2024 Pro Desktop, the same dang log-in and "admin" problem and error message that I initially called about in the first place caused me to have to change my password about five times before I could even log-in and use the new, 2024 version.  With the new 2024 Pro version, the log-in error issue was in fact worse than it was with my 2017 version. 

I did eventually get the log-in issue on the 2024 Desktop Pro version to stop doing what it was doing (on my own) and have had no problems until just the past couple of weeks where for no reason, and due to nothing that's been done differently or changed, has started back up again.  However, as I said:  That issue is insignificant compared to the fact that we had to pay out two or three times more for the forced Quickbooks "subscription" than what we bought and owned the Quickbooks software for in the past.  For 600 bucks, we should at least have ownership of it rather than just renting it out and having to pay just as much each year as a subscription to use it.  We're can't and won't do that.

BigRedConsulting
Community Champion

Forced and expensive subscription

@KJKoenig  RE: We were doing just fine with our Desktop 2017 version which, by the way was WA-A-A-A-Y more than we needed for our small farming operation. Since we do not have any employees, we do not need or do payroll, invoices, budgets. or tax forms through Quickbooks. 

 

In that case, you have no need to upgrade. You can stay on 2017 as long as you want.

KJKoenig
Level 2

Forced and expensive subscription

Oh, how I wish I had thought about that before I paid the $600 for the 2024 upgrade - because I believed that since I could no longer log into my 2017 version, and tech support couldn't figure out the reason why, and more or less told me my only option was to upgrade or go to the online version.  Then, it ends up I had even more trouble logging into the 2024 version.  Since the 2017 log-in issue started all of the sudden, I'm guessing that there was some sort of conflict with another program after an update or something.

On Beta
Level 6

Forced and expensive subscription

I had even more trouble logging into the 2024 version.

 

What kind of "trouble"?

KJKoenig
Level 2

Forced and expensive subscription

Since it's been almost six months ago, I can't remember specifics.  But it seems like there was an error window that popped up every time I tried to login for the first time of the Desktop Pro 2024 version, and something to do with "admin".  Not only did I change my password several times because it kept giving me the admin error window and wasn't accepting what I put in or changed password to, I also changed the name of our company.  It then finally allowed me to log in after I did that. 

I was using the same email and company name as the previous versions of the past ten years. Nothing changed from a week prior when I was still using the 2017 version and suddenly started having the log-in issues for no apparent reason - which I eventually called tech support about. 

I am usually able to troubleshoot and figure out most of my own computer and software problems and rarely do I ever need to call tech support for anything.  So, the fact that I felt the need to call tech support for a program I've used for more than a decade and have updated and upgraded to newer versions flawlessly several times over the years shows that I was at a loss for what else to do for the 2017 version. 

When I purchased the 2024 version that same day, I was told that after I downloaded and installed the new program, they would follow-up with me the next day in case I had any problems.  After downloading and installing the 2024 version that same day, I then encountered the admin and log in problems.  Although I did try one time to contact tech support, just as it was when I called the first time, there would have been a super long wait time.  Since I had spent enough time on the phone earlier that day for the 2017 version, I wasn't really in the mood to wait again.  I decided to try to solve it myself and if I couldn't figure it out, then I'd have them help me when they called me the next day - which it seems like they never did. Fortunately, I was able to get it figured out on my own. 

I've used the 2024 version since then without any issues until just recently, where a couple of times, for no apparent reason will load up our company file as usual.  However, just as we're about to enter some data, it will suddenly pop-up a log-in window on top of it and make us log-in even though we're already into our company data account register.  That's not only weird, it's also an added hassle and stress that we've never had happen with our previous versions.

Deity Alpha
Level 7

Forced and expensive subscription

@KJKoenig 

Can you login to CAMPS and find your license code of QBD 2024 there?

https://camps.intuit.com

 

KJKoenig
Level 2

Forced and expensive subscription

I was able to get into CAMPS, and the 2024 license code (I'm assuming it's the same thing as the license number, which for Pro Plus 2024 is:

[removed by moderator]

One thing I noticed is that in the CAMPS / account information, our company name is still listed as what I had previously before changing it for 2024,  There is a question link after it asking if I want to change company name?  Clicking on the link shows a pretty complicated process and involves downloading a "Business Name Change" template, and uploading government issued documents. 

I remember seeing that when I was trying to get logged into 2024 for the first time, and thinking to myself, "you've got to be kidding!"  So I'm pretty sure I didn't go through that process to change my log-in name.  Throughout Quickbooks though, it mostly just uses my first and last name which is what I think was the case previously.

 

 

Deity Alpha
Level 7

Forced and expensive subscription

As long as you are the Primary Contact, you don't need to worry about the registered business name.

Sign in for expert help
Ask questions, post replies & join our community of QuickBooks users.

Need to get in touch?

Contact us