One of my clients had an iLok go down that it wasn’t covered by ZDT. So what happened in this case?
Day 1:
I received a call from the client and it became apparent that the iLok was not being recognised and I found that the green LED on the iLok wasn’t lit. I checked it in another known working USB socket but still no light. Fortunately the software assets on the iLok were not ‘life threatening’ to the client, so I moved the relevant plug-ins into the Disabled Plug-ins folder, so that they wouldn’t complain every time Pro Tools was booted, and brought the iLok back to my office for further investigation. I verified on my system that there was still no light and also that the Pace software couldn’t see the iLok either. It was definitely a dead dongle!
Day 2:
I went into the client’s iLok account on ilok.com, and under the Help section, found an article on ‘Broken, lost or stolen iLoks’. Clicking on the link I was presented with a clear set of instructions as to what to do next. Pace will replace the iLok free of charge if it fails in the first year and it hasn’t been physically damaged.
When you are satisfied it is faulty you have to start an ‘RMA process’, which involves sending it back to Pace in the US — there is no UK-based operation. You may be charged $39.95 plus shipping, depending what they find. Next, you need to fill in the on-line RMA form, which is clearly laid out, with prompts to help you along the way.
Once I had submitted the RMA, I received an email from Pace explaining again how the process works, reminding me that I had to send them the iLok even if it started working again. The email confirmed the iLok serial number, gave me an RMA tracking ID and explained how and where to return the broken iLok. They strongly recommend that you send it via a service that requires a signature at the far end and offers a tracking system whilst in transit. They advise you to only insure the iLok for its hardware value and not include the value of the licences held on it, as this can cause a delay in Customs. A second email also arrived almost simultaneously, advising me of the potential total cost of $39.95 for the RMA and an estimated return shipping of $33.14.
I packaged up the iLok in bubble wrap and then into a padded envelope, labelled exactly as described on the RMA confirmation email including the RMA number, and set off to my local post office. Airsure seemed to meet the advice from Pace, as it is a tracked service, and it cost £5.84 to send it insured up to the value of £36.
Day 10:
Eight days later I received an email from FedEx, advising me of the tracking number of a package from Pace.
Day 11:
I received an email from Waves advising me that they had been informed by Pace that some of the licences on the broken iLok were Waves licences, and that they had reset the Waves Authorisations on the client’s Waves account so I could download the licences on to the new iLok when it arrived from Pace. The FedEx tracking system reported that the package was now in the UK.
Day 12:
The replacement iLok arrived, with the non-Waves licences already on it: all had been replaced. The iLok was replaced free of charge under warranty and all charges had been waived. I logged onto ilok.com, registered the new iLok on the client’s iLok account, then moved onto the Waves site and downloaded the Waves licences from the client’s Waves account on to it as well.
Day 13:
I returned the iLok to the client’s system, moved the appropriate plug-ins back into the proper plug-ins folder and checked that everything was back to normal.
We may all moan about iLoks but I have to give respect where it is due: Pace turned this iLok round incredibly quickly, especially when you consider there were two transatlantic trips in that period as well.
So even though the iLok was not covered by ZDT, their system was effective and efficient.
