ATX/TRX

[Wendy]

Just received a call from CCH Small Firms to confirm that I purchased ATX MAX from TRX prior to May 31 and that that was what I would receive. They confirmed address/phone etc and said the customer #, EFIN # and access to My ATX would remain the same. Also said if there were questions or problems to contact ATX phone NOT TRX (hmmmmm). Said that the program would arrive sometime in November. Interesting.

[Margaret CPA in OH]

Very interesting, indeed! I have received several calls asking about renewal and finally last week I told the caller that I had renewed through TRX. I also assured the caller that, should TRX bail out or not provide what I think I bought, I would purchase from CCH. It is my stated intention to use ATX MAX. I would like to spend less money so went through TRX in April, actually.

Wonder if I will receive a call like yours...I wonder how CCH knew you purchased from TRX. Could it be TRX was required/asked to provide a list of purchasers who previously bought direct? Hmmm...What does this all mean? Enquiring minds want to know.

[Philip1117]

Just got off the phone with them. TRX must have lost the ability to offer the software. We will be back to higher prices next year. Glad I got a one year savings.

[Jack from Ohio]

I took the same call for the firm I work at, and my personal business as well. I am not sure why it happened, but according to the salesperson at TRX, things should be just as if we had purchased directly from CCH.

One thing I did notice... Very recently the calls from CCH asking us to renew have stopped. I never mentioned TRX to them, just told them I was keeping my options open. I agree with Phillip, something has transpired between TRX and CCH.

By the way, I have written off the idea of ever collecting on my bet with the CCH salesperson! See the thread titled "Dear Valued ATX Customer" for all the details.

[Catherine]

Just received a call from CCH Small Firms to confirm that I purchased ATX MAX from TRX prior to May 31 and that that was what I would receive. They confirmed address/phone etc and said the customer #, EFIN # and access to My ATX would remain the same. Also said if there were questions or problems to contact ATX phone NOT TRX (hmmmmm). Said that the program would arrive sometime in November. Interesting.

I got the exact same call yesterday but hadn't had time to report it yet. The guy from ATX was very nice but sure didn't seem to know that I had been a direct customer before the TRX purchase this year (that was fine with me). As long as I get the software, I'll take the one-year savings if that's all I can manage.

Catherine

[JohnH]

This is off-the-cuff, but I can't help but wonder if CCH has aquired TRX or is in the process of doing so. (Maybe a shotgun wedding of some sort?)

[Margaret CPA in OH]

Now wouldn't that be interesting? Surprised, if so? I think not. Microsoft, Intuit, CCH... The big ones keep getting bigger. They know what the competition is.

[Joel]

Wendy,

I was told by TRX support that their contract for ATX for 2009 was for ATX to furnish the support. That would explain the call you received from CCH.

[Bob Hoffman]

Wendy,

I was told by TRX support that their contract for ATX for 2009 was for ATX to furnish the support. That would explain the call you received from CCH.

So those of you who acted quickly and purchased ATX from TRX got both the great pricing and CCH support? That is just too good a deal!!

[Margaret CPA in OH]

ATX will provide support? I understood that TRX, as per their website, was providing the support. I seem to recall, without reviewing the extensive postings, that along with the lower cost the advantage of TRX was the support they would provide, a better alternative in the opinion of those who already purchased through TRX.

When were you told that ATX would provide the support?

Curioser and curioser...this will be a most interesting tax season.

[Bob Hoffman]

ATX will provide support? I understood that TRX, as per their website, was providing the support. I seem to recall, without reviewing the extensive postings, that along with the lower cost the advantage of TRX was the support they would provide, a better alternative in the opinion of those who already purchased through TRX.

When were you told that ATX would provide the support?

Curioser and curioser...this will be a most interesting tax season.

I suggested that the deal was better with CCH providing support since this would have required TRX to either hire ATX ready support staff (which seems unlikely) or train their own which would be a daunting task inside the time frame involved.

Bob

[Wendy]

I thought I remembered that we were told that TRX would support it - and that since they had tax professionals on board it would be better. This young man from CCH was quite explicit that if I should have questions I should NOT call the TRX number.

And although he had my info including my efin# he did not seem to know how long I had been a prior ATX customer either.

The only other thing he brought up was that if I did offer bank products that I would have to fill out a form with TRX. I don't offer them, so I promptly forgot that part of the conversation.

When he started the conversation he said that he was calling to confirm that they would support the product purchased through TRX - and I said "Why - was there a question that you would?"

Wendy

[Kea]

When they called today and read through their boiler plate speech. I asked if that meant I would only be dealing with them (CCH) now, and not TRX. She answered by re-reading the boiler plate. She had most of my info except my business name. She gave me a customer ID to use when accessing the website and customer support. This was not the same as my old ID. I asked about that and she didn't seem to know anything about my being a prior customer. But it has been a few years. When she asked if I had any questions, I just said, none that you can answer. I guess that was kind of mean. It probably wasn't her fault. I'm guessing she was just hired to make the calls and read the script.

[joanmcq]

well, when CCH bought ATX all the customer numbers changed. so that isn't odd.

[bstaxes]

Gee I feel left out. I did not get any phone calls or e-mails for CCH. I have received many calls from Drake, Tax slayer, and some other reseller. Purchased ATX through TRX and was positive TRX was doing the support. Oh well here we go with 5 months to tax season, I guess anything can change just to make pre tax and tax season more interesting. Thank God for this board.

[Jack from Ohio]

When they called today and read through their boiler plate speech. I asked if that meant I would only be dealing with them (CCH) now, and not TRX. She answered by re-reading the boiler plate. She had most of my info except my business name. She gave me a customer ID to use when accessing the website and customer support. This was not the same as my old ID. I asked about that and she didn't seem to know anything about my being a prior customer. But it has been a few years. When she asked if I had any questions, I just said, none that you can answer. I guess that was kind of mean. It probably wasn't her fault. I'm guessing she was just hired to make the calls and read the script.

When they called me, they had all our business information. They also kept our customer number the same as before. This was true for the firm and my personal business as well. He said that any technical problems should be addressed to the CCH support phone number.

I asked specifically... "So for the tax season ahead, things will be just as if we (I) purchased the software directly from CCH?"

His direct answer... "Yes, nothing will be different than in years past."

It is my decided opinion, that there was definitely some direct interaction between TRX & CCH. I am also keeping my parachute packed. This airplane may not be so stable in the months and years ahead.

[Joel]

After posting my earlier reply I also received the call from CCH advising me that they would be furnishing the ATX support for TRX. She verified my e-fin number, name and address and asked if I would be offering Bank products. She gave me my customer number (it is the same number that TRX told me earlier in the week) and advised that the software would be shipped about the end of November and if I had any support questions to call 800-638-8291 for support during the tax season.

Last week TRX sent me a complete copy of the 2008 program and I was having problems updating. I had tried all of the normal things done in prior years and was not successful. When I called TRX last week they tried to help me but that was when they advised that their contract with ATX included support.

While I had the CCH woman on the phone, I told her of my update problems. When she was finished she transferred me to technical support and after two different techs working we solved the problem. It was associated with Vista and the program that verifies that you want to start an executable problem. It seems that during the install of ATX part of the program was put into a ghost file by Vista and ATX could not find the ability to update. (My simplification of a complex explanation to me by the 2nd tech). Once that part of Vista was disabled and the missing part found updates worked normally.

Excellent service by ATX.

[Margaret CPA in OH]

I just received my official call. I would have been really surprised without having read this thread the last couple of days. I agree with Jack from Ohio; there must have been some communication between the major players here and future stability isn't certain. It will be interesting, at the least.

Along with all the new security requirements like the weekly vulnerability checks and questioning insurance coverage and who knows what all? What with a couple of my small business clients succumbing to this recession and my major non-profit futilely pursuing non-existent grant funds, retirement is looking ever more probable. My second job as scuba instructor is more fun but far less lucrative and getting worse. What to do, what to do....

[Maribeth]

I just received my official call. I would have been really surprised without having read this thread the last couple of days. I agree with Jack from Ohio; there must have been some communication between the major players here and future stability isn't certain. It will be interesting, at the least.

Along with all the new security requirements like the weekly vulnerability checks and questioning insurance coverage and who knows what all? What with a couple of my small business clients succumbing to this recession and my major non-profit futilely pursuing non-existent grant funds, retirement is looking ever more probable. My second job as scuba instructor is more fun but far less lucrative and getting worse. What to do, what to do....

Wow, I am getting nervous. I haven't received my phone call yet. I was one of the last to be able to buy ATX through TRX so I hope all is going to be okay.

Maribeth

[bstaxes]

I don't feel let out now. I received a call from CCH with the same script as Joel. I asked why CCH for support instead of TRX, they just reread the script. Said they only knew what was in the script and that is all they could do. Even if they knew they couldn't say because it is a legal issue. Welcome to the 2010 fun and games tax season. It can only get better, Haha.

[Denne]

I missed the boat on getting on board with TRX. I was trying to decide and the maximum number of copies of the software was apparently sold. I ended up renewing with ATX....now I feel like to paid so much more for the software than I should have!! Nearly $1700 to be exact ;~( I was ready to be first in line next year for TRX....darn it...I think I totally missed that boat too. I hope TRX will be back next year offering a much better deal for us..........

[Tax Prep by Deb]

I was in on the original deadline, but I was set up on a payment plan and as of yet I have not been contacted by ATX so I am concerned that I may not get it at the price, and I have already invested about 1/2 of the cost with TRX, so I'm not sure what is going on.

Deb!

[Maribeth]

I was in on the original deadline, but I was set up on a payment plan and as of yet I have not been contacted by ATX so I am concerned that I may not get it at the price, and I have already invested about 1/2 of the cost with TRX, so I'm not sure what is going on.

Deb!

Well, I finally got my phone call yesterday, (7/23/09). They are using my same CCH number. A guy named dave said they would send the package in November. No other information, just the canned script.

Maribeth