Is this legitimate?

[M76]

I've contacted Highpoint tech support over a bios update issue on one of their rocketraid HBAs.
And their reply: If it's out of warranty go fuck yourself!
They wouldn't provide even basic text support for it.
Adaptec or microsemi as they go by now, were very helpful even when I Contacted them about products that were EOL for years.

This is an adapter they still sell NEW right now.

Is this legal ?

Regardless if it is, they've cut the cord with this move.

Within the time frame it took them to reply the bullshit that they can't help they might as well have provided useful information. Because the fix to my problem was very simple that I found out later on my own. And they must have had it readily available.

 

[drescherjm]

I have seen other vendors do that. The question is are they really selling it still or is it just old stock still in the pipeline?

 

[mwroobel]

This is nothing different than many other manufacturers with an out-of-warranty item (Especially with add-in items.) You can search on-line for a solution, but if you want their help you had better be ready to pay for it once you are past the term of the warranty. For some manufacturers, if your warranty or contract period is up you cannot even login and search their knowledge base or download any software or firmware (even versions that were released WHILE you had a warranty.)
It is funny that you bring up Adaptec as an example, for if you didn't have a TSID number in the past they wouldn't even take your call, even if your item WAS in warranty. Is it legal, sure. They warranty (not guarantee) is that the product is free from defects in materials and workmanship. The firmware is not warranted OR guaranteed, you don't even "own" that part of the product. It is not guaranteed for any purpose unless specifically in the EULA for a particular purpose. Welcome to legalese.

 

[M76]

This is nothing different than many other manufacturers with an out-of-warranty item (Especially with add-in items.) You can search on-line for a solution, but if you want their help you had better be ready to pay for it once you are past the term of the warranty. For some manufacturers, if your warranty or contract period is up you cannot even login and search their knowledge base or download any software or firmware (even versions that were released WHILE you had a warranty.)
It is funny that you bring up Adaptec as an example, for if you didn't have a TSID number in the past they wouldn't even take your call, even if your item WAS in warranty. Is it legal, sure. They warranty (not guarantee) is that the product is free from defects in materials and workmanship. The firmware is not warranted OR guaranteed, you don't even "own" that part of the product. It is not guaranteed for any purpose unless specifically in the EULA for a particular purpose. Welcome to legalese.

I've used adaptec support first in 2012 and they helped back then. So I don't know how far past you're referring too. Maybe even before that it was different. It was also a firmware issue, with an out of warranty EOL adapter, and they sent me a beta firmware that wasn't even publicly available trough their website yet. So the old controller would recognize 2TB disks.

As for there being worse doesn't really absolve those who are slightly less anti consumer.
I haven't encountered this type of behaviour before. But I sure as hell won't tolerate it.
The companies I've worked with as a customer always took my support requests even after the warranty was long expired, and even after I ended software maintenance. The usual difference was that instead of replying within a few hours it took a few days. I'm fine with being a low priority, but I'm not OK with being completely ignored. I thought providing good support was policy so you buy their products again.