QuickBooks is such an invaluable tool in my world and for many of our clients. It’s a wonderful and powerful program when used correctly, which is why so many people turn to the software to help with one of the most important parts of their business: bookkeeping. I started using QuickBooks in 2003 when I came to Bratz & Associates, CPAs and since then, there have been many changes…some subtle and some drastic.
One of the biggest changes in the past years is the ability to have your QuickBooks hosted from somewhere else. This is a great option for some businesses, as an alternative to Online QuickBooks or the traditional desktop version. With the different versions of desktop QuickBooks, Online QuickBooks and Hosted QuickBooks, we want to caution you to please verify what you are buying before you purchase or sign up. There are many sites out there claiming they are “QuickBooks” or “QuickBooks support” that are indeed NOT actually Intuit QuickBooks. We have had two clients these past couple of months who have not gotten what they thought they were signing up for. Here are their stories:
#1 – We had one client who typed in “online QuickBooks” in Google because that’s what she wanted to sign up for, but instead of actually purchasing QuickBooks Online, they essentially signed up for hosted QuickBooks through a company out of state. Most hosted companies out there are real and legitimate, however they charge you a monthly fee to “host” your file in addition to your software purchase. For most companies, this is not something that is necessary or even wanted. In her case, this is NOT what she wanted, however they walked her through their process, took her payment and got everything setup for hosted QuickBooks. I believe she did indeed sign up with a legitimate company and that they did everything they were asked to do, which was to “sign her up for QuickBooks”. The issue is that since this client didn’t know the differences, she didn’t understand what she was really signing up for. She now has an additional monthly fee for them hosting her file, she ultimately does not have QuickBooks Online but rather a desktop version that’s not on her computer and her access is dependent on the host’s server. For example, if the host’s server were to go down for maintenance, etc, her access to her file is also down during that time.
#2—We had a client try to purchase a QuickBooks desktop version through the QuickBooks website; however they clicked on a link that came up in the search that was not really Intuit QuickBooks. These people took his payment and logged into his computer to install the software…which they did; however, they also now had access to his entire computer (and data on it). We were able to put two and two together when he was in and explained to me that they had installed his software by logging into his computer and he was now also getting calls from them from a Russian telephone number and that they were wanting some of his personal information. It’s a sad situation for him, because he now had compromised data on his computer and these scammers now had access to everything.
These situations are really difficult to help “cleanup” after the purchase has already occurred, but the good news is, we can help YOU avoid the same headaches. Here are some tips when purchasing your QuickBooks:
- Know what some of the differences are between the different versions before purchasing. The differences between the interfaces and abilities of the desktop and online versions are night and day.
- Make sure you are purchasing from the real Inuit QuickBooks if you are not purchasing in a store. Their website is https://quickbooks.intuit.com/
- Never let someone have access to your computer to download software unless you know who you are working with and trust them.
- Don’t overpay! If you are buying a desktop version from a store vs. online through the website, the prices differ.
If you want help or suggestions on what type of QuickBooks to get, we would be happy to help you select the best option for your business. Simply let us know and we’d be happy to explain the differences in the different versions and point you in the right direction. Please, please make sure you are really getting what you are paying for.
~Jessica