Web Templates Blog

Flash Moto should have been a great product, I was excited by its intentions and looked forward to seeing it launch. Template Monster currently run section which provides a flash template with Flash Moto included for $250. Not cheap but the benefits are obvious and I thought, ok, let’s give it a go. So I took the plunge and handed over $250. After a few minutes my template was delivered and instructions to setup the Flash Moto account were followed.

There are no instructions whatsoever on how you install it all, so I just uploaded everything and pointed my browser to the admin folder. Here I was presented with a list of errors, files and directories that needed permission changes. So I worked through each and changed what I was asked to. However changing the permissions on the /logs folder was not possible, it did not exist. There was however a /admin/logs folder which I changed the permissions on and the error disappeared. Unfortunately the same applied for others too, despite doing everything I was asked it claimed I had still not changed the permissions on some files.

So, off to support I go and right from the start it was clear that Template Monster help desk staff had no clue about Flash Moto, an hours spent trying to resolve the issues and I was told to raise a ticket and explain it all over again on there! Not happy but I did raise the ticket. Whilst awaiting a response I played around with the permissions and it soon became clear that the installation script was not telling me the right files to change permissions on, something had gone wrong with their script. I changed a few more file permissions that looked to me like they should be writeable and errors came and went clearly demonstrating that the install script was not right.

Eventually I got into the admin panel and my very first impression was as expected, so before I Played around with it I quickly checked the site by clicking on the “website preview” button and I find that the animated menus had just disappeared. When I went back to the admin panel they had vanished from there too. Another ticket to Template Monster and they reply some time later that it’s all fixed. However I log back into the admin panel and click the “website preview” button and the same thing happens again.

So currently it’s back at support and 48 hours after snatching my $250 away from me it still does not work and nobody at Template Monster or Flash Moto want to talk about it.

The bottom line is that the templates available on Template Monster that include Flash Moto have no documentation with them, making it impossible to trouble shoot issues. But let’s face it why I should I a Flash Professional be able to fix it if Flash Moto themselves can’t do it. A simple case of a product being released too early and not considering all the different elements that can impact their script, such as server setup which I feel seem to be where the bulk of the issues are with my template.

On their site they are offering a pre-order discount of the standalone version of Flash Moto, it seems well priced at $159, but nobody knows what they are buying! Many question have been answered in this regard. It is for unlimited flash sites? does it come with templates? Will it work with any flash template? Flash Moto are as yet not answering any of these questions. Anyone who has placed an order based on the lack of information provided on the licence restrictions could be in for a shock or surprise!

Flash Moto is a fantastic product, time has been taken to make Flash accessible to many out there, however at the last minute their rush has created a debacle. So, if your interested, watch carefully, but wait until you know other customers are happy before you take the plunge and end up thinking you just paid a lot of money for a mess!