I was about to purchase the Digital Grimoire and thought I'd finally download the latest version of the Arsenal PDF and I noticed that the link expired. I checked out DriveThruRPG and some purchases I made there still had 5 downloads remaining despite being several years old.

So, my questions are:
1) Is this behavior set by the shop or by the publisher?
2) Which do you prefer for buying your SR PDFs?
3) What are the pros and cons of each store?

I'm going to email BattleCorps to see if I can get my download before the next errata, but I'd like your opinions on where to get the Digital Grimoire.
Thanks!

fixer@battlecorps.com will reset your download count, no problem.

I can't advise where you should buy it, but I'll tell you where I buy my PDFs. Predominantly I get them from DriveThruRPG. I have bought things from Battlecorps as well, basically when a Shadowrun product appeared on that site first. (I think they normally appear simultaneously now, however). I found DriveThruRPG first and I also buy non-Shadowrun products there so a certain inertia leads me towards them. They've also been known to do a credit scheme whereby your accumulate a discount the more you buy so for a while I was getting money off. That seems to have stopped for now, though. I am also okay with / semi-approving of their watermarking procedure. I see watermarking as an under-used means of protecting digital products so it doesn't bother me at all.

Historically, I have found DriveThruRPG better in terms of support, availability of downloads, notification of updates etc. Battlecorps seems equivalent now though.

These are the factors that influence me and they may not influence you. On cost and content, the two stores are obviously going to be the same.

Thanks, Adam. Is there anything a good fixer can't do?

Hmm, I thought Battlecorps was the Catalyst shop. When I click on a new PDF, I'm taken to Battlecorps. I figured I was giving my money directly to the guys who made the product and not through a middleman who takes a few % off the top, or at least closer to them.

They both seem to be equal as far as access. I received an e-mail for the Arsenal update and downloaded it without much of an issue.

I was pleased to discover that Battlecorps doesn't watermark the PDFs but I didn't realize it until recently when I bought my Paranoia and All Flesh Must Be Eaten PDFs and noticed that they were watermarked with my name and order number.

Carl

It is. So, yes, we do make more money on a per-sale basis if you buy from the BattleShop.

I prefer Battlecorps, because I do not like watermarks. I understand their necessity and usefulness, but I would rather tham not be there. I've also not had a single issue with them and therefore support them as a retailer.

Everything I own is hardcopy, so I go to my FLGS. Perhaps I should buy pdfs, since I realised the other day that the stack of books I carry to my game is not only pretty heavy relative to a laptop, but cost me a fair wedge too.

Jump Drive baby!!

I like my PDFs free from cruft like Watermarks or DRM, so it BattleCorps all the way.

Did get some stuff from drivethru quite some time ago and it worked well but when trying to contact battlecorp, they did not reply to my mail so I ordered from Amazon the books I wanted. They had their chance to reply, but they didn't so they lost their chance to sell anything for me Maybe it was a spam filter, maybe the moons weren't in right place or some other freak accident why the mail didn't reach but maybe someone just didn't bother to answer. Don't know, don't care

For Shadowrun .pdfs I've always used Battleshop since it's run by InMediaRes, the people that own Catalyst Game Labs. Just seemed better that way plus I'd always just assumed, rightly as Adam posted, that they'd end up making more of a profit that way. That and you don't have to bother with any watermarks/DRM rubbish.

I should point out that DriveThru doesn't use DRM and hasn't for years.

for all my shadowrun PDFs, I have used battlecorps. I have used drivethru for other PDFs and have nothing against them.

Really? They sure once did, and they still claim to do so in the FAQs.

I use Battlecorps. I've had to email Battlecorps support on two occasions and both times I was very pleased with the customer service.

DriveThru RPG is much.. easier. Few clicks and I'm all done and thinking "Oh, that Catalyst crew is oh so sexy. They must be, to put out quality artwork like this! I wish I were as awesome as they." while I read my fine Shadowrun work of genius.

Now send me a free hardcover SR4 BBB, signed by all of you.