@pschneider1968, judging from previous transactions with Thomann, once you pay, you immediately get an email with the code. (So, there should be no difference with Sweetwater, who are an equally trusted shop) There’s nothing to worry about! Enjoy your Absolute 6, I know I’m very happy with mine!
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Great to hear that, thanks @Georg_Kiria . I’m currently creating my profile at Sweetwater, will order the upgrade there, and see how it goes. Normally I prefer to pay with Giropay, but they don’t offer this, so I’ll try to pay with Paypal…
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Thanks! Wow, two feedbacks, that makes me more confident to place an order"over the big pond" 
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Thank you for your confidence in these unsettling circumstances. 
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If you have a credit card, I suggest to use it for payment because PayPal’s currency conversion rates are really bad. You could also register a credit card with PayPal and use it for the PayPal transaction together with option “currency conversion by credit card provider” (or similar). Unfortunately, PayPal only offers the latter for credit cards and not for regular bank accounts.
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So after I tried to order at Sweetwater, my order seemed to be stuck in their system, and an hour later I got an email from one of their sales support people, stating this:
Hey Peter,
Thanks for the order! Unfortunately, we are only allowed to sell Steinberg products to customers > inside the US; I will regrettably have to cancel your order, and you shall be refunded shorlty.
Best,
Marshall Parks
Sales Engineer, Sweetwater Sound
Call (800) 222-4700 x3617
Email marshall_parks@sweetwater.com
Visit us at www.sweetwater.com
So @Ed_Doll @dspreadbury and responsible people @Steinberg : Please talk to Sweetwater immediately to get this policy changed as long as your own European online shop is down. I want my order processed and the Download Access Code shipped to me, please!
This is what I answered to Mr. Parks:
Hi Marshall,
thanks for your answer. I was already wondering what went wrong with my order. Please don’t cancel my order, but please talk to Steinberg immediately, to get the delivery policy changed.
The reason I’m asking this is, that as of today, the company that provided the online shop system for Steinberg here in Germany and in Europe (Asknet), has declared bankruptcy! So the complete European Steinberg online shop system has been taken offline as of today. Steinberg announced this in their community forums some hours ago.
I was planning to purchase the upgrade from Absolute 5 to Absolute 6 collection for weeks, only to find out today, that it was not possible, because Steinberg has NO online sales channel in Europe all of a sudden! Can you imagine that?
In the forum, I was given the hint to register with Sweetwater in the US, and order from you. So PLEASE process my order!
You may find the info on the Steinberg forum here:
Temporary closure of the Steinberg online shop
I’m looking forward to get my order processed by Sweetwater!
HELP!!!
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And on it goes…
Peter,
That policy isn’t something that I have any control over, and the individuals that would be able to > confer with Steinberg aren’t here over the weekend. I’d suggest purchasing with a European music store i.e. Thomann if that’s the case. Keep an eye out for your refund!
Best,
Marshall Parks
Sales Engineer, Sweetwater Sound
Call (800) 222-4700 x3617
Email marshall_parks@sweetwater.com
Visit us at www.sweetwater.com
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And my answer:
Marshall,
of course I tried to find a German/European dealer first, before I registered with Sweetwater. The problem is, there is none. They all, even Thomann, only sell full products and cross grades. But what I ordered is an upgrade license, and these were exclusively sold by Steinberg’s partner Asknet, who are now out of business. So, no luck!
I kindly ask you to keep my order open, and clarify this urgent issue with your executives and with Steinberg next Monday, when it is possible to do so. Sweetwater might be the only shop which is able to deliver these licenses to European customers, as long as Steinberg has not found and implemented a solution. I.e. they need to find a new partner, enter an agreement, and implement a new shop system! This might take weeks, if not even months!
So this is kind of an extraordinary and very unpleasant situation for Steinberg, and for all Steinberg customer, like me!
Thanks for your support in this matter and for your kind understanding!
Best regards,
Peter Schneider
So, Sweetwater, Steinberg: please shut up, take my money and give me the software!!! 
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I am sorry to hear that and I was unaware of such a policy. Hence, I do not know whose policy this is. It could be Sweetwater’s own policy, Yamaha’s or indeed ours. Either way, I doubt that this can be changed quickly and only for the duration of the unavailability of the online shop. I’ll try to gather more information, though.
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Thanks @Ed_Doll ! 
I also CC’d steinbergussupport@yamaha.com and support@steinberg.net with my emails, so that hopefully, the people who have a say in these matters will be informed and a (temporary) solution can be worked out, in the best interest of Steinberg as well as Steinberg customers. It would not be good if Steinberg would leave their customers who desperately try to purchase something standing out there in the rain!
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I was lucky and could talk to a colleague in sales but unfortunately, there is no chance to change it temporarily for this relatively short time span. Sorry!
Perhaps you could bridge the gap with the trial version of e.g. HALion 7 until the new shop is available?
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That’s what they were paid for 
And something in the whole asknet Configuration and Organisation went totally wrong, that the whole steinberg customers, all the paid fees from steinberg was not able to hinder the complete asknet lockdown for whatever reasons.
Yeah @Ed_Doll , I think I will go with the trial versions for the time being. Anyway, the fact that you are talking about a “relatively short time span” makes me immediately calm down a bit
Because normally, this is an extremely serious situation… How long can a company survive when suddenly, there is no revenue (or a big drop in revenue) for an extended amount of time? Steinberg is such a great company with such wonderful and inspiring products, and it would break my heart if this poop show would lead to a Steinberg bankrupcy, too 
So please, get your act together, people at Steinberg! 
Your customers would miss you dearly, if you would fail… 
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I’ve gotten a few updates through Sweetwater, but I’m in the US.
I don’t think they process orders for any software to customers outside the US.
Also, a lawsuit involving Asknet was filed in the US in April, so I think this has been an issue for some time before that: https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/nexway-stipulated-order-for-permanent-injunction-asknet.pdf
It makes me a little nervous. Not nervous about Steinberg - just about Asknet.
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+++
Hey Peter,
Thanks for the order! Unfortunately, we are only allowed to sell Steinberg products to customers > inside the US; I will regrettably have to cancel your order, and you shall be refunded shorlty.
Best,
Marshall Parks
Sales Engineer, Sweetwater Sound
+++
This is more than weird, the german and european company is in bankruptcy and therefore gone and the US company sweetwater is not allowed to take place in the meantime to sell Updates and All that stuff.
Great, really Great and this is what we all like…
Money makes the World Go round
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Could it be that we all got really spoiled by having access to everything at an instant all the time?
Why are we falling apart if for a change we have to wait for something?
Why do we presume doomsday is coming?
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Our “being spoilt” and wanting to have instant access to anything is what keeps the economy running… In that regard, we are like little kids on christmas eve, who can’t wait to have their new toys!
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Eh, I can understand placing an order for a custom instrument and waiting a year for it, I can even understand Sweetwater not wanting to send say a Bach 42 BO trombone over to Europe, but a code? I’m mighty surprised they won’t do that.
Probably some fine print legalese hoops with digital sales overseas that sweetwater doesn’t want to jump through? A bummer for @pschneider1968. Sorry for giving you false hopes friend…
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Dear all,
we’re currently in the process of getting SpectraLayers listed in additional online shops operating in Europe and other territories and hope to have this completed during first week of October.
We’re very sorry for the inconvenience. As you can imagine, this situation is very difficult for us as well, but I’m confident that we’ll be back to normal operation sometime soon. In the meantime, we’re working on intermediate solutions.
Many thanks for your loyalty, support & understanding,
Timo
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It was worth a try, and the fact that it didn’t work out isn’t your fault!
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