Why do I have to pay renewal to download IPB?

[Dean!]

I have had a license that has been sat around doing nothing, I had a bit of spare time and I thought I would start a new forum. I usually use xenforo for my projects but this time I thought I would give IPB a chance.

I logged into the client area to download IPB and to my surprise I couldn't download IPB because I needed to "re-activate" my license.. I couldn't even download previous versions of IPB.. So my license is worthless unless I renew. WTH!?

The point is, why should I have to pay to download IPB? Other forum software are nice about this and let you download the highest version up until when your license expired.

This and the $15 to change your site URL make me think that IPB are cash grabbing aholes.

I went ahead and paid renewal anyways, I'm going to download IPB and keep the files safe on my dropbox account so I can download them in the future when I need them.

[JordanH]

This sorta angries me and as any future buyer of the software would probably make them go someplace else.

As the owner of the license you should have the right to download your current version of the software. Example, if it expired on version 3.3 and it is now 3.4.5 then you should be able to at least download 3.3. Nothing more annoying then having to pay more for something you already own.

[Ashley S]

I agree guys, it should be fixed, $175 for a license it is a lot for a forum software, never mind paying $25 every 6 months.

Surely the developers get paid enough money.

[Adriano Faria]

I totally agree this is WRONG! But it's always been this way. You don't get to download the software once your support license expires.

Already happened to me with IP.Content: '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>>

[Dean!]

I agree guys, it should be fixed, $175 for a license it is a lot for a forum software, never mind paying $25 every 6 months.

Surely the developers get paid enough money.

I'm fine with the renewal fees, but not the fact that I have no access to the software at all unless I pay the renewal.. And the fact that you have to pay $15 to change your damn URL. It's costly. IPB has too many "fees"

[Makoto]

I've always viewed this as more of a technical limitation and not IPS willingly trying to screw us over, but either way, I completely agree is is something that should absolutely be changed. I could also be wrong about IPS wanting to screw us over, but I really hope I'm not.

It's a limitation that exists within the marketplace as well. When your renewal date comes up for a product you've purchased in the marketplace, you can't just download the old version you paid for, you have to renew your package to gain download access to the product again. It's a(n annoying) limitation of the software.

As for the fee to change your URL, I didn't even know this existed. I've changed one of my forum domains over year ago, I never paid or even bothered to change it on my license. It still shows as my forum being registered to my old domain, which I still own, but 301's to my new URL.

Do you really have to pay to change your domain name now? That would be ridiculous. I hate that stuff as well. Unnecessary fees are really not fun.

[CnCNet]

The way I see it, even if IPS did allow you to download the latest until your license expired, chances are it would be out of date anyway and thus puts your site at risk.

No thanks, I'd rather pay to have the latest build, and what is $25 every 6 months anyway? Rounded, $1 a week, $4 a month? Jeeze, what a bargain, not to mention all the bonus stuff that comes with it. ;)

[Makoto]

The way I see it, even if IPS did allow you to download the latest until your license expired, chances are it would be out of date anyway and thus puts your site at risk.

No thanks, I'd rather pay to have the latest build, and what is $25 every 6 months anyway? Rounded, $1 a week, $4 a month? Jeeze, what a bargain, not to mention all the bonus stuff that comes with it. ;)

I don't think anyone here cares what you'd rather do.

Critical security patches are released for older versions of IP.Board on top of that.

[Dmacleo]

the 15 for domain change was waived if it was over 6 months from last change iirc.

[JordanH]

I don't think anyone here cares what you'd rather do.

Critical security patches are released for older versions of IP.Board on top of that.

Exactly. Not to mention if you do have other things along with IP.B it will cost you MORE then $25 every 6 months.

I also agree with the renewal fee. Every software usually has this. However to not be able to use the license that you already paid for is ridiculous.

[Dean!]

the 15 for domain change was waived if it was over 6 months from last change iirc.

Paying to change the domain on a license you OWN is ridiculous IMO. Though.

[Adriano Faria]

It's a limitation that exists within the marketplace as well. When your renewal date comes up for a product you've purchased in the marketplace, you can't just download the old version you paid for, you have to renew your package to gain download access to the product again. It's a(n annoying) limitation of the software.

Not really. So they're able to build their own software but they aren't able to change it, with a few enhancements?

It's more a question of willing to do the right thing and change this.

[steve00]

Easiest solution (which is what have always done) is download the software and keep that safe ... nothing hard in that is there ??

So if you had Windows 98 installed and wanted to re-install it ... are MS going to give it to you ... unlikely ... even though you have paid for it ... which is why you keep the CD of it so you can re-install it (or a backup of it somewhere)

There are several places online to download Windows 98 but none of them are legal. Windows 98 is not distributed online so there is no legitimate way to download Windows 98, even from Microsoft

So really, just backup and keep your original files

Same principal really with your website, backup, backup and not forgetting backup (yes, web hosts usually backup their servers but there could be a problem with their backup .... then where are you) ??

Just my tuppence worth

[JordanH]

Easiest solution (which is what have always done) is download the software and keep that safe ... nothing hard in that is there ??

So if you had Windows 98 installed and wanted to re-install it ... are MS going to give it to you ... unlikely ... even though you have paid for it ... which is why you keep the CD of it so you can re-install it (or a backup of it somewhere)


So really, just backup and keep your original files

Same principal really with your website, backup, backup and not forgetting backup (yes, web hosts usually backup their servers but there could be a problem with their backup .... then where are you) ??

Just my tuppence worth

Your comparing two completely different things.
Fine if you say this. xF don't charge you for domain change or to download the current files. Are you saying switch to them? I'll gladly. Seeing I already use them.

The point is. you should not be charged to download files you legally own. IF you want to make ridiculous comparison, that's like going to your lawyer and them charging you a $300 fee just to view the files you legally own. (I used that as an example because I had that happen to me, and I simply got a new lawyer and was able to view my files for free)

SO in this case. I'm essentially saying Get a new software that does not charge such non sense fees such as xF.

[Makoto]

No really. So they're able to build their own software but they aren't able to change it, with a few enhancements?

It's more a question of willing to do the right thing and change this.

I'm not saying it's a technical limitation we should all have to live with, I only mentioned that because I don't think IPS is willingly screwing us over for greedy intentions, it's just a bad technical limitation that should be updated that's screwing us over.

If IPS doesn't log the latest version you had access to when your license expires, why not start now?

I can see the technical issues here, but I also agree that it shouldn't be used as an excuse. Something can be done to make it work. These are limitations that shouldn't deter a team of developers that have the skillset to work together and come up with some solution to the issue. It's a problem, I agree it should be fixed. I largely agree with and support this thread.

[Nickolas]

I agree with the author of this thread. The $15 domain change fee is ridiculous, because it cost IPS nothing for us to do it. We are basically paying them a convenience fee.

[Pete T]

The Domain issue need read this

This tool will reset the URL on your license, meaning there will be no URL. You will then need to activate your license in the Admin CP at the new location in order to set the URL.
- You are permitted to perform this once during the first 30 days after purchase, and then once per 6 months thereafter. Additional requests will require payment of a $15 fee.
- You must remove your existing installation before performing the reset. It is against the terms of the license to have more than one installation at a time.
- If you have any questions or concerns, please contact account assistance before performing reset.

[Graphite]

I actually ran into this just this month. The latest version w/ security patch was released while I had an active license and I had paid for the right to download it because of the renewal fee I had paid six months before. Unfortunately, my subscription ran out a week later while I was without internet. I had no access to the downloads that had been covered during my license period. Super annoying.

I would've renewed anyways, but it certainly left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Also I agree with the URL changing fee. Ridiculous. IP has already seen how users quickly came to hate vB's new policies and they should be aware that part of the reason a lot of us are here is because we felt like the team here really cared about its users. Unfortunately fees such as this are a big turn off to me and seems like to a lot of other people as well.

[Emissaries]

As I understand it, security patches are avaliable even if your license is inactive, so I don't see why your board would be in risk if you don't renew the license. It's a different thing if you always want to use the newest version.

[AndyF]

AFAIK its always been this way here though. I always recommend keeping the .zip somewhere safe in case you need it again in the future if you plan to not renew.

Downloads are also limited to supported and active versions in most cases (hence why you cannot download 3.0.5 etc) this also as far as I know has always been this way too. :)

The point about old Win versions rings true as well, I still have an NT4 CD which is scratched beyond help (it looks like a vinyl record!) due to a drive falling apart while it was spinning, although I have no intention of using it again, I could not call MS and order a 'new' one even if I wanted to nor would they provide me a download link for it as 'replacement'

Patches, sometimes they are posted in the News / Announcement forum as an attachment, you should be able to download these if required.

[Makoto]

The point about old Win versions rings true as well, I still have an NT4 CD which is scratched beyond help (it looks like a vinyl record!) due to a drive falling apart while it was spinning, although I have no intention of using it again, I could not call MS and order a 'new' one even if I wanted to nor would they provide me a download link for it as 'replacement'

So would you recommend we resort to pirating IP.Board to obtain copies of older versions which we have active licenses for?

Windows 98 is EOL. Versions of IP.Board do not go EOL as soon as a new revision is released. If you wanted to go out and get a copy of Windows 7 or even Windows Vista today, could you? Yep.

If I wanted a copy of IP.Board 3.3.x today, could I download it? Nope. No active license.

If I wanted a copy of IP.Board 1.x.x today, could I download it? No, but that might be supportive of your arguing point.

I don't think this thread is really asking for a lot.

[JordanH]

So would you recommend we resort to pirating IP.Board to obtain copies of older versions which we have active licenses for?

Windows 98 is EOL. Versions of IP.Board do not go EOL as soon as a new revision is released. If you wanted to go out and get a copy of Windows 7 or even Windows Vista today, could you? Yep.

If I wanted a copy of IP.Board 3.3.x today, could I download it? Nope. No active license.

If I wanted a copy of IP.Board 1.x.x today, could I download it? No, but that would be supportive of your arguing point.

I don't think this thread is really asking for a lot.

Exactly. ΑndyF, your comparison is also ridiculous.

[Makoto]

Kirito, your comparison is also ridiculous.

How so?

[AndyF]

So would you recommend we resort to pirating IP.Board to obtain copies of older versions which we have active licenses for?

Windows 98 is EOL. Versions of IP.Board do not go EOL as soon as a new revision is released. If you wanted to go out and get a copy of Windows 7 or even Windows Vista today, could you? Yep.

If I wanted a copy of IP.Board 3.3.x today, could I download it? Nope. No active license.

If I wanted a copy of IP.Board 1.x.x today, could I download it? No, but that would be supportive of your arguing point.

I don't think this thread is really asking for a lot.

I think you have misread my post. :smile:

The point about MS products was you cannot get legacy ones anymore if you did not make your own backup of them, the same way you cannot download say 236 / 305 (or 1.x.x as you say) anymore from here. That is all that was meant to point out nothing more. Yes I realise the distribution methods are different physical media for MS versus download for an IPS product.

No, you should not go and 'obtain' IPS files from elsewhere, apart from any legal concerns you never know what else they might contain as hidden 'extras' , I'd never recommend that.

The policy of only allowing downloads for active support clients has as far as I know been like that for a long long time, certainly as long as I can remember. This is something you'd have to discuss with staff / management probably, not me.

The problem with allowing access to older versions is clients will inevitably use them then be upset if they are unable to obtain support from the Client Area for said versions. We still see topics occasionally in the support forums for legacy versions, and I would not be surprised if tickets arrived requesting assistance for legacy versions too. I'll try to help clients with issues with these versions in the support forums where I can too, simply as I want to help them nothing more. :smile:

[Makoto]

The point about MS products was you cannot get legacy ones anymore if you did not make your own backup of them

Really?

I didn't misread you, the two are not at all the same. It's an invalid arguing point.

You also ignore the fact that it's completely possible for your license to expire and you will not have access to the latest current version of the software. We're not talking about EOL versions which do not receive any official support.