Dannyarr

For the Perpetual / Lifetime license holders who are upset:

First let me say we are not out to "grab money" or anything like that. I mean you are talking about a few extra dollars a year here - certainly not enough to get rich off. Anyone who has suggested this is our goal clearly does not recognize the years of honoring our past commitments that we have done or gone out of our way to be sure no one feels taken advantage of.

What we are doing is simply covering our costs and creating a renewal structure that allows us to offer enhanced services, like the spam system, around our products. This is why we switched to the renewal very 6 months that the Standard license offers. That renewal structure covers the increased costs services like this entail so we can offer them at no additional fee. The Lifetime and Perpetual licenses do not include that type of renewal structure.

We are discussing options internally to allow for those on Perpetual or Lifetime licenses to work into a solution without feeling like they are "losing out" on anything. We will update everyone once we come up with something. In the interim, just have a small slice of patience and understanding while we look into options. Thanks!

I don't think anyone has a problem with the new renewal structure and its pricing. What we have a problem with is that we have to give up our licenses to get it. Why not allow us to retain our licenses and use the new renewal structure? After all, we've already paid more than the current standard license price for our licenses.

Having said that, glad you're discussing alternative options and I'm looking forward to them.

Well, if we did we'd have to make it optional. I don't think that a current perpetual license holder who is used to paying $30 a month for support is going to appreciate a price hike.

(guessing you wanted to say $30 a year there :))

I wouldn't mind either way but that would probably be the way to go. :)

Honestly, it was never our intention to make anyone feel 'second-class'. We just introduced a new service to help combat spam. If there's enough demand for a separate pay-for service then we'll be foolish to not consider it. Please understand that we value all our customers and will always take on any feedback that's given.

I don't think a separate service would be all that great (at least not if you plan on making specific pricing for every new thing you introduce). Simply make the standard support and service fees of $25 / 6 months available to Perpetual and Lifetime license holders. That would solve it instantly and I don't see what you'd loose from it.

Then I guess you're kinda SOL, huh? >_<

Here's a thought if money is out of the question: Buy a new license and use that code with your board. You'd still have your license then.

Not great company because of a simple, small thing that barely matters? Get outside. ;)

Simple small thing that barely matters for you. Many other (paying) customers disagree with your assessment.

I would like to request this topic to be closed. It's obviously getting out of hand. Listen: If you want the service, OK, change your license! Otherwise, continue to use your board like you used to. It's. just. a. tiny. service. No one is forcing you to change. IPS is right.

Stop arguing and acting like little kids! That's my job, being 14.

And IPS, you shouldn't put up with this. I don't pay you to tell excuses to customers who 'just don't get it'... So get to work with IP.Board 3.0.2! :P

Being forced out of something you've paid for to have an additional benefit directly connected to the product you've paid for is not acceptable. Acting like little kids? Thanks for the insult (ironic considering you're 14). We're not asking to get anything for free. We're PAYING customers. We pay $20 less a year than normal customers. Fine, give us the ability to pay the standard rates WITHOUT giving up licenses we've paid for and I'll shut up.

I won't stop using IPS products as I think they make great products, but if they make us do this then instead of saying "Great products and great company" when someone asks me about them I'll say "Great product but company that doesn't care about its customers".

Simple as that.

To reiterate, you would not be receiving a new feature but rather a new service. It's an important distinction to make. We are offering a brand new service free to standard and business license holders. It really is as simple as that.

What would be the nature of your complaint, though? The fact that we are not allowing you access to a brand new service?

We immediately clarified the term 'support and service license' with a reply to the announcement. I certainly apologise if the wording wasn't clear.

I really don't see how anyone can claim that we've moved goal posts. Again, I reiterate, we are offering a new service that is free to current standard and business licenses. It is not a new feature within IP.Board. You still get exactly what you paid for and continue to pay for.

Please understand this basic concept: we are not 'stripping features' for legacy licensed customers. We will not do that. We have a duty to uphold the terms of your license and we continue to do so willingly. It is a brand new service. At no point did we say that a licence purchase will entitle you to all new products and/or services that we provide. It's no different really from IP.Blog or Gallery, etc. They are all separate products and purchasable separately.

I have a Blackberry and an unlimited data plan yet I would have to purchase a subscription if I wanted to use the installed GPS navigator. I own an iMac yet I had to purchase an extra subscription for .Mac (mobileme) access. These are additional opt-in services. We just decided to give ours away free as long as you have an active or business license.

Make a new "service and support" plan available to lifetime and perpetual customers and charge $50/yr ($25 / 6 months) for it. Then those who want the additional services can simply renew the more expensive plan. Why force us to give up our licenses?

Yes, you are not 'stripping features' for legacy licensed customers. Instead, you are forcing the 'legacy' customers to give up their licenses in order to use a new service. Unacceptable.

Sorry for opening the other topic, didn't notice this one.

For me, it's not about the money. It's about principle and respecting the core of your customer base that made you what you are today. I've been keeping an active support license pretty much since I got the perpetual license and in all that time I'm not sure if I put in more than 1-2 tickets (we're talking years here). The only reason I've kept it going is to support IPS and their products. I don't really need the support part (both the perpetual and lifetime license have lifetime downloads anyway). I can understand your point of view on this, but for me it just seems you're money hungry. I can understand not offering it to people without active support but this is just not very well thought out.

The costs you mentioned are there and I understand that. However, I doubt the cost is so large that you have to force your old time customers who supported you in the beginning out of their licenses for an additional $20/yr. Without us old customers you would not be where you are today. Also, these old licenses haven't been available for purchase for a very long time now. You should be treating our support licenses the same as you treat regular support licenses. We're getting the shaft here because we support you earlier than other people did.

Alternatively (if it was really about the money), you could have simply given us an option to keep our licenses but pay $50/yr instead of $30/yr for these additional benefits. Call it an "extended support level" or something. You haven't done that either. The only conclusion one can be make is that you want to force people out of their old licenses and get even more money out of them. I find this incredibly disappointing.

You've seriously tarnished your reputation here in my eyes.

I will not be renewing my support this year.