XenForo ends the "reactivation fee"

From the time of XenForo's beta launch, the terms stated that in order to renew a license (keep it active to receive updates and access to the customer forums), the fee is $40. But if you didn't renew your license less than 9 months after its expiry (i.e. license expires, and 10 months later you finally decide to renew), the license becomes "inactive" and to reactivate it, the fee doubled to $80. Also with inactivation comes the loss of access to customer-only forums (add-ons, support, etc.).

Community members responded in a non-aggressive but aversive way to this policy, so the company reconsidered and has announced a reversal of the activation fee policy:

Reactivation fee | Page 19 | XenForo Community

With this change, customers now have indefinite access to customer-only forums, and there is no longer "inactivation." Only expiration, which can be renewed for $40 at any time.

What are your thoughts? Personally, I think the change in this decision is highly symbolic of the company's willingness to listen to customer feedback and adapt in order to suit customer satisfaction without harming the company. If you're familiar with IB, this type of behavior is a sharp contrast from what you're used to. :p

 

I think they gave in to a coupla whiny punks that just kept hammering them.

I use quite a bit of software that comes with 1 year of ticketed support and updates. If I want to keep the support and updates I pay every year. The company has revenue coming in to keep updating the products. If I want to drop it and then come back I pay more than a discounted rate thats offered to keep the string unbroken.

Now I do think that if I have multiple licenses I should get a break on the annual fee with an incentive to buy even more licenses.

 

Personally, I think it would be unwise to underestimate XF guys' cleverness. Being in their place and after what IB has done to vBulletin, I would not hesitate to pull such a trick: announce costlier support option than it was for vB, knowing perfectly that there will be customers dissatisfied with changes; listen to the wave of complaints and then "give in", roll back to vB terms and appear as conscient company willing to listen to their customers. Soaring publicity at zero expense. And another sign of "vBulletin as it should have been".
Just my :2cents:

 

So cynical.

 

Personally, I don't have a problem with the "reactivation" fee. Seems reasonable to me, though I can understand why some might have a problem with it.

 

It would not surprise me to see the 'reactivation fee' brought back at a later date, if they don't lose XenForo to Internet Brands in court that is.

Right now they will want to get as many sales made as possible (it being new and all). The last thing they want is something people are seeing as being a bit controversial with XenForo (which might slow-down new sales happening) - The Reactivation Fee.

I expect if all goes well for XenForo, you can expect to see it come back later once they feel they can afford to re-introduce it back and suffer a small minority of complaints at that time in the bigger picture of things.

Right now though, this is something they can't really afford to do. Hence why they suddenly dropped it. They tested the water with it from the word go, but made a mistake. So they've just shelved it (for now).

 

This is all, of course, just your opinion. Right?

 

Wrong, a few others as well.

 

and that's ok, everyone's entitled to them. Thank goodness, that doesn't make them right.

 

No way!
You mean having my own opinion doesn't make me right? Damnit all to hell, I want to be right all the time

 

ROFL! It would be nice, wouldn't it. :lol: