Why would vB want to ...

Ooops!,

it is was $100 yearly and $180 owned according to this link

I looks like you need to get them to update the information at that website.

 

That was the leased license cost, but now after the new changes leased licenses are no longer available.

 

Right, so now New Licenses it's:

Forums only: $195 for each point release

Suite: $285 for each point release

 

Thank you for sharing the information. I agree with you. vBulletin is a small, although significant part of the Internet Brands portfolio. Unlike people here think, it will take a back seat to the larger investments.

Here is where I don't agree with you. Maybe for new customers this presale is a good "value." But a $175 renewal is a piddling $20 less than a new $195 forum license. That is giving every current vb forum owner and long term customer/contributor the middle finger. We're actually buying a whole new license of vBulletin all over again for more than it cost new just 2 weeks ago!!!! Our outright purchase has been reduced to a value of practically zero.

Now here is where you get to shoot the customer right in the head - if you just bought a new license in Septmeber for $180 or renewed your maintenance fee, you're getting bent over again to the tune of a whopping $130 but ONLY if you buy it all NOW and see nothing for your money for many months to come. If you wait on the purchase, support for vb4 will run out before vb5 and you'll have no choice but to send up the wire transfer for even more money later, and only for the forums for $175 huge dollars or the suite for well over $200. Insane.

Now Ray has you starting to believe his horse manure. If vBulletin came in just one package and included a full copy of Autocad, a carsdirect branded sun cover for the Lexus and a one year supply of Ben & Jerry's ice cream for only $800, I'd be saving thousands of dollars. But why do I give a damn if I just came for a vBulletin forum?? I never use cad/cam software, own a Honda, and am lactose intolerant!!!!

Yes Wayne, that damned vBulletin Suite is a flipping bargain for somebody but all of us being given this sweet talk which equates to you MUST pay for ALL of it now and you can turn off the parts you won't use later. Why must I pay for what I won't use?

Using 3.8.x is no bargain and you get robbed too. You're eventually going to have to pay $175, even more than the cost of the forum new 2 weeks ago, just to get upgrades. How about a license that expired in early September? IT's $175 or pay $190 which reflects a SAVINGS... yeah... of -$15 more for things I may not use.
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Wayne, you're always golden to me. But especially during the time of a recession none of us are that stupid where we can't figure this out and dispense with the euphemisms. And here is the punchline --> If this shotgun two week presale was intended to be honest and fair it wouldn't have been an unannounced surprise, on for only two weeks, and shot innocent customers in the head who recently purchased licenses when everyone inside vBulletin Internet Services knew what a horrible investment that would be and said nothing.

 

Ok,

but the website I linked to,needs to be updated,to point out the changes.

 

And if there was no sell at all? That was the previous option.

Really, IB doesn't want you using the forums. While it is still be one of the cornerpieces, innovation is seen elsewhere. This is why they are encouraging people to upgrade to the Suite. There will probably be future incentives as well. The suite is seen as a new product and is being promoted as such.

Anyone who just purchased a license, is actually in good shape so they don't need to upgrade. I guess we can't drive that home enough. vBulletin 3.8.X will still be supported for at least a year including bug fixes and upgrades. As much as any prior version of vBulletin.

 

When looking at the prices for NEW customers that would own a license starting today, sure ... The prices are good. The problem is you forgot your existing customers. I can only state my personal situation where I have a license that has expired more than 1 year ago. I get a "25$" discount on a UPGRADE, and I am not allowed to renew my 3.x license to get the latest version without paying 210$. This is a big difference from 60$ to 210$. No prior warnings were given to the customers who don't visit your forums daily. If I had renewed at 60$ prior to the launch, I would've paid 190$ total if I decided to upgrade to vb.4, but at least I'd have a choice. Now, no choice. I decided to move to another software because of this, even though I could run my 3.x indefinitely. It's just the principle. I don't like getting ripped off.

 

BINGO. Complete lack of any prior disclosure. Blind side hit to every one of your customers. And if these people are top professionals running a public company, don't tell me that nobody saw this coming.

 

Did you mean 'sale' instead of 'sell'?

 

Probably. What I get for hurrying and not proofreading. Firefox doesn't have a grammar checker, just a spellchecker.

 

hmm yeah so for some reason my posts are not showing in firefox.

 

You posted something? I thought you just quoted Mark.

 

Yeah, I must be on some shitlist now. Maybe some people don't like to hear what I say. In anycase, IE8 atm.

I would have re-wrote what I said but it's not that important.

 

Anyway, after I spoke to Ray, I ceased to believe what I said in that specific post. Despite having posted that opinion approximately 200 times.

They aren't trying to do that at all.

I still think parts of the license changes have been handled in an odd way. I can now see why they want to move to the new scheme, and in the long run it is better, but it's the transition that I believe could have been handled better. That said, they were never going to please everyone.

My issue is that for me, the transition actually presented a good deal, and as I've said I have ceased fighting other people's battles.

 

That's not necessarily a bad principle...

 

Exactly.

I came close to being unable to update and manage my site, simply because I was running around ranting about problems OTHER PEOPLE were having.

Sure I'd had some issues myself but I'm no longer going in to battle for others. Why would I? Why would anyone?

In return for renewing my leased license 3 months early and adding an extra £40, I've now got the equivalent of an owned license, except that I don't have an annual renewal fee but it won't cover vB5.

Basically for at least two years I have no more to pay. And if I decide I don't want vB5 for any reason, I never have to pay anything ever. So that's better for me than paying out £50 every year.

 

Huh?

When 5.2 comes out then 4.x will be EOL, although if you buy 4.x then you will have every update/security patch that they will ever write for 4.x.

 

Exactly...I have bought 4.0.

Therefore I'll be spending less than I would have been, for a better product. And then if I don't want 5.0 for any reason, I can still use 4.x without paying anything else.