I purchased this software in January 2022 before the cutoff mentioned in the patch notes that I only noticed until now. So this “unrestricted version with free lifetime updates” that was predominantly displayed on the website is basically no more. Did it even exist? Since I paid a not unreasonable- but not exactly cheap either- amount of 29.99, and it doesn’t seem like this software has been updated between 2.5.7 and 2.6.1. I hope I’m misunderstanding that, as this seems odd. I am also not sure of the legality of advertising and taking money for something you were not planning to fulfill.
I understand Lifetime models are quite a difficult and often unsustainable business model, but this seems like the wrong way to do this. I assure you that I don’t want to seem as entitled that I truly expected a software that literally has a lifetime of updates. However, I feel it’s a reasonable expectation that I would get all the updates until you released a MCEBuddy 3.X sequel app sometime (an appropriate amount of time and update cycles) down the line. I feel that this is how many most softwares with “lifetime updates” are handled, but I might be wrong.
To purchase software and not seem to receive any updates, then be asked to pay up for an already promised update within this range of versioning seems a little insulting to me. I get that you need to make money, but this could have been handled better. It would have been better to provide updates and then at a certain, appropriate, point, like above, release a new MCEBuddy 3 app. I imagine this would also work better from a legal perspective too.
EDIT: I have since received the following response:
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Hi, I’m very sorry about your situation. The old license was a lifetime license (not updates) for usage but I do understand your concern about the timing of your purchase. I will be happy to send you a complimentary license for 2 years of updates. Please let me know your preferred email address to have it sent.
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While I really do appreciate the offer, and I think that is good step and I would recommend you offer this to others who have purchased in the aforementioned time frame in order for them to at least feel like they received their moneys worth. I am in a fortunate position that I do not really need this software at the moment. I may revisit this software in the future, but I am not going to buy it based on updates, but by its current state- as there is obviously no guarantee of any updates at all.
Honestly, what I really do not appreciate, is this weird attempt at gaslighting. The main page of the website is cached by the Wayback machine, I can see what I bought:
https://web.archive.org/web/20221207194348/http://www.mcebuddy2x.com/#a3
This was December 2022, 7 months after 2.5.7.
May I direct your attention to the following:
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“PREMIUM ACCESS PROGRAM”
“If you love the trial version buy the unrestricted version with free lifetime updates”
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Sometime in January it was changed to this:
https://web.archive.org/web/20230128062601/http://www.mcebuddy2x.com/#a3
“lifetime license + 24 months of free updates & support”
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Even by this flawed gaslight logic, this is a further devaluation of the license of anyone who purchased between January 2022 and January 2023. They should have automatically been given AT LEAST one more year of updates, not just given a “pay up, your license wasn’t for updates, even though we have actively advertised this on our main page for years” email. I want to clarify that I appreciate you offering it to me, but it shouldn’t take people complaining for this to happen. This should be the baseline for what is a responsible and moral way to get out unsustainable business model.
Honestly, I would -if you can- opt to give one or two years to all legacy purchases as a sign of loyalty on your part, given that you are breaking an obvious promise, potentially illegally so. I would also fully and directly acknowledge that this is what you are doing, as I think honesty goes a long way, Because I get that lifetime models are unsustainable, it usually never pans out the way we hope.
I am not really that upset for myself here, I can honestly do without this program, I am a little upset for all the others who kind of got screwed here.
Good luck.