Where was it ‘marked as supported or not supported’?
I am fully aware that many files made the lifetime claim - this was only ever between the author and the buyer as it remains today.
It had nothing to do with envato. The terms buyers agreed to with envato stated that support was not mandatory at any time.
This is exactly why they introduced the new policy - to prevent this confusion and why it is an improvement - protecting buyers at least for 6 months guaranteed
I think we will just have to agree to disagree on this topic. Good luck shopping elsewhere.
Thanks
Yes because that highly developed countries have not only more citizens but also more educated people, more businesses (who need website) etc… so fact that 76% of buyers are from highly developer large countries is not that surprising, but true is I thought there is larger % of low income countries buyers in total envato member number. Anyway I think if you look at sellers there will be most authors from India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Russia, Ukraine so I think in some author list we most probably would see also other flags than US or UK.
I have problem with country income vs product price everywhere. In most authors of WP plugins I have to beg for some discounts because original price ( aimed to western countries) is simply not reachable for me. SO that problem is not only envato related but global. Luckily most devs have understanding and give me 40-50% discounts so I can afford it.
OKay from sales tables posted here I now understand Envato more - simply Envato orientation is towards western highly developed countries with high income people. I also agree that people from that countries new support expiration probably doesnt affect in any way. Envato dont gonna reflect too much complaints of low income buyers from low income countries because they at the moment are only max 25% of buyers (at least it looks like that) - (anyway I think in beginning of envato that number was higher).
Okay - now its more clearer to me. THe question is what we - people from countries where we have income like 600-700 EUR monthly can do now ? 44 USd which is in reality for me 250 USD is unreal to pay every 6 months. If it was for 12 months I can maybe imagine it but pay this every 6 moinths for all my themes and future themes is simply unreal… Answer is probably simply…bad luck you born in your country… I understand that envato as a business dont care if I born here or there and because Im amongst “only” 25% of total buyers from such countries Im sure envato will not care… so we are simply fu**** up Anyway IM sure there will be many frustrated people even amongs buyers from high income countries…
Simply taking population as an indicator for a highly developed country doesn’t work either; China or India alone have a larger population than Western Europe and the USA combined, and both China and India have some highly developed areas, that can easily compete with any western country. And yet, those countries barely show up in any buyer statistics (at least not in mine).
Also, item prices here on Envato have absolutely nothing to do with authors or buyers origin, because if they did, it would be discrimination.
And I don’t think that the sellers/authors origin is an important factor for buyers, as long as the item itself fulfills all buyer criteria. But as @charlie4282 already stated, this topic can be continued endlessly and I don’t think there will ever be a solution that will satisfy your requirements.
If prices on Envato are too high for you, you will have to find another marketplace, that will hopefully offer the same quality AND quantity, for less money. But then, such a marketplace doesn’t exist, because as with everything else in life, you get what you pay for.
Yes that was the whole point - Im here 7 years and has been fully satisfied and were buying stuff, after new support expiration take place, items here are no longer affordable for me so need to search for alternate marketplaces so I do it. Just… its a bit sad for me as I have been here from envato begginning so its always a bit strange feeling leave something where u have been 7 years satisfied but have no other choice because recurring bussiness model simply not work in my country type coz people cant afford it.I already found good alternative to envato but to be honest rather would stay here if support expiration would more more “sensitive” to people from such countries like me… Well thats life…
In item page you have SUPPORT TAB - if you open tab item is there marked as SUPPORTED or NOT SUPPORTED by author. I was buying only from author who got their item marked as SUPPORTED and author supported his item (even throught i knew its not mandatory for him) If author dont support=negative rating=no sales, so good authors were supporting. If buyer choosed good authors and looked to comments - than everybody can see if author support or not support. Now after 6 months expire I dont have any support - if I asked one year ago how change color of this. Author most likely reply and help me because I choosed good authors. Now also reply me but not with help but saying “pay 44 USD”. I can see clearly that conditions changed.Same author who helped me in past dont helpo me know saying because new envato policy - when I bought my old items there wasnt such policy and honestly if that bexist i didnt buy 70% of items i bought. Thats why I think serious company should offer refund…
Sorry, but that’s incorrect. If an author declares that he doesn’t provide support, you either don’t buy from that author, or, if you buy, then don’t complain that there is no support.
Buying a product that is clearly sold without support and then give a negative rating because the author doesn’t provide support is a completely douche move (yes, there are buyers who do it anyway, trying to blackmail authors in providing a service to which they have never been entitled, but that doesn’t make their behaviour right).
That information (supported/not supported) was NOT available prior to 09/01/2015, because it was introduced specifically for the new support policy.
And as stated numerous times by others … Envato NEVER included any support with your purchase; in fact, the market regulations specifially stated that you buy an item as is, WITHOUT any support. Any support received prior to 09/01/2015 was purely out of the author’s goodwill and could not be enforced. And authors promising lifetime support did that based on their own individual decision and are still free to honor that promise.
@freakpower do you offer free lifetime support for your customers? If so, why? If not, why? I’m really curious!
Offering a refund, after you got the products and received support would be silly. I don’t see a reason why they should do that. It’s not like they are in breach of contract.
Asking a refund at this stage would be the equivalent of asking a car dealer to refund the purchase of a car after you realise that you have to pay for the servicing once it’s out of warranty. 
I think the main problem is how you take it. People who like idea of support expiration always come up with something supporting that move, people who dont like it and feel like they are cheated will see it from different angle. I simply dont feel it way u feel it. I bought some product with support (as seller marked item as supported) but without any guaranteed support - so basicly it ws up to author if he really support it or not. If autzhor wanted to have salkes he had to support it otherview will receive many negative comments and negative rating and thus will not sell anything. Because of that in fact author had to support his item if he want be good seller - because i choosed good sellers, I never had some more problems with support. SO… althroughjt envato didnt make support obligatory as now (limited to 6 months) the whole system worked like as it was mandatory otherwise negative comments and bad rating ruin author. SO if you look at this perspective I bought my items with this in my mind - I bought supported item witzhout envatio guarantee that author will really support it but authors was by buyer power ( rating and comments) forced to actually do it. Thats how it worked. Now it not work that way so conditions changed. I know its complex problem and I understand what you saying, but if you will think about it you will see my opinion is also correct. OLD situation : I asked author after 1 year about help with something, he helped without pronblem NEW situation:author says sorry i dont help you coz your support expired. You can see difference ? ANd because I was buying here MAINLY because of that OLD scenario i just described and now this scenario is not working anymore, so I feel cheated as to achieve old cenario I need to pay every 6 months.
No Am ofering in my bussiness my clients some free bonuses as part of my service. THan I tried to make them paid, but 50% customers was about to leave (because they hired me because of that free bonuses) IN fact it wasnt free bonuses (they weren advertised so) I just didnt charged them what others charge. Situation with envato seems to me very similar…
I meant this for authors who had ITEM IS SUPPORTED under item support tab. If author enabled ITEM IS SUPPORTED and than refused to support it, such author received negative comments and bad rating. SO if author wanted succeed and enabled ITEM IS SUPPORTD he had to support if he wanted sales = positive rating/comments. In case of author who had ITEM NOT SUPPORTED you are of course right…but I will never buy anything from author with not supported item…
As I told to hogash if author enabled support (information ITEM IS SUPPORTED under support item tab) he basicly had no other choice. If he dont support than receive negative feedback/rating/comments and if he receive more negative voices he basicly dont sell anything (with 2star and 200 negative comments). SO altrhough support wasnt mandatory and enforced by envato and even if author had ITEM IS SUPPORTED information in support tab on item page author could do what he want you are right - but had no othere choice than support it ( if he wanted some good sale). And thats the point.
To be honest i dont remember when information supported/not supported was there and when. I think before author can simply have checkmark free support as now have free updates - but it doesnt matter. Main thing is that before I had free help from good authors now i dont have free help from good authors after 6 months. Thats difference I see and this difference is BIG. Im not even that much against support expiration. Im just saying that paying 44 USD for 80 USD theme (can be several hundreds or thousand dollars every 6 months for some buyers with more themes) cant simply afford.I can afford pay for 80 USD theme max 20-30 USD for 12 months support - this would be acceptable. Than its gonna be good compromise by my view. I also understand that in high income countries 44 USD for 6 months is okay and relatively fair price because for such people its much less value than for me, but have to admit that for low income countries people is 44 USD more like 250 USD so its big jump in expenses such buyer now suddenly have. ANd… all Am saying is that because of that I simply cant afford now pay 44 USD (for me 250 USD) every 6 months - so I have to look for alternative markets where it will work in old way as here before. Thats all…
Right… kind of a coincidence how your customers hired you for your “free bonuses”, such as you actually bought items here due to free support. But ok, anyway, i’ll take your word for it. In this case, offering free lifetime support for your customers, do you feel comfortable? I mean, considering a few tens of clients per year, for say a couple of years, each customer coming with new questions yearly, monthly, new “how to’s”, new “free bonuses” you promised etc. All for a price they paid a couple of years ago, for of course - a top notch project you already delivered. Tough business!
You say old model worked. I say it wasn’t. It was confusing and I just say authors efforts were taken for granted. Yes, i believe in free support, but up to a limit; and 6 months is a comfortable limit.
I find a bit ironic you mentioned low income poorer countries, yet, you buy from “good authors”, that most likely have good selling items and bigger support staff, while small fries don’t stand a chance. It’s kind of the same why many authors market mainly for higher income countries. It’s not fair, but that’s the way it is. If the support fee for lower income countries would’ve been smaller, don’t you think “good authors” would prefer selling the exact same service to higher income countries?
[EDIT: Comments Removed]
I’m sure you run a business not a charity and you price your project up to a point where your business expenses are covered. Even on the eastern european market a website goes for say 300-500$. There is still room for profits considering a fully-charged multipurpose theme goes for 60$ that spare you weeks of work. Want more profits? Just charge more, it’s business 101! Otherwise, the business is failing.
I couldn’t find a solid argument of yours proving this new change is wrong, other than your own self interest of not wanting to pay for something that used to be taken for granted as free.
EDIT: One size doesn’t fit all so if this marketplace isn’t suited for your needs and affordability, while i hate to see a buyer leaving the market, it’s up to you to know what’s best fit for you; and if another marketplace is better, it would be obvious to leave, however i doubt there are better alternatives in terms of quality, supply and services.
Well be sure that small business here is more alike a charity than what you would call business in your country. For people from western Europe or US its kinda hard to imagine. For example buy an theme here for 80 USD is more alike I pay 400 USD. Its still okay and I can afford it and of course its better than pay 10-15k for custom programming but believe me I think 20x times before I buy theme here as 80 USD its pretty big money for me, much bigger than for you. But its about top. 80 USD is about max amount I can afford pay for theme. Anything over is over my budget. By anything over I mean also including recurring subscription model in 6 months interval for 44 USD for 80 bucks theme. My own income is about 1.000 EUR monthly - which is still about 350 EUR above average income here. From that income you pay about 70-75% for such things as flat, water, electricity, gas, phone calls, internet provider, insurance, mandatory health care etc…So I end up with about 250-300 EUR for rest like food, beer, holiday trip, petrol and other expenses. So we as small business owners have to count every penny ( we have krones here). Im already at top range of my service price in bussiness what I do, if I charge more I will be eaten by competitors so make ma service more expensive is impossible. BUt Im not complaining - people in Romania, Ukraine, SLovakia, maybe Poland etc… with their average income 300-550 EUR are in even much worse situation than we here. Anyway I have to count every expense and even a little one. And… now imagine I have suddenly expense several hundereds dollars every 6 months just for an support renewal on my themes on Envato. Its simply not possible. Just for comparsion try imagine life of person with income 3. 500 - 3.700 EUR (average in gemany) and me with 1.000 EUR here in Czech republic - which is already above average here. Its hard to imagine… and best thing is that prices for goods here are same like in Germany or even more expensive ( for example food in germany is about 15% cheaper than here). Now you see why german buyer will be maybe not happy but not complain and why I complain a lot… I would like to add that most people from countries like me are in very similar situatiuon so Am not an exception. Of course we have rich, richer people and poor as everywhere , Im amongst upper middle class here. Czech buyer from high class will of course not complain. JUst to finish my description of living in easter europe as we are already a bit off topic - Pensioners here for example are in such bad situatiuon that their retirement rent hardly cover flat rental. Basicly many (most) pensioners here are left with about 100 EUR for everything ( after they pay flat rental). Can you imagine your living with 100 EUR for month in your country after you worked whole your life ? Even Syrian refugees who wanted move here escaped back to Syria when they see how it is 
Really…no kidding… and its very similar in all eastern european countries… 7 years before I was also seeking an cheap solution and then found envato, which was simply cheapest yet good quality market in comparsion with other choices back in past. Now after 7 years here I have to do it again, look for cheaper solution than here, which is unfortunate but there is not any other option for me… Well no worry I also see your points which are okay for western countries but not eastern.If I was frolm Germany I will see all your points as valid. Thats the thing. Well at least you know more about life in eastern europe now and can be happy you are not living here
