The truth is that because Im from low income country I need to find and use especially authors and programmers which are from even more low income countries then me. THose authors from what they earn here can run their business much better than author for example from Germany, because they are used to much lower income and have lower expenses. So If Im for example seeking an programmer I have to hire Bangladesh or Vietnamese programmers for 10 - 15 usd/ hour - and thats still great for them if average income is 5 usd/hour - they have double of average income. Before I hired Indian programmers but they are not that cheap now as 5 years ago as in India is getting better and better in life quality and money value so I had to switch to vietnamese, ukrainian and bangladesh programmers. US based company will have 1 support person , Indian based company can have 10 persons for same expenses like american one - so can offer possibly better quality or US company hire Indian programmers and than it is in equal but because of US owner he want more money because he live in different environment… Yes I understand that authors want to sell to people who got money to buy ( from higher income countries). Till now this market worked I think good for all now it will work mainly for richer people from western countries as for others themes become due to support expiration too expensive - thats reality.
@freakpower
I’m from India, the country where things are bit different from US / UK
But unfortunately, cannot agree with you.
I too had my own business, now full time author ( elite author 
) here. I use to make web at $120 but at my own. Recurring income from hosting + maintenance was bonus
Current rates in general: < 80$ for a 5 page website + hosting. Do not ask about quality :zipper_mouth:
I had seen advt. some offering this at $25, may be without hosting. Not sure how they recover their phone bills went after a single project :stuck_out_tongue:
Can you answer these?
1. Why you purchase WP theme, if people have low budgets? Budget increases as per the requirements. More requirements, more expense. No need of WP theme ( which needs support pack) for basic theme, HTML could work. That too at low cost without future expenses. And if any client with specific requirements, he does pay. He should.
2. You can make a WP theme, out of simple HTML.
Mostly now a days clients want dynamic websites **(or seller advertise like that**) at cheaper rates...thanks to envato.
If you are in this business, you must be able to do this at your own.
If you are a frequent browser and curious, you can find many big names in your area has some template (mostly HTML) used.
**You cannot count on a global market for something you want to provide at your own rates.** Staff is affordable at local rates. No need of people working on global market.
[ Irony is my own brother is working at $180 / month. He has a noticeable portfolio ( while studying) at graphicriver. Joined as a trainee (just joined this month), but started designing apps/web of quite big names :wink: Sometimes in a life we need to do charity for later achievements, but not always. ] Win-win situation as no plugins etc. etc., so no hectic at every WP version update. No doubt this costs time to you (something you don't want)..
3. Do you purchase WP theme to get good quality, at less cost, for less work to yourself when it comes to maintenance, at the expense of someone else time?
4. Have you thought about situations of authors based in other countries? while thinking of yours? In some countries, even earning $5000/month is not too much. Rent of a decent house is more than $3000. Not all authors are owner of 'The avada'...'The X'.....'The ....'
Do you know how much time author need to update themes frequently? that too when theme is not sold much (and this is a case in 80% themes even more). A person cannot do charity with empty stomach.
Support is beneficial for all, regardless country/currency. If your clients have demand, they will pay, if have less demands select affordable like HTML at less cost. Last but not least, frankly, if you are in this business you do not need a support pack at all, most of the times (except rare case) if you do this wisely.
We had a client a couple a weeks ago , that had some support questions and on his email was stated with big red letters that his support was expired. What do you do in this situations? You refuse the client and tell him to purchase more support to answer his questions? A client that can rate your product? In the end we helped him without mentioning anything about his support being expired…
Well just because eastern Europe is poor and your belong from a low income country (czech republic), this is no excuse for authors to provide free support.
Nobody is doing charity here, its like any other business. 
And support is only $14 for 6 months.
From my experience as a buyer situation is following after support period expire about 50 - 60% of authors will refuse help, 40% of authors continue with free help even after support expire. Some because they simply dont mind continue with support, sume because they are afraid from negative comments and rating. Buyers of course now tend to buy moire from yuthors who provide help even after support expire so they research and ask author how isn their support polic. If they say 6 months I will look for other author…
Yes you are right. Im only saying that for people from many countires like is mine envato stop to be interesting place regarding theme market as they simply cant afford subscription alike renewal model. Not because they dont want to pay. They simply cant afford it as already price of themes was on the top of their affordability and that now was crossed by support expiration. SO many people from eastern europe and other low income countries will now have too look for alternatives. Thats all what Im saying.
Hi Sbp, Yes I agree with you that for really good theme with good design and feature rich its inreal to sell such theme for 25 USD. I agree that 80 USD what is price fot TOP themes here its still good for buyer and soso ok for seller especially if author dont have full 80 USD but some get envato so authoir have much less than 80 USD. No offence here - I agree. Also its affordable even for me, but its on TOP range, over 80 USD for theme I cant afford. So Im not complaining about theme price. Also there is point that very low income country authors are in advantage because they live in country where most thing is much cheaper and also average income in their country is really low. SO if such author sells on envato he became higher middle class or rich in comparsion to otghers, can afford even pay enough support staff while author based ik UK or US is in big disadvantage if he uses local staff because they are too expensive and he cant pay them from his income from envato. You have to agree with me that there indeed is big difference. WHile US programmer is used to 100 USD/Hour Indian programmer will be fine with 15 USD - that is big difference. Its even possible to find programmer for 10-12 USD but than quality questions raise. EVen if indian programmer habe 10 usd/hour its still good income in his country where many people have 4-5 usd or less per hour. Indian programmer actually are not that cheap anymore as their coluntry is getting better so now mostlike more frequet rate for mindian programmer on sites like freelancer is around 20-25 USD. Thats why I switched and use more vietnamese and bangladesh programmers as they still keep 12-15 USD hour rate. To your questions
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In use themes for my business which is NOT IT, IM not reselling themes and are not involved in IT business while I studied it.WP has an advantage of simple adding articles. Not IT savvy person will hardly work with HTML theme as add articles and edit them is not easy. For adding any feature to site you need hire programmer, with WP you just buy plugin. I agree for very basic site with no frequent content update and no changing articles is HTML site better but thats not my case.
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Im not programmer Im not able to make site myself. IM not in IT business Im buying themes for my own projects. So Im end user.
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Yes exactly as yu type. I simply I buy themes here so have cheapest possible web solution I can professionally use to present my business projects and basicly as you sadi on expense of someone else. Unfortunatly it works this vay. Person from high income country look for savings so hire so,meone from less income coluntry. Person from less income coun try looking also for savings so hire somebody from even lower income country then his own etc… Its not fair but that how things are.
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I have been travelling 10 years around world and been living 5 years in Australia. Of course you are right that in high income countres in aloit of them there is also alot of more expensive everything in that country - food, services, rent etc… BUt in such countries still average person end up with at least 800-1000 USD for his li´ving after he pay everything. I end up with 200 USD to pay everything so still he got 4x more than me for unnecessary expenses. SO still such a person can afford pay recurring subscription model without problem while me not.
Well IM end client so I know I cant afford pay more and only solution is look for different markets withour recurring payment model. Recurring payment simply cant work in low income countries as people cant afford it but it can work well in highly developed high income countries - I agree.
Holy dooly this thread might take the award for word-count.
I seriously cannot read anything longer than 2-3 short paragraphs. .
envato should make some special badge for me
for 80 usd theme is 6 months support 44 USd. If I would pay 14 USd I would not complain as its affordable.
No point debating over this topic as nothing is going to change. Everyone has an option either to accept the change and deal with it or look for another option.
Basically, when Envato announces anything now-a-days, it is not to listen to feedback from the community and improve but rather they want us to accept it or go elsewhere.
I was still researching amongst various members of envato. I think following will be good things to add or at least think about:
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some authors misuse expiration end and probably on purpose slow down they resolving of buyer problem so author support expires. This way author force buyer to pay support. I would do it in way that if buyer release support ticket before support expiration author will be enforced to solve that problem even if buyer support meanwhile expire. I think its the only solution to authors that misuse near expiration and forcing buyer to buy it…
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many people was used to buy themes for future projects. Now they cant do it because 6 months support period start to countdown right after buyer purchase item. Thatzs also my case, I havse some themes and I didnt worked on them yet but support period already expired. I think fair solution for this will be if support period will be not connected to item purchase but will be separate so it start countdown when buyer start it himself (after he start work on project)
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I think there should be some short term support option. If buyer want only some elementar help - for example how change color of something which will be solved by author in matter of minutes - there is no need to buy 6 or 12 months. I think something like 1 week or at least 1 month support option would be good so buyer dont have to pay for 6 or 12 months
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Some authors misusing support expiration that they restrict access to whole support site - so user cant access faq, videtutorials and user forum. This is not good I think author should allow user to continue use such thing like videotutorials, update installation notes, changelog or forum ( at least with read permission). WIth many themes - theme cant be even reinstalled without access to videotutorials and updated without access to update notes. I believe those thing should not be taken as part of support and I think those autzhors simply misuse support expiration feature
5)If buyer pay for support renewal and in few days item will be removed by staff or author, buyer should get refund his money.
6)Buyer should be able to ask before support renewal if his support request actually author take as support request otherwise can happen that user renew support only to find out that author dont help him because he might consider his request as not adequate and than buyer simply wasted money. Now as I know from some buyers some authors refuse even react on buyer problem in any ways and just say renew support and than tell buyer sorry this is over our support range for this item. Thius should not happen.
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I think marketing point that give huge discount on support if extended support orderer altogether with item purchase is not good idea. I think better idea is make some max limit - so for example support renewal can be max 20 USD for 6 months. With current model it can be 44 USD for most expensive 80 USD themes and that is simply big investment especiall for low income country buyers. They maybe can afford pay 20 USD but 44 USD might be too much. Second idea is simply leave discounted price for support renewals available at item purchase as flat price for all renewals no matter if extended support ordered with item purchase or separately after support expired.
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Support ticket should actually to be monitorable by envato staff so in case of buyer complaints, envato staff can access tickets and have look to judge if complaint is adewuate or not…
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How actually envato enforce support. if buyer complain author not answering to tickets or is slow how envato check if thats true ? If author is slow than also should be prolonged his support expoiration.
You are right, by my opinion what Envato is trying to do with all these changes (against the authors) is to make envato the marketplace for exclusive items (with higher prices) and exclusive authors, getting rid of all other authors and leaving only best of the best!