It says in the new support policy as listed copied and pasted:
Item support includes:
Availability of the author to answer questions
Answering technical questions about item’s features Updates and bug fixes
Help with included 3rd party assets
To me this means I paid $48 dollars for my theme for only 6 months and then that version is my last version to use unless I fork over more money.
I guess this true since Andrew is not responding. If this is not fix for the updates. I will be a no more customer. I can’t afford to just keep paying more money like that for updates. If you aren’t going to fix it, then I am going to stay assuming that it is exactly as it says. 6 months and no more updates to the theme I paid for, unless I extend it.
This update issue is going to effect buyers and I will one of the first to start it by leaving Envato for good.
The best would be to make NEW SUPPORT (whole this 6 months thing) as an OPTION for authors.
It should be an Opt-in / Opt-out preference.
Authors who Opt-in: New support with all this 6 months package and paid support for further periods. Authors who Opt-out: As same as before SEPTEMBER 1, no more confusion.
The Item Support policy and functionality only applies to certain categories on TF and CC. Here is a list of the categories that are not included: PSD templates, Sketch templates, TypeEngine themes, Mobile, and Edge Animate templates.
I’m not certain if updates are free after 6months from the descriptions.
If support has to be paid in that way, i foresee people will have a greater expectations and a more realistic decline to ratings.
I think it’s not a bad idea to allow authors to opt out.
Updates will be available to ALL buyers regardless of whether the item is supported or not, and regardless of whether the buyer has valid support or not.
It looks like this confusion is stemming from the ‘what is item support’ modal. We’ll take a look at the copy and make it clearer for buyers.
Fix the wording then. You can’t say that and it still says we have to pay. That needs to be changed. It makes people not just me and crelegant think about it. It is every single buyer is going to not understand it.
As my username: DOUCARE? I changed it because people now a days are not as much anymore.
Yeah I would definitely fix the wording on that. I thought this was going to be another wootheme copy pasta business model charging hefty prices per year to keep up-to-date but if it’s only just extended support for an additional cost, then it’s a great concept for a little extra money to developers. You should already have a plugin/theme down-pact anyways before 6 months, and the (x) amount after 6 months isn’t a big chunk.
Hopefully we are still able to make comments after 6 months about fixes/bugs on a certain item.
I was just about to fork out a couple hundred bucks today, until I stumbled across this tread
Now from what I can understand from a buyers point (please correct me if I’m wrong) I’ll receive 6 months of support from the author, and only receive product updates/fixes after this period…correct?
But what I would like to know is what will happen in 9-10 months down the track, when the author releases an update and there is a issue/bug with the update? Can I ask a question to resolve the issue with the update or would this be classed as “Support”?
See as I expected. More asking the same question because the wording is different in the Item Support versus the item page.
What they don’t understand is Version updates on the Item page is Updates and bug fixes, because that is what is including in the updates. So saying they are two different things is wrong wording. They are the same and having it as we pay with support is saying we are paying, and he keeps saying it isn’t true.
I am not going to be happy because I feel for other customers frustration on this too.
I know you said it multiple times to me now, but what I am trying to get fixed is the wording in the policy.
Good question, would like to know as well. I guess buyers can use contact form of the author to resolve this kind of situation. Because, as per the support policy, authors won’t support buyers who are out of support period but in some exceptional cases like these they will. But, still need a confirm answer, not sure.
Regardless of whether the item is supported or not:
Updates are included with all items, for the life of the item; and
Authors are also expected to keep the item working as described.
This means if you find a bug you can always report it to the author. The key difference between having valid support and not, is that if you don’t have valid support then authors aren’t expected to help troubleshoot the issue or provide any customer service to you what so ever. They just need to ensure that the item works as described. And if it doesn’t work then they will most likely release an update which will be available to all previous buyers (for free).
It is not correct because Andrew says we get our free unlimited Version Updates which is the same as Updates and Bug fixes. That is what is included in the Version Updates. It needs to be fixed.
You cannot expect everything for free. 3 and 4 should be free as it is author’s responsibility towards buyers. Support packs incentivize author for 1, 2 and 3 to bring more value to the product. So, now it is totally on authors how they want to deal with customers out of support period. If the buyer is facing a bug or has a security issue, it is author’s responsibility to fix it for free.
Author are not liable to respond to buyers question out of support period regarding 1, 2 and 3. Buyers should rely on product documentation or video tutorials for that purpose.
So what they been dong they should of never been doing? So when there are updates we never get the features anymore? No new additions to what we already paid? That still says this is not worth the buying of a theme to me. Just for bug fix and security patch is like just going to WordPress.org for support and they will just tell us to go the the author and it is an endless run around unless we pay.
if I don’t get what I paid for then I am gone as I said way before.
You are still saying that from this whole time that they been adding the features and new additions that we should never get them, but only fixes and bugs only for free. What does features and new additions have to do with support? That should never be an additional charge because that is normal additions.
Yes, but if they add the support the way you want it that way, it is in the long run just as much as paying a developer and they lose buyers that way anyways. So whats the point of turning of customers away. Not everyone is made out of bucks. Wish people would understand that over just the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
Because, that is not sustainable. Already themes and plugins are priced relatively very low here. This will help to compensate the author work and his/her time.
I guess buyers can use contact form of the author to resolve this kind of situation. Because, as per the support policy, authors won’t support buyers who are out of support period but in some exceptional cases like these they will. But, still need a confirm answer, not sure.