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Gravity Forms Developer License - is this a lifetime licence?

Gravity Support Forums » General » Pre-Purchase Questions

  1. jep_nz
    Member

    I purchased a Gravity Forms Developer License and I noticed it expires at the end of the year. I thought they were good forever? Otherwise I wouldn't have bought it. I've only got two sites using it so far. What is the story here?

    Posted 12 years ago on Tuesday June 5, 2012 | Permalink

  2. Rob Harrell
    Member

    All licenses are good for one year. At the renewal period you will have the option of renewing for 50% off.

    These excerpts are taken from the following page:
    http://www.gravityforms.com/purchase-gravity-forms/

    "Are the licenses good for a lifetime?
    No, each license is good for one calendar year from the date of your purchase. You can renew your license for another year at a substantially discounted rate."

    "How much does it cost to renew my license?
    You can quickly and easily renew your license at a discounted price. The Developer and Business License renewals are 50% off the standard price and the Personal License is 25% off the standard price."

    Posted 12 years ago on Tuesday June 5, 2012 | Permalink

  3. kibourne
    Member

    For some reason, I can't renew for the 50% off discounted rate. I never saw something that indicated that the renewal had an expiration date on it. Is there a way to get the discounted rate on the correct license added back into my account?

    Posted 12 years ago on Friday June 8, 2012 | Permalink

  4. CollinH
    Member

    I just purchased and realised this same thing—after the fact. The pricing and purchase page says "1 Year of Updates & Priority Support" which led me to believe my updates and support would run out after a year, but the usage license would be unaffected. I'm not happy about this at all, since I purchased this on behalf of a client and inadvertently told them it was a one-time expense.

    I see now the explanation in the FAQs underneath the license comparison chart, but if anything that just complicates the issue. You need clarify what you mean by a license. The FAQ reads: "Will my forms quit working if my license expires? No way. If your license expires, your forms will still work just fine. You won't have access to product updates, new add-ons or the incredible (semi-famous) product support that we offer."

    So my support/update "license" expires after one year, but I can continue using the software? Would I be using it "unlicensed" or just without support?

    Irked and frustrated here.

    Posted 12 years ago on Tuesday June 12, 2012 | Permalink

  5. David Peralty

    You can continue using the software after one year, but you will lack the support, updates, and new add-ons like our FAQ's mention. Gravity Forms would note that you no longer have an active key, but beyond that nothing would be effected.

    Posted 12 years ago on Wednesday June 13, 2012 | Permalink

  6. CollinH
    Member

    Then you really, really need to revise the language you use. The UPDATE AND SUPPORT PLAN expires, the USAGE LICENSE does not. Tremendous difference.

    I'd also like to point out that I feel a little like I was bait-and-switched, and would be very hesitant to recommend Gravity Forms to others. On the other hand, if you were to offer cut-and-dry, no-nonsense lifetime updates, support and usage, your user base would likely increase substantially.

    You can go after sales revenue two ways. You can capture the sale but leave the customer feeling unsatisfied and disappointed, with a tinge of regret; or you can follow the "making customers crazy happy and letting them be your product/service evangelists" route. I recommend the latter.

    Posted 12 years ago on Wednesday June 13, 2012 | Permalink

  7. Carl Hancock
    Administrator

    @CollinH What exactly are you referring to as a "Usage License"? Our licensing does not restrict usage and nowhere on our site do we say it does. If you choose not to renew your license you can continue to use the version of Gravity Forms you have installed all you want.

    There is no usage license. The license is for support and software updates. If you do not renew your license you will no longer have access to support and you will no longer receive software updates. You will also no longer have access to downloads so you can't download the plugin or any available Add-Ons after your license has expired.

    Can you continue to use Gravity Forms itself? If you still have it installed on your site, certainly.

    HOWEVER we don't recommend it. If you aren't going to renew your license then you should stop using Gravity Forms. WHY? Security and compatibility.

    You should ALWAYS run the latest version of WordPress and all plugins you run and this includes Gravity Forms. If you do not have an active license then you cannot receive software updates which means you can't run the latest version of Gravity Forms.

    Not running the latest version of WordPress and all WordPress plugins leaves your site open and vulnerable to possible hacks and malicious attacks. You should only use plugins you have access to updates for and you should always run updates when updates are available.

    The notion that we have tricked you with some sort of bait and switch is absolutely absurd. All of this is spelled out on our Pricing & Purchase page which you can see here: http://www.gravityforms.com/purchase-gravity-forms/

    The comparison grid showing the different levels explains that it includes 1 year of support and software updates as you can see here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/185347/Slingshot/Pictures/Screen%20Shot%202012-06-13%20at%2011.32.29%20AM.png

    The information below the comparison grid spells it out in greater detail by explaining what is included, how much it costs to renew, and what happens if you do not renew as you can see here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/185347/Slingshot/Pictures/Screen%20Shot%202012-06-13%20at%2011.32.08%20AM.png

    All of this is explained on the Pricing and Purchase page via the link I provided above. There was no bait and switch. However, there might be a serious lack of reading and understanding what you are purchasing. Either way, that isn't our fault. It's spelled out in detail on the pricing page.

    We have no plans to offer lifetime support and software updates. Would we get more sales if we offered lifetime support and software updates? Certainly. But then that would mean we'd have far more people to support on far less revenue on a yearly basis. How is that a sound business decision? It's not.

    Our users appreciate the level of support they receive from us and they appreciate the software updates and Add-Ons that we produce. None of this would be possible if we adopted a lifetime support and software update because of the strain it would put on our company from a support standpoint. It's simply not a sustainable business model for a very complex WordPress plugin to adopt.

    We've been doing this for 3 years now and I speak from experience running the most successful commercial WordPress plugin on the market. Our model has evolved into what is a sustainable business model that will ensure that Gravity Forms will continue to grow and thrive and our users will continue to receive great support and great updates.

    If any of this is an issue for you, then I suggest you find another form solution to use.

    As for making customers that are evangelists and raving fans... I suggest you look on Google, Twitter, etc. There is no shortage of raving fans when it comes to Gravity Forms. Our pricing model does not limit us at all when it comes to creating raving fans of what we do.

    Posted 12 years ago on Wednesday June 13, 2012 | Permalink

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