Subscription Pricing for WebAssist Products?

Dear WebAssist,

I have been (for quite some time now) seriously considering purchasing the WebAssist Web Developer Suite or any of your products for that matter. However, I'm a bit reluctant to purchase anything until I absolutely need it, just in case WebAssist releases a major version upgrade to one of its products in the suite. In which case, I would have to repurchase an additional upgrade for that product.

I'm certain WebAssist has already considered a subscription pricing model for its products. But, I'm hoping WebAssist would reconsider this as an option. I would gladly pay a premium (e.g., an additional 20% PER YEAR for the privilege of receiving upgrades throughout the year)?

Don't get me wrong, I do understand you already offer a generous 50% discount on upgrades for individual products and suites. But, a "subscription model" would give me the added sense of "security" (real or not) that I didn't make a bad in descision in purhcasing a product TODAY instead of waiting.

Buyer's Remorse Syndrone:
--------------------------------
1.> "Oh, if only I had waited just a couple more months, I would have received the upgraded product version."

OR 2. > "Maybe I should wait just a couple more months longer, just in case WebAssist comes out with a new version of a product I really want.

Here's my thinking plain and simple: I would really like to purchase the eCart product (or any other product for example) but I've noticed, that their hasn't been a MAJOR version upgrade in almost 2 years! I'm certain WebAssist has been working on a newer version (eCart 5.0 for example), but understandably this information is kept secret.

So, the game I play is: "Do I purchase NOW or wait", "Do I purchase NOW or wait"? , "Do I purchase NOW or wait"?

A subscription model would resolve this dilemma for me. For example: If you sell a product suite for $500, I would gladly pay an additional $100 (20%), knowing that I would receives any upgrades within a year from my original purchase. -- sort of like an insurance policy...

Until then, I'll just have to continue playing the game "buy NOW or wait?", "buy NOW or wait?", "buy NOW or wait?". ------- For NOW, I'm still waiting. Cause, I just hate that feeling of remorse!

:-)

Originally Said By: golegup359373

  Dear WebAssist,

I have been (for quite some time now) seriously considering purchasing the WebAssist Web Developer Suite or any of your products for that matter. However, I'm a bit reluctant to purchase anything until I absolutely need it, just in case WebAssist releases a major version upgrade to one of its products in the suite. In which case, I would have to repurchase an additional upgrade for that product.

I'm certain WebAssist has already considered a subscription pricing model for its products. But, I'm hoping WebAssist would reconsider this as an option. I would gladly pay a premium (e.g., an additional 20% PER YEAR for the privilege of receiving upgrades throughout the year)?

Don't get me wrong, I do understand you already offer a generous 50% discount on upgrades for individual products and suites. But, a "subscription model" would give me the added sense of "security" (real or not) that I didn't make a bad in descision in purhcasing a product TODAY instead of waiting.

Buyer's Remorse Syndrone:
--------------------------------
1.> "Oh, if only I had waited just a couple more months, I would have received the upgraded product version."

OR 2. > "Maybe I should wait just a couple more months longer, just in case WebAssist comes out with a new version of a product I really want.

Here's my thinking plain and simple: I would really like to purchase the eCart product (or any other product for example) but I've noticed, that their hasn't been a MAJOR version upgrade in almost 2 years! I'm certain WebAssist has been working on a newer version (eCart 5.0 for example), but understandably this information is kept secret.

So, the game I play is: "Do I purchase NOW or wait", "Do I purchase NOW or wait"? , "Do I purchase NOW or wait"?

A subscription model would resolve this dilemma for me. For example: If you sell a product suite for $500, I would gladly pay an additional $100 (20%), knowing that I would receives any upgrades within a year from my original purchase. -- sort of like an insurance policy...

Until then, I'll just have to continue playing the game "buy NOW or wait?", "buy NOW or wait?", "buy NOW or wait?". ------- For NOW, I'm still waiting. Cause, I just hate that feeling of remorse!

:-)  

This company likes to reward those who wait. I didn't wait and it ended up costing me $900. I guess it serves me right for doing business with these people. I could have gotten basically the same thing for $19.99 per month. Next time I will go to DMXzone.com for extensions.

We are just trying to lower the barrier to entry for new customers and offer a subscription model for those who want to be ensured the latest version of everything at a fixed annual cost. This doesn't affect users who already own the product, since you still have what you paid for when you purchased the extensions.

Originally Said By: Jimmy Wu

  We are just trying to lower the barrier to entry for new customers and offer a subscription model for those who want to be ensured the latest version of everything at a fixed annual cost. This doesn't affect users who already own the product, since you still have what you paid for when you purchased the extensions.  

There comes a point where a company becomes successful enough to risk crapping on it's customer base and I feel that's where WA are right now.

I suspect that a very large percentage of WebAssist customers are small businesses, struggling to make a buck. I hesitated for over a year before buying the tools I wanted. Of course, it goes without saying that cash flow is a major issue for most small businesses, hence my hesitation before making the investment. I don't give two hoots whether I OWN the product or LEASE the product, what I care about is my cash flow, and if I had been offered the choice of a subscription there is no question whether I would choose to lease.

But, having taken the plunge I spent around $800 just 6 months ago, and now the only thing I am being offered is a small discount to upgrade to the subscription. I nearly fell off my chair when I first saw this and have now used the website feedback form 3 times to express my views and ask questions, with no reply.

I would have expected a very special offer for existing product owners, something like the first year of fees waived. I feel that the return on that investment would have generated close to 100% of take-up from existing customers and would have started to pay off massively in year 2 onwards. Meanwhile, the new customers are getting a great deal and would have signed up anyway. So, by making this gesture everyone would have been happy, I wouldn't be sitting here typing this, and WA would have quite likely done better out of the deal.

As a businessman I understand that the subscription model is far more interesting to WA and it's new customers, but alienating the existing customer base in the process of introducing it is unnecessary.

This takes me back to my original point. "There comes a point where a company becomes successful enough to risk crapping on its customer base and I feel that's where WA are right now." Enough said.

I rarely take the time to write in Forums, but this is my 3rd post to the WA forums in the last 24 hours. I'm loving the tools themsleves but my view of WA is now tainted and I am rapidly losing trust in the company.

I'd like to say: this is just my opinion, and I'm perfectly entitled to it.

David

Nearly three months on and you still can't come to terms with reality. If you had taken up the offer you would have got 12% of your investment back and if you had not worked out how you were going to fund your original investment, that you still own, then perhaps it's you that needs to take a look at his business.

Initial reaction including mine, having spent quite a bit too, was B"£$%rds but after a little consideration I decided to smell the roses and have been happily using extensions I hadn't purchased and am looking forward to new things like irite v2.

Stop moaning pay the money get developing and reap the rewards the $800 will be a non-event if you are any good at marketing your abilities.

Best regards

Jon

Jon,

Thanks for the advice, although you know nothing about me or my business activities.

If I was staying in this business I would have changed to a subscription immediately, but I am moving on to a far more profitable activity at the end of the year.

My point was to share my suprise at the commercial logic of WA's approach. I am well aware that whining doesn't change anything.

This is why I rarely express opinion in Forums because it just leads to assumptions and flaming. I am sure you mean well Jon, but you are well off the mark.

I shall continue to provide constructive help where I can in these Forums and learn that to some people, freedom of expression is not a right.

David

I know i am off topic ,but i really need help cause i don't know what to do.
I am trying to subscribe to webassist extension library but i keep receiving an error message "Error Code15005" so it wont let me make the purchase.
Any ideas someone?

Don't know if this applies to your situation but this is one possibility from the PayPal forum:

"And in the api error code reference for 15005 there's this explanation : The transaction was declined by the issuing bank,not PayPal. The merchant should attempt another card."

If you continue to have problems, give us a call and we will make sure to address them with you directly over the phone.

Kudos to the WebAssist team, who finally gets it right and does the right thing for their customers!

If I'm reading it correctly, WebAssist's new policy (Nov 2009) regarding subscriptions, would allow its customers who "purchased" any of their products or suites, to upgrade 'all licenses' through a subscription to the WebAssist extension library.

Additionally, unlike users who cancel their "subscription only" license, users who "purchase" an extension or a suite, will now retain ALL UPGRADES to the products they currently own, EVEN AFTER the subscription is canceled. --- WOW!

It looks like WebAssist has finally heard its customers, and has ultimately delivered on its promise. It's a great value to the community who supports you - THANK YOU!