FYI:
Noticed today all my theme licenses for TagDiv Newsmag and Newspaper have indeed “expired” for support in the ThemeForest system, which I’m guessing actually happened March 1.
However, I can still download all files without issue, it would appear.
Will have to see what happens when TagDiv pushes next theme update(s).
Got no email about TagDiv themes support extension or ‘what to do’; only one email regarding one of the other themes I have (might have been a plugin, actually).
If I click the link to renew support, the rate is $14.70 for 6 months. They did also fix the issue where one can now renew *one* support license vs, say (I think I have 6 licenses?) all of them or nothing, which was the case a month ago when I looked, which was offputting. So, that’s not too awful at all.
So this means that it’s not “not affordable” for folks to help support TagDiv adding new features, WP compatibility fixes, plugin updates, etc.
(in case anybody was not up to date on this — there you go!)
🙂
Only mentioning in case anybody else not watching the skies on this topic.
Good to know. So once our six months is up, it’s less than $15 for another six months. I’d say that’s reasonable, especially considering the amount of excellent support I’ve already gotten here.
Hey Chris,
All mine have expired for multiple sites, including 4 instances of the Newsmag theme.
Over 3 Envato accounts I have over 100 themes, to think that I’m going to have to give Envato or the theme developer $14.70 every 6 months for however many themes I have just for the privilege of downloading updates is completely out of order.
I don’t make any money on my sites and it already costs a fortune to mess around with this stuff when you add in domain renewals, hosting and all the rest.
I’ll be happy to take my business elsewhere if that situation arises on Envato.
Having said all of that…. I have had 3 themes with expired support that pushed updates in the past 4 days and I’m still able to download the updated files for those themes.
I think the support ideas is a cynical con trick by envato to scare the inexperienced into buying something they don’t need, it’s tardy actions like this that now has me moving away from buying products through Envato if I can possibly help it and going directly to the theme developer/coder/artist/musician/videographer etc.
Whilst I appreciate that support can take a huge amount of time to run, it’s part of the game and if your supplying a product ie a theme, you really should support that if you are a reputable outfit such as TagDiv, I had noted in one of the replies on the Newsmag theme comments section that support would continue in this forum regardless, again, points to the fact that Evato are just trying to charge for something they don’t provide and I can still post in the comments section even though support has supposedly ended, it’s completely ridiculous.
Coming from a background of owning a furniture manufacturing company in the UK for 25 years, I can tell you that I would never supply a product and then try to monetise “support” which is in my eyes comparable to a guarantee that the theme will continue to function properly over a given time period, I’m not even sure what they are trying to do would be legal under UK consumer law.
I love to support TagDiv but I’ll buy another theme from them thanks or make a donation rather than be forced into buying something for nothing. Let’s be honest, there’s no option for extended support on the TagDiv website (as far as I can see) so how can it be solely for the benefit of TagDiv?
I appreciate that it’s a great service and you are very right to commend the efforts of TagDiv and rally support for them and the extra income that people buying this “support” would generate but until someone comes along and tells me that I’m not going to get updates unless I pay then I simply won’t pay. If it becomes a demand I’ll just find another theme. (that’s not directed at TagDiv, just Envato)
Cheers
D
One other thing…… Now that customers in the UK have to pay 20% EU VAT on these products to the government of a country they don’t live in, that has pushed the cost of some themes to over $72!!!!!
Add in the support and your not going to have people buying themes, they’ll just download them from the pirate bay.
Hi all,
Like we answered before regarding the envato support license, we don’t plan to restrict the access on forum and we still continue to answer all questions in the same time frame like we did until now, of course in limit of the support policy (we offer assistance and provide fixes for all issues/bugs related to the theme). If something will be changed we will announce in advance, so don’t worry!
Also to clarify one thing, if your support license expires, this doesn’t means that you cannot download the theme anymore. This is not the same thing, you will have access to unlimited theme updates.
Everyone is free to have an opinion regarding the envato support policy. We don’t (want to) comment this.
I hope you find this helpful!
Hi, folks
I was only sharing the info for those who were not sure what was going to happen, what the cost would “actually” be and so forth.
I will say that for some users, they *should* pay for another 6 months of support if they can’t learn to read the WP user manual on WordPress.org, do a Google search, or learn how the internet works. Too many folks on Theme forums expect a theme developer to “train” them for free on how CSS, HTML, and WordPress works, which is outside the scope of the product.
Also, if the theme continues to be developed and updated based on suggestions — basically developing an entirely new theme — it’s not unreasonable to expect some monies coming back to the developer to do that work ($15) for an update that took hundreds of man hours, doesn’t seem unfair. Especially when a person who already built their site, decides to change it a year later then wants another 10 support topics worth of help to redo the site again — all for free.
That’s like coming back to a furniture store 5 years later and asking the furniture store to resand, repaint, and restore a used table (for free). I guess some furniture stores do that, but none that I’ve seen.
I took this to mean that any “hand-holding” support would end in 6 months meaning you can’t get a personalized answer to your issues in the form of an email or phone call.
Don’t forget not every developer has a forum or even communicates that well unlike TagDiv where the supplemental support has really been fantastic. (A major reason why I chose this theme.)
I have themes that I purchased 5 years ago and I am still entitled to the updates, as it should be.(and I commend those developers for even continuing updates since the web is a much different place than it was 5 years ago.
TL;DR Even if support ends you still have access to theme updates.
Well,, I much appreciate the support from TagDiv, and You know, 14-15 dollars are like a drink in a bar downtown. However, I do not want to support Envato in this way. I would much rather pay an amount to TagDiv. I have lots of memberships for life or year with different theme- and plugin-companys.
I ask however, clients to buy their own license if I dont have unlimited license, it would be difficult to work this way, if one should always log in/out with different ID´s.
So I think, even though, that TagDiv dont want to share an opinion, they are on their clients side in all of this. And I think this will pay off.
Thank You for not making this difficult in a situation, when Envato try to make money on something already sold. In some cases, when lifetime support was promised. This is not god ethics.
Good point – I wonder if the support extension money goes to Tagdiv ?
Even if Envato takes 10% cut or whatever, I guess TagDiv would still get most of it ?
Hope so! I was just about to go put some money on that !
