What Do I Do When My Theme Is No Longer Compatible with WP?

  • tuftsoftune

    (@tuftsoftune)


    10 years, 6 months ago

    I am using the Twisted theme from Creative Market (https://creativemarket.com/snailart/2422-Twisted-Responsive-Business-Theme) on my ecommerce site. I purchased the theme in May 2013. It is no longer compatible with the latest version of WP. Full compatibility was lost at least a couple WP versions ago. My homepage slider, other interactive functionality, toggles, tabs, and navigation bar sub-menus no longer work.

    As I am not a programmer and don’t know code that well, what should I do? Prior contacts with the theme’s non-native-English-speaking developer have proven to be fruitless, unhelpful and frustrating. Still, I’ve contacted him to see if he will update his theme. Is this the right thing to do? Is this the first step I should take? I also contacted the support team at Creative Market to see if I could enlist its help in getting the developer to update the theme.

    When I updated WP to version 3.6.1, I did not do it via the multi-step extended update way. I simply did the one-step update. Could this have created incompatibility with my theme, my not having gone through the multi-step update process?

    Should I go back to the version of WP that was out in May 2013? That’s when the theme was fully compatible with WP (I believe, as I hadn’t started adding variable products to my woocommerce-run store…all my variable product woocommerce pages are missing the “add to cart” button…I’m not sure this would have happened had I tried to put up variable products back in May 2013.)

    Should I learn to code via http://www.codecademy.com, or should I look to hire, perhaps on Fiverr, someone who can help update the coding in my theme to make it compatible with WP 3.6.1? The latter seems risky.

    I would still like to use this theme, but how can I not only make it compatible with the latest version of WP but to ensure it will remain compatible with future WP versions?

    Thank you to anyone who can offer any assistance.

Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)
  • esmi

    (@esmi)

    10 years, 6 months ago

    I’m sorry but as you are using a commercial theme, you need to seek support from the theme’s developer/vendor. We do not support commercial products here.

    WPyogi

    (@wpyogi)

    10 years, 6 months ago

    I’d suggesting finding a new theme that IS compatible and being actively maintained. Why deal with a whole lot of hassle and money when there are tons of great themes available here:

    http://wordpress.org/themes/

    In the long run you’ll be much better off even if it takes some work to get it switched over.

    Using an outdated version of WP really isn’t a good idea at all – it’s a major security risk.

    esmi

    (@esmi)

    10 years, 6 months ago

    But if the theme was purchased only 4 months ago (when WP 3.6 was widely available in beta), then the vendor should either be putting out a theme update or considering some other sort of recompense. Theme vendors should not be allowed to get away with this kind of poor practice.

    WPyogi

    (@wpyogi)

    10 years, 6 months ago

    Theme vendors should not be allowed to get away with this kind of poor practice.

    TOTALLY agree with that part of it :)!

    Thread Starter tuftsoftune

    (@tuftsoftune)

    10 years, 6 months ago

    The theme specifically states in its description and bills itself as being a WordPress compatible theme and as being perfect for business endeavors. When a theme’s description states this, you purchase it, it works for several months, and then WP update after WP update you begin to lose content and functionality, how is a would-be buyer to know this would have happened?

    esmi

    (@esmi)

    10 years, 6 months ago

    Every theme developer would be aware that WordPress is updated 3 or 4 times per year. And all developers have full access to the alpha and beta version of the updates before they are released (for example, WordPress 3.7 is already in beta) so that they can test their products against the new version.

    WordPress 3.6 was in beta for 3-4 months!

    Thread Starter tuftsoftune

    (@tuftsoftune)

    10 years, 6 months ago

    This only enrages me all the more. The dereliction! The complete, utter, and total dereliction! To leave your trusting buyers in the lurch like that is unconscionable. Thank you, Esmi, for the information. I will use it to further strengthen my case against the developer until he restores full compatibility.

    But one more thing: Should I be expected to pay for the updated theme? Or, is it the case that once you buy a theme, you should only expect to receive update notifications (that your theme has been updated to maintain compatibility with the latest version of WP) on your WP admin dashboard, the same way other updates are promulgated? In other words, should the updating of my theme by automatic and timely, totally handled by the developer, and free to all past buyers?

    Thank you!

    Moderator Jan Dembowski

    (@jdembowski)

    Forum Moderator and Brute Squad

    10 years, 6 months ago

    But one more thing: Should I be expected to pay for the updated theme?

    You really need to have that conversation with the vendor that you purchased the theme from as that’s not something anyone here can really answer. I suggest you send them a polite email (polite is good) if you are not sure what you as their customer got when you made that purchase.

    leejosepho

    (@leejosepho)

    10 years, 6 months ago

    Your theme’s problems might not be great ones, and one or more of these plugins might offer some insight:
    http://wordpress.org/plugins/search.php?q=Theme-Check
    http://wordpress.org/plugins/search.php?q=Theme+Authenticity+Checker

    shesh87

    (@shesh87)

    10 years ago

    I had the same problem. I bought a template a year ago from template monster; at the time the template was compatible with WP 3.0-3.4 which was fine b/c I was running 3.1. Well the company did not mention that they had no plans to update the template with WP, nor that I should not upgrade my WP at all. Now that i’m running 3.8 my template has completely broken; post types are missing & over 30+ pages of content have been deleted! When I complained to the company about this, they basically told me it was my fault for upgrading my UP past 3.4. Complete nonsense!

Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)
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