Hi Karina and Marvin,
Thank you for the responses, but I’d like to address this directly: the issue is not a bug in an older version that couldn’t be dismissed. The issue is a deliberate, multi-layered advertising architecture that is baked into the plugin’s codebase.
I’ve reviewed the source code of version 3.1.6. Here is exactly what you’ve built:
Day 0: As soon as a user creates their first folder, the plugin hijacks the entire WordPress admin screen. The #wpwrap background is replaced with a branded Premio signup page, and a full-screen modal appears asking for the user’s email address. One of the listed benefits of signing up is explicitly: “Limited-time offers for WordPress users seeking growth.” This is not a feature notification. It’s an email marketing capture.
Day 5: An admin notice appears on every admin page advertising your affiliate program: “Join now and get 25% lifetime commission.” The “Tell me more” link silently appends the user’s domain name to the URL as a tracking parameter.
Day 14: A second admin notice appears with an inline star rating widget and a feedback form. Submitting feedback POSTs the user’s name, email address, rating and message to premioapps.com/premio/send-feedback-api.php.
Day 15: A third admin notice appears promoting an upgrade to Folders Pro.
Always: A dedicated menu page titled “Try out our recommended plugins” is visible in the admin sidebar from day one, advertising four other Premio.io products (Poptin, Chatway, Chaty, My Sticky Elements) with direct install buttons. Hiding it requires navigating a two-step confirmation dialog.
Each of these systems has its own PHP class, its own database options for tracking state, and its own dismiss logic. This is not a glitch. It is an intentional architecture with five separate promotional systems running simultaneously.
I understand the business incentive behind this, and I have no issue with a single upsell notice on your plugin’s own settings page. That’s reasonable.
But what you’ve built is something else entirely. My entire WordPress admin becomes an advertising platform for Premio.io. The media library, every post list, every admin page, all of it carries your promotional banners. A fullscreen email capture on day one. An affiliate pitch on day five. A review request on day fourteen. An upgrade banner on day fifteen. And a permanent menu item pushing four of your other plugins.
That is simply too much, and it is not what I signed up for when I installed a folder organizer. My review stands.
