Pro is powerful but not good investment

Vortex11
(@vd11)

1 year, 10 months ago
First, I’d like to say Formidable Forms is one the best form plugins around. That’s why I keep going back to it even though I know I’ll regret it. My main gripe is the dishonest claims that the plugin, and all included features will continue to work after the yearly subscription expires. I was led to believe, in prepurchase questions, that everything I download while my license is active will continue to work after the year end, I just wouldn’t have access to updates or support. Well, that’s simply not true, is it? I gave them quite allot of money for one year and now, months after my subscription expired, nothing but basic functions work. I had the Elite package but now, I’m ‘almost’ back to the free version functionality. None of the special features Elite is supposed to include work now and if I click on them it just tells me to renew my subscription. The ENTIRE reason I got Elite for one year was so I could continue to use a number of the “supposedly” included features beyond the years end, accepting that I couldn’t update. I was willing to live with not getting updates or support but I was NOT prepared to lose ALL Elite’s extra functions after forking over hundreds of dollars. I wouldn’t be nearly as upset if I wasn’t blatantly misled about whether it would work upon expiration. I feel cheated and conned. Oh, also, their decision to kill the user forums, which had thousands of solutions created by them or the community in exchange for support ticket system was beyond ridiculous. When before I could just search the forums for a solution without having to bother them, as could all other users, now you have to submit a ticket for each little question. Not only is it irritating for users but that must be frustrating for their employees to have to answer multiple repeat questions ad nauseum. Anyway, they used to be much better. Their Pro version USED to stay Pro after expiration (you know, back when they had forums) and they used to be honest about their business dealings. Darn shame all in all. Just a warning for anyone else about to get sucked into their Pro subscriptions.
- This topic was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by Vortex11.

Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)

ds316
(@ds316)

1 year, 10 months ago

Thanks for the warning. These kinds of issues are a reason to avoid Formidable Forms, even if the software is good.

Plugin Author Steve Wells
(@srwells)

1 year, 10 months ago

Hi @vd11,

Thank you for sharing your feedback and expressing your concerns about Formidable Forms. I understand that you have been a loyal user of our premium plugin and have had a disappointing experience with the expiration of your subscription.

We want to assure you that all the forms and views published on your site should continue to function even after your license expires. If you are experiencing any issues in this regard, please get in touch with our dedicated support team. They will be more than happy to investigate the matter further and assist you in resolving any potential challenges.

Over the past year, we have introduced some changes that impact how the plugin works after a license expires. We have done our best to be very transparent in communicating these changes and have a grace period to reduce any unexpected limitations. We apologize if you didn’t get these communications or if you were told something different prior to purchasing.

It seems you have been using Formidable Forms Pro for an extended period, as you mentioned our public support forums that have been discontinued for quite some time. In such cases, there may have been a grandfathering provision for your license, ensuring continued access to the Pro features even after expiration. We encourage you to reach out to our team, as they can verify your account and determine if any mistakes have occurred in this regard.

At Formidable Forms, we are committed to helping our customers succeed while maintaining a sustainable business model. We genuinely value your feedback and would be grateful for the opportunity to investigate your concerns and make any necessary corrections.

Warm regards,

Steve

Thread Starter Vortex11
(@vd11)

1 year, 10 months ago

Thank you Steve for replying, but you’ve essentially said “Sorry we mislead you about our products functionality in order to get your money, but tough noogies.”

If you so cavalierly change your product offerings after a purchase, what prevents you from doing so to every new customer in the future? What exactly should a potential customer believe? What you promise or what you deliver? Sadly, they are very different things.

By the way, I am discussing an Elite license purchased about a year and a half ago for my small business. My previous experience was working with a clients license.
Michael
(@mgparisi)

1 year, 8 months ago
I agree with you, Vortex.

Also, just to be more specific. There are reasons why most companies do not do this. I’d add that formidable may want to discuss this situation with their lawyers better. I can imagine a half dozen situations where they may find themselves legally liable for losses due to these types of policies. I also do not know of any other plugins that disable themselves.

I’m a fan of formidable, but I do have a few problems with software. I share this one.
- This reply was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by Michael.
Thread Starter Vortex11
(@vd11)

1 year, 7 months ago

Michael, Yeah, allot of people build incredibly complex intertwined systems with it. The threat of deactivating functionality after a subscription ends essentially leaves sites stuck with an expensive yearly payment for the life of the site OR having to completely rebuild everything from scratch. I personally built a rather complex directory for the previous client I mentioned above. Luckily, they got their license back when it ‘should’ have stayed functional upon expiration of support. I NEVER would have recommended building with it if I hadn’t ensured it would keep working for them and I could never, now, recommend it for clients without serious warnings on it’s extended use. Anyway, I will not be at all surprised to hear about a lawsuit one day. I don’t care that much, but someone will.

dino127
(@dino127)

1 year, 5 months ago

Hey guys, it’s good that I read the topic. I wanted to buy a plugin on Black Friday, but now I won’t. A year and disabling functions… absurd
mthomas44
(@mthomas44)

1 year, 5 months ago
Absolutely, I concur with the sentiments expressed here. In this situation, the seller assures that the product will continue to function in its entirety even if a subscription isn’t renewed. The customer enters into a transaction with the seller based on this premise. Unexpectedly, the seller alters the terms which the customer had relied upon during the purchase decision. To me, this clearly signifies a breach of contract.

It isn’t feasible for us to approach the seller and state that we’ve reconsidered our decision and would like a refund. At present, I’m seeking legal counsel regarding this matter and might consider initiating a chargeback, given that the seller has altered the terms under which I acquired the license.
- This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by mthomas44.
bkudrle
(@bkudrle)

1 year ago

Thank you for the heads up. I just signed up again for Formidable Forms Elite package, but didn’t realize that I would need to do it perpetually. And there is no lifetime option. So, I am looking at Fluent Forms now as a replacement. I like the Fluent Forms programmer documentation also. This answer came up one of the first on Google about Formidable Forms, so hopefully this will help others to be aware of this as well.

Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)

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