Is this Price hike real?

[brian!]

On 30/07/2021 at 19:17, UnwilfulExpenditure said:

What spill? There is no spill. Maybe there's only a spill for you? CanI get access to your glasses to take a look?

if the staff slipped on the spill, and were on their backs looking directly at the ceiling, some of them would still deny the spillage exists.

On 30/07/2021 at 19:17, UnwilfulExpenditure said:

Nice, I long for the day when I truly pick and choose my work! It sounds heavenly 

to a certain extent, I always have when it comes to WHMCS stuff.... i've never woken up in the morning yearning to be a coder - yeah, I can do it, and I still sorta enjoy it, but i've never wanted (or needed) to make a living from it.

On 30/07/2021 at 19:17, UnwilfulExpenditure said:

On a more serious note, I'm glad you're kicking back a little! Hope the beach was good 🙂 

technically I still haven't been.... typically British attitude.... far too warm to go there during a heatwave last week and this week it's going to rain. 🌧️

[UnwilfulExpenditure]

23 minutes ago, brian! said:

if the staff slipped on the spill, and were on their backs looking directly at the ceiling, some of them would still deny the spillage exists.

This made me chuckle, Too true sadly 😂 I had someone tell me they found a bug 2 days ago with the processing of card payments.... Support acted as though they had no idea! I sent them the links here! They were understandably annoyed after making all the changes suggested and going through the "It's your modifications" rigmarole with WHMCS. Ahhh well, at least we know the staff are on the beach with their heads buried in the sand!

And I didn't actually believe you were kitted out in flip flops enjoying yourself! You seem to be far too into punishing yourself! Hope you've at least found a less self-defeating hobby at least! 😂 

[Magicklug]

On 8/4/2021 at 11:49 PM, brian! said:

if the staff slipped on the spill, and were on their backs looking directly at the ceiling, some of them would still deny the spillage exists.

Haha, rofl!

[AALayer]

@Kian I totally get your point regarding the ‘friendlyness’ of x competitors and how they might turn up  in the future exactly the same as WHMCS at this point but there is absolutely nothing you can do about it and why waste time discuss about it aswell.

WHMCS for example is no longer a company with 3 developers that discuss the future of the product, i would call it an ‘enterprise software(minus the bugs and stuff)’ that make decisions which are well thought and won’t shake   or change that easily.  I bet the idea of  price increase at WHMCS might have been around in office for years before making it go live.

 

Blesta might do the same, maybe it won’t.  Still people are going to complain about a decision Blesta’s team does in the future, let that be price increase, feature removal.. and so on!

 

Seems like everyone(or nearly everyone) nowdays purpose is to get rich. Why not make it happen on a successful product you already have? Who cares about the clients that supported it till now, if at worse 60% stay and 40% go, they’ll still be richer than now.

 

Stuff like this is gonna happen if you count your bussiness in a 3d party software. If you want the drama-less , hire a team and develop a custom billing solution in my opinion, that would be extreemly expensive at first but oh well, you don’t get all in one package.

 

[tashawummery]

On 10/08/2021 at 10:10 AM, AALayer said:

Blesta might do the same, maybe it won’t.  Still people are going to complain about a decision Blesta’s team does in the future, let that be price increase, feature removal.. and so on!

 

Oh, I wouldn't be surprised anymore.

[brian!]

On 04/08/2021 at 17:19, UnwilfulExpenditure said:

You seem to be far too into punishing yourself!

there's no absolutely no punishment occurring at this end - still haven't got past the stage of just enjoying doing nothing yet... i'm only here cos I got 3 PMs and they needed answering - quickly answered a few threads, but won't be back again publicly for a while.

On 04/08/2021 at 17:19, UnwilfulExpenditure said:

Hope you've at least found a less self-defeating hobby at least!

watching paint dry would be a more scintillating experience than anything to do with WHMCS.

[Kian]

On 7/19/2021 at 9:59 PM, zomex said:

You completely missed my point John.

The program has always been marketed as requiring the licenses to be sold bundled with hosting services even to this day your reseller program page confirms this. This is the reason I have ruled out your reseller program for the last 11 years.

Theme Metro are bundling the license with templates, not hosting services. So why have they been approved?

@WHMCS John answer please?

We need to know if third-party developers are now allowed to become WHMCS resellers or if you made an exception for Theme Metro.

[ChrisTERiS]

What makes things more frustrated is the marketing trick that Thememetro.com is using. to tease the Laws (he thinks so). You can offer for free something that belongs to you (the template in this case). You can't offer for Free something that is Commercial and belongs to someone else.

While the title  says "Get WHMCS license free with Croster whmcs theme" (So Free WHMCS, Paid Template), inside he says "which means you pay almost nothing for the top class & Feature-rich WHMCS CMS theme Croster " (So Paid WHMCS, Free Template).  

 

And here is the proof from his site. I'm wondering if WHMCS counts the value of their script so low that they accept someone to advertise that offers for free their script if someone buys a template?

 

Edited August 12, 2021 by ChrisTERiS

[ChrisTERiS]

23 minutes ago, Kian said:

@WHMCS John answer please?

.... or if you made an exception for Theme Metro.

I can bet for it, even if I don't know the reason.

[zitu4life]

My gess is:

WHMCS always had reseller with thise tear prices according to number of licenses you have active

Thememetro probalby has more than 100 active customer with croster theme (if see on marketplace they have up to 135review). Croster Theme only exists if WHMCS exists. So I think that partership becomes from thememetro contact made to WHMCS, I would do same in their place.

Croster prices was before partership 15.95 lease price too...same price WHMCS starter.

Thememetro is taking advantage of sacrifice some profit from their module (that if they sold it always there is some profit), so they have 50% comission from getting WHMCS reseller and also get 50% from their module....Profit for them will be similar, actually will be better, because customer will get more (bundle produt).

Regarding that WHMCS strictly restricted only from hosting provider, perhaps in the past it was like this, but at the end it is up from each one of we, to contact WHMCS and propose our partnership intention. I undestand that some developers understood that WHMCS should advertise before accept thememeatro as a reseller, but we can not use it as full justification. 

Personaly in my business I usually select some of international company and propose a partnership, usually some of them refuse, but others provide positive answer.

I do not think ThemeMetro is benefeting for belonging to any WHMCS owners or something like that...WHMCS partnership process starts with opening a ticket, paying $68 application fee, get an interview (conference call with WHMCS staff), if you get approved you are a reseller. To became a reseller you must keep at least 5 active licenses, the licenses you got more discount. My guess is ThemeMetro is taking advantage of has a great number of customer on croster in just 2 year of existing Croster.

As a WHMCS customer personaly I think it is good have that, because these days money is critical for small business and get 2 products for same price is a must. But huys there is hosting providing selling WHMCS license for even more competive price.

[Kian]

I quote:

Quote

Our reseller program is designed for web hosting providers to offer WHMCS licenses to direct reseller, VPS and/or dedicated hosting customers. The reseller program does not permit selling licenses to the general public or as a standalone product.

Rules are simple but let me be more specific.  Theme Metro, Zomex, WGS, WSA, Modulesgarden and me all share the same characteristics:

• They are not providers
• They don't sell any hosting-related service

We could stop here already and conclude that none of them can join reselling program but there's more. To avoid any possibile confusion, WHMCS say that licenses can't be sold to the general public or as a standalone product. There's no loophole.

Back to Theme Metro (not a provider), he sells templates (not hosting services) but has been allowed to join WHMCS reseller program in contrast with the above rules.

I don't see any marketing trick here as @ChrisTERiS was suggesting. WHMCS licenses can be sold only from a provider to a hosting reseller or the owner of a VPS/dedicated hosting. I don't see how offering a free banana, coffee or apple with WHMCS license included (or vice versa) can turn you into a provider and your customer into a reseller or into the owner of a VPS.

I've nothing against Theme Metro but over the years MANY of my customers have been rejected from WHMCS reselling program because they were selling VoIP, gameservers or internet radios even if they have much in common with hosting. I don't get how a template is more similar to hosting than VoIP.

As for me, ages ago I had a green light from WHMCS to resell their licenses from my hosting company. In the same time they felt the need to point out that I was not allowed to do the same from my software-oriented website (I hadn't even asked it).

So here comes the question: Why?

• Option A: rules are changed. Anyone can join and sell WHMCS licenses as they like
• Option B: WHMCS made an exception for Theme Metro at the expense of other developers. If that's the case I'm speachless. There are 5 or 6 developers left in WHMCS that are probably going extinct in the next few years. Such a move from WHMCS can only boost this process. Why should a developer stay with the many cons we all know plus the special treatment reserved to Theme Metro? It's clear that third-party devs are not welcomed 👋

 

 

Edited August 12, 2021 by Kian

[yggdrasil]

9 minutes ago, Kian said:

I quote:

Rules are simple but let me be more specific.  Theme Metro, Zomex, WGS, WSA, Modulesgarden and me all share the same characteristics:

• They are not providers
• They don't sell any hosting-related service

We could stop here already and conclude that none of them can join reselling program but there's more. To avoid any possibile confusion, WHMCS say that licenses can't be sold to the general public or as a standalone product. There's no loophole.

Back to Theme Metro (not a provider), he sells templates (not hosting services) but has been allowed to join WHMCS reseller program in contrast with the above rules.

I don't see any marketing trick here as @ChrisTERiS was suggesting. WHMCS licenses can be sold only from a provider to a hosting reseller or the owner of a VPS/dedicated hosting. I don't see how offering a free banana, coffee or apple with WHMCS license included (or vice versa) can turn you into a provider and your customer into a reseller or into the owner of a VPS.

I've nothing against Theme Metro but over the years MANY of my customers have been rejected from WHMCS reselling program because they were selling VoIP, gameservers or internet radios even if they have much in common with hosting. I don't get how a template is more similar to hosting than VoIP.

As for me, ages ago I had a green light from WHMCS to resell their licenses from my hosting company. In the same time they felt the need to point out that I was not allowed to do the same from my software-oriented website (I hadn't even asked it).

So here comes the question: Why?

• Option A: rules are changed. Anyone can join and sell WHMCS licenses as they like
• Option B: WHMCS made an exception for Theme Metro at the expense of other developers. If that's the case I'm speachless. There are 5 or 6 developers left in WHMCS that are probably going extinct in the next few years. Such a move from WHMCS can only boost this process. Why should a developer stay with the many cons we all know plus the special treatment reserved to Theme Metro? It's clear that third-party devs are not welcomed 👋

 

 

Isn't clear by now that  maybe WHMCS has changed its reselling rules and allow anyone to resell WHMCS licenses? Just asking.

I'm sure I saw some websites selling only software licenses (and nothing extra) which included cPanel, Plesk, WHMCS, etc., in the past. Why would WHMCS stop new sales coming its way?

I suspect the hosting companies, providers was only a thing many years back when WHMCS was very well established with hosting companies giving it away with a reseller account.

I don't think anyone gives WHMCS away for free or included with a reseller package these days because the pricing is just too expensive for them to cover the costs.

Same with cPanel. Most providers will be happy to install you an open source panel, but something like cPanel or Plesk will cost extra because the pricing just does not make sense anymore to have it included or subsided with the hosting plan.

To answer your question. I think it's Option A.

[tashawummery]

On 25/06/2021 at 11:04 PM, Fringe said:

Hi,

I just got the email telling me that the cost of the WHMCS licence will increase from $39.95+tax per month to $1,750+tax per month.... Is this real? I have asked via support ticket but not got an answer

Is WHMCS really doing a 4280.48% increase (Thats what it works out at) in my monthly costs? If this is true how the hell can they justify this? If I did a 4280.48% increase in my customers monthly costs I would be out of business in days. I would expect a small increase each year but 4280% OMG!!!

Sad but true.

[yggdrasil]

6 hours ago, tashawummery said:

Sad but true.

The actual sad part is that WHMCS is denying this.

This should be a red flag by someone making an accounting and billing software, and they cannot even do basic math calculations.

All sites give the same increase:

Percentage Increase Calculator (rapidtables.com)

Percentage Increase Calculator (calculatorsoup.com)

Just put the original price $39.95 and the final price $1750, and it's indeed a 4280% increase.

Yet John from WHMCS replied here before:

Please rest assured that your price is not changing by 4000% as some are claiming.

[akawi]

Hi,

can whmcs accept those plans as upgrade 

Business 10000 + Business 1000
$299.95 USD/mo + $44.95 USD/mo
then later
Business 10000 + Business 2500
$299.95 USD/mo + $99.95 USD/mo
then later
Business 10000 + Business 5000
$299.95 USD/mo + $174.95 USD/mo
then later
Business 20000 $499.95 USD/mo

because the jump from Business 10000 $299.95 USD/mo  to Business 20000 $499.95 USD/mo is too much , we can not have another active 10000 in one month!

Regards

[yggdrasil]

2 hours ago, akawi said:

Hi,

can whmcs accept those plans as upgrade 

Business 10000 + Business 1000
$299.95 USD/mo + $44.95 USD/mo
then later
Business 10000 + Business 2500
$299.95 USD/mo + $99.95 USD/mo
then later
Business 10000 + Business 5000
$299.95 USD/mo + $174.95 USD/mo
then later
Business 20000 $499.95 USD/mo

because the jump from Business 10000 $299.95 USD/mo  to Business 20000 $499.95 USD/mo is too much , we can not have another active 10000 in one month!

Regards

Isn't that the whole idea? That if you have 10001 you already need to go to the next slab?

[Kian]

22 hours ago, yggdrasil said:

Please rest assured that your price is not changing by 4000% as some are claiming.

Technically you're wrong 😋

Months ago WHMCS pricing page was showing all tiers from the chepest to the most expensive including the one with 4000% price increase ($1299.95/mo). After months of angry customers spamming "4000% price increase" on the internet, WHMCS probably had enough of this so they changed pricing page to display only 4 tiers. The most expensive tier was stopping at $299.95/mo. All other tiers had been hidden behind  a "Contact us for pricing".

Starting from that day, John started to say the popular phrase «Please rest assured that your price is not changing by 4000% as some are claiming». $39.95 to $299.95 is not 4000% increase. Just brilliant, isn't it? Anyway recentlly they changed pricing page once again. As far as I know tiers have been hidden from public view. The most expensive plan is $44.95 so probably John can claim that we had just a 12% price increase 🤔

 

[Bigol'tastynuggets]

17 minutes ago, Kian said:

Technically you're wrong 😋

Months ago WHMCS pricing page was showing all tiers from the chepest to the most expensive including the one with 4000% price increase ($1299.95/mo). After months of angry customers spamming "4000% price increase" on the internet, WHMCS probably had enough of this so they changed pricing page to display only 4 tiers. The most expensive tier was stopping at $299.95/mo. All other tiers had been hidden behind  a "Contact us for pricing".

Starting from that day, John started to say the popular phrase «Please rest assured that your price is not changing by 4000% as some are claiming». $39.95 to $299.95 is not 4000% increase. Just brilliant, isn't it? Anyway recentlly they changed pricing page once again. As far as I know tiers have been hidden from public view. The most expensive plan is $44.95 so probably John can claim that we had just a 12% price increase 🤔

 

Yeah it's very cringy to see, we all had a good laugh in a TG group about it! 

It's obviously to limit the bad pr - but hiding behind obfuscated pricing is equally bad in my eyes! Depending upon needs and skill level.... HB doesn't look expensive anymore 🤪

[yggdrasil]

12 hours ago, Kian said:

Technically you're wrong 😋

Months ago WHMCS pricing page was showing all tiers from the chepest to the most expensive including the one with 4000% price increase ($1299.95/mo). After months of angry customers spamming "4000% price increase" on the internet, WHMCS probably had enough of this so they changed pricing page to display only 4 tiers. The most expensive tier was stopping at $299.95/mo. All other tiers had been hidden behind  a "Contact us for pricing".

Starting from that day, John started to say the popular phrase «Please rest assured that your price is not changing by 4000% as some are claiming». $39.95 to $299.95 is not 4000% increase. Just brilliant, isn't it? Anyway recentlly they changed pricing page once again. As far as I know tiers have been hidden from public view. The most expensive plan is $44.95 so probably John can claim that we had just a 12% price increase 🤔

 

It's like a grocery store selling 10 tomatoes for $5, and then claiming we did not raise the pricing, but you can only take 1 tomato now for the same $5 😁

 

Edited August 15, 2021 by yggdrasil

[akawi]

20 hours ago, yggdrasil said:

Isn't that the whole idea? That if you have 10001 you already need to go to the next slab?

no, 10001 mean Business 20000 $499.95 USD/mo

[Bigol'tastynuggets]

34 minutes ago, akawi said:

no, 10001 mean Business 20000 $499.95 USD/mo

Why not just raise your customers prices and spam them with 3rd party affiliate links? 

 

You'll make more money to pay for the higher cost of providing service? That way you'll add more value and you could throw in more ways to improve (maybe in the future) 

 

[yggdrasil]

36 minutes ago, akawi said:

no, 10001 mean Business 20000 $499.95 USD/mo

But this is what WHMCS wants. Otherwise, they would charge per user. They want people to move to the next pricing once they are over the specific number of users.

This is why they don't have a 4 license user, or a 104, or a 174...

Pricing is based on the minimum amount of users. If you go over that, even by one single account you will have to pay the next one even when you will never ever reach that number, they don't care. They want the money.

[yggdrasil]

1 hour ago, Bigol'tastynuggets said:

Why not just raise your customers prices and spam them with 3rd party affiliate links? 

 

You'll make more money to pay for the higher cost of providing service? That way you'll add more value and you could throw in more ways to improve (maybe in the future) 

 

They already do that. What else do you think Market connect is? WHMCS takes a cut on each sold product while you have to invest in marketing, sales and support while they get your customers for free. Scratch that. Not free, you actually pay WHMCS to use the software as well as it's not free, so you work for them sending them sales their way and pay them for the privilege of doing so.

Edited August 15, 2021 by yggdrasil

[Bigol'tastynuggets]

9 hours ago, yggdrasil said:

They already do that. What else do you think Market connect is? WHMCS takes a cut on each sold product while you have to invest in marketing, sales and support while they get your customers for free. Scratch that. Not free, you actually pay WHMCS to use the software as well as it's not free, so you work for them sending them sales their way and pay them for the privilege of doing so.

I was being wildly sarcastic to point out just how silly the whmcs business model is 😛

I totally agree! 

[Kian]

On 8/12/2021 at 12:17 PM, Kian said:

@WHMCS John answer please?

We need to know if third-party developers are now allowed to become WHMCS resellers or if you made an exception for Theme Metro.

@WHMCS John

I'll keep asking this question every week till I receive a real answer. I will never stop.

I'm not looking for marketing fluff and I'm not angry or upset. It's just that I spent more than 15 years coding on this platform and I don't get why me and other devs must follow rules that Theme Metro can freely ignore.