Administrator
Best of the Best
Join Date: 2010-01-27
Posts: 1466
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Posted: 2018-02-02 10:00:27 PM
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Effective February 2nd, 2018, we change our perpetual app license model into a subscription based model. For details of the new price model, see this faq
http://www.followmee.com/FAQ.aspx?t=howmuchcost
We dont serve ad on this web site or in our FollowMee mobile app. We dont sell your location data. Our cost is covered 100% by your purchases. The perpetual app license model has served us well in the past. But this model does not cover the true cost of our service. Our service includes the FollowMee mobile apps and various server components that provide monitoring service to our users. These components requires on-going maintenance and support. The perpetual app license model cannot sustain our service. Therefore we replace the standard / deluxe edition with the subscription based "basic service". This new service shares the same functions as the deluxe edition.
This new model introduces the account level subscription for the basic service and therefore simplify our pricing model. If you are not familiar with the account level subscription, see this faq (http://www.followmee.com/FAQ.aspx?t=accountlevel). Imagine a business user needs to track 10 company phones. Under the old model, he needs to purchase 10 app licenses. He needs to manage these licenses on the device level, including license transfer when replacing devices. Under the new model, he just needs to purchase the basic service on account level. He no longer needs to manage the service on the device level.
The basic service will be free if you subscribe other premium services. The old model requires you to purchase the app license before you can subscribe the premium services. This process requires multiple transactions and it is not simple. Under the new model, you just make one transaction for the premium service and the device is upgraded to basic service for free.
What does this new model mean to existing users? If you subscribe to premium service on account level, you no longer need to purchase the app upgrade for your new device. Your new devices will be upgraded to basic service automatically. For other users that purchased just the app upgrade (standard or deluxe), in the coming weeks, we will convert them to basic service, good for two years.
Let us know if you have questions, and thank you very much for all your support!
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ohicyou
Newbie
Join Date: 2018-01-12
Posts: 8
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Posted: 2018-02-05 10:21:40 PM
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What does this mean to new subscribers who have purchased the premium services? I paid the additional funds for the premium, not the basic services. Will you still honor the premium additions as purchased, or is there an intended upcharge?
Please inform.
Thank you
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mteicher
Forum Superstar
Join Date: 2014-04-09
Posts: 506
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Posted: 2018-02-05 10:52:35 PM
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I believe what you have right now will be good for two years as indicated in the admin post except for any premium services that you paid for on a monthly or yearly and upon their expiration will need to be exercised under the new pricing model.
The admin will chime in here if I am mistaken.
"What does this new model mean to existing users? In the coming weeks, we will convert your standard / deluxe licenses to basic service, good for two years."
"The basic service will be free if you subscribe other premium services."
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chris.martin285
Newbie
Join Date: 2016-05-05
Posts: 2
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Posted: 2018-03-13 04:50:14 AM
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So something I paid for as a one off perpetual licence is now going to expire in two years time meaning I have to pay again? This is not good, and you are introducing charges I never expected to have to pay, or agreed to pay. You should honour my perpetual licences as that was the agreement we made when I purchased them. If it doesn’t work for you in terms of cost, you should not have made that deal.
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Administrator
Best of the Best
Join Date: 2010-01-27
Posts: 1466
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Posted: 2018-03-13 10:01:39 PM
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The original license was tied to one device. The original idea was that you could use the app for the life of your device. When you changed your device, you needed to purchase another license. The license was not meant to last forever. But then some users changed phones shortly after they purchased the license. We allowed them to transfer the license to the new phones. This sent out the signal that the license could last forever. This was not the initial intend.
Most people change phone every 2 to 3 years. We offered two more years for the license, that plus the years or months most users have already used the app, would be more or less equal to the average life of a mobile device. If you subscribe to any premium service, you don''t need to worry about the license. The premium service comes with basic service for free. I think that it would be fair to most users. If you still have concern, you can send us an email.
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Administrator
Best of the Best
Join Date: 2010-01-27
Posts: 1466
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Posted: 2018-03-20 10:57:41 PM
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In fact, under the new model, you have less restriction on the service transfer. In the older model, you were allows to transfer your license up to three times. After that, your license was gone for good. But under the new model, you can transfer your service to your new device, up to two times a month. When the limit is hit, the counter will be reset at the beginning of the month and you can transfer again.
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chris.martin285
Newbie
Join Date: 2016-05-05
Posts: 2
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Posted: 2018-05-09 12:29:46 PM
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Thanks to those who replied supporting my sentiments, although it doesn’t look like Followmee are going to act on them. I can understand their need to cover costs so I think the fair thing to do would be ‘grandfather’ the licences for existing customers and phase in the new pricing model for new customers. If three changes were permitted originally then my licenses would expire after about eight or nine years. By then I probably won’t need them anyway, and I never thought I would be using this forever, but I do feel this is a rip off, and that I was mislead.
On principle I will not pay a new subscription when my licences expire. If I still need tracking I will find another service.
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hvyhitter
Newbie
Join Date: 2016-06-28
Posts: 1
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Posted: 2018-07-24 06:02:25 AM
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I support the fee. It isnt that bad. So I bought the app originally and got grandfathered in. The fact remains. I have 2 options. Pay for this app or write my own. 10 bucks is a deal rather than writing a similar app. The fact remains I have tried EVERY single other app and NOTHING comes close. Expecting to buy an app and have it work forever is unreasonable. I use this app instead of a delorme or spot device. That costs a lot more than this does. (of course that is satellite) This meets my needs for Lake Erie sailing. I will be the lone voice of support in this thread. You guys have to put food on the table too. Great app. Ill be upgrading soon.
I think this particular price is nuts
3-year history - $129.99 per year per device
but whatever sometimes I like to download my tracks. I feel like I should be able to get them from the phone myself. In winter time when I am not sailing I like to add up the totals for the year.
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mteicher
Forum Superstar
Join Date: 2014-04-09
Posts: 506
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Posted: 2018-07-24 06:59:21 AM
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Quote: Quoted From hvyhitter:
I support the fee. It isnt that bad. So I bought the app originally and got grandfathered in. The fact remains. I have 2 options. Pay for this app or write my own. 10 bucks is a deal rather than writing a similar app. The fact remains I have tried EVERY single other app and NOTHING comes close. Expecting to buy an app and have it work forever is unreasonable. I use this app instead of a delorme or spot device. That costs a lot more than this does. (of course that is satellite) This meets my needs for Lake Erie sailing. I will be the lone voice of support in this thread. You guys have to put food on the table too. Great app. Ill be upgrading soon.
I agree with your sentiments and I have also looked at many alternatives. Followmee meets my needs for tracking my devices with no bloat or much overhead.
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boonies
Beginner
Join Date: 2015-03-27
Posts: 18
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Posted: 2018-11-20 07:36:54 AM
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This app is fabulous. Even under the new pricing I challenge anyone to find an app that even comes close to doing what this one does. I completely understand operating costs, within reason, what these guys propose in their pricing IS very realistic. I''ve been with these guys a few years now using their product here and the very few times I''ve ran into an issue and contacted them they immediately resolved it. I have ZERO complaints across the board!!!
Thank you follomee creators for your time, efforts and excellent customer service, to bring a quality product to us at a great price!!
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