Pay before you know?????? GRRR

[SenecaDesignLLC]

So i tried to beta test this year,  i wasnt the right fit lol.
but im pretty upset that i have to pay to upgrade with out knowing whats upgraded.

I feel archicad should be able to tell us what they have to offer each year before asking me for money.
I want and plan to upgrade but what if it isnt the right fit? and what if i only use one license? 

kinda BS if you ask me.

at least find a way to let the current users know what they are getting into. Im a one man show with extra licenses. if none of the upgrades help me i dont want to upgrade right? but i dont get to know whats in the update until after i pay.. other than i love the program and believe it to be worth the cost this bothers me.
this is the typical scam so why is archicad treating us this way....

[Eduardo Rolon]

My only recommendation is to see if your reseller lets you move your subscription date to August since AC usually comes out during the summer. Although you could argue that you are if you pay in August you are still paying for the one that comes next summer…

[Karl Ottenstein]

I understand your frustration, since your ArchiPlus SSA subscription is renewing before AC25 is announced, and a major benefit of the subscription is receipt of any new version released during the annual period.

The subscription fee (not an upgrade fee) provides priority technical support, physical license key insurance (for those with keys), subscriber-only downloadable content, and more ... along with any updates released during the subscription year. I'm not sure that they even guarantee that a major update will be released, it is just that history says we should expect one...and of course we all know in this case that AC 25 has been beta tested and will be announced next month.

We are fortunate in this new world of software subscriptions (which I'm not fond of) - that our licenses are still permanent and if we don't renew our SSA, we still have our license(s) for the current and previous versions forever. In that 'other' world (Adobe comes to mind - but also Microsoft, Quicken, Dropbox, etc), when you stop paying, you stop having the use of the software to create new content. But, with those subscriptions, customers get new features continuously throughout the subscription period...but still never know what those new features are until they are released, much like the case here.

What is your reseller's penalty for not paying your SSA on time - but paying it a month late (AC 25 will be announced in less than 30 days)? Have you called them to ask? If your only reason for paying your annual subscription fee is the upgrade, then I totally see your frustration and it seems Graphisoft might have some flexibility? But, my understanding is that if you stop paying and skip one annual cycle, then the upgrade at the next cycle (should it have features that you want) will cost the same as if you had paid now anyway so nothing is really gained.

Call your Graphisoft reseller (which I think is Bim6x?) and talk about this and/or call the ArchiPlus contact person at GSNA in Boston/Newton.

[Brett Brown]

Karl wrote:
But, my understanding is that if you stop paying and skip one annual cycle, then the upgrade at the next cycle (should it have features that you want) will cost the same as if you had paid now anyway so nothing is really gained

Don't think this has ever been the case as people wouldn't buy the SSA if there was no advantage. There has always been a penalty added on for not purchasing the SSA, and that penalty cost-wise was why they encourage you to continue the SSA.

[SenecaDesignLLC]

I'll ask my reseller, apparently I was unaware that we aren't all on the same schedule?

I did ask them last year and was basically told no. Maybe I didn't ask the right question.

[Martin Jules]

Since you're talking about annual subscription fee, does Graphisoft operate like a membership corporation? If so, it would be interesting. We would only need the rights of vote to decide on both the Archicad features and future as well.

Mjules wrote:

Karl wrote:

The subscription fee (not an upgrade fee) provides priority technical support, physical license key insurance (for those with keys), subscriber-only downloadable content, and more ... along with any updates released during the subscription year.

[insideru]

I'll throw my $0,02 into the mix, for whom it may concern.

I got to test a couple betas. Judging by that alone, I wouldn't have upgraded.
I think i watched all the keynotes, or at least the new features videos on youtube, for the past 5+ years. There were more times i wouldn't have upgraded, than otherwise.

And yet, i kept on paying the SSA. Why? Because its a fair deal, one of the fairest on the market at the moment. Even if i'm comparing it with Autodesk's incredibly antiuser subscription model.
Most of the times, i eventually got to use the new features i never thought would have a place in my workflow (i'm looking at you opening tool).

You can't always get features you wish for, you can't always get the fixes you want, but i still think the price is fair.

PS: My SSA expires in september/october, so i even get to test the new versions before paying anyway

[Karl Ottenstein]

Mjules wrote:
Since you're talking about annual subscription fee. Does Graphisoft operate like a membership corporation? If so, it would be interesting. We would only need the rights of vote to decide on both the ArchiCAD features and future as well.

You're joking, right? Is Netflix a membership corporation? None of us are stockholders of Nemetschek Group, owner of Graphisoft, by way of making payment for a product and service. I'm sure if you bought 20% or more of Nemetschek, you would have the kind of input you're talking about. 🙂

[jl_lt]

I have to agree with Mr. Insideru. It is unrealistic to expect for life updates with one single price. I see it like those gym memberships that are quite low and you just keep paying it every year if for whatever reason one day you decide you finally need to get in shape.

Having said that, i also kind of agree with the OP. Yearly upgrading is not for everyone for all the time and cost involved in updating. So, why not implement an hybrid system? you pay yearly, but if you dont upgrade you pay less that year. If you skip two or three upgrades and you want to upgrade at the fourth year, you pay a premium, and so forth. Win win!

@Mr Mrjoules, one can always dream in being able to tell Prof. Nemetschek what to do

[SenecaDesignLLC]

jl_lt wrote:
I have to agree with Mr. Insideru. It is unrealistic to expect for life updates with one single price. I see it like those gym memberships that are quite low and you just keep paying it every year if for whatever reason one day you decide you finally need to get in shape.

Having said that, i kind of agree with the OP. Yearly upgrading is not for everyone. Why not implement an hybrid system? you pay yearly, but if you dont upgrade you pay less that year. If you skip two or three upgrades and you want to upgrade at the fourth year, you pay a premium, and so forth. Win win!

@Mr Mrjoules, one can always dream in being able to tell Prof. Nemetschek what to do

So much this.
I cannot change my upgrade date, I plan to always upgrade at least one license but I'm working alone and have 3 licenses. I'm not opposed to upgrading but the fact that they can't move my date because of when I signed up is stupid. I was told this by my reseller.
Thanks everyone who posted relevant content. It helps me a ton with my decision. Other than now I will have two dormant licenses.
What sucks is if it is a good update year and I choose not to, then I'm screwed.
Double edge sword I guess.