Quote:
Originally Posted by samhu
Therein lies the crux of the issue that we, as "one-time-payment Fastmail Member account" folk, have our gripe. Fastmail has not "gone". And the offer to join at Member level was clearly stated - "a Member account for a US$14.95 one-time fee". Fastmail choosing for whatever reason it (or its fans) give to not uphold this commitment is at best underhand, at worst, illegal.
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It's the same that StreetCar, a London-based car club company, did to their founding members, me included, years ago. We helped get the company started, and the deal was we would be retained as members who'd pay no annual fee as an annual fee became mandatory for new members. We'd still pay the same car hire rates as anyone else. But for some reason (probably usage was lower among founding members than new members, or we weren't financially attractive), StreetCar tried as they could to get rid of us, many resisting, and finally they forced the last ones out. Shortly afterwards, they sold to ZipCar.
Similar also though not identical the YHA Youth Hostels Association in England. They sold very expensive life membership years ago, I remember mine cost £390. While they have not reneged on the deal, in the years that followed they closed plenty of hostels that weren't economical, most in secluded and idyllic locations. The network isn't near as good now as it was then, and now other independent hostels chains are better value.
I suppose nothing good lasts forever, and $FM isn't an exception. And stuff that runs on promises or ideals has a short shelf life. The sharing economy and all that... specialized email services and all that... a façade for entrepreneurs to attract enthusiasts and carve up a niche, then after they're successful, they forget. It's the same everywhere.