I've been a member of WPMU DEV quite a few times in the past and have always found tremendous value in it. They've got a lot of plugins (though their current themes leave a bit to be desired), but admittedly, some of them could use a healthy update.
Oddly, I've read reviews where people mention the membership subscription as a surprise, but I find it surprising that this would be mentioned since the subscription process through PayPal is rather clear. Maybe some people aren't really aware of PayPal subscription services? I've personally come to expect a subscription from all software services I rely on, it's the best way to keep updated, which is one of the most important considerations for me.
Something I seem to miss seeing mentioned too, is that you're totally free to use the downloaded software in all your sites (even client sites I've been told). So the subscription isn't required to use them, but just needed to get updates. I think this is an extraordinary value as someone with lots of sites.
Anyway, I've come to really love their service but still see room for improvement, mostly in some of the older plugins and themes. But then, they've had some recent additions that more than make up for it for me.
I DO online advertising. All day long I'm entrenched in online checkout, landing page user experience, online conversion funnels, online advertising, paid advertising on Google and Bing/Yahoo. Point is, I see a lot of landing pages and critique a lot of checkout processes.
Rarely do I come across scroupulous, misleading landing pages such as the ones published on WPMU Dev.
Right now, as I type this, a button says "Get Q&A >" and has a smaller banner on the button that states "Just $19". The page in question currently is:
If you do CTRL + F to find 'month' or 'monthly', it does not exist.
If you search on their forum, you will find multiple people confused by the fact that after they purchase, they learn that the actual price is not "Just $19" but is in fact $19 PER MONTH.
Timothy Bowers presumes that it is the purchaser's job to catch this during the CHECKOUT process rather than for them to state this most important fact on their landing page. Their support staff sees nothing wrong with the fact that the user discovers after they have purchased.
So what this is, it's really an online bait-and-switch. They tell you it's $19 up-front (on their landing page) and during checkout, if you miss the fine print stating that monthly recurring payments will be set up, that's your fault.
No, WPMU Dev has some seriously shady online business practices that are simply misleading.
Recurring payments mean you rent their plugins forever.
No refund even though they say there is because they "update" and if it doesn't work for you thats your problem.
Take a look at their WPMU Dev support forum it is full of users trying to get their plugins to work for them and if you ask for a refund you are banned.
Their shopping cart is laughable in its complexity and bloat, leaving you with lost shipping and all sorts of vague and not as described usage issues.
Their sales spin says you will not need any other plugins - their support tells you to try adding this and that because the system is not set up for "you know - selling things" other than one item to one person.
Nothing like the sales hype period - plenty of real wordpress options that dont cost a fortune not only in rental fees but the time and effort to get them to work.
Wow, thank you for sharing. I was about to purchase this plugin and I certainly appreciate you bringing this WPMU scheme to light. I will look elsewhere.
WPMU Dev Reviews
A whole lot of value, still room for improvement
I've been a member of WPMU DEV quite a few times in the past and have always found tremendous value in it. They've got a lot of plugins (though their current themes leave a bit to be desired), but admittedly, some of them could use a healthy update.
Oddly, I've read reviews where people mention the membership subscription as a surprise, but I find it surprising that this would be mentioned since the subscription process through PayPal is rather clear. Maybe some people aren't really aware of PayPal subscription services? I've personally come to expect a subscription from all software services I rely on, it's the best way to keep updated, which is one of the most important considerations for me.
Something I seem to miss seeing mentioned too, is that you're totally free to use the downloaded software in all your sites (even client sites I've been told). So the subscription isn't required to use them, but just needed to get updates. I think this is an extraordinary value as someone with lots of sites.
Anyway, I've come to really love their service but still see room for improvement, mostly in some of the older plugins and themes. But then, they've had some recent additions that more than make up for it for me.
I DO online advertising. All day long I'm entrenched in online checkout, landing page user experience, online conversion funnels, online advertising, paid advertising on Google and Bing/Yahoo. Point is, I see a lot of landing pages and critique a lot of checkout processes.
Rarely do I come across scroupulous, misleading landing pages such as the ones published on WPMU Dev.
Right now, as I type this, a button says "Get Q&A >" and has a smaller banner on the button that states "Just $19". The page in question currently is:
premium.wpmudev.org/project/qa-wordpress-questions-and-answers-plugin/
If you do CTRL + F to find 'month' or 'monthly', it does not exist.
If you search on their forum, you will find multiple people confused by the fact that after they purchase, they learn that the actual price is not "Just $19" but is in fact $19 PER MONTH.
Timothy Bowers presumes that it is the purchaser's job to catch this during the CHECKOUT process rather than for them to state this most important fact on their landing page. Their support staff sees nothing wrong with the fact that the user discovers after they have purchased.
So what this is, it's really an online bait-and-switch. They tell you it's $19 up-front (on their landing page) and during checkout, if you miss the fine print stating that monthly recurring payments will be set up, that's your fault.
No, WPMU Dev has some seriously shady online business practices that are simply misleading.
Not as described
Recurring payments mean you rent their plugins forever.
No refund even though they say there is because they "update" and if it doesn't work for you thats your problem.
Take a look at their WPMU Dev support forum it is full of users trying to get their plugins to work for them and if you ask for a refund you are banned.
Their shopping cart is laughable in its complexity and bloat, leaving you with lost shipping and all sorts of vague and not as described usage issues.
Their sales spin says you will not need any other plugins - their support tells you to try adding this and that because the system is not set up for "you know - selling things" other than one item to one person.
Nothing like the sales hype period - plenty of real wordpress options that dont cost a fortune not only in rental fees but the time and effort to get them to work.
Recurring Payments
Wow, thank you for sharing. I was about to purchase this plugin and I certainly appreciate you bringing this WPMU scheme to light. I will look elsewhere.
Thanks again!
T