Start11 v2 Upgrade cost after 4-month-old purchase!?

from Stardock Forums

I Purchased a 5-pack Start11 on 4 July 2023. Now on 15 Nov 2023, I must pay for an upgrade!? I don't mind paying for upgrades but after 4 months?! Please let me know about this. I purchased more than a dozen licenses from Stardock, the software is nice but not essential. I'd rather go without it than be exploited.

start11 upgrade exploitation unfair start menu products
3,856 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

You are not required to upgrade to v2 as your v1 copies you purchased continue to work as they did.

v2 adds in a huge number of new features but if they do not provide you value then I would recommend not upgrading and just using the version you are currently using.

If you do want to upgrade there is a discount available to existing customers which can be accessed via the Start11 page.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. From what I know free upgrade was offered for those who purchased Start11 v1 after October 1st 2023. And for there rest who have purchase Start11 before October 1st 2023 there are discount offer. Please refer here: https://forums.stardock.com/523474/start11-v2-upgrade-faq

Thank you.
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

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Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

I think you should offer a free upgrade to v2 of Start11 for every user who purchased a "lifetime" license for this software.  I realize that this is a large upgrade that took a lot of development time, but the software does the same thing as v1, albeit with many added features.  The fact that you called it Start11 v2 and not a new name entirely indicates that it is a (large) upgrade from v1 and not a new piece of software.  v1 and v2 do the same thing; they both replace the poor Windows 11 "Start" menu with a much better and more flexible one.  v1 and v2 also share many of the same features.  This is an update and not new software.  Unfortunately, other software companies do the same thing.  You purchase a version only to find out they release a "Pro" version six months later and want to charge you again for the new software.

I think it is shameful that you sell software with a "lifetime" license, and because an upgrade cost more development time than you originally planned on, that you choose to ignore the "lifetime" license that you sold customers.  I will not be paying for the upgrade.  I purchased my copy of Start11 just six weeks before the new version was released, and that is even more exasperating!

 

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

I kind of agree here, we purchased our 5 user business license on the 17th of September and now we see we missed the boat on a free upgrade which kind of sucks.  Obviously had we known there was a new system waiting in the wings we would have held off buying the v1 until v2 came out.

What is also slightly annoying is that the Business version of the software isnt even available at the same time and with no warning to say if you download and try this, there is no license upgrade path yet!  So thankfully I've upgraded only one machine to try it, the problem is now I cant even buy a legal license for it if I wanted to keep it!

Come on guys.. seriously!

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

Directly from the Stardock EULA, to which you agreed when you installed the software. From Section 4. b. "... all future generations of the Software and all whole number versions of the Software (i.e., version 5.0, version 6.0, etc.) developed and published from time to time in the future (a.) are not deemed to be Updates, and (b.) are not considered licensed Software to you, and, therefore, you will be required to purchase a new license or license subscription as a condition of upgrading the Software to any such new generation or version."

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting puffpastry, reply 3

I think you should offer a free upgrade to v2 of Start11 for every user who purchased a "lifetime" license for this software.  I realize that this is a large upgrade that took a lot of development time, but the software does the same thing as v1, albeit with many added features.  The fact that you called it Start11 v2 and not a new name entirely indicates that it is a (large) upgrade from v1 and not a new piece of software.  v1 and v2 do the same thing; they both replace the poor Windows 11 "Start" menu with a much better and more flexible one.  v1 and v2 also share many of the same features.  This is an update and not new software.  Unfortunately, other software companies do the same thing.  You purchase a version only to find out they release a "Pro" version six months later and want to charge you again for the new software.

I think it is shameful that you sell software with a "lifetime" license, and because an upgrade cost more development time than you originally planned on, that you choose to ignore the "lifetime" license that you sold customers.  I will not be paying for the upgrade.  I purchased my copy of Start11 just six weeks before the new version was released, and that is even more exasperating!

 
End of puffpastry's quote

As noted on another thread, I think the issue here is lifetime is not what I think you think it means.

In this context it means non subscription.  Some of the Stardock apps are offered as subscriptions and those will stop working without additional payment.  Lifetime licences will continue to run without us demanding more payment which is the case here.  Your v1 licenses continue to work now just as they did before v2 came out.

As for why it is Start11 v2 rather than Start12 for example?  Thats easy.  The product numbers of Start have always aligned with the latest version of Windows.  It causes customer confusion to have a 12 when the latest OS is 11.  So there was Start8, Start10 and Start11.