No More Free Browser Testing
You guys got me hooked! Now I might have to actually pay for this. ;)
It's worth it.
Site looks great.
Keep up the good work guys.
-Guert
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Thanks for your comments. We have posted in the blog about our reasons for our pricing change, and it sounds like you have read some of them, so I will not go through them again. I did want to make sure you saw that there is a one week free trial offered. We are not expecting people to sign up and pay for the service just on the basis of a couple of demos without having tried it out - we don't like that either. Yes, you have to enter a credit card to activate the trial, but if you cancel before the end of the week (ie 7 days), there is no charge. There is, however, only one free trial per person. This is very similar to the model Netflix uses if you signup on their site. It has worked successfully for them, and it has precedence as a viable model on the internet.
As you said, you have used the service and would be willing to pay for it if you had the funds. $20/month to use a service that you value does not seem to be a lot of money for a business or an independent developer, but you have to make that determination.
Appreciate the feedback,
Ken
We are all glad you like the changes.
I also value the site and am one of the 708 people who have paid $$ for it. I just wanted to say that I understand the problems inherent in a free business model, and can appreciate your move to paid only, however, I wish you would have kept something along the lines of the credit system.
I'd rather pay a specific amount for time that I can use when I need it, than spend $20/month, when some months I won't need it at all, or will need it very little. If you all were to do something like what istockphoto.com does, where you can buy credits/time/whatever and use them when you like, and even include an expiry date for them, such as 1 year, that would be better for folks like me. I'm a professional web developer who needs to check sites in Windows regularly and sometimes booting into Bootcamp is just too time consuming, and Parallels is very buggy for me. As it is, my laziness isn't worth another monthly expense, so after the time remaining on my credits is done, I probably won't use your service anymore.
Thanks!
Leslye.
Hi Leslye,
Thanks for your comments. We appreciate your position as well. We think that if you compare what we offer to similar services, you will find us to be significantly less expensive. While I know this isn't the same as what you are asking for, you might consider that since we do not require any commitment, you can sign up and immediately cancel the service and you will you will not have a recurring charge. You will continue to have access to the service for the month, you just won't be billed again.
Again, we really do appreciate your comments and your position.
Thank you for supporting us,
Mike
I have to say while I appreciate the difficulties and financial issues of offering a service like yours, I really wish you hadn't done away with the free service all together.
I've used and relied upon your service for over a year now, but now I will be researching another solution to cross-browser testing. Perhaps if you all had considered, at the very least, grandfathering-in loyal but occasional users and allowing us a limited amount of free usage like before, I wouldn't have become an ex-customer, as I am now.
Instead of being offered a short period of free usage with the understanding that it will expire or be very limited, I came to the site this morning and every thing I clicked took me to the 'purchase your package' page. As a long-time design and advertising professional, I can tell you both personally and professionally that this is a huge turn-off - and may, in the long run, have the opposite effect you desire - that is, to increase paid subscriptions.
And no, a demo is not enough to convince me I need to pay for your service - especially if I'd never heard of you before. I only understand the value of your service because of the very service you've eliminated.
If I or my company had the money, I'd subscribe right now. But as it is, and for the reasons I stated above, I will have to look elsewhere for another solution.
Thanks for listening.