I won't name names, but I'm sure that this has happened to several people here. A well known directory used to charge $5 for a "lifetime" listing. Today I get several emails (I'm assuming one per listing I bought) telling me: "Every listing on our directory now expires after a year. This means you will have to pay an additional $9.95 to keep your listing up for the following year." I find that horrible, because when I submitted payment, I was assured (and you can still see in the google cache): "Total Cost: Only $5.00 USD for a Lifetime Listing" Webmasters must be having really short lives if a lifetime is only one year. Of course, the appropriate thing to do would be to implement this change only for new listings. I do hope that this directory changes its mind and does that. Unless it does so, it certainly won't get more custom from me.
I got the same email from the same directory. I know the original poster didn't want to name names, but I will: iWebTool's directory. I thought it was nice directory and had submitted several sites to it in the past, but no more. We all were clearly taken by this unethical directory owner. I will be damned if I am going to get scammed into some yearly subscriptions. Here is the email:
I got the same mail. Luckily I have just 1 listing there. Now what’s the guarantee that this "annual fee" won’t become "semi-annual" or "quarterly�
This is the user "Kenni" There is no doubt that is is really underhanded to double charge the webmasters that helped support the directoy. Hopefully everyone does the same as me, let the listing expire and never buy another one from that directory
I haven't listed in the abovementioned directory, but for me this is the same as a directory dumping the entire free queue (and free listings) and then mailing everyone on their now massive mailing list and saying "feel free to re-submit your site to us for $x". It is totally unethical. Even if a directory is sold, its original guidelines should be continued, otherwise it makes a mockery of the system.
That sucks, I have like 20 listings there. I won't be renewing, now would I with a webmaster that apparently has no regard for their word, and I'm sure they'll have even less submissions after people read this thread.
i was gona buy one submission for my business forum, but i dint at that moment, dint knew they would jus change their pricing structures coz of popularity, any ways thats their own calculations for pricing @ directory, wont comment much on it, as they reserve rights, but regarding permenant listing shifted to yearly is not good, wont agree with that, as i havent seen tht thing happening often. well ok, need to wait for his reply
i am not surprised at all by this... infact this was the same kenni, who tried to sell lots of seo tool sites where the buyer doest get the script but all linked from iwebtool here is the sale thread to refresh memories http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=39772&highlight=kenni looks like this is another wave
There is a thread in his forum on the subject too http://www.iwebtool.com/talk/thread2847.html Apparently you didn't have it in writing...
aren't the terms in the original email of purchase? I wonder if anyone would've bothered to keep that.
http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=42698 the subj clearly says " PR5 Permanent links for one-time fee of ONLY $5 -- RECIEVE PAGERANK + TRAFFIC" unless my understanding of Permanent is flawed
Absolutely, a directory owner can make the price of a link a million dollars if they want, but its not fair to all of the people that paid for permanent listing to then have to pay again or lose their link. Its not even like it changed owners (which still wouldn't be right but happens).
Permanent, one-time fee ... hardly "pay this for a year and then we'll double the price". Way to disgrace yourself and your site for a few dolalrs.
ForumRating, didn't your directory recently go from Free to Paid? What did you do with all of the pending Free listings?
Man, this thread opened up my eyeballs. Way back when, iwebtools started advertising their goodies on here, I went and real quick found out that things were not what they seemed. Glad I did not buy any listings, as I would have been screaming to high heaven, denouncing him (well, you all did a good job of that here) all over the place. If he has any sense at all, he will change his policy real quick and let all paid submitters know that they are okay and do not have to pay anymore. The other day, or was it last week? I went through all my directories to make sure that all paid listings are unlimited (permanent) and that they will stay that way. Then acting on a suggestion by another poster, I put into each submit page of my directories a short guidelines that has one line that does state, all paid listings are permanent. Right now, all my directories have, until my 4100th post, featured ads are only $4.00. ANd yes, permanent listing!