Let me begin by saying that I have been a Mac user since I bought my first Powermac 6500 in 1998 and a .mac/mobileme subscriber since December 2004. I have had no problem paying for the service in that time. I've felt that the value which the service provided fit my needs very well.
I would have no problem continuing to pay for a paid-subscription service.
However, as of yesterday's WWDC Keynote, MobileMe is no longer a paid-subscription service, as people who have signed up for trial accounts have been given a year's extension of their free service.
I renewed my account on May 24th- 13 days before MobileMe became a free service, and I get stuck with a full $150 bill for a mere 13 days of service.
When I contacted MobileMe via chat, I was informed that my options were:
1) Keep the account as is, receive no prorated refund for the portion of the service which is now offered to others for free
- or -
2) Cancel my account, receive a refund, lose my accounts and all information associated with the accounts, with no opportunity to sign up for a trial account, which has now been extended for a full year.....for free
it's a Hobson's choice. I'm being told that I could take it or leave it.
Seems like a pretty shitty way to treat loyal, paying customers during a period of transition to a free service which is (obviously) designed to help increase brand loyalty.
I truly hope that you guys reconsider your strategy here, and make the decision to take the high road. It's these kind of moves that can kill customer loyalty, even among the most fervent followers.
-Jason Frith
