Forum support vs. ticket support

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  • Nick
    Senior Member
    • Feb 2008
    • 3507
    • 3.8.x

    #16
    Originally posted by Floris
    Even now when you buy a license it is advertised as a place to get support. If it's not official, please update this information everywhere?

    The "Support" tab on the main site says:

    Free Forum Support

    All vBulletin license purchases include Free Forum Support for the life of the product. Get your questions answered by the vBulletin community.
    So that part makes it seem that it's community support, not necessarily support from the staff. However, the screenshot you posted is indeed misleading... which, doesn't surprise me considering recent events.
    Regards,
    Nick

    Comment

    • Steve Machol
      Former Customer Support Manager
      • Jul 2000
      • 154488

      #17
      I really don't see what is confusing about this. We have ALWAYS said that official support of via the ticket system. That has not changed.

      The fact is we are extremely busy right now. That is a simple fact. Given this we have to prioritize and support tickets come first. They always have and always will. If things do not return to normal then I full expect to be asking for more staff to handle the load on the forums.

      If that doesn't clarify things then I really don't know what more I can do to make this any clearer. Honestly I think people are making much ado about nothing.
      Steve Machol, former vBulletin Customer Support Manager (and NOT retired!)
      Change CKEditor Colors to Match Style (for 4.1.4 and above)

      Steve Machol Photography


      Mankind is the only creature smart enough to know its own history, and dumb enough to ignore it.


      Comment

      • jmurrayhead
        Senior Member
        • Sep 2006
        • 1642

        #18
        Originally posted by Steve Machol
        Again, nothing has changed regarding this.
        Nothing may have changed in this matter...however, might never have been really clear to customers given what they're used to. I may have used the ticket system 2-3 times...never really knowing that it was the 'official' support channel nor have I ever felt that it was clear.
        No...No...Meester vBulletin, he no work right.

        Comment

        • mmcguire
          Member
          • Oct 2006
          • 45

          #19
          Originally posted by Steve Machol
          Again, nothing has changed regarding this.
          I agree. Nothing has changed. I have always received support via tickets and also got questions answered via the forums. I have not really used either much, but I still understood that is how it works.
          | Rancho Murieta |

          Comment

          • Nick
            Senior Member
            • Feb 2008
            • 3507
            • 3.8.x

            #20
            Perhaps nothing has changed, but maybe we have been under the wrong impression all this time. All of the support we have received on the forums thus far has only been done because you happened to have the time? I gather that that is the case here.
            Regards,
            Nick

            Comment

            • Dilly
              Senior Member
              • Mar 2005
              • 1812

              #21
              I really don't see what is confusing about this.
              What you can see isn't important. What is important is what your customers can see.

              Comment

              • Paul M
                Former Lead Developer
                vB.Com & vB.Org
                • Sep 2004
                • 9886

                #22
                Originally posted by Nick
                So is it guaranteed that we will receive support on the forum?
                Its never been guaranteed. No change there.

                Its an "official" support forum in so much as its run by IB, just like vb.org is an "official" forum. The only guaranteed support function has been tickets (and phone ?). AFAIK thats always been the case and not changed.

                Just seems people want to make an issue of everything atm.
                Baby, I was born this way

                Comment

                • Floris
                  Senior Member
                  • Dec 2001
                  • 37767

                  #23
                  Well, I just want to clarify I have always understood the forums to be an official support channel.

                  I have spend hours on a daily basis browsing and posting on the forums, searching for 0 replied threads in the support only forums, and took the time to answer them to the best of my ability. And followed up on them later.

                  I took it so serious I have made over 37,000 posts replying to customer-only questions. And that's only a fraction of what Steve has spend on these forums. Sure, the priority might have been the tickets, but I have always taken the forums very serious, and have always considered it a way to get official support.

                  My apologies that I have always misunderstood that customers are to only get official support via tickets.

                  Originally posted by Paul M
                  Just seems people want to make an issue of everything atm.
                  You can all say nothing changed, but hearing the forums aren't official support, but support tickets are now $80/year for me. IS a change. I don't consider it an issue, I consider the question asked by the OP therefor to be fair and reasonable. It's just a realization for me personally and not one that makes me happy; my reason to participate. If you make changes, expect questions. If you expect questions, have answers ready. Common business.

                  You also mention "it is never been guaranteed", sorry, but yes it is at least implied. The screenshot I linked to implies this is a way to get support, and it implies it is included.

                  My opinion, my observation. And my explanation/point of view.

                  Comment

                  • Nick
                    Senior Member
                    • Feb 2008
                    • 3507
                    • 3.8.x

                    #24
                    Originally posted by Paul M
                    Its never been guaranteed. No change there.

                    Its an "official" support forum in so much as its run by IB, just like vb.org is an "official" forum. The only guaranteed support function has been tickets (and phone ?). AFAIK thats always been the case and not changed.

                    Just seems people want to make an issue of everything atm.
                    I'm not trying to make an issue of anything, to be honest. I hardly spend much time here anymore.

                    I guess some of us (including myself) were under the wrong impression all this time then. I always thought I was obligated to receive support on the forums. Apparently that is not correct, so I thank you for the clarification.
                    Regards,
                    Nick

                    Comment

                    • TheLastSuperman
                      Senior Member
                      • Sep 2008
                      • 1799

                      #25
                      If it's confusing to us imagine how it is to others. I truly thought it would not have been referred to like this i.e. when we have time as this is the showcase of what vBulletin offers, at least it is my deciding factor when purchasing.

                      Edit: I removed some of this admins mods please read in the "Reason for editing" not here to cause trouble - thanks.
                      Last edited by TheLastSuperman; Wed 11 Nov '09, 11:49am. Reason: We are not all here beating a dead horse and not everything is an issue tbh we just need some spelled out answers on occasion


                      Former vBulletin Support Staff
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                      Comment

                      • KW802
                        Senior Member
                        • Jul 2003
                        • 1165
                        • 3.8.11

                        #26
                        So "Customer Forum Support" which is listed as a feature on the front page is not really an official support channel? If so, that feature description needs to be changed a bit then. When it was announced that "Customer Ticket Support" was being dropped after 30 days for non-Suite license owners the general consensus was it was no big deal for a lot of people since they rarely had to do a private ticket and the support forums were always available but now this thread is giving the impression that there is no officially supported forums, just staff helping out on their own when they have time, which means... that non-suite owners have no "official" support channels available to them after 30 days of purchase?



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                        Comment

                        • Nick
                          Senior Member
                          • Feb 2008
                          • 3507
                          • 3.8.x

                          #27
                          Originally posted by KW802
                          which means... that non-suite owners have no "official" support channels available to them after 30 days of purchase?
                          Unless, of course, they fill IB's pockets and pay $80/year for *just* ticket support:
                          Support by email & online support ticket system, for one year. Cost is $80.00
                          http://www.vbulletin.com/order/index.php?do=step1
                          Regards,
                          Nick

                          Comment

                          • VonDoom
                            Senior Member
                            • Dec 2008
                            • 267
                            • 3.8.x

                            #28
                            •Indefinite software license
                            •Includes Forums, Blogs, and CMS modules
                            •Free updates for this version
                            •Discounts for next version upgrades
                            Free forum and ticket support
                            •Total value: $495
                            Is the free ticket support for the life of 4.x ? I could have sworn i read that it was 30 days free in my purchase confirmation email.

                            Comment

                            • Nick
                              Senior Member
                              • Feb 2008
                              • 3507
                              • 3.8.x

                              #29
                              Originally posted by VonDoom
                              Is the free ticket support for the life of 4.x ? I could have sworn i read that it was 30 days free in my purchase confirmation email.
                              With the forum-only license, it's 30 days of free ticket support. For the suite, it's free for life.
                              Regards,
                              Nick

                              Comment

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