If the software has a trial period or demonstration mode then there's no need to purchase it, if unsure contact the seller first in case there's more they can do. it's an average limitation of a license, refunds cost money. However, some do allow refunds after purchase, like Flight 1 for instance.

I'm one of those vanilla FSX:SE users, but slowly being drawn in by payware LOL! I didn't dream of shelling out for ORBX and its vector.. I couldn't justify the initial expense in one hit. 

Once Freemesh X gave me ground contours where I could recognise features of our planet I went ahead and purchased photoreal UK scenery. Flying at night looked a little...bland. Along comes Night Environment British Isles.. WOW! There's the M6, the M61, Broughton interchange, the B road from Preston to Longridge - all illuminated! I can find them in the dark!

Then I went for Black Marble - it gives me the rest of my sim world at night. I didn't bat an eyelid at selecting $5 support 2 years discounted. I had a couple of issues with the installer, but Chris personally helped me via the BM support forum.   It's just a different business model. Other models work with the one inclusive price where support is expected by the user. Yes, the initial introduction to his model was not immediately clear to most people, including myself, but now things are improved i feel. There are more users of the products so it's easier to get feedback and or clarification.

Sorry for the ramble, but as you can tell, I'm happy with the products and the support therein. Each to their own.

I think the point has been missed and our eye taken off the ball. Instead it is not about whether the business model is good or bad, it's quite good, as I said earlier if you can charge for it and they come then that's good. Rather it is about the change in the way support is provided. At the moment the load of general support is shared well by a dedicated community of dev and enthusiast sites. Eventually when users support contracts end they might gravitate toward these sites rather than top up the contract, placing an unfair burden elsewhere.

The thing is: You don't need to pay the support if you don't want it or it's too much for one.

But going to a forum and ranting about prices won't change anything. See also all other threads regarind releases in the last weeks.

 

But I can imagine the next rant now :D Well, I don't care. Like @HighBypass said: The support is very good and it's 5(!) Bugs. That's less then my meal at the cantina @ work today.

1 hour ago, Chris Bell said:

a word about our support format, you all need to stop acting like baby's!

just because we allow you guys to choose instead of including this in the price in advance doesn't make this weird or taste bad!
we thought we were being cool about this allowing anyone with virtually any budget to enjoy our work, simple as that!
taking our efforts and trying to spin it as anything but our efforts to make our work affordable is ridicules,

for some it makes a difference, maybe not to all but there are plenty out there that even saving $5 make the difference for them to enjoy little bit of our work to not at all, not everyone here makes a salary, many young simmers invest off their weekly/monthly allowance when they can afford it; we all were there at some point, we are not being greedy nor selfish, we simply trying to conform to every budget we can,
please try see the good in our ways instead of condemning our ways for no good reason,