I've just received an email from Navigraph informing me that " without any cost to you" my subscription to FMS data is being extended 3 months because " You are one of the few remaining subscribers to only subscribe to one of these." That seems to imply that the vast majority of flight simmers subscribe to both and I'm definitely missing out on something. BS.

But not to worry, Navigraph is here to help me.

" We will discontinue annual subscriptions for Charts and FMS Data in favor for monthly and annual billing of a single Navigraph Subscription which includes all of our services."

OK, I can $ee where thi$ i$ going.

"Effective today we have upgraded your FMS Data Annual subscription to a Navigraph Subscription with monthly billing. We have also prolonged your subscription with an additional 3 months. When this time is up your Navigraph Subscription will be extended one month at a time for 8.30 EUR / month excluding any VAT that your country may add."

And I thought I was lucky when emails told me lots and lots of Russian women are "hot" for me.

So looks like my $23 annual FMS subscription will now increase to over $9/month or over $100/year providing the Euro/USD ratio remains the same. Email doesn't give the yearly subscription and I'm really not interested in logging onto their website to see if it's on there. That's 5 times what I'm paying now.

And I thought other developers were greedy.

Navigraph, I use Aivlasoft EFB and Little Navmap for charts and a moving map. I don't know if they're as fancy as what you offer in the Charts subscription but both programs do the job for me. I do not need (or want) your pricey solution. But ...

Thanks for the free 3 month extension of FMS data. I'll think of it as a Christmas present, plain and simple, and not another attempt to get your hands deeper into my pockets. Merry Christmas to you, too. Call me if you need a date.

I too received the email and have posted my reply on the Navigraph forum. I’m not alone in being astonished at the price hike for something for which I have no need. As an EFB user the Navigraph FMS data imports into that application and displays it just fine.

I await Navigraph’s reply to my post. In over 20 years of simming it’s hard to recall a worse decision.

Just read through the posts on Navigraph website.  Yes, I  did feel their email was condescending.  They want to save me from myself. 

No replies yet from the saviors.

11 minutes ago, Twenty6 said:

No replies yet from the saviors.

That’s probably a good thing. Perhaps they’re having a rethink.

I also got this email today.  Guess I'm one of the few. 

I don't use their charts, and only use the FMS Data.  I was already upset when they took away the 4 times a year FMS update and had to go with the full year subscription. Now to pay a lot more for the same FMS data.  

I am sure their charts are great, but I use Sim Charts, or Aivlasoft EFB and am content with that.

Seems to be the way software is going. Moving to s subscription base and now finding ways to increase the monthly payments.  I for one, hate monthly subscriptions. 

Got an email recently , that my Dropbox yearly subscription has increased from 1TB to 2TB with a huge increase in price. I don't even come close to using the 1TB.

I don't mind paying for something that I want, but I do not like to be forced to pay for additional features that I don't need or want. Guess I'll have to speak with my wallet and say goodbye to Navigraph and Dropbox. 

It's a free market. You vote with your wallet. And to be fair, you don't really need an monthly update if you generally don't fly online (VATSIM, IVAO, PilotEdge).

It could be that Jeppesen has upped their asking price for Navigraph to use their data. Who knows. At the end of the day they (Navigraph) propose/suggest and you decide yay or nay. Simple. Full disclosure: I am retired and use Navigraph's full package. Which means it's costing me A$12.00 a month. Not chump change for someone on limited funds but as flight simming is my hobby I think I can justify that amount given the pleasure I derive from living out a lifelong, unatainable dream on a desktop computer. Preferable to blowing that cash (and more) in the pub or on the ponies 😊

Cheers!🍺

@speedyTC, your post probably wasn’t meant to annoy but I can assure it did me. Yes, I’m well aware I can vote with my wallet but I can also cut off my nose to spite my face! There’s only one loser and that’s me.

To withdraw a service that has run for many years and force subscribers to a far more expensive one for something they do not need is baffling. Nowhere in their email do they explain the reasons behind their decision. Someone has made a bad decision.

Imagine if LM announced the Academic licence of P3D was being withdrawn and your account was being changed to the Pro version. If you wanted to carry on using it you need to stump up the difference. You wouldn’t be happy I’m sure. That’s the choice being given to us and we’re justifiably outraged by it.

Hi Ray,

While I can see where you're coming from it doesn't change the fact that it is their service. It may be a bad decision on their part and they may backtrack. I also agree that having different payment options for users with differing needs is the best way to go.They are also probably well aware that this might lose them customers as there are other options out there. A bit similar to when Adobe decided that the subscription model was the way to go. I decided that my bought copy of Photoshop CS6 was good enough for my needs and that I did not need the added burden of a sub based service. Adobe didn't get my custom any more and I found other alternatives. The market is fluid and we adapt. Vendors and customers both.

At the end of the day they are a business; and they make decisions that could affect their customer base negatively. If that is the case your only recourse is to not buy their product. It hurts their bottom line and may force a re-think. Being outraged and spitting the dummy will not do that.

Hmm.. I just renewed my yearly FMS data subscription on the 11th and haven't received anything about a forced combining of the two.

Guess I'll wait and see. 

Ernie

 

Edited November 15, 20196 yr by airernie

So where can we go from here?

NavDataPro ?

30 minutes ago, speedyTC said:

Hi Ray,

While I can see where you're coming from it doesn't change the fact that it is their service. It may be a bad decision on their part and they may backtrack. I also agree that having different payment options for users with differing needs is the best way to go.They are also probably well aware that this might lose them customers as there are other options out there. A bit similar to when Adobe decided that the subscription model was the way to go. I decided that my bought copy of Photoshop CS6 was good enough for my needs and that I did not need the added burden of a sub based service. Adobe didn't get my custom any more and I found other alternatives. The market is fluid and we adapt. Vendors and customers both.

At the end of the day they are a business; and they make decisions that could affect their customer base negatively. If that is the case your only recourse is to not buy their product. It hurts their bottom line and may force a re-think. Being outraged and spitting the dummy will not do that.

Your post was intelligent and respectful right up to the last sentence. I am not spitting my dummy out. I have written several posts on their forum expressing my astonishment they have made this decision. To triple a user’s subscription and force them to pay for something they do not need is without parallel. You can carry on using Photoshop with no loss of functionality. I cannot carry on using frozen data because eventually it will become close to useless.

Maybe Microsoft’s new sim will mean we will have an alternative data source. Navigraph are treading on dangerous ground with this decision.

Here we go again with more excessive price increases from payware developers.  I got the same e-mail, and yes they are trying to be clever in persuading you that they're doing you a favor.

I don't use their charts because I find most charts I need for free online.

I guess I won't be using their navigation data any more.

Dave

They just lost a customer.  I wasn't jazzed when they discontinued the ability to buy the FMS data 4 times per year.  I sucked it up and went to the more expensive yearly FMS data subscription.  Now they gouge me with an exorbitant price for a product I do not need nor will ever use (charts).

Bye, Navigraph.

Maybe that e-mail is not legit?  I mean, I have the FMS data sub and I haven't gotten any e-mail. airernie, above hasn't received an email either.

 

3 hours ago, Twenty6 said:

" You are one of the few remaining subscribers to only subscribe to one of these."

I do not believe for a single second there are hardly any "FMS Data only" customers left.