By now everyone know how folks at VB goofed things up when they changed their licensing terms and pricing. As you can see from VB forum there are tonnes of user who are now visiting other forum script site mostly IPB to find a suitable and reasonable alternative.

Interestingly IPB has started sale for people who are switching from "other" forum software to IPB reducing their script price to $125 till I think Nov 2 or something.

I think UBB should also not let this opportunity go and start some promotions for people who want to move from "other" forum scripts to UBB

What's IPB?

http://tinyurl.com/yz2lrwv

Here is the IPB offer
http://community.invisionpower.com/...undup-community-suite-and-switch-offers/

Why cant UBB come up with something like this?

The good thing is that anyone that previously had a license at one point, classic or threads, and had switched to VB at some point, can come back for just the renewal fee which is $99.

We do have a bunch of things planned, but that will coincide with the first of the year, so might be a bit late for those wanting to switch now. Really just starting to gear up for that now.

Also, I believe ours won't be so confusing, between suites and packages and all of that. No matter what features we have (blogs, downloads, etc), we're always going to include them in the standard price.

would you have that $99 offer for people who want to switch, and I will switch in a minute

It is part of the standard pricing.
Net new license
UBB.threads™ Standard License
1 year free access to upgrades
No advanced support included * $199

Renew
Member Area Renewal
1 year access to upgrades
$99
Allows you access to upgrade from classic up.
Of course this option requires you to have had a license.

If you own a current license you can renew it (at any time) for $99; this applies for anyone who owns any level of UBB license

Even at the $99 price to renew it's a huge drop from what vB wants to renew or upgrade. Plus, everyone must remember, none of the old hacks that made vB usable will work with the new software and would either have to be completely re-written or pay the larger price for the suite. The new scheme of theirs really limits what an admin can do with the v4.x forum only package. With UBB and several other less expensive forum software you usually get everything included in the price. I'll be renewing my license here when it comes due.

Just an FYI, I just completed converting my vB forum over to UBB and Ricks importer worked seamlessly! It ran fast and without a single hitch. Thanks Rick!

Would you mind linking your site?

Hey Greg, I'm really excited to hear that the importer worked well for you and that you're coming back to the UBB from vB; really exciting news to hear momentum from other products to the UBB...

Ideally I'd love to see a FusionBB to UBB importer; seems that a lot of our users went that route..

I'm still able and willing to test one of those. Maybe when V8 comes out.

After comparing vB to UBB it was really a no brainer, as UBB is much easier to install and configure. Plus, you don't have to go find a bunch of addons, some commercial, to just do the most basic functions that are already built into UBB. When v8 comes out I think you will see even more switching to UBB.

I can only think of one real "paid addon" to the ubb, and that's my sitemap script (link in sig).

I think most paid addons to other products are either stock features in the ubb or available freely as a modification over at ubbdev.

Gizmo, I think you're correct. That's what is so frustrating about some of those other packages, the need to shell out more money just to get what UBB and one other package offer as standard features.

I think the real complaint that some users have is that the ubb just looked too boxy when the first couple of versions came out; while it's remained the same for the most part, new skins where developed (of which we're using several here that users can choose to use)

You know, it's funny, vB decides to increase their cost due to the economy... When I lowered the cost of all of my Premium Themes to $25 for the same reason...

It's also due to the fact Jelsoft is no more. vB is now owned by Internet Brands and since that sale prices have been raised and almost all the original developers of vB have left the company. Their customer service has apparently gone the way of the developers too, since I read constant complaints about how customers have been treated by the new company.

It's really a shame when it happens, but I've heard it happens a lot...

Take Chase Bank for example, they just took over WaMu here on the west coast... we can't get a damned thing done without being on hold for 5 hours then having our calls dropped and having to repeat the hold cycle for 4 days just to hear "our systems are undergoing maintenance"

Hey, ain't that the way of corporate America? If you don't like it then stop dealing with very large corporations or the ones that you don't like the way you do. They are only as strong as you make them.