Lifetime account for Full or Enhanced users - Page 3

J.B. · 4 May 2002, 11:24 PM

I'd prefer to have different levels based on subscription length to choose from (eg. 3 years, 5 years, 10 years etc...). The more longer period is, more discount you get....

but that might just add too much complexity to account management for Jeremy and Rob..

J.B.

aec · 4 May 2002, 11:50 PM

While obviously the final decision regarding lifetime/long term accounts for full and enhanced users rests with Rob and Jeremy, I personally don't see the need for it. IMHO 2 years is a good enough. It would be nice to have an option to add an additional year at a discounted rate before that 2 years expires however.

I'm warry of entering into any sort of long term agreement with any technology company. My reasons for this include: The possibility that Fastmail might one day be sold. If this happens we have absolutely no guarantee that there won't be a drastic decline in the reliability and support of this service. Once upon a time the company I work for had the best support in our region. We'd go out of our way to keep our customers happy. In the 2 years since the acquisition, our support is virtually non-existant, and our customers are miserable. My point is that when large companies take over smaller ones often time everything becomes secondary to the almighty dollar. Additionally, it's been my experience that pricing for internet services generally decline. Look for example at the cost of home internet access, and more directly; leased line prices. A few years ago there were almost no free email providers, now there are probably a few hundred. As time passes I would expect that more and more services like fastmail will spring up, offering competetive, and maybe even better priceing models, with even more features. The word is out on fastmail, and it's only a matter of time before people attempt to replicate and improve upon the success. I'm not saying it's going to happen. Fastmail is a service of unusual quality, but in a technology driven world, you never know...

2 years is plenty for me...

aec

ehabshoubaki · 5 May 2002, 12:00 AM

How about for each additional year you subcribe you get a fixed percentage discount from the annual rate .

for example with 50% discount and a yearly fee of lets say $32 :

first year : | $32
year 2 : | $16
year 3 : | $8
................. |
................. |
year n : | (first year) * (50/100)^(n-1)
=========|=================
total cost = | SUM

This will give people more incentive to subcribe for long periods of time . don't you think ?

kishore · 5 May 2002, 03:22 AM

Good idea. Lifetime accounts look like a good way of attracting new customers who might even decide to switch elsewhere later on.

The idae is not so innovative as it looks. I read somewhere that runbox has a full lifetime account for 200 dollars. Their one expires after 100 years.

They are one step ahead at least in one area.

kishore · 5 May 2002, 03:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by PON
If the goal is to support fastmail it's better to sign up new, preferably, enhanced accounts. Alternatively, Jeremy and Rob can raise capital from investors ...

I think this is a absurd argument since nobody would simply sign up just to support fastmail. Each user would sign up for a plan that would benefit them. But as a consequence this may help fastmail at the same time.

Fastmail definitely can raise money from investers but at a very high cost. This would be cost free funds which when invested would amount to the same thing as a continous revenue for the company.

Quote:

Originally posted by PON
It would save the hassle of annual renewal.

A weak point I think. The administration isn't that difficult.

I think not. I personally find this quite cumbersome in having to remember and make continous payment on a regular basis as more and more gets added to the list as time goes by with rent, electricity, water, phone bills etc.

I would simply sign up and stay as a member to avoid this unless a similar plan is not available for a further upgrade. I think there are a lot like me who would sign up by paying 200 or 300 dollars just for the convenience.

Stinger · 5 May 2002, 03:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by circuit

Nobody will be emailing - on a computer anyway - in 20 years time,

You may well be right circuit, you only have to look back 5 years to see the way things have changed, I think future communication
will be very different!

**ReuvenNY** · 5 May 2002, 04:00 AM

While lifetime sound like a great concept, it happens to be a very loooong time... So many things can happen it the long run, that “Lifetime” has lost it’s meaning. If anything, I think Edwin’s idea of 20 years is much more sensible.
From the users point of view - what if things change to such an extent that Fastmail becomes not the best email solution? Personally I have all the faith and confidence in Jeremy, Rob and their partners, but we have seen many successful enterprises being sold, got new management or just disappeared from the arena. I feel that “pay as you go” is the most prudent way, and it actually work favorably for all sides: service for payment and payment for service.

mail2me · 5 May 2002, 04:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Stinger

...you only have to look back 5 years to see the way things have changed, I think future communication will be very different!

I am already fastmailing

**circuit** · 5 May 2002, 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Stinger
You may well be right circuit, you only have to look back 5 years to see the way things have changed, I think future communication
will be very different!

My thoughts exactly!

Internet set-top boxes may not be much use at the moment, and WAP might be a slow, over-hyped and expensive novelty - but in the same way, nobody ever anticipated communicating instantly using a room-sized, cog-powered machine. Maybe one day we'll be scrabbling for .mars domains - who knows! It's completely impossible to anticipate the 'state' of the internet (if it is even called the internet) in 30 years time - so signing up for a 100 year email account seems completely nonsensical to me.

Stinger · 5 May 2002, 04:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by circuit

who knows! It's completely impossible to anticipate the 'state' of the internet (if it is even called the internet) in 30 years time

Some say that it is 'already in a state' lets hope that this amazing medium does not 'go under'

......S

**psalzer** · 5 May 2002, 04:50 AM

I doubt it'll go under, but the whole fee structure might be different when Jeremy and Rob are facilitating communcation which is accomplished holigram to holigram, for instance. For me, at 52 I guess I'll just go on taking it a year or two at a time.

Stinger · 5 May 2002, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Stinger

Some say that it is 'already in a state' lets hope that this amazing medium does not 'go under'

......S

Sorry, I wasn't refering to 'FM'
I was talking about the internat as a whole

lux · 5 May 2002, 08:24 AM

We can go with five years, or 100 years...

PON · 5 May 2002, 08:51 AM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by PON
If the goal is to support fastmail it's better to sign up new, preferably, enhanced accounts. Alternatively, Jeremy and Rob can raise capital from investors ...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>I think this is a absurd argument since nobody would simply sign up just to support fastmail.<

I have given gifts of fastmail accounts and I have helped friends who wish to have personal email facilities (many still have email only at work) by setting up domains and email accounts for them. I don't find this absurd, nor do they.

Presumably you don't think raising money from investors is absurd. Many publicly held companies provide shareholder perks. In the case of transport companies these often include free or discounted travel. I have benefited by holding such stock, with capital growth and with free travel. I see nothing absurd about a company in the email business providing a similar perk to investors.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by PON
It would save the hassle of annual renewal.

A weak point I think. The administration isn't that difficult.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>I think not. I personally find this quite cumbersome in having to remember and make continous payment on a regular basis as more and more gets added to the list as time goes by with rent, electricity, water, phone bills etc. <

Perhaps you should move to a bank that enables you to set up a direct debit facility. I haven't paid a recurring monthly bill any other way in more than 20 years. I haven't paid for my domain names in this way as I wish to review whether to renew or move each time a bill comes up. All the same, I've taken 10 year renewals. If I availed of an opportunity to extend Fastmail it wouldn't be because I regarded filling in a credit card payment online as a nuisance.

murali · 5 May 2002, 09:08 AM

Runbox already has one for 200 dollars. I was thinking of getting that but if fastmail also offers a similar package then I would certainly get that instead even for 200 to 300 dollars. Fastmail has more features.

5 May 2002, 03:22 AM	#34
kishore Junior Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: New York City Posts: 17	Good idea. Lifetime accounts look like a good way of attracting new customers who might even decide to switch elsewhere later on. The idae is not so innovative as it looks. I read somewhere that runbox has a full lifetime account for 200 dollars. Their one expires after 100 years. They are one step ahead at least in one area. Last edited by kishore : 5 May 2002 at 03:58 AM.

4 May 2002, 11:24 PM	#31
J.B. Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 11	I'd prefer to have different levels based on subscription length to choose from (eg. 3 years, 5 years, 10 years etc...). The more longer period is, more discount you get.... but that might just add too much complexity to account management for Jeremy and Rob.. J.B.

4 May 2002, 11:50 PM	#32
aec Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 4	While obviously the final decision regarding lifetime/long term accounts for full and enhanced users rests with Rob and Jeremy, I personally don't see the need for it. IMHO 2 years is a good enough. It would be nice to have an option to add an additional year at a discounted rate before that 2 years expires however. I'm warry of entering into any sort of long term agreement with any technology company. My reasons for this include: The possibility that Fastmail might one day be sold. If this happens we have absolutely no guarantee that there won't be a drastic decline in the reliability and support of this service. Once upon a time the company I work for had the best support in our region. We'd go out of our way to keep our customers happy. In the 2 years since the acquisition, our support is virtually non-existant, and our customers are miserable. My point is that when large companies take over smaller ones often time everything becomes secondary to the almighty dollar. Additionally, it's been my experience that pricing for internet services generally decline. Look for example at the cost of home internet access, and more directly; leased line prices. A few years ago there were almost no free email providers, now there are probably a few hundred. As time passes I would expect that more and more services like fastmail will spring up, offering competetive, and maybe even better priceing models, with even more features. The word is out on fastmail, and it's only a matter of time before people attempt to replicate and improve upon the success. I'm not saying it's going to happen. Fastmail is a service of unusual quality, but in a technology driven world, you never know... 2 years is plenty for me... aec

5 May 2002, 12:00 AM	#33
ehabshoubaki Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 65	How about for each additional year you subcribe you get a fixed percentage discount from the annual rate . for example with 50% discount and a yearly fee of lets say $32 : first year : \| $32 year 2 : \| $16 year 3 : \| $8 ................. \| ................. \| year n : \| (first year) * (50/100)^(n-1) =========\|================= total cost = \| SUM This will give people more incentive to subcribe for long periods of time . don't you think ?

5 May 2002, 04:00 AM	#37
ReuvenNY Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: New York Posts: 4,259	While lifetime sound like a great concept, it happens to be a very loooong time... So many things can happen it the long run, that “Lifetime” has lost it’s meaning. If anything, I think Edwin’s idea of 20 years is much more sensible. From the users point of view - what if things change to such an extent that Fastmail becomes not the best email solution? Personally I have all the faith and confidence in Jeremy, Rob and their partners, but we have seen many successful enterprises being sold, got new management or just disappeared from the arena. I feel that “pay as you go” is the most prudent way, and it actually work favorably for all sides: service for payment and payment for service.

5 May 2002, 04:50 AM	#41
psalzer Moderator Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 2,654	I doubt it'll go under, but the whole fee structure might be different when Jeremy and Rob are facilitating communcation which is accomplished holigram to holigram, for instance. For me, at 52 I guess I'll just go on taking it a year or two at a time.

5 May 2002, 08:24 AM	#43
lux The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,274	We can go with five years, or 100 years...

5 May 2002, 08:51 AM	#44
PON Essential Contributor Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Wicklow, Ireland Posts: 449	-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally posted by PON If the goal is to support fastmail it's better to sign up new, preferably, enhanced accounts. Alternatively, Jeremy and Rob can raise capital from investors ... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >I think this is a absurd argument since nobody would simply sign up just to support fastmail.< I have given gifts of fastmail accounts and I have helped friends who wish to have personal email facilities (many still have email only at work) by setting up domains and email accounts for them. I don't find this absurd, nor do they. Presumably you don't think raising money from investors is absurd. Many publicly held companies provide shareholder perks. In the case of transport companies these often include free or discounted travel. I have benefited by holding such stock, with capital growth and with free travel. I see nothing absurd about a company in the email business providing a similar perk to investors. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally posted by PON It would save the hassle of annual renewal. A weak point I think. The administration isn't that difficult. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >I think not. I personally find this quite cumbersome in having to remember and make continous payment on a regular basis as more and more gets added to the list as time goes by with rent, electricity, water, phone bills etc. < Perhaps you should move to a bank that enables you to set up a direct debit facility. I haven't paid a recurring monthly bill any other way in more than 20 years. I haven't paid for my domain names in this way as I wish to review whether to renew or move each time a bill comes up. All the same, I've taken 10 year renewals. If I availed of an opportunity to extend Fastmail it wouldn't be because I regarded filling in a credit card payment online as a nuisance.

5 May 2002, 09:08 AM	#45
murali Junior Member Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 6	Runbox already has one for 200 dollars. I was thinking of getting that but if fastmail also offers a similar package then I would certainly get that instead even for 200 to 300 dollars. Fastmail has more features.