Sunset of old price plans - something else between Light and Standard?
The sunsetting of the old price plans such Mail, MailXL, Office has been announced. I understand that charging €1/month for the feature set of Mail might have not been sustainable on the side of the provider. It was a very affordable offer to begin with.
Alas, the new plans' feature sets are not suitable for some users. In my case, I need strong email functionality and have no use for cloud storage, office functions, video chat, etc. I would like to use disposable addresses, but that is a hard sell with choosing the STANDARD plan over the LIGHT plan for triple the price.
In this post I wanted to encourage Mailbox.org to think about a 4th plan between LIGHT and STANDARD that offers superb email functionality and cuts down on other features in favor of pricing, like a €2/month fee, for example.
Changing business models and price increases are to some degree understandable. Going from MAIL to STANDARD for triple the price is a hard sell when one only needs a fraction of the offered services.
Also, why don't you advertise the "pay 10 get 12 months" rebate on your regular product web pages? It is strong selling point. I hope that offer will stay for good.
I like this idea 
Yes, I wanted to upgrade to Standard, but was wondering if you can please add 1 custom domain to the new "Light" plan. I am happy to pay more if your costs are going up, but 3x more seems a bit steep and I won't be using any of the new features. So for me, please just make the Light plan a little bit better (at higher price?).
Yes, I wanted to upgrade to Standard, but was wondering if you can please add 1 custom domain to the new "Light" plan. I am happy to pay more if your costs are going up, but 3x more seems a bit steep and I won't be using any of the new features. So for me, please just make the Light plan a little bit better (at higher price?).
I think the price tiers are very limited, putting quite a burden on users who now want to maintain the same feature parity in the older "MAIL" plan to pay triple for it. As some users already mentioned, I have no use for any of the features in the STANDARD plan (no need for online office & nor cloud storage nor video conferencing & web chat or even team account & collaboration) I just need an email with a custom domain the same as I have with the MAIL plan.
The current LIGHT plan doesn't solve this and is also not customizable, something like an extra addon for a fee (e.g. option to enable custom domains) would solve the limitation. If this isn't an option, why not add a 4th option between LIGHT and STANDARD that allows custom domains without forcing previous users to pay 3x more? It is very hard to justify this change, especially in the way it is implemented. If nothing is done, I will consider switching to another mail provider! Just to be clear, this is not about the price increase, this is about the way this has been done and the lack of options available, forcing users who just want email to pay 3x for useless features that are outside the scope of an email service.
I think the price tiers are very limited, putting quite a burden on users who now want to maintain the same feature parity in the older "MAIL" plan to pay triple for it. As some users already mentioned, I have no use for any of the features in the STANDARD plan (no need for online office & nor cloud storage nor video conferencing & web chat or even team account & collaboration) I just need an email with a custom domain the same as I have with the MAIL plan.
The current LIGHT plan doesn't solve this and is also not customizable, something like an extra addon for a fee (e.g. option to enable custom domains) would solve the limitation. If this isn't an option, why not add a 4th option between LIGHT and STANDARD that allows custom domains without forcing previous users to pay 3x more? It is very hard to justify this change, especially in the way it is implemented. If nothing is done, I will consider switching to another mail provider! Just to be clear, this is not about the price increase, this is about the way this has been done and the lack of options available, forcing users who just want email to pay 3x for useless features that are outside the scope of an email service.
glad to see im not the only one with this problem, i already sent a support request about this and got a reply saying they would forward my concerns onto the product manager and that they were not planning on offering a stage between the LIGHT and the STANDARD plan at this time.
i suggested to them that a custom plan would be a good idea where users can add the features they need so they arent paying for features they dont need or want.
id be happy with the light plan with an addon for custom domain at €1.50 total or close to it.
glad to see im not the only one with this problem, i already sent a support request about this and got a reply saying they would forward my concerns onto the product manager and that they were not planning on offering a stage between the LIGHT and the STANDARD plan at this time.
i suggested to them that a custom plan would be a good idea where users can add the features they need so they arent paying for features they dont need or want.
id be happy with the light plan with an addon for custom domain at €1.50 total or close to it.
I vote for this as well. All I need is email usage + ability to use a custom domain (I don't use any other feature).
I vote for this as well. All I need is email usage + ability to use a custom domain (I don't use any other feature).
I was also happy with my previous plan, so now I wonder, exactly when will my current plan stop to work as it does now?
I recently (before this news) topped up another years worth of credit to my prepaid balance, will my current terms and features work until that has been used up, or will everything stop working in a couple of months, until I submit to one of your new plans?
If I am required to change plans before my prepaid balance has been used up for my current (old) plan, I would rather just switch service and would of course want a refund since I paid for something I am not getting, I hope this is not the case. I have of course read that you do not do refunds, but this is of course not the same if the terms have changed after I paid.
I was also happy with my previous plan, so now I wonder, exactly when will my current plan stop to work as it does now?
I recently (before this news) topped up another years worth of credit to my prepaid balance, will my current terms and features work until that has been used up, or will everything stop working in a couple of months, until I submit to one of your new plans?
If I am required to change plans before my prepaid balance has been used up for my current (old) plan, I would rather just switch service and would of course want a refund since I paid for something I am not getting, I hope this is not the case. I have of course read that you do not do refunds, but this is of course not the same if the terms have changed after I paid.
I prepared for migration from my old email server to mailbox.org for a while, and when I was about to execute it, the new pricing plans got introduced. Even though in the old one I had custom domains possible, now in the equivalent-cost new one I don't. It's quite a lot for that simple feature, and I don't need any other features from the 3 EUR plan.
I prepared for migration from my old email server to mailbox.org for a while, and when I was about to execute it, the new pricing plans got introduced. Even though in the old one I had custom domains possible, now in the equivalent-cost new one I don't. It's quite a lot for that simple feature, and I don't need any other features from the 3 EUR plan.
I was happy with the Office Plan for 3 users (€4,50/user/month). Now I would need to switch to Standard (€7,60/user/month). No point being with Mailbox anymore, for €22/pm for 3 users, there are other options.
I was happy with the Office Plan for 3 users (€4,50/user/month). Now I would need to switch to Standard (€7,60/user/month). No point being with Mailbox anymore, for €22/pm for 3 users, there are other options.
Want to add myself to the list of people upvoting this topic.
After receiving your email today (why only today?), I have to say I was dismayed what you decided to do and write down.
In reality we are asked to TRIPLE!!! our cost to keep similar service.
As reasoning we are offered explanations that simply don’t hold up.
“Economic conditions”?
I understand inflation and that it appeared last year and some, but really:
What you said:
“fair wages for our staff” - did you increase the salaries of your employees x3? Last year? Last TEN years?
No, you did not!
“energy to run our data centres” - did your energy bill increase 3x year-over-year? Or even for the last 10 years?
No, it did not!
“increasing costs for hardware purchases”
That’s taking us - your customers - for stupid idiots. Moore’s law says something different than “servicing same amount of traffic for years gets 3x more costly” No it does not. Same hardware that ran same traffic 10 years ago can run it now and if anything - it became cheaper (same hardware)
And so on…
What people would appreciate is honesty and your reasoning is nothing like.
Upping your price by 3 is a huge, huge increase!
It’s certainly not justified, for providing the same service. And certainly adding a custom domain does not increase your cost by 3x.
You up the price 3x because (you think) you CAN, and we would not bother (or be able) to migrate and we are boxed in a corner.
That is a very, very bad relationship now.
Really you should think hard, first about the communication - lying to customers and insulting by peddling these “reasons” should be a no-no.
We are not stupid. We get that you have owners and everybody wants profits. We get that. But at least don’t insult us with “energy costs”.
And second - as per the original post- please introduce a fair plan that substitutes the mail plan without bullying us into a 3x price increase, which has nothing to do with inflation or rising costs.
Thanks in advance.
Want to add myself to the list of people upvoting this topic.
After receiving your email today (why only today?), I have to say I was dismayed what you decided to do and write down.
In reality we are asked to TRIPLE!!! our cost to keep similar service.
As reasoning we are offered explanations that simply don’t hold up.
“Economic conditions”?
I understand inflation and that it appeared last year and some, but really:
What you said:
“fair wages for our staff” - did you increase the salaries of your employees x3? Last year? Last TEN years?
No, you did not!
“energy to run our data centres” - did your energy bill increase 3x year-over-year? Or even for the last 10 years?
No, it did not!
“increasing costs for hardware purchases”
That’s taking us - your customers - for stupid idiots. Moore’s law says something different than “servicing same amount of traffic for years gets 3x more costly” No it does not. Same hardware that ran same traffic 10 years ago can run it now and if anything - it became cheaper (same hardware)
And so on…
What people would appreciate is honesty and your reasoning is nothing like.
Upping your price by 3 is a huge, huge increase!
It’s certainly not justified, for providing the same service. And certainly adding a custom domain does not increase your cost by 3x.
You up the price 3x because (you think) you CAN, and we would not bother (or be able) to migrate and we are boxed in a corner.
That is a very, very bad relationship now.
Really you should think hard, first about the communication - lying to customers and insulting by peddling these “reasons” should be a no-no.
We are not stupid. We get that you have owners and everybody wants profits. We get that. But at least don’t insult us with “energy costs”.
And second - as per the original post- please introduce a fair plan that substitutes the mail plan without bullying us into a 3x price increase, which has nothing to do with inflation or rising costs.
Thanks in advance.
I have been a customer since 2019 on light plan I don't like and object and see a reason for being forced to upgrade to a MORE expensive Plan witch gives me less function no support or storage and i still pay 1 Euro and get less
With the cost of living I cant afford the more expensive plans
Like others said i want basic email not domains or storage or extras i will never use
Also credit left on customer account should be refunded back to the customer Im not a charity why should i loose my money and you profit from it why should i give it to charity?
I had 3 mailbox accounts i have closed all 3 accounts you have lost me as a customer after all these Years not good business practise or care for your customers
I have been a customer since 2019 on light plan I don't like and object and see a reason for being forced to upgrade to a MORE expensive Plan witch gives me less function no support or storage and i still pay 1 Euro and get less
With the cost of living I cant afford the more expensive plans
Like others said i want basic email not domains or storage or extras i will never use
Also credit left on customer account should be refunded back to the customer Im not a charity why should i loose my money and you profit from it why should i give it to charity?
I had 3 mailbox accounts i have closed all 3 accounts you have lost me as a customer after all these Years not good business practise or care for your customers
Another slightly annoyed user here, joining in here with the previous posters. First and foremost:
I really like mailbox.org. I like the service, the things it stands for, and I happily support you. I understand prices go up, it is expected and as such I do not mind. However the new price plan setup is missing a vital option: Just-a-mailbox. Please provide a simple "Mail only" plan, don't make me pay for your experiments in video conferencing and cloud office.
I do not care at all about cloud storage, an office suite, video conferencing, jabber, and so on. I just want a good email hosting service where I can get a mailbox, a custom domain, and if I'm lucky maybe sync my contacts and calendar.
Actually I even don't care that much if you charge me 1 or 3 euro a month, though forcing me to to accept a 300% price hike just to keep exactly the same functionality is a bit extreme. I get a strong feeling my money is not used to provide me my email service, it's there to pay for "features" I do not need or want. I will be forced to pay for it because it's going to be required when I want the very basic and essential option to use my own domain name.
Please revise the new price plans, don't forget you're a (great) mail service, not another custom cloud solution provider.
Another slightly annoyed user here, joining in here with the previous posters. First and foremost:
I really like mailbox.org. I like the service, the things it stands for, and I happily support you. I understand prices go up, it is expected and as such I do not mind. However the new price plan setup is missing a vital option: Just-a-mailbox. Please provide a simple "Mail only" plan, don't make me pay for your experiments in video conferencing and cloud office.
I do not care at all about cloud storage, an office suite, video conferencing, jabber, and so on. I just want a good email hosting service where I can get a mailbox, a custom domain, and if I'm lucky maybe sync my contacts and calendar.
Actually I even don't care that much if you charge me 1 or 3 euro a month, though forcing me to to accept a 300% price hike just to keep exactly the same functionality is a bit extreme. I get a strong feeling my money is not used to provide me my email service, it's there to pay for "features" I do not need or want. I will be forced to pay for it because it's going to be required when I want the very basic and essential option to use my own domain name.
Please revise the new price plans, don't forget you're a (great) mail service, not another custom cloud solution provider.
Another very unhappy customer here. I've always been on the 1EUR plan given how many times more I have to pay for exchange rates (remember that majority of humans on Planet Earth live outside First World nations - we have to fork out five, ten or twenty times more than you people and work that much longer for every cent earned).
I don't need the extra garbage. All I need is one mailbox on my own domain that wouldn't cost Mailbox.org anything extra.
What a clusterf**k.
And don't give me that "privacy" nonsense. Your cheapest plans never had Data protection & CDP agreement.
Another very unhappy customer here. I've always been on the 1EUR plan given how many times more I have to pay for exchange rates (remember that majority of humans on Planet Earth live outside First World nations - we have to fork out five, ten or twenty times more than you people and work that much longer for every cent earned).
I don't need the extra garbage. All I need is one mailbox on my own domain that wouldn't cost Mailbox.org anything extra.
What a clusterf**k.
And don't give me that "privacy" nonsense. Your cheapest plans never had Data protection & CDP agreement.
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