Misleading Advertising: Able2Extract "Lifetime License" Has a Hidden Expiration Date
I have been an Able2Extract Professional user since 2017. The software was developed by Investintech, the Canadian company that is now part of the Apryse group.
On May 22, 2017, I purchased a lifetime license for Able2Extract Professional 14 for US$149.95. Later, on October 16, 2019, I paid US$49.50 for an upgrade, and on January 18, 2023, I upgraded again to version 18 for US$59.95.
This software is supposed to convert files, especially PDF documents. Recently, when I tried to convert a PDF, the program started displaying an error message and could no longer perform conversions.
I tried every reasonable troubleshooting step, including uninstalling and reinstalling the software multiple times. Nothing solved the problem.
Following Investintech's instructions, I opened a support ticket with Apryse. After dozens of messages, screenshots, explanations, tests, and troubleshooting procedures, I was ultimately told that versions 14 and 18 are no longer supported and that I should move to version 21.
I was informed that issues found in older versions would not be fixed and that the recommended solution was to upgrade to the latest version.
In other words, according to the company's position, customers are expected to keep paying for upgrades because supposedly "lifetime" licenses appear to have an undisclosed expiration date. My latest paid upgrade was purchased in 2023 and it is already considered obsolete.
I am not asking for a refund. I am asking for the product I paid for to continue functioning.
I believe other consumers should be aware of this situation. If a license is advertised as "lifetime" or "perpetual", customers deserve to know exactly what those terms mean in practice.
My questions to Investintech / Apryse are:
Why did it take so long for support to explain what was really happening?
What was the actual cause of the conversion error?
Why was no definitive solution provided for the versions I purchased?
Why does a license sold as "lifetime" appear to have a practical expiration date?
Why is this limitation not clearly disclosed at the time of purchase?
Why is the proposed solution for a problem affecting a lifetime license the purchase of another version of the same software?
I own other software products that I purchased more than 15 years ago and they still work perfectly. They do not receive updates anymore, but they continue to perform the functions for which they were purchased.
I expect the same from a product sold under a lifetime license.