Transfergate: I could imagine Matterport CEO Sending this Apology This Week13688
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 WGAN ForumFounder & WGAN-TV Podcast Host Atlanta, Georgia |
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user | |
| WGAN-TV Town Hall - Matterport New Pricing (Thursday, 26 May 2019) with (former) Matterport Chief Marketing Officer Chris Bell, Matterport Vice President of Product Management Damien Leostic. (Transcript) WGAN-TV Live at 5: Matterport Ecosystem Town Hall (27 February 2018) Transfergate: I could imagine Matterport CEO Sending this Apology This Week Hi All, In light of Matterport “transfergate” debacle yesterday (1 December 2020), I drafted this suggested apology letter (below) from Matterport CEO RJ Pittman to the Matterporter Community. By the way, this would not be the first kerfuffle for Matterport. For example, Matterport reversed course after damaging the trust of its reputation among its customers. As a result, Matterport former CEO Bill Brown rolled back the Terms of Service following the firestorm in the WGAN Forum (WGAN-TV Town Hall above) over the ill-conceived changes to to the Matterport Ecosystem. Dan --- Dear Matterporters, I apologize … Last night, December 1 2020, Matterport disabled transferring models from Matterport “New Pricing” (2019) Cloud accounts to Matterport Cloud Classic Pricing accounts. This change prevented our oldest and most successful customers from processing unlimited models for $69 per month and then transferring their Matterport models to their old pricing cloud account where hosting is about one-sixth the cost (of the new Cloud accounts). (WGAN Cheat Sheet: Compare Pricing) We made this change without notice (except a mice-type change in a Matterport Support page). This was sneaky - very sneaky - on our part. As We Get Around Network Forum Founder Dan Smigrod reminded me in this WGAN Forum discussion, I promised the following on Facebook Live on Thursday, 9 May 2019 (video) about the introduction of Matterport new Cloud pricing and grandfathering in Matterport Classic pricing: RJ Pittman: My commitment to customers is what I said before, maybe I'll just be super sharp about that. It's indefinite. Can this change? It's entirely possible, but our instincts around this and the direction we're headed, I want to be really clear, is change for the better, and making sure that again our customers and the way that you've built your businesses are not disrupted and as we create new plans and if you are moved into a new plan in five years, 10 years down the road it would be self-motivated because we'd be creating so much value and a better plan that you'd want to get out of the grandfathered plan to get on something that's much more scalable and cost efficient. And, Dan also reminded me in this WGAN Forum discussion what former Matterport Chief Marketing Officer Chris Bell and Matterport Vice President of Product Management Damien Leostic. said during WGAN-TV Live at 5 Town Hall: Matterport New Pricing 16 May 2019: Chris Bell: But as far as not changing, we are on record saying we have no plans to change the classic situation the way that they're set up today. If we do ever change them, there'll be at least a year notice, a year's notice before we do anything with them. That should give you some comfort levels. It should really give everyone some comfort level. We have not even discussed a timeframe for this because the whole point of it is to give you something that you can run your businesses against for the foreseeable future. Chris Bell: Which is why we've said indefinite and you can hold us to that promise. As far as the differences in currency and economics worldwide, I think that's a business problem that we can all appreciate. But we may need to talk about some kind of arrangement where your usage as it grows and grows has more of an enterprise arrangement with us. Damien has spent a lot of time looking at the differences between or not the differences but the outcomes of different size hosting plans and how we're transitioning from the old to the new. So I'm just gonna ask him to comment on your around hosting fees and your observations of your employees and colleagues. And, then there is this exchange from the WGAN-TV Live at 5 Town Hall: [i]Dan Smigrod: Good. I hear we'll get at least a year's notice in terms of a change related to classic pricing. If that was to change, would that also be the case with transfer meaning we presently can transfer models for free. Can we count on at least the year that we'll be able to transfer models for free? Damien Leostic: That's good. So, first of, thanks for highlighting your use case. I've seen that on your forum. I've seen the [inaudible 01:25:08] that you had on- Dan Smigrod: I'm trying to look for a way, Damien, that perhaps those of us that are on a classic plan can be happy with classic. What I'm suggesting is, "Okay, I'm on a classic plan, forever at least I can activate for $19 get up to another 50 models." If I'm paying for processing more than $69 a month, then it would make sense to open up at least have a second account, process my models, transfer them from my new account back to my existing account. Dan Smigrod: As long as transfer is free, then I am still at the, I want to say at $2 per additional model for hosting. Right now at 300 models in a $1,500 a year account, I'm paying $5 a year for hosting under the new plan that's going to be $29 or even as high as 48, depending on how you count going back to Leon's explanation. If you don't fill up the the account overnight and therefore you don't get the benefit of it. What I'm trying to ask is can I transfer my models pay for the $19 for another 50 models and still have the benefit of that lower original price for hosting? Damien Leostic: I completely understand the use case. Sort of what you're saying is like, "Look, I see the benefits of the new plan and I'm going to go sign up for a new plan because I realize those benefits." It's a first step towards adoption and realizing the value of what you bring. Now the paradigm that you explained is value today. Yes, you can sign up two to plans. Oh sorry, sign up to the new plan and keeping your classic plan. You can transfer the models. Damien Leostic: I'm not here to comment necessarily whether or not this is going to be in definitive transferring capability. Our job here is, look- Dan Smigrod: Well, Damien, I need to push back a little bit because the transfer feature is presently part of the classic plan. It's a huge benefit to the existing Matterport service providers that have been around quite some time to say, "Oh well this would be a way that I am not capped with a number of models that I can host on my classic plan." If I really do have a thriving business and I'm processing with more than $69 a month, then it would make sense for me to add another account. Dan Smigrod: Then at some point if you keep loading on membership benefits into the professional and business account, then maybe they would actually be a reason to switch. But in terms of keeping everybody happy who is a classic member, if you let us know that transfer would remain free for another year, then I think that scenario may resonate with a number of pros. Chris Bell: Dan, I think it's a good suggestion. We're not going to make some feature and policy decisions on live TV, but we're going to go back and we're going to answer this question and we're going to answer it on your forum. Let's take it head on. I understand the use case. I also believe in my heart of hearts that as many of you start to use the new tiers and we start to add value to the tiers that you'll want to be at that level. Chris Bell: But for now, I applaud the creative solutions to make what we have on the table work for your businesses today and I appreciate the flexibility. So if you're willing to work that hard to keep things in kilter for your business, I think it just shows a lot of passion for Matterport. So we'll do our part and go back and evaluate that exact question. While Matterport will honor our pledge to give Matterporters notice of one year of any plans to sunset Matterport Classic pricing, we now realize that disability transfer to Matterport Classic pricing was not in the spirit of our pledges when we introduced Matterport new Cloud pricing. Additionally, I am embarrassed did not live up to this recent Matterport job posting: Matterport is looking for a passionate, dynamic leader of our Customer Success and Customer Support functions to help us achieve our goal of maniacal focus on our customers to truly differentiate our business. Obviously, the sneaky move by Matterport did not live up to our goal of maniacal focus on our customers. Therefore I instructed my Matterport team to re-enable transfer to Matterport Classic Cloud accounts from Matterport new pricing cloud accounts effective as soon as possible. Additionally, I pledge that if we ever decide to disable this feature, we will give Matterporters at least 12 months written notice (as we have said we will do if we ever sunset Matterport Classic Cloud plan.) At Matterport, we recognize the many forward thinking entrepreneurs that took a risk - in the early days - building their business around the Matterport ecosystem. And, the most successful of these early adaptors even bought an additional Matterport Cloud account from us to facilitate this transfer. We should not be punishing Matterport's forward thinking, oldest and most successful customers. I take full responsibility. It is not a reflection on the talented team of Matterport employees. Wishing you a happy holiday. RJ Pittman Chief Executive Officer Matterport -- Your thoughts? Dan WGAN Forum Related Discussions ✓ Transcript: WGAN-TV Live at 5 Town Hall: Matterport New Pricing 16 May 2019 ✓ Transcript: Matterport CEO RJ Pittman on Facebook Live Thursday-9 May 2019 ✓ How to game the new Matterport Pricing ✓ Matterport 2019 New Pricing |
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 WGAN Basic Member Boston |
Noddy private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Thanks Dan, I heartily agree, & hope that Mr.Pittman corrects this transfer unfairness asap! | ||
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 WGAN BasicMember Denver |
pixelray private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I just can't believe they didn't give us ANY NOTICE. I'm currently stuck with so many models in my new account. Giving us a notice would have been the right thing to do. I have emailed billing asking them to turn it back on for at least 24 hours to give us that chance to transfer and to prepare. ALL SHOULD DO THIS. Oh...I also shared my displeasure with them. |
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DaK private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Wow, I just posted on another thread here just the other day about not trusting matterport with the habitat thing they are doing. Who knew it would only take a day or two to further the trust gap! When will we learn...? | ||
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Orange, California |
craigsauer private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Looks like Matterport is scrubbing discussion of this issue on MOUG. It was there last night but gone this morning. Makes me appreciate WGA as an independent forum! | ||
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WGAN Forum Founder & WGAN-TV Podcast Host Atlanta, Georgia |
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @craigsauer Thank you and thank you for letting us know. Dan |
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Orange, California |
craigsauer private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I'm wrong about this. Just looked again and there is a robust discussion going on there. Don't know why I didn't see it when I checked this morning. Facebook is weird sometimes. | ||
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RobertC21 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| it look like transfer option "New to classic" is working again guys... Just tried right now and it's working back   |
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WGAN Forum Founder & WGAN-TV Podcast Host Atlanta, Georgia |
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by RobertC21 Great news! Can anyone else confirm? Dan |
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