Do your subscription payments let you actually enjoy the benefits you're paying for?
As strange as this question might seem, Amasty has discovered several cases where third parties purchased Magento 2 extensions on behalf of customers and then canceled the subscriptions. In the best-case scenario, the customer saves money but loses access to crucial updates. In the worst-case scenario, the customer isn’t even notified about the subscription cancellation and continues to pay the third party for the benefits they never receive.
If you rely on a third party to manage your extensions, consider this a reminder to check whether the subscriptions you're funding are still active. And if you’re not quite alarmed yet, read on to learn more about malicious subscription canceling practices, their forms, and risks.
What is Malicious Subscription Canceling and How It Works
Malicious subscription canceling happens when third-party service providers manipulate the subscription management process to save costs at the expense of their clients. This can take several forms:
Consolidating Subscriptions
Service providers may group multiple clients' projects under a single subscription instead of purchasing separate ones for each client. While this might seem cost-effective, it violates the terms of service. What’s more, the providers may continue to collect fees from each client as if they have individual subscriptions, while only maintaining one consolidated subscription. As a result, clients end up with outdated extensions and financial losses.
Canceling Subscriptions Without Notice
Another tactic involves third-party managers canceling subscriptions after the initial purchase. In this scenario, clients may believe their subscription is active, but the third party cancels it to reduce costs while continuing to receive payments from the client. These managers might still access updates as part of support services, leaving the client unaware of the true status of their original subscription.
In both cases, the client ends up paying for a service they no longer receive, without realizing that they have lost access to critical updates and support.
The Risks of a Discontinued Subscription
Say you've invested in a Magento 2 module that plays an important role on your e-commerce website. Over time, this extension gets lots of updates that significantly expand its functionality, improve performance, and patch newly emerging security vulnerabilities (that have nothing to do with the initial quality of coding).
However, if you don't have an active subscription, you’ll miss out on all these updates. No new features, no better speed, no patches. You may have even believed you were paying for these benefits, but instead, you end up with:
- Loss of Money. Needless to say, paying for something you don’t receive is a big financial loss. You also risk losing access to the entire modules you once paid for if they were part of a consolidated subscription in case you decide to switch to another service provider. This means you might need to repurchase, ending up with additional costs.
- Competition gap. Without an active subscription, you may be left using outdated versions of modules that lack new features or improvements. This puts you at a disadvantage, as up-to-date competitors will have more robust tools at their disposal.
- Security Vulnerabilities. As already mentioned, extension updates often include patches for newly discovered security issues. Running an outdated version without these updates leaves your system vulnerable to attacks and puts sensitive data (including customer information) at risk.
Why You Should Make Sure That Your Subscription is Active
A canceled subscription is one thing when you no longer need software and are aware of the cancellation. But it’s a whole other story when you keep relying on the product and, worse, transferring monthly fees to a third party.
Here’s why you should make sure you have an active subscription, regardless of who it is managed by:
- Meaningful Investment – If you keep paying for extension subscriptions, it’s only natural for you to enjoy the actual benefits this financial investment implies.
- Guaranteed Access to the Latest Updates – With a subscription, you are guaranteed to receive every new update as soon as it is released. Your Magento modules will always have the latest features and improvements.
- Enhanced Security – Subscriptions ensure that your extensions are always protected against new threats. Security updates safeguard your data and maintain customer trust.
- Cost-Effective in the Long Run – While some may think that forgoing a subscription saves money, the opposite is often true. The cost of updating/repurchasing extensions and mitigating potential data breaches can far exceed the cost of a subscription.
- Continuity and Support – An active subscription often includes support services from the developers. This means that if anything goes wrong or if you have any questions, you have a reliable source of help.
Protect Yourself From Subscription Cancellation
A subscription is a safeguard for your extensions’ and website’s reliability, security, and performance. Maintaining an active subscription is the only way to ensure that you are using the latest version of your software modules.
In just 4 steps, you can check your extension subscription statuses anytime:
- Log in to your Magento 2 store's admin panel by entering your admin URL and credentials.
- In the sidebar menu, find and click on the "Stores" section.
- Locate the "Configurations" option and find "Amasty extensions" on the right sidebar.
- Check subscription statuses for all the extensions you have on the list.
Don’t leave your business exposed to unnecessary risks by relying on outdated versions or losing access to the tools you've already paid for. If you rely on a third-party provider to manage your Magento 2 extensions, take the time to verify that all subscriptions are active and aligned with your service agreement to avoid falling victim to deceptive practices.
