Can't spend credits on add removal

I just spent $80 au to buy credits for 12 month add removal for members and guests via Paypal, i think i made a mistake by not buying the Advanced package which costs the same anyway. Why can't it let me spend the credits that i have to remove adds? The last time i tried to remove advertising it said i didn't have enough credits (2000) to remove advertising and i needed to buy more, so today i went straight in and bought more credits... now it won't let me remove the ads and to buy the advanced package. i already have my own domain purchased through Forumotion and I now currently have 7,000 credits which i cant use as pictured below.
Is there any chance an Admin could sort it out for me?




Hope i can get some help ...
Cheers.

AP > Misc. > Credits Management > Forumation Packages

https://help.forumotion.com/t155627-forumotion-packages

Hi SLGray....what your saying is, i now have to go in and spend another $80 on an advanced package to remove advertising? I need some one to correct the payment i made today please or it's $80 down the drain for me.
As i posted above, the last time i went to remove adds, i had 2,000 credits, it said i didn't have enough and need to buy more credits which i did today.
Cheers.

Do you have an active package or no?

Hi Brandon, i haven't bought a package since it was introduced, the last time i was able to buy credits for ad removal and a url. without purchasing an advanced package, so this would have been the first time i have bought a package which i should have instead of just buying credits like i used to.
All i am asking is can it be changed so i can have the advertising removed?
Thank you.

Unfortunately not, the only way to remove ads is by purchasing a package. I understand this isn't the most convenient, but the packages system was necessary in order to sustain the platform.

Now you can still use your credits to purchase a yearly package, you just might have to buy more of them depending how many are required.

brandon_g wrote:Unfortunately not, the only way to remove ads is by purchasing a package. I understand this isn't the most convenient, but the packages system was necessary in order to sustain the platform.

Now you can still use your credits to do this, you just might have to buy more of them.

Thank you for your reply,
This means i have to spend another $80 for another 5,000 credits through the advanced package, this is getting rather expensive. I don't think i'l do that and move on.
I know it's not your fault brandon but I’ve been with Forumotion for many years, back to when they first started. I'm very disappointed with this outcome.
Cheers.

Trust me, the packages were not something anybody, including head office wanted, but it was necessary, ad revenue is on the decline due to ad blockers and the old system was unsustainable. As much as any of us may dislike the packages system, they are far better option than the alternative.

We thank you for your loyality over the years and would be sad to see you go. I just want you to understand we didn't have a choice but to implement packages, it was either implement them, or risk the platform closing, which no one wants to happen.

-Brandon

You can see how many credits you need by clicking on the package (yearly) you want with the ads option you want.  The next page that loads will show if you need more credits or not.  If you have enough, you will click the order button on the second page.

The package system has been in your ACP for almost a year now i think it come in Mon Apr 09, 2018 tis is about 1 year old now
https://help.forumotion.com/t155469-discover-forumotion-packages-the-new-way-to-evolve-your-forums as you can see by this post

Thanks Ape...
Ok, i have been doing some research and getting some advice, it looks like there is fraudulent error with Forumotion. I have just over 7,000 credits which i purchased to enhance my forum as it states in the Admin panel. When i go to spend the credits, it says you must buy or upgrade to a Advanced or Premium package which you use to remove advertising, buy a domain name, Copyright removal etc... Fair enough there if you have no credits in hand.
But where it becomes fraudulent is where the tab is to buy credits and another for your members to donate to buy credits to enhance your forum, you can not enhance your forum with just buying credits or through donations. Forumotion does not state this in your Admin panel. Also the spend credits tab leads you to having to buy a package. I could build up my credits to 20,000 for example and not being able to use them unless as stated above, i buy a package at more of a cost.
Anyway, I’ve shown all this to a few people i know in the legal profession and there may be more to come of this.

It may not say it on the actual buy credits page, but the packages are mentioned and explained in 3 to 4 other places in the admin panel. I think the reason it is not on the buy credits page is because they are assuming your buying the credits to purchase a package, since you can still use your credits on a package.

Remember as well that our head office is located in France, and as such we are going by the French law when we are making changes to the platform.

I can understand why you would be frustrated over having to spend more money than you did previous years to remove ads, I certainly do. Like I said this wasn't a move that was done to make Forumotion rich or anything, it was to save the platform.

I will point out that our Live feeds are on your ACP that gives you news on all our updates and news.

this is a live feed from the support forum to you.
It is down to you the founder and your Admin's to keep up-to-date on all the updates we do to our system's like i have said this was put in place almost a year ago and you had lots of time to read up about it before you needed to renew your ad's removal.

I understand you are mad that you paid out money for some thing you have always done in the past but we have had to move on and make some money and keep the service you have

Also you would still have the following in your ACP

This dose point you to the page you need to read about our pack's we have to offer and how to use the new system.

sadly there is not a lot you can do as times have changed and the sad thing is all Free hosts now use the same system and we was one of the last ones to use the new package system to make money.