Recently, VPNSecure took a huge PR hit when they announced that they’re cancelling all lifetime subscriptions. Small wonder that thousands of subscribers are understandably feeling deceived and exasperated by this change. After being acquired by Tiller in 2023, the company insisted that it didn’t know these lifetime deals were being sold through third-party aggregators. They could not have been prepared for such assertions. All their users with lifetime subscriptions, whom they assured lifetime access, can no longer access the services they paid for. In return, they are now getting inundated with pitches for discounted new subscriptions.
This drama started when new owners of VPNSecure found that TSISVs or thousands of lifetime subscriptions were sold under their noses. These subscriptions initially went on sale through resellers such as StackSocial and Wccftech. VPNSecure’s website didn’t advertise these specials, an assertion backed up by the Wayback Machine’s historical record. This nondisclosure on behalf of the previous owner has led to questions about transparency and accountability.
In March 2023, users began to complain that their lifetime subscriptions were being abruptly canceled. They alleged that they were unable to use the VPN provider any more. The complaints quickly piled up on consumer sites such as Trustpilot. Customers swarmed the site with more than 20 pages of one-star reviews, detailing their disgust and dissatisfaction with their purchase. The new management found a great deal of discrepancy in what the prior company’s financial statements had reflected. They did not notice any evidence of lifetime deals during their review. This misstep has reportedly misled many users and left them feeling duped.
Acquisition Details and Oversights
When VPNSecure sold, so too did its technology, domain, and customer database. Crucially, the deal was forbearance of any liabilities from subscriptions taken before the acquisition. Only later, after acquisition had closed, did the acquiring execs learn that the former owner had previously sold lifetime deals from 2015-2017. Check the wayback machine—ads promoting one-time, lifetime-only subscriptions still seemed to be surfacing on sites like ZDNET well into 2021 and 2022. At the time, they touted $40 or $28 prices.
The new owners of VPNSecure have recently disclosed more than meets the eye. Until three months after closing the deal, they couldn’t even get full access to the customer database. Their six to twelve month due diligence process caused them to look high and low for any mention of lifetime deals. They didn’t see it in their offering memoranda, their P&L sheets, their correspondence. The new management team is left with a tough hand. They need to deal with the consequences of these last-minute liabilities because of their own lack of knowledge.
Analysts maintain that VPNSecure made high profile missteps that it should have easily avoided. Consumer advocates say the company should have provided users with better notice before terminating users’ accounts—citing ignorance regarding the subscriptions as a defense doesn’t cut it. More time to transition would have better equipped consumers to understand and pursue available new subscription plans. Instead, they experienced sudden and immediate loss of access to care.
Customer Reactions and Company Response
The decision to cancel these lifetime subscriptions was met with fierce criticism from the impacted users. The resulting loss of trust and disappointment among customers was profound. After all, they’d put their money on a product they thought would provide years of service in kind. Together, the complaints on Trustpilot show a brewing anger among users who suddenly find themselves feeling blindsided by the unexpected changes.
In addition to addressing these complaints, VPNSecure released a public apology to its customers. The company acknowledged that many users felt blindsided by the cancellation and thanked those who opted for discounted new subscriptions. VPNSecure is now actively trying to make amends with the affected users. Perhaps that’s why they are now offering intro subscription plans of only $1.87 (one month), $19 (one year), or $55 (three years). Unfortunately, this gesture has done little to assuage the frustration from their frustrated customer base.
The deal’s fallout reveals a larger, insidious trend in the tech industry of opaque and unaccountable acquisition practices. And when their ownership changes hands, new owners need to fully understand any pre-existing commitments to customers. This fuller understanding is key to preventing confusion, protecting consumer confidence, and promoting innovation.
Moving Forward
Customers are expressing intense rage, ruining VPNSecure’s standing on review sites. The company is today left to grapple with an uphill task of restoring user trust. How the company deals with this issue will be a test of character. They have to deal with the customer backlash now from making a terrible decision to not honor lifetime subscriptions.
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