Perpetual license automatically changed to annual subscription

[DaVeTh]

Not long ago I prepared a planned move of our existing 3CX installation. Currently it's installed on premise on dedicated hardware. We are moving to a virtualized environment, also on premise. We are satisfied with the version currently installed (PRO v15.5) and the corresponding perpetual licence for 8SC. Maintenance is expired. We don't use online/cloud services like FQDN/SSL and Webmeeting. To prepare the move I installed the Debian ISO on the new environment and used the "Restore an existing backup configuration" option based on a recent backup file. This worked, but the version upgraded to v16 and my license key type has magically changed to an annual subscription license. This means our PRO functionality is going to expire within a year and my installation will get broken by then. I this setup I just want to physically move the current installation to another server, and stay on v15.5 PRO 8SC. I contacted customer service with a request to revert the license back to its original state, so I can proceed with the migration (this time not via the Debian ISO), but this seems to be impossible! That's kind a weird right? Examining the best practice for our migration kicked me on a dead end street. What are your thoughts on this?

 

[AWS2P]

Hi Dave,
I think 3CX staff here could help for this, @YiannisH_3CX or @NickD_3CX

 

[DaVeTh]

JohnS_3CX showed me a graphic of the renewal timeline. I also had received a final notice on e-mail (1 october 2019) with presented options for renewal, including the automatic license conversion to annual when not hearing back. I didn't read this carefully at the time because I had no intention to renew maintenance. I already had a prior e-mail at 19 september 2018 (one year earlier) with a notice about renewing maitenance. In this e-mail nothing was statet about automatic license conversion. Maybe the licensing renewal policy changed during this time. I'll have to contact support again to check that.

But anyhow, to me it's no logical choice to change the key when not hearing back (on e-mail!). The more because I was not informed about this procedure during purchase and in the first renewal e-mail(s). I at least expect a request for confirmation of the intended license change. I bought the perpetual key for just one reason; a perpetual license and NO subscription (the complete opposite in terms of license type). So changing this to an annual subscription is no fair business in my opinion. The way 3CX cripled my existing license in this procedure is just not acceptable, or even legal? What do you guys think?