[evil.bunny]

I also got the email. When I first saw the subject title I thought they'd change their mind about their $15 price and thought, that would make some people happy. I was so surprised by the new price of $4.99! I mean, wow, good for people who want it right? But what about use beta testers who willingly paid the $7.49 price?

As MadbradNYC mentioned, this is a slap to the face. I'm one of those who didn't complain about the price, loved the app, purchased it and supported it.

Yes, I am complaining now because I don't think it's fair that the new pricing is lower than what was given to 'beta testers'. This is actually the first app that I bought that I had beta tested for. Kinda burns.

[TurboTiger]

It did and still does smell.
Fortunately, I didn't cough up the $7+.
Shocked that it was introduced at the $15 price tag.
Shocked even more that we beta testers didn't get a sweet deal.
Good Luck

[BB Musketeers]

The price was lowered? Gee what a surprise. I too will never test or purchase an app from this developer. His only motivation appears to have been greed. Once he got all the initial folks that were willing to go out on a limb and pay the premium fee, my guess is sales fell like a rock and now he is willing to charge a more reasonable fee. For anyone reading this thread, if you honestly want this app, I would suggest waiting until it goes on sale and buy it at half price or less ($2.50 or less). It is not a multi-featured alarm clock.

[MADBRADNYC]

Yeah TurboTiger +1. You used better judgement to not purchase it at those high price points. But, my rant is not just because the beta testers didn't get a better deal. As Evil.Bunny stated those of us that paid thoses prices did so in trying to support an up and coming developer. That was our own choices and doing.

The problem I have is that they accepted feedback to make some small tweaks, but ignored us on the real meat & potatoes. If you read through this thread, you will see many people stating how they could not sustain being in business with those high prices. We implored the developer to walk softly because the company would initially gain revenues, but would eventually burn out after the wow factor has passed. We also expressed how even at $7.50, it was too much to claim server maintenance issues. If you read the thread they were more worried about the lifestyle of the developers than producing a viable competitive product with updates after launch. Now, since they are no longer making revenue, they decide to adopt our suggested release plans?!?! They came up with a buch of BS formulas, and cries of server maintenance issues. So, in supporting them we paid. But, as Stevie Wonder can obviously see it didn't take that much money to stay in business or they wouldn't be able to do it now. This is not a sale.... It is a permanent price drop, to stay in step with other clock applications. Why was this community ignored in the first place?!?!

So, since no one further is willing to pay the amount of money they initially asked for, and since they can no longer sit on a beach due to the lack of revenue, now they want to act like they are doing the BB community a favor. Instead of greedy prices they should have thought about long term users, and been receptive to the testers. Also as I stated... It also seems funny that they appeared to be receptive with updates during the testing, but there have been no updates or additions since the release. Taking our money and running, then leaving the application "as is". I cannot recommend an application that has no update pattern at all after launching.

I paid what I paid. Not the first time I've eaten the cost of an app. I have pages of unused apps in my Mobihand list. I just don't like their business practices, and it was clearly exploitive. Never again....

Thanks for the feedback! I totally understand that some of our users were going to say it's way overpriced due to the fact they are used to paying a couple of dollars for an app. The major difference between our app and other alarm clocks is require servers which require maintenance and have a monthly recurring fee. At the moment, we do only have the core functionality of text-to-speech compared to other alarms, but that's why we're asking for money... So we can commit out developers to work on adding features. Developer salaries aren't cheap! Anyways, I just wanted to be clear this is why we are charging more then other alarm clock apps... We also appreciate you committing your time in the forums discussing and beta testing the app!

Just want to thank everyone who has purchased so far! Exciting to see the sales trickle in.

[kolonji]

developers made no claim as to what beta testers would get.. so really.. how can u be mad at what they offered? you either took it or didnt.. your choice.. live with it.. move on..

i personally have replaced my native alarm with Wakeful.. i find it great to not have to open my eyes and hear time.. weather.. news.. stocks..ect. . first thing

[MADBRADNYC]

Well, obviously the previous post is not referring to me because I stated many times I was happy to support an early development team during beta testing, and this is not my beef. So I guess anyone else who has that issue can debate that....

I continue to say that the developers came out the gate with a greedy price point, and ignored real feedback from the testers/users. Now when they see sales plummeting, they want to adopt our suggestions. And... There have been no future development since release, which "was" promised. I like the app too or I wouldn't have paid for it. It just is not a full feature alarm clock at all for the price they asked. It is a shame to take our ideas to make a big splash in the water, just to find out that swimming cannot be sustained due to a lack of reception and a one track mind. Hard quick revenue.

[HawkC026]

developers made no claim as to what beta testers would get.. so really.. how can u be mad at what they offered? you either took it or didnt.. your choice.. live with it.. move on..

Well I'm not sure that's entirely true.

If I remember correctly, the Wakeful Launch e-mail that I received as a beta testers indicated that I could purchase Wakeful for $7.49 using the "WAKEUP" coupon code.

Maybe I was foolish to assume that this was their way of saying thank you specifically to the beta testers. However, almost immediately after that e-mail went out, there was a message on the CrackBerry main page that pretty much gave ANYONE access to the same "special price" and coupon code that was offered to the beta testers.............that's what put me off purchasing this app.

[MADBRADNYC]

Why do you even send out mass emails to users that already purchased the application at the highest premiums, regarding a newly dropped price that they should have received, but never will because they purchased it previously?!?! Useless. I don't need that. Is this to say Nah-Nah-Nah-Nah-Suckers....???

Now you mention me on Twitter to spew some more of the same garbage about server upgrade/adding new people???? This also seems to say to your first adopters that... "Yeah, we used your high premiums to give everyone else a break". C'mon. You can't be that heartless and money grabbing, can you?

@MADBRADNYC We've been able to increase the number of people our servers can handle, thus lower our price. Sorry your so upset!

@WakefulAlarm What a croc! You ignored users and sales died. Not cool. Where are the updates? You're not sorry, you're greedy. #fail

@WakefulAlarm You alienated your first and strongest fan base. Good luck with your new found attempts at doing it again with new users.

@MADBRADNYC I'm going to respond to your points in the CrackBerry Post in a few, in the meantime, what can I do to make you happy?

Provide some useful updates, instead of making users feel that you took the money and ran. I don't know how you can provide updates almost daily throughout testing, but after release.... NOTHING!

I would rather you contacted me to say you've honored you claims of updates. It should be a full featured clock application. You need to add multiple alarms, more choices of information to be produced, choices of news feeds or even RSS feeds etc. etc. etc.

My problem is not that I paid highly for the application at all (at least mostly) because I CHOSE to support you! My problem is that the earliest adopters were used. You chose to ignore us about this issue from the beginning, and now you want to "come around" slapping us in the face. You were receptive with any and all ideas for the app, but not the success of a sustained product with commonly known market pricing. So, now that you see the pain, you choose to adjust your business model to the one we recommended. Then have nerve to send out emails about it. Just not cool.

I asked to be a beta tester to make the app great for the masses, not to be a financier for new adopters to have a chance for a price drop. Server maintenance can happen at a reasonable price point from the begining, as you are now proving.

[piwh1000]

Hey guys – I’m not sure what the best way of approaching this is going to be since we’ll most likely be flamed.

So, I’ll start off with this. If any beta testers feel that they were ripped off at the $7.49 price, I’d be more than happy to refund your entire purchase and let you keep the product at no cost. If any beta testers that didn’t buy feel that we ripped them off in any way, I’ll give you a copy for free. Message me here on the forums.

Our goal was never to screw over our beta testers. I agree it was definitely bad when the coupon code we released to beta testers was leaked on various forums and blogs.

Let us know if there is anything else we can do…

[MADBRADNYC]

I can only speak for myself..... Others may have their own agenda.....

Hey guys – I’m not sure what the best way of approaching this is going to be since we’ll most likely be flamed.…

To be honest... I'm not sure either, but I can say that this new pricing scheme left a bad taste in my mouth. On the other hand, I can say that some type of response is better than none. I am not really looking to flame, but to point out the bad business practices. If it appears to be a flame throwing contest it was not intended, but an honest evaluation, so if looks that way, it is due to your actions. IMO.

So, I’ll start off with this. If any beta testers feel that they were ripped off at the $7.49 price, I’d be more than happy to refund your entire purchase and let you keep the product at no cost. If any beta testers that didn’t buy feel that we ripped them off in any way, I’ll give you a copy for free. Message me here on the forums.…

I never did like the full price of the app or even the discounted price for beta testers, but this is not what I wrote several paragraphs to explain about. You still don't seem to get it. I paid the money to support you in your endeavors and future updates as promised in your quote below! I do not beta test to get anything out of it beside adding features that mean something to me, or what I think would be useful to others. You could have said... "Thanks" and walked away. I would be confused as to why, but I would not be angry. I have beta tested for pretty much every application discussed on this site, if I have a use for such an application, and that is well known. I have never come across a developer that has pulled such a switch. Your offer is a generous one, but to me it is a day late and a dollar short. IMO. You can keep the $8.00 (yes, even using your "promo" code I was charged $8.00)

Our goal was never to screw over our beta testers.…

You may have not have had a concerted effort to intentionally do so, but for many you appeared to do so. Others may still have a beef about the "discount" you gave for testing, but not me. My problem is that there are too many posts in this thread telling you your business model would fail, and you did not listen to us. You only wanted our ideas to make your product better, and ignored the rest. On top of that you never continued to implement the ideas put forth about the application after release. You came in like a Senator voting on a bill in the middle of the night over a holiday weekend, and just made up a new price scheme. Users were complaining how they woke up to find that the application was disabled, and that they needed to purchase it. There wasn't even time to fully test the last beta build properly. It was rushed out the gate. Even your continued supporters said they were shocked when they were prompted to go to your site. I never experienced this because I purchased the app prior to that happening to me.

I agree it was definitely bad when the coupon code we released to beta testers was leaked on various forums and blogs.…

Statements like this (and server maintenance) is what bothers me. I would give the benefit of the doubt, but you are so deflective. I have only spoken to 2 bloggers about this since our exchange on Twitter, and found this not to be true. Now you are calling a coupon code provided to all a "leak", that you could do nothing about?!?! Your email said specifically that we could share the codes with friends.... So, you mean to tell me that Kevin and his crew (and other blogs) put that code out there without your knowledge or permission?!?! I call BS again! They were giving out your application with a half off coupon code and you had nothing to say about it?!?! That would be theft of services wouldn't it?!?! I don't think the application on front page blogs with coupon codes affected you at all. In fact, I believe you authorized that action to get e-press headlines. No one can/would use warez codes on the front page of their sites. You know you authorized that, and it's a shame you wont admit it. Even if you didn't authorize it, why not say something to have it taken down or redacted?!?! No, you were too excited for your sales as quoted previously. I would love Kevin to comment on this! http://crackberry.com/wakeful-alarm-...able-get-it-50

Let us know if there is anything else we can do…

UPDATES!!!! You seem to overlook that again and again. Let us feel that we paid a high premium for an application that is worth it's salt.


Sure, there will be people who jump at the chance for a free application. This is not my goal. My goal is to get you to see what transpired, and to have an application that I can say I am proud to be part of developing. The feature set is not worth $15.00 or even $7.50, and you know it. Word of mouth goes a long way, and the words that are coming out of my mouth at this time is that this app is not worth it with the current feature set. Please update.

I won't be back here to say anything more and can drop it as that... Unless you come back with more of these fabrications. Then I will call it as I see it again.

[TurboTiger]

So, I�ll start off with this. If any beta testers feel that they were ripped off at the $7.49 price, I�d be more than happy to refund your entire purchase and let you keep the product at no cost. If any beta testers that didn�t buy feel that we ripped them off in any way, I�ll give you a copy for free. Message me here on the forums.

First I must say that your offer to refund the $7.49 is admirable.
Second: I was a beta test and didn't buy it because of the price and the way it was handled. But I am not looking for a freebie.

Here's what I would suggest. Send an email out to all beta testers who didn't buy the product. Make the free offer as you stated above. Then I would say "if you care to make a donation, our PayPal account is..."

At least this way you may get some revenue. I know I would make the donation but I do not want the app free because I believe it is a good app.

Just a suggestion.

Good Luck

[evil.bunny]

I am not looking for a refund. I still enjoy this app and find it as one of my daily used apps. I am just surprised on how quick there was a change in the price and lack of updates on the app for current users.

So no, I am not looking for a freebie or money back but would appreciate if there'll be possible updates in the future.

[piwh1000]

Ok, what are the updates you guys would like to see. The only major requests we currently have are:
1) Able to update the snooze time.
2) Set multiple alarms.
3) Add alternative information to the alarm.

[pkcable]

A settable appointment/info field, OR the ability for the app to read our daily appointments. IF we go for the field option, the app should remind us to set it, it could pop up at say 8pm (or at the time we select) and ask if we want to set a reminder for the next day. If so we enter the text "Dr Johnson at 2pm" At the end of our alarm, it would say "Remember Dr. Johnson at 2pm"



EDIT: Someone ELSE suggested this, I'm just expending/refining the idea, BUT it's not original, it WAS mentioned earlier (WAY earlier) in the thread. The guy suggesting it was using the name field for that purpose.

[evil.bunny]

Ok, what are the updates you guys would like to see. The only major requests we currently have are:
1) Able to update the snooze time.
2) Set multiple alarms.
3) Add alternative information to the alarm.

These are good options for the upgrade. The option to select what sort of news or news source to hear will be great.

[MADBRADNYC]

I would also like to see something as basic as a selectable weekly, bi-weekly, monthly reminder alarm, without using numerical date values that may change each month. EX: Every Thursday, or every 2 weeks on a Friday, last day of the month. etc... Useful to me because I have company phone conferences and staff meetings scheduled like that. With a lot of clock apps (and native calendar) they can only be set for recurring dates such as the 15th or 31st, which may not always fall on the specific days mentioned every month. Some months only have 28 or 30 days as well. This addition would set Wakeful apart from the rest.

I also mentioned this before, but I think that since this is a paid premium application, the advert should be removed. I think it would be better to save the advert for a free limited feature set version of this application. Please reference my quoted text from earlier in the thread...

Also I would like to hear my name at the end again, such as... Have a great day Brad. Instead of have a great day from Wakeful. Maybe this difference could be incorporated into a free and premium version.

Hey. There would always be a need to backup and restore settings and alarms to/from the sd card. Especially if you are serious about adding these feature requests. Setting up multiple alarms after every OS upgrade or wipe can become a hassle.

A settable appointment/info field, OR the ability for the app to read our daily appointments. IF we go for the field option, the app should remind us to set it, it could pop up at say 8pm (or at the time we select) and ask if we want to set a reminder for the next day. If so we enter the text "Dr Johnson at 2pm" At the end of our alarm, it would say "Remember Dr. Johnson at 2pm"...
EDIT: Someone ELSE suggested this, I'm just expending/refining the idea, BUT it's not original, it WAS mentioned earlier (WAY earlier) in the thread. The guy suggesting it was using the name field for that purpose.

Yes... I remember this PK. That would be a great addition!

[MADBRADNYC]

Well, now I just noticed a free version mentioned here...
Wakeful - Talking Alarm Clock - Free | BlackBerry Empire

Hopefully the ads in the premium version can be removed. That would be nice.

Just curious. What is the advantage of the premium version over this free version?

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[piwh1000]

Awesome feedback guys. It's very clear we need to add in some features around more customization. We'll work on adding a calendar option, more news selections, etc... in the next month or so.

@madbradnyc That free version on AppWorld is just the 7 day free trial. We had a number of users that were clicking on the AppWorld link on our website and see the cost of $4.99, not realizing it was a Free Trial and not being able to try out the product.

[BB Musketeers]

Hey guys � I�m not sure what the best way of approaching this is going to be since we�ll most likely be flamed.

So, I�ll start off with this. If any beta testers feel that they were ripped off at the $7.49 price, I�d be more than happy to refund your entire purchase and let you keep the product at no cost. If any beta testers that didn�t buy feel that we ripped them off in any way, I�ll give you a copy for free. Message me here on the forums.

Our goal was never to screw over our beta testers.

Well, I tried to take PIWH1000 up on his offer for the app free of charge as a beta tester and as suspected, both of my PMs have been ignored. Once again, I believe that the intentions here were more for show than genuine resolution. I have a feeling that in a few months the servers on this app, will suddenly go silent and that will be the end of the app. Despite all the app ideas (many of which he was given during the beta testing), I do not believe that this app will see these upgrades. I'm going to stop beating a dead horse and move on...I suggest everyone else do the same.

[evil.bunny]

I also mentioned this before, but I think that since this is a paid premium application, the advert should be removed. I think it would be better to save the advert for a free limited feature set version of this application. Please reference my quoted text from earlier in the thread...

Originally Posted by MADBRADNYC View Post
Also I would like to hear my name at the end again, such as... Have a great day Brad. Instead of have a great day from Wakeful. Maybe this difference could be incorporated into a free and premium version.

This was incorporated pretty fast, woke up to my alarm this morning and the
'from Wakeful' was replaced by my name.

[piwh1000]

Well, I tried to take PIWH1000 up on his offer for the app free of charge as a beta tester and as suspected, both of my PMs have been ignored. Once again, I believe that the intentions here were more for show than genuine resolution. I have a feeling that in a few months the servers on this app, will suddenly go silent and that will be the end of the app. Despite all the app ideas (many of which he was given during the beta testing), I do not believe that this app will see these upgrades. I'm going to stop beating a dead horse and move on...I suggest everyone else do the same.

Hey man - sorry for the delayed response. I was at a conference since last Friday but I just responded to your PMs. We've given away a few regcodes already!

@evil.bunny Yes, I didn't realize you guys considered it an "ad" so I removed it immediately this morning. Changes on our server literally take a few minutes..... Changes on the actual BB app take so much longer.

[trucky]

To me, the sign of a successful app is always measured in the amount of constructive discussion taking place. That discussion needs to be a two way street between developer and user, and those interested and curious about the application. Forward progress can be made and benefit all if everyone engages with the intent to improve, learn and strengthen the core knowledge of the product. If you look at the threads about products such as BeBuzz, BBSAK, BerryWeather, Slacker or many others you see people sharing hints, tips, ideas and the developers often incorporating the most requested of those into future revisions. So, Wakeful being an app I think has an interesting future, I hope the discussions continue in an open manner.

[jytvyj]

This was updated today to 1.1.3.1...any changelog?

[piwh1000]

Good news everyone! We've launched a brand new version of Wakeful (1.1.6) that has a bunch of new options. You can now wake up to Sports, Local News, Entertainment, etc... From within Wakeful go to Settings and scroll down to see a list of all the new news options.

We've been testing this quite a bit but if you have any problems please post them here.

[ba_hamilton]

Nice update. I like the additional options.