There seems to be some confusion in this thread, so I’m going to clean it up, and add this for clarification. I’ve also re-opened the topic in case @ro_bob93 would like additional clarification.
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The annual is not a mechanism to ‘rent-to-own’ for the lifetime. The money you spend towards the annual is not applied to a lifetime subscription, nor is it refunded from the price of the lifetime. This has always been the case.
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In the case of a conversion from annual to lifetime, all lifetime sales are final and there are no refunds. Months already passed will not be refunded or applied towards the price of the lifetime. If you switch to the lifetime during the first 30 days after a charge for a yearly subscription, you will only pay the difference of $580.11.
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The prices are what they are when you see them, and are subject to change at any time.
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The subscription types available are what they are when you see them, and are subject to change at any time.
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If you purchase a Roon subscription, you will get access to Roon for the length of what you purchased. If prices change, the pricing will only impact you on the end of your subscription.
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A web page is not a pricing contract for the future. Always come back to see the latest prices and offerings.
We have no intention to raise the price on the annual, but the lifetime will most likely go up in price again or be removed as an offering entirely. At either of those points, existing lifetime subscribers will continue to enjoy Roon for its lifetime, for no extra fee.
I have addressed what happens to Roon in the case of the company dying here.
You are taking a chance – whether it is “blind” is up to you.
If the company dies, there will be no $ to give refunds, so this point is moot. Additionally, because the subscription is not rent-to-own, its unclear what you would get refunded. I know you could come up with figure based on the rent-to-own model, but Roon is not rent-to-own.
If the product ceases to be developed, you will continue to have access to it for the remainder of your subscription (although it might be in the form noted above in the link to what happens if the company dies). No refunds will be issued.
I’ve looked at What Hi-Fi, and seen only one post mentioning the $699 price here. In it, I only found this reference to “6”:
The other option is to bet the house and go big. If you love Roon and think it’s here to stay for more than six years, then $699 brings a lifetime Roon membership.
It is only doing math ($119 * 6 = approximately $699). There is no installment talk. Even if there was, it wouldn’t make it true.