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free blog costs $30

  1. trishm2012
    Member

    Hello, I was really thrilled to have a wordpress blog. Today I logged in and was shocked to see an ad plonked there. I didn't realise that a 'free blog' would become $30 if I didn't want ads on it. This is not a free blog. I am really saddened by this development. My blog is there to help other families of children who are abandoned to feeding tubes by the medical profession. It is about how we as a family are weaning our nearly 4 year old son from his feeding tube. It is not in any way a blog set up as a business, or as somehow profit making. I would really like to stay with wordpress, but if I have to pay $30 for what I thought was a free blog, then I would like to move my blog to another server.

    The blog I need help with is betweenthetubeandthetrain.wordpress.com.

  2. notawoodpecker
    Member

    You don't have to pay anything. All upgrades are optional.

  3. timethief
    Member

    Yes you have to pay just like I have to pay and just like everyone who does not want ads on their blogs has to pay. There are no special deals here - we all pay the same.

  4. timethief
    Member

    I didn't realise that a 'free blog' would become $30 if I didn't want ads on it.

    Purchasing an upgrade is a voluntary act.

    WordPress.com provides a 30-day refund on all upgrades except Domain Registrations, Domain Renewals, and Guided Transfers.

    Provided you are logged in under the same username account that purchased the upgrades, you can request a refund yourself directly from the Store section of your Dashboard
    http://en.support.wordpress.com/upgrades/#refunds
    http://en.support.wordpress.com/bundles/#canceling-a-bundle

    Note: It takes from 1 - 2 weeks for the refund to be received.

  5. notawoodpecker
    Member

    Ever 'free' has a price though, hence the ads. WP has to pay the bill somehow.

    You can always go self-hosted, absorb the hosting costs yourself and have an 'ad-free' site. But I'm pretty sure it will run you more than $30/yr.

  6. timethief
    Member

    If you decide to hire a web host and move your content into a WordPress.ORG install see here > http://en.support.wordpress.com/moving-a-blog/

  7. raincoaster
    Member

    It is a free blog. It is not a blog that comes exactly the way you want it. It comes with ads. If you don't want them, you buy the upgrade.

  8. trishm2012
    Member

    well, you are all sounding rather aggressive! I am just saying that I signed up for a free blog. I have just read the terms and conditions and it does not point out that it will not be free after a while unless you want to host ads. It is not pointed out

  9. timethief
    Member

    To off-set the costs of providing free hosting to millions of bloggers, WordPress.com has been running advertising on our free hosted blogs since 2006. Many bloggers do not know this because despite the fact they ticked the box required to get a free blog, they did not read the ToS. Many also do not read the advertising entry in the support documents after registering their username and blog(s). Also note that as the ads do not display to us when we are logged in, and as many use browsers with ad blockers when logged out, they may not realize they are there at all.

  10. timethief
    Member

    10. Advertisements. Automattic reserves the right to display advertisements on your blog unless you have purchased an Ad-free Upgrade or a VIP Services account. http://en.wordpress.com/tos/

  11. notawoodpecker
    Member

    And then there's the actual TOS:

    10. Advertisements. Automattic reserves the right to display advertisements on your blog unless you have purchased an Ad-free Upgrade or a VIP Services account.

    http://en.wordpress.com/tos/

  12. raincoaster
    Member

    You are the one who posted shocked, saddened, thrilled, etc. We're just telling you the facts.

  13. trishm2012
    Member

    Ok, I realise I missed it there, I see it is in the TOS. So as I just noticed the ads now, have they been running from the beginning or has it just kicked in now?

  14. timethief
    Member

    We don't know.

  15. auxclass
    Member

    I have no ads on my main web site - I have a couple of others that without any upgrade and I added a disclaimer in the sidebar (seems to me I might have "borrowed" it from timethief

    Advertising
    Please note that any advertisements that you see on this blog are placed here by WordPress.com. The Administrators of this blog have no connection to or financial interest in any of the promoted products and/or services and gain no income from any advertising displayed on this blog.

  16. trishm2012
    Member

    thanks for the tip

  17. auxclass
    Member

    You be welcome & good luck

  18. notawoodpecker
    Member

    Also note that logged in WP members don't see them which could explain why you weren't aware of them before.

  19. timethief
    Member

    Yes indeed and I did post that above now didn't I?

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