Webpage error | PenciDesign Support

FWD2016 replied

4 years ago

Customer Reply

Thanks for the reply.

Here is more information to forward to the theme developers & management:

Ever since I purchased the theme in 2017, the only notice that appeared in the Admin area of WordPress is this:

"This theme requires the following plugins: Penci Shortcodes, Penci Slider and Vafpress Post Formats UI. This theme recommends the following plugins: Contact Form 7, Instagram Slider Widget, MailChimp for WordPress, Penci Portfolio, Penci Recipe, Penci Review, Penci Soledad Demo Importer and oAuth Twitter Feed. Begin installing plugins | Dismiss this notice "

Since 2017, I have never received, never had or saw any warning or alert in the Admin area telling me to register the theme with a purchase Code. The only alert I got was the one I show above.

If any alert was intended to show in unregistered themes, especially if it was red or yellow in color (as most themes use those those colors to show warnings/alerts), I never had any such alerts or warnings from SoleDad regarding registering any purchase codes.

The only warning I got was the recent Admin access block I already described below.

What this says: My 2017 registration of the theme via a purchase code was working correctly until what or whoever changed things recently.

(No need to reply to this post)

This ticket/post string is complete and resolved.
Thank-you

PenciDesign Supporter replied

4 years ago

Staff Reply

Hi @FWD2016,

1. Thank you for your information & suggestion, I'll forward this message to our leader,

2. After you've re-entered the purchase code, the blocking screen will never display again.

Regards,
PenciDesign.

FWD2016 replied

4 years ago

Customer Reply

I am going to weigh in on this.

I purchased SoleDad in 2017, and purchased support each year since.

Then about a week ago, I was suddenly blocked from accessing my website with that very same page wanting my purchase code.

I thought that block came from Envato, since it depended on the plugin.
I contacted Envato support to find out the blocking page was generated by the theme developer, so now I am here speaking about it.

This tactic to block access to our websites, in the manner you used, was completely unwarranted, especially when purchases & licensing occurred years ago.

Here are the reasons:

Websites get hacked all the time and this sudden, unannounced block is the exact same pattern hackers create to control access to websites for whatever goals they have. (this goes with the next point...)
Based on the above, the blocking page was poorly marked and failed to confirm who was generating this block. The request for a purchase code is Not confirmation of who generated the block. A hacker can easily want the same thing so they can cheat you with pirated Penci themes.
Just because you wanted information on who is licensed and who is not, is not justification to arbitrarily block website access, especially unannounced and no forewarning.
Failure on your part to establish a better method of confirming purchase codes and there are better methods.
One example: To create a warning or alert notice in the WordPress Admin area of the need to "re-confirm" purchase codes by providing a Theme-Admin page where we can enter the purchase codes, just like other themes have done. In that licensing Admin page, include the notice that access to the website may be blocked if the purchase code is not entered before a certain date. Then after that date, the Admin access is blocked ONLY if the user failed to enter a purchase code previously in the Admin area.
There was no such warning or alert in my Admin area.

Questions:

Is this going to happen again?

PenciDesign Supporter replied

4 years ago

Staff Reply

Hi,

The problem because you've not activated the Soledad theme license.

Please use the item purchase code & register it on this screen.

Regards,
PenciDesign.

Stinna started the conversation

4 years ago

Conversation Start

Hi! I have never seen this before. Is it your message?