Some others have had the same issue as I, where after reinstalling this app, it no longer grants us the grandfathered lifetime upgrade. I admit that I jumped to the conclusion that they had done what quite a lot of developers unfortunately have been doing - and getting away with - which is to change to a subscription model but not grandfather already paid customers. So if you find yourself in this situation, do not download the app here, but rather search your apps from your account icon under your apps, and you will find the version that you did pay for and it immediately restores your Pro status. It’s a little confusing that they did it this way, but I presume it’s easier than doing it straight through the same app, so maybe they just wanted the easier route. And thank you Ashley at Apple support for all your work in figuring this out for me. I tip my hat to you.

You should end of life the app, allowing the people who purchased the app when it had all of the features that they paid for to keep that revision. Going forward, a new version / Revision of the product asking for your monthly subscription from future purchases. What you did is not good business and sure won’t attract people who paid for the app to continue. Going the route you went, gave all of your existing customers the short end of the stick for what they paid for.Received from App creator:"Thank you for your feedback and for your past support of 8player. We understand why this change feels especially disappointing for users who previously purchased the app. This was a difficult decision for us. To keep the app maintained, fix issues, support new iOS and tvOS versions and add new features, we had only two realistic options: fully stop supporting the app or move to a subscription model. We understand that this may not meet your expectations, and we appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback."

I am extremely disappointed with the recent changes made to this app. I originally purchased it under a one-time payment model, with the expectation of continued access to the features I paid for. However, the developer has since shifted to a subscription-based model, effectively restricting access unless I pay again.This change feels unfair and undermines user trust. Customers who supported the app early on are now being asked to repurchase functionality they already paid for, without any meaningful accommodation or grandfathering of existing users.Transparency and respect for paying customers are essential in maintaining credibility. Unfortunately, this experience has done the opposite. I would strongly caution potential users to carefully consider this track record before purchasing, as the pricing model and access terms may change in ways that are not favorable to existing customers.

I paid for a pro version a few years back but then my server went down so I stopped using it. Got a new one recently and so I download and go to restore purchases and get a message that says “Thanks for your money. But we took the product back. Now we want to charge you to use what you already paid for over and over again. It doesn’t really offer anything that other similar apps don’t that warrant anything close to that kind of pricing but we’re gonna do it anyway because we are…wait for it… GREEDY.No way! No how! Not ever again will you get another penny from me. When you move to a subscription model you grandfather your existing users in, not use the opportunity to screw all the people who supported you. Horrible predatory greedy business philosophy.