After facing a few days of user backlash over a planned update that would severely limit the use of their cutting machines without a paid subscription, Cricut changed his mind.
In a statement released today, Circut promises existing users unlimited lifetime use of their machines. The policy applies to anyone else who decides to buy one of the machines during 2021.
On Friday the company shared a post on his official blog sets out the new features of the Design Space software required to use the Cricut cutting machines. Users who do not pay for an optional monthly or annual subscription (which gives access to design material through the app such as fonts, images and patterns), discovered that they would soon be limited to uploading only 20 original images or creations to the Design Space software month, which processes projects in the cloud before sending them to the machines to cut them.
It was a brand new restriction introduced to the product range that allowed users to upload as many projects each month as they wanted (or people had to use the machines like Etsy artists) every month, no matter what the content was or where it was obtained. Since Cricut subscriptions cost $ 10 a month, or $ 96 / year, the restriction has made the use of the machines, starting at $ 180, even more expensive.
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The proposed update obviously did not go down well with Cricut users, many of whom reached out to Gizmodo and expressed their anger and disappointment at the company. They apparently also reached out to Cricut, as today the company’s CEO, Ashish Arora, released the following statement shared by a company representative with Gizmodo:
Dear Cricut members,
One of our core values is community – we listen, and we took your feedback to heart. The foundation of our Cricut community is integrity, respect and trust. It is clear that in this case we did not understand the full impact of our recent decision on our current members and their machines. We apologize.
Here’s how we will move forward.
We will continue to allow an unlimited number of personal image and pattern uploads for members with a Cricut account registered and activated with a cutting machine before December 31, 2021. This benefit will continue for the life of your use of these machines.
Machine sales or transfers
We welcome new members into the Cricut community, whether they are buying a new machine or a used machine. If a machine is resold or transferred to a new user, the new user must set up their own Cricut account. As long as the new user creates his account and connects the machine to their account before 31 December 2021, we give the benefit of an unlimited number of uploads to the new user for the lifetime of their use of the machine.
Schools and teacher spaces
We understand that teachers, schools and other spaces for teachers have different needs to constantly create user accounts. Although we currently have nothing to share – and nothing will change before December 31, 2021, we’re looking at ways to address these ongoing needs and their connection to uploading photos.
Future
We will continue to explore affordable ways for future users registering machines after December 31, 2021 to allow an unlimited number of custom image and pattern uploads.
Of course, paid Cricut Access subscribers will enjoy an unlimited number of uploads, along with other subscriber benefits. We will also continue to invest in our content, software and value for all our members.
Ashish Arora (CEO of Cricut)
Cricut does not do away with the Design Space update that will limit non-subscribers to only 20 uploads of original artwork each month, but it does not apply to anyone who has a Cricut account and registered a cutting machine before December 31, 2021 do not have. Not only does this mean that existing Cricut users will be exempt from the lifetime use restriction of that machine, but anyone who buys and registers a Cricut machine between now and the end of the year will also be exempt, even if he buys a used Cricut machine machine from another user (but they will have to set up their own Cricut account in the time period).
One of the bigger concerns of the proposed update was that it would harm schools and community manufacturers’ spaces that the Cricut machines use regularly and presumably reach the 20-month upload limit in less than a day. The deadline of 31 December 2021 still applies to machines purchased for educational purposes, but the company also promises to look into the unique use case.
Once the changes take effect on machines purchased and registered after December 31, 2021, Cricut says it will explore ways to make the required paid subscribers more affordable to those who want unlimited uploads but also create their own content and it does not, requires access to the designs and materials that Cricut sells through the Design Space app.