Scispace by Typeset.io recently made a decision that sparked controversy in academic circles. The platform was known for offering its “Lifetime Researcher” membership, which promised lifetime access to its services for a one-time high fee. However, the shift in their service offerings—selling services previously included in this membership under a different package—caused confusion and surprise among researchers.
Scispace removed the existing service package that was initially offered for lifetime use to its users and started selling it under a different membership name. Users who had purchased the Lifetime Researcher package months ago were now restricted to a template gallery solely for article editing. This was a significant disappointment, especially for researchers who had paid high fees expecting to benefit from these services. More importantly, when announcing these changes, Scispace decided to transition these members to a free plan for the services they previously used, effectively leading to a loss of rights for the researchers.
This change led to substantial backlash from users. Many researchers complained about not receiving the services they expected in return for their high fee. Additionally, Scispace’s response to users, suggesting that “You have already benefited from these services for months,” further complicated the situation. This was deemed unacceptable, particularly in the academic community that values trust and transparency.
The complaints and feedback we have received highlight the seriousness of this issue. Scispace’s decision has led to a significant crisis of trust among researchers. Therefore, we prepared this article to inform our users about this situation and to help prevent potential grievances. Users, especially when it comes to academic services, should be cautious in their decisions and thoroughly investigate the reliability of service providers. This incident underscores the importance of transparency and trust in the provision of academic services. It is crucial for users to conduct detailed research and review existing user comments before subscribing to such services.
