Where's the support team?

[Hobbes]

Hello,

I currently have an ongoing support ticket that has been open for some time and was never resolved. I have followed up on that ticket multiple times since Sunday, December 28, yet it has now been five days without any response from your support team.

On Tuesday, December 30, I opened a second ticket—something I was hesitant to do, as I prefer not to create duplicate requests for the same issue—solely to ask that someone review the original ticket. I included a direct link for reference. Unfortunately, that request has also gone unanswered.

I fully understand that this period overlaps with the holidays; however, five days without any acknowledgment is concerning. Even a brief response indicating that the issue was received and under review would have been appreciated. Many of us are business owners ourselves and are familiar with the operational challenges of the holiday season, including staffing and on-call coverage. That said, it is now January 2, and the extended silence remains troubling.

I have been a XenForo customer for many years, and this level of support does not align with the standard of service I have come to expect. When issues arise and there is no communication or assistance, it becomes increasingly frustrating to rely on the platform.

This is not an isolated experience. In October, we experienced a site issue that resulted in our forum being down for over 24 hours, during which time we also received no response from support. When a response finally came, we were told that it was unclear why the issue had not been escalated appropriately. While we appreciated the acknowledgment that the delay was unacceptable, the lack of clarity as to how it occurred was concerning.

Unfortunately, we now find ourselves in a similar situation again.

Could someone please review our open support tickets and provide an update? We genuinely value this software and want to continue using it with confidence, but when problems occur, it often feels as though we are left without support when it is needed most.

Sincerely,

A loyal but increasingly frustrated long-time customer.

 

[Grump1!]

Patience is a virtue.

 

[Hobbes]

Patience is a virtue.

Patience is absolutely important, and I’ve exercised it. This isn’t about expecting instant responses or special treatment—it’s about reasonable communication when a service issue remains unacknowledged for an extended period of time.

Five days without any response, including a simple acknowledgment, goes beyond patience and into a lack of communication. As business owners and community managers, many of us understand the realities of holidays and staffing, but we also understand the importance of basic support coverage and transparency.

Raising concerns like this isn’t meant to be inflammatory—it’s meant to ensure reliability and accountability for a platform we depend on. Wanting a response doesn’t negate patience; it reflects the need for professional standards to be upheld.

Cheers!

 

[Hoffi]

Most of the days are non working days. XenForo isn't so huge that they can offer 24/7 support.

 

[Hobbes]

Most of the days are non working days. XenForo isn't so huge that they can offer 24/7 support.

I understand that XenForo is not a 24/7 operation, and I’m not expecting round-the-clock support. This isn’t about immediate resolution or constant availability—it’s about basic acknowledgment and communication within a reasonable timeframe.

5 days is a long time for no response, even for a company like this.

As a customer who has been paying for and relying on this software for nearly seven years, my expectation is not instant answers, but clarity. When multiple business days pass without any response—especially when the issue affects a live production site—that becomes a legitimate concern, regardless of company size.

Most software companies, even small teams, have some form of ticket triage or acknowledgment system in place so customers know their request has been received and is being reviewed. A brief response to that effect would have gone a long way here.

I’m raising this publicly not to disparage XenForo, but because I value the platform and want to see it remain dependable for those of us who build communities and businesses on top of it. Communication is a key part of that reliability.

 

[Seeker-Smith]

Have you shared your issue with the community? Maybe we can help.

 

[Rene_V]

5 days is a long time for no response, even for a company like this.

If you take into the account the fact that New Year was only yesterday, 5 days isn't long at all imo. You must allow for some flexibility in times like this as everyone is busy with life.

If you have pressing issues with your forum you can always post on the support forums, as mentioned by @Seeker-Smith . From what I've seen here so far, this is a very helpful community with people helping out each other whenever they can.

 

[Slavik]

Youve been around long enough all tickets will be replied to.

However we have only been prioritising urgent/critical tickets, those of a general nature will be looked at starting next week.

 

[Hobbes]

Youve been around long enough all tickets will be replied to.

However we have only been prioritising urgent/critical tickets, those of a general nature will be looked at starting next week.

That's your response to this? That's we've been around long enough? Wow.

 

[Itworx4me]

Youve been around long enough all tickets will be replied to.

However we have only been prioritising urgent/critical tickets, those of a general nature will be looked at starting next week.

Ouch

 

[Hobbes]

That's one of the most unprofessional things I've seen come out of any Xenforo staffs mouths.

 

[Suzanne O]

That's one of the most unprofessional things I've seen come out of any Xenforo staffs mouths.

I think we can say the same about this thread.
If anything mate, don't be impatient and rude about the staff here.
@Slavik is spot on and quite frankly you should be appreciative of all communication you get.
Imagine if we were to join your forum asking for your support when you were busy at work.
It's the same with these guys. They have other work to go on with to help fund their coding.

 

[Hobbes]

I think we can say the same about this thread.
If anything mate, don't be impatient and rude about the staff here.
@Slavik is spot on and quite frankly you should be appreciative of all communication you get.
Imagine if we were to join your forum asking for your support when you were busy at work.
It's the same with these guys. They have other work to go on with to help fund their coding.

Excuse me?

The purpose of a support forum is, first and foremost, to facilitate support.

I have approached this situation with professionalism and respect throughout. Constructive or critical feedback should not be viewed as inappropriate—particularly when it concerns prolonged lack of communication on a paid support issue. If such feedback is unwelcome, that would be concerning for any customer relying on the platform.

With respect, you are not directly involved in our situation, nor are you aware of the context, history, or impact of the issue we are experiencing. As such, assumptions about our expectations or conduct are misplaced.

Regarding support operations, I manage a global team of volunteer staff who provide coverage for our own community around the clock. When issues arise that exceed their scope, there are clear escalation paths to reach me directly. It is reasonable to assume that a company providing paid software and support has similar internal escalation mechanisms in place.

Instead, I'm told "maybe next week." For a service that we pay $2400/annually for their own cloud hosted solution. That's absurd.

The intent here is not to disparage the product or the company, but to advocate for clear, professional communication when support is needed. That expectation is both reasonable and appropriate for a long-term, paying customer.

With respect, it's obvious who here is doing this for fun or as a hobby, and who here uses this for business.

Take care, kiddo.

 

[ENF]

Instead, I'm told "maybe next week." For a service that we pay $2400/annually for their own cloud hosted solution. That's absurd.

Do you as a cloud user establish a SLA type of agreement that dictates response times to tickets? Or, do you have a standard best-effort agreement for support requirements? If you don't have a specific agreement in place that outlines response time requirements to specific classes of incidents, then all you can do is wait for an appropriate response. It seems like if you had a critical case, it would have been handled as Slavik pointed out.

The forum support isn't a mandatory thing.

And, yes, I run a business that involves a forum and we have dedicated (paid, professional) support staff to answer trouble tickets. However, during the Christmas/New Year's holidays, we are only responding to critical cases until normal business resumes next Monday (Jan 5th).

 

[Slavik]

Do you as a cloud user establish a SLA type of agreement that dictates response times to tickets? Or, do you have a standard best-effort agreement for support requirements? If you don't have a specific agreement in place that outlines response time requirements to specific classes of incidents, then all you can do is wait for an appropriate response. It seems like if you had a critical case, it would have been handled as Slavik pointed out.

The forum support isn't a mandatory thing.

And, yes, I run a business that involves a forum and we have dedicated (paid, professional) support staff to answer trouble tickets. However, during the Christmas/New Year's holidays, we are only responding to critical cases until normal business resumes next Monday (Jan 5th).

Oh and probably worth mentioning, we have still resolved 90% of non critical tickets within a day or two even including on Christmas day and New Years.

 

[Hobbes]

Do you as a cloud user establish a SLA type of agreement that dictates response times to tickets? Or, do you have a standard best-effort agreement for support requirements? If you don't have a specific agreement in place that outlines response time requirements to specific classes of incidents, then all you can do is wait for an appropriate response. It seems like if you had a critical case, it would have been handled as Slavik pointed out.

The forum support isn't a mandatory thing.

And, yes, I run a business that involves a forum and we have dedicated (paid, professional) support staff to answer trouble tickets. However, during the Christmas/New Year's holidays, we are only responding to critical cases until normal business resumes next Monday (Jan 5th).

With Xenforo.com specifically? No. My own SLA agreements—or how I structure support for my business—aren’t relevant here. In this context, I am the customer requesting support from XenForo, a service for which I pay several hundred dollars per month.

Support is not optional or ancillary in this case; it is explicitly included as part of the XenForo Cloud offering. If you review the Cloud Hosting page on XenForo.com, “Support” is listed as a core selling point of the service:

Support – A helping hand, available when you need it
Nothing always goes 100% to plan, it’s a fact of life. But if you find yourself at a loss and need some guidance or advice on how your community works, our team of experts is ready and able to field your queries with a fast, friendly and effective service included with your XenForo license.

Given that support is marketed as part of what we are paying for, it is reasonable to expect basic acknowledgment within a reasonable timeframe.

To be clear, I have never stated—or implied—that I expect instantaneous responses, 24/7 coverage, or priority handling. I have repeatedly acknowledged the holiday period and staffing realities. The concern is that it has now been five days with no response at all—not even a simple acknowledgment that the ticket has been received and queued—and that remains the case as of now.

If the policy during holidays is to respond only to critical issues, that is entirely understandable. However, that policy should be communicated proactively and professionally, ideally by the support team themselves, rather than inferred or relayed through other forum members after several days of silence.

This is not about entitlement or escalation—it is about communication. Clear expectations and timely acknowledgment are foundational to any paid support relationship, particularly for long-term customers who rely on the platform for live production communities.

Oh and probably worth mentioning, we have still resolved 90% of non critical tickets within a day or two even including on Christmas day and New Years.

Congratulations. Our specific support ticket has still not received any response or acknowledgment, even since the start of the thread.

General statistics, while encouraging for those that enjoy patting themselves on the back, don’t address the lack of communication on this particular case—the one that prompted this discussion in the first place.

 

[Suzanne O]

With Xenforo.com specifically? No. My own SLA agreements—or how I structure support for my business—aren’t relevant here. In this context, I am the customer requesting support from XenForo, a service for which I pay several hundred dollars per month.

Support is not optional or ancillary in this case; it is explicitly included as part of the XenForo Cloud offering. If you review the Cloud Hosting page on XenForo.com, “Support” is listed as a core selling point of the service:



Given that support is marketed as part of what we are paying for, it is reasonable to expect basic acknowledgment within a reasonable timeframe.

To be clear, I have never stated—or implied—that I expect instantaneous responses, 24/7 coverage, or priority handling. I have repeatedly acknowledged the holiday period and staffing realities. The concern is that it has now been five days with no response at all—not even a simple acknowledgment that the ticket has been received and queued—and that remains the case as of now.

If the policy during holidays is to respond only to critical issues, that is entirely understandable. However, that policy should be communicated proactively and professionally, ideally by the support team themselves, rather than inferred or relayed through other forum members after several days of silence.

This is not about entitlement or escalation—it is about communication. Clear expectations and timely acknowledgment are foundational to any paid support relationship, particularly for long-term customers who rely on the platform for live production communities.




Congratulations. Our specific support ticket has still not received any response or acknowledgment, even since the start of the thread.

General statistics, while encouraging for those that enjoy patting themselves on the back, don’t address the lack of communication on this particular case—the one that prompted this discussion in the first place.

Stop complaining or somebody will change your username to karen.
The fact is people are away on HOLIDAY.
Just because YOU want HELP now it doesn't mean that you'll get it. Sometimes you have to wait until people are back from Holidays

 

[ENF]

With Xenforo.com specifically? No. My own SLA agreements—or how I structure support for my business—aren’t relevant here. In this context, I am the customer requesting support from XenForo, a service for which I pay several hundred dollars per month.

I asked specifically about your agreement with the service provider (Xenforo). Do you have a specific agreement that outlines required response times? If not, then there's not a lot of room to argue here. It only becomes an issue if they are in breech of those time requirements (which I guess don't exist)

Support is not optional or ancillary in this case; it is explicitly included as part of the XenForo Cloud offering. If you review the Cloud Hosting page on XenForo.com, “Support” is listed as a core selling point of the service:

I referred to forum support (xenforo.com/community) not being a mandatory thing. Yes, I'm sure they provide you support via ticket system, but that question goes back to your expectations vs agreed upon metrics for response times.

The concern is that it has now been five days with no response at all—not even a simple acknowledgment that the ticket has been received and queued—and that remains the case as of now.

It's a holiday period and I'm guessing your case isn't critical. Have some patience.

 

[Slavik]

Congratulations. Our specific support ticket has still not received any response or acknowledgment, even since the start of the thread.

I think my first reply explains why quite clearly.

 

[Hobbes]

I think my first reply explains why quite clearly.

Have you even looked at our ticket?

To clarify why we consider this issue critical on our end, I want to outline what we are actively experiencing on the live site and have been since November (when the original ticket was submitted.)

We have multiple members, from different geographic regions, reporting that the forum intermittently fails to load altogether daily—pages hang indefinitely and never resolve. Others have provided screenshots showing pages loading so slowly that raw HTML renders before assets or styling, which strongly suggests a server-side delivery issue rather than an end-user or browser problem.

In addition to this, we are seeing recurring “Oops” server errors, so frequent they happen NEARLY EVERY 5 MINUTES, frequent 502 Bad Gateway errors, and behavior consistent with server deadlocking. These errors are occurring every few minutes and are being reported by users globally, not in isolated cases.

This is not a matter of individual user configuration or local connectivity. It is a platform-level issue that is directly impacting availability and usability for our entire community.

Compounding the concern, our server error logs—which historically provided actionable output—are now nearly empty. We have previously raised this discrepancy and asked why expected logging has ceased, as it makes diagnosis and communication more difficult.

At present, we have no visibility into what is failing on the backend, and no feedback from support to guide remediation.

The result is that the forum is becoming increasingly difficult to use in practice.

Members are frustrated, new users are encountering errors within minutes of joining, and it is genuinely damaging to the experience and credibility of the community we have built for over 15 years.

Inviting people to participate while knowing they are likely to encounter errors shortly after arrival is both embarrassing and harmful to long-term growth.

For these reasons, we consider this a critical issue—not because of urgency for convenience, but because it affects core availability, reliability, and trust in a live production environment.

We are not asking for immediate resolution or special treatment. We are asking for acknowledgment, visibility, and engagement on a problem that is actively affecting a global user base. Any guidance, status update, or confirmation that this is being investigated would be greatly appreciated. But I have feeling that based on your attitude, nothing will come from this.