What happened to the lifetime Diamond option?

There used to be an option for a lifetime Diamond membership... I had debated that one day when I had the money, I was going to purchase it, but now it looks like it is only a yearly thing.  Is there no more $500/lifetime Diamond options?  Even then, it was like paying for 20 years of membership at one time, but I thought it was a cool investment.  I think even now, they should still have that option.  Of course, now I cannot pay for it.  But there will come a day when I can afford it, and I really like this site.  Just something to consider.  If it won't happen, I guess I can continue paying for the gold membership!  :-)

The membership options got changed to what they were now several months ago, to make the system less confusing. Also, I would assume the staff realised they wouldn't be able to support a set of members based on a one-time payment.

I'm imagining that it was a combination of it not being all that popular and the fact that it's hard to get any repeat business from it.

Well, true, no repeat business, but if you have a guy like me who doesn't really wanna pay $100/year, but pays the $30, then that adds up to almost 17 years or so of business right there on the spot.  Of course, if they don't offer it again one day, I will continue to do this, and in 16 or 17 years, they will have $500...I think they ought to offer it still, but anyway.  Plus, that is one of the cool features, I believe...people who have paid their way in...they are a fluent part of the system...never have to worry about it ever again...

chess.com terminated the "lifetime membership" offer when erik ran out of space to hide the bodies.

MAYBE: If you ask the staff, they might give you the lifetime Diamond for the $500.

ADK

ADK, I like your style of thinking...when I get the money, I'll have to do that. 

What if one month you'd rather have the cute crown next to your name instead of the diamond?  The diamond is classy & of course will "pull massive tail" but maybe just maybe sometime you'll want to feel like a King!

You've got to make a choice and stick with it:  King or Bling.

The Diamond pulls massive tail? I don't want massive tail. Which one pulls skinny hot tail?

I think it's pure economics, $500 isn't enough money to cover $95 per year for the average lifetime.

Sure it's economics, but a guy like me doesn't really want to pay $95 per year either...the other way around was like paying around 20 years of standard in one bulk...that's pretty good.  I am sure they are getting the $95/year from some people...I just don't think that it is worth $95 a year, especially from a guy like me who works a regular job and has bills to pay. Maybe if I made more money...I know the arguments, it is around .25 a day for the diamond option...but at the same token, there are other things in life I would like to invest in.  Truly, I don't feel led after this post to continue in on this forum...I was hoping, maybe sometime in the future, with a tax check, I could pay for it in one sum.  Oh well... :-)

The lifetime diamond membership greatly increased in value when the membership scheme was changed - i.e. at the very moment it became unavailable as a membership option for new buyers. 

It used to be that you could buy a lifetime membership, but Chess Mentor was still an extra time-limited subscription - an 'add-on.'

With the re-org, Chess Mentor became a built-in part of the Diamond membership, so all of a sudden, a lifetime diamond membership also became a lifetime subscription to Chess Mentor.

There was an interval of a month or two between the announcement of the impending changes (and the revelation about the possibility of life-long Mentor) and the actual change - which would of course bring an end to the addition of new lifers, so I think a number of people dug deep and bought a ticket before the train left the station for good.

Hmm, perhaps there's an after-market.

I am lucky to have one for myself. Not titled player but did get the lifetime membership. Glad I did. I am older so who knows how long I will be around but hopefully a lot longer and I do enjoy playing for fun.