Just an update.
I am the original poster that closed his Auctiva account weeks ago. I am now using eBay Selling Manger Pro ($15 a month) and Turbo Lister 2 to create my listings. Photo hosting at Photobucket (free). Photobucket is okay but it is a pain to load stuff, it takes too many steps. For future photo hosting, I am looking into using my ISP provided free storage (100 mb) and FTP my photos there. I created my own template. I only made one, as I do not need many templates. I learned a bit of HTML. I found free HTML tools on the net (free downloads, no pirated stuff) to make my own. Look up eBay user shipscript. Shipscript have tools for you to list on eBay for free. But you are going to work at it.
I do not like SM Pro too much but I am accepting it. I don’t like paying for it and I am thinking of getting just Selling Manager (free Jun 15) and Turbo Lister. I don’t use all the features of the Pro version. I am sticking with eBay tools because I assume they will be kept up to date with the eBay changes coming on June 15. I will evaluate SM and SM Pro once eBay finishes their changes Jun 15. They are supposed to announce change to SM and SM Pro and Turbo Lister then. Once eBay stabilizes, then I will look into my setup.
I reactivated my Auctiva account a week or so ago to be able to use the Scrolling Gallery in my listings. I was looking at the scrolling gallery code again when I saw the New Pricing announcement in the community forums. Fortunately for me, the scrolling gallery will still be free (how long, 6 months) in the new Auctiva pricing plans so I am not affected. I am using it in my current listings. I already deleted all my listings and all my pictures on Auctiva before so I have nothing to migrate or delete.
I think Auctiva is right to start charging for the services they provide. I stated in a few of my posting here since Jan that something was wrong with their business model (right, insurance pays for the site?) and they can't make money and were in financial trouble. You could just feel it in the way things were running at Auctiva. But their current rates seem high. Especially for a service that works poorly.
I find it really ironic and tragic that after 5 months of virus, listing problems, down time, site improvements and just plain lousy service and support, they slap all Auctiva users in the face with major fees pricing on a very short notice. A lot of users will leave. Rightly so.
The good news for Auctiva is that one the "free" users leave; they will have a much less busy site and lots of hardware available. I would think the remaining users would get a bit of a break that way. But I would caution the remaining users to watch out. The new pricing plans means that Auctiva is in financial trouble, their old model does not work. They are in serious trouble I would suspect. Will they survive the rest of the year? Will they be able to provide a good level of service and support?