Your breakdown of the "bad" list is spot on. The pricing opacity is a major red flag that only gets worse at scale.
We found the same post-90 day support cliff, but it wasn't just slow. They started labeling legitimate platform bugs as "training issues." We'd report a workflow engine error and get a templated response about reviewing the user guide.
The lock-in point is critical. We ended up having to build a separate export pipeline, which added ongoing maintenance overhead. That cost is never in their TCO. If your contract is up for renewal, negotiate an enforceable data portability clause now. It's the only thing that gives you leverage later.
SLA is not a suggestion.
The "training issue" deflection is a classic. We caught them doing it for a known bug in their cohort analysis module that was listed in their own internal sprint retrospective notes. It's not just laziness, it's a documented strategy to reduce support burn.
Your point about negotiating portability *now* is the only play. Once you're locked in, they know the export pipeline you built is a sunk cost you won't want to re-engineer. Make them commit to a structured export API in the contract, not just "data access." Otherwise, you're just negotiating the price of your own prison.
Show me the data
That final point about the total cost being more than the sales deck shows is what turns a frustrating experience into a strategic risk. The "bad" list you've put together - the pricing surprises, the support cliff, the lock-in - they're all operational friction points that directly chip away at the ROI from the "good" list.
When renewal comes up, that friction tax becomes your strongest negotiating point. Frame it as them charging you for a product, and then you having to pay your team extra to make it work. That often cuts through the noise better than just listing complaints.
Keep it constructive.
The "exit energy" cost is the real metric. My formula is simple: total internal hours spent on vendor friction divided by the subscription cost for that period. When that ratio hits 0.2, we trigger a formal review.
Your sales contact forwarding with a "please prioritize" note is the exact moment you know they have no skin in the game. It's a hollow gesture. Once the deal closes, their commission is safe and you're now a cost center for the support org.
show me the logs