Question User subscribed to category, cancel subscription to topic doesn't work

I have a brand new installation of K 5.1.

I have all the users subscribed to the available categories (done at the back-office).

If a certain user creates a new topic, everyone will receive the subscription email as expected.

But if a user (any one that is subscribed to the category), goes to the profile tab (or even after replying to the topic) and cancel the subscription to that topic (or done via the back-office), he/she still gets emails for that topic when someone replies.

I've tried all the possible combinations, and I can't cancel the subscription for a topic.

The only way to cancel the subscription is to remove the subscription to the category for the user, but this is not an option, because each user needs to be subscribed to the categories, that's a requirement.

How can I solve this? anyone can reproduce this issue?

A subscription should always be voluntary in a forum. If you add users without their consent to category subscriptions, it's spam.
I've tested it, unsubscribe should work without problems unless you use an extension for auto subscription.
Have you enabled "Check Subscription Box" in the configuration? When this option is "Yes" it's possible that user overlook the check mark, when he replies and subscribe the topic again. But this option can users set to No in their profiles too.

Thanks for your reply, but let me clarify that the users agree with a category subscription when they have joined (this is a private forum for a company, for its employees). Even so, they can unsubscribe to the categories, and as you can read, hopefully to a given topic.

I did have a plugin for auto-subscriptions (named "ASK"), but I turned it off. Do you think it still works, even off? (does it change the settings for the topics in a permanent way?).

I tested every combination. I am positive that the checkbox was not selected, and I also tested by removing the subscription to the topic all together, but no luck.

I'm going to create a new user to test if it was related to the plugin.

Thanks for your reply, but let me clarify that the users agree with a category subscription

I'm sorry, I give this hint always, because not all users know this rules.

I did have a plugin for auto-subscriptions (named "ASK"), but I turned it off. Do you think it still works, even off? (does it change the settings for the topics in a permanent way?).

I don't know this plugin so well, only for a short test and have noticed it adds the abonnements again and again. However, when it's completely disabled it should not add subscriptions.

I just tested with a brand new user, and the plugin is disabled.

Unfortunately, I can confirm that this is an actual bug, since I am sure the subscription to a particular topic is off, but if the category is subscribed the user receives the notification as if subscribed.

I tried again without having the category subscribed, and works as expected.

Just to clarify, I know how to test this, I have at least two users, and I also know that a topic/reply done by the user I'm using, won't send a notification to him/herself. I also know that a reply to a topic can subscribe to it if the subscription checkbox is left on. So, to make sure that doesn't happen, I don't even participate in the topic, I subscribe to it, tested a reply from another user, received the notification, unsubscribed, works, but then if subscribed to the category, no matter if I subscribe and then unsubscribe to the topic (at the actions dropdown), it still gets the notifications. Mind you that at the subscription details for the user (either by going to the profile, or at the back-office) don't have that topic subscribed (it has none).

Rich, could you please try to reproduce this behaviour and check if you have the same problem?

Probably it was my mistake and I had misread your first question.
If you have a category subscription, it's not possible to unsubscribe a single topic. Then you can only unsubscribe the complete category.
And yes, you are right, in this case the particular topics will displayed as unsubscribed and are not in the list of your profile. Topics will only displayed if you subscribe these one by one. But unsubscribe does not help, because the category subscription affects the entire category.
I'm sorry, but in this case I don't know a satisfactory solution for you, unless this user removes the complete category subscription and subscribe only single topics (but I think, if you enable the plugin, it will add the category subscription again).

I missed your reply, sorry for this late response.

Ok, then that's that. One solution could be to hide the subscription/unsubscription options for any topic that belongs to a category that was subscribed. This would take care of the doubts (because I have forum members complaining that they have unsubscribed to a topic, but keep getting notifications).

I believe that is not an easy task, but nontheless it would be the way I would do it.

Ok, then that's that. One solution could be to hide the subscription/unsubscription options for any topic that belongs to a category that was subscribed.
I believe that is not an easy task, but nontheless it would be the way I would do it.

I also not know if it's easy, but it seems a good idea.