well it is not same. vendor support and third party services (aka support). you can influence the product through support and through being a direct customer.

You would think so, but that is not how it works with Elastic and lots of it customers. I have heard that from N of their (ex-)customers. I get why this happens for them. There is a certain vision and goal, and anything that doesn't align is a nuisance. This is part business part philosophy, culture, and brand you want to build in and around your business.