Quote - How can that be.  Here is the user agreement from e-on:-

"Effective Date" is the date at which you purchased the maintenance plan."

The problem is that the detailed explanation at 4.1 of the Maintenance Plan Agreement popup window (here) -- is contradictory to the bit you copied:

"4.1     Effective Date; Term.

The effective date ("Effective Date”) of the initial term ("Initial Term”) of your Maintenance Plan will be the earlier of (i) the date at which you initially purchased the Maintenance Plan, (ii) the date of first activation of the product placed under maintenance and (iii) the date of release of a full or .5 upgrade to the product version for which you purchased this Maintenance Plan..."

According to (ii), since I bought Vue last Nov., if I bought the plan today it will expire in November 2009, not in May 2010; because it is the earliest of the 3 events above. Unless I'm misinterpreting this?

P.S. Thanks for beating me to it, surveyman!! 
AnyHOO, I put a link directly to the agreement, so THERE! lol