What’d I do wrong? I paid my money for another year. Should I have paid more?
Thanks
Quasi
I didn’t read So, you want your charter membership back … at the time, so I didn’t realize there was something I’d want to comment on. Even though I’m an '01 instead of a '99, that l’il word charter means something to me (the discounted price means even more!).
Someone suggested automatic billing. I think it’s a great idea. It was purely fortuitous that I happened to go into the email account on record here the day the one-and-only email I received from the Board arrived - and scurried over to Paypal to Take Care Of It. Changing addys isn’t an issue for me, as that’s a webmail addy I’ve had for years and plan to keep “forever”.
Automatic billing isn’t a problem with Paypal users any more than with a credit card, AFAICT. And the email Paypal has for me is one I check every day (unless I’m in the hospital or something).
How’s about it, Eumenides of the SDMB? 
The software cannot handle automatic billing.
That’s also why we cannot extend discount subscription offers past certain defined times, as the changes to the subscription system have to be hand coded in.
This is also why we can’t currently offer gift memberships.
We hope our members will pay attention when it comes to expiration of their subscriptions. You can check your subscription status through the User Control Panel whenever you like (and also resubscribe as well).
During the latest discount subscription offer, we had announcements on nearly every SDMB page, we ran ads with the weekly Straight Dope mailing, we ran reminders on the Straight Dope front page itself, and we sent out emails to all soon-to-be-ex-subscribing members who had indicated they didn’t mind receiving email from us. The next time around we plan to do all these things for a longer period of time.
your humble TubaDiva
I can see this as a valuable tool to encourage people to pay up ahead of time. If you don’t pay up until after the deadline, you go from “Charter Member” to “Member”. But what happens next year? If someone misses the deadline again do they go from “Member” to “Slow-Witted Sloth” or some such?
Not that I would complain about such a policy, mind you.
I can’t begin to speculate on how it’s going to work next time we have a subscription drive, but I hope it works out better for all concerned.
your humble TubaDiva
… I thought I replied as soon as I got the notification?
The Dope is my life-line! I wouldn’t ever let go!
But whatever, I am just happy that I have my Tuba Diva and the rest of you to come to when I have issues!
Thanks!
Q
I just noticed it myself. As a 6 year member, I want my charter membership status back ASAP.
Excuse me for often being away from the computer for many days on end.
If I have to renew for next year now, I will do that.
But for the moment long-time members like myself and Quasimodem are being - what is the word …
Patient?
Q