Please be aware that a site that we have been using to test SDMB software changes has been sending out renewal notices. If you receive a renewal notice that contains a link to avolatech.com instead of boards.straightdope.com, please just ignore it.
DO NOT CLICK ON THE AVOLATECH LINK TO RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION. That link goes to the test site and will not renew your real SDMB subscription.
Also, please note that since we are using an old and stale copy of the SDMB for testing, the renewal notices that the test site is sending out may not reflect the actual current expiration date for your subscription.
This is not a phishing attempt and the board has not been hacked.
We apologize for the confusion that this has caused.
ETA: If you renewed lately by clicking on the link from an e-mail, please check your subscription expiration date to make sure you renewed from the board.straightdope.com site and not the avolatech site. If your subscription expiration date on the SDMB is incorrect, please either leave a message in this thread, or contact me via PM or e-mail so that we can get your subscription fixed.
I did click on the test message link to renew (stupid, I know, but I thought my membership was coming up and it was late and I was tired). That link required me to log in to SDMB, and then it took me to Paypal. Where I proceeded to pay for 2 years.
Interestingly, the real SDMB now shows that I have paid up for another 2 years. So somehow the payment was applied correctly, even though it originated from the test system message.
WAG: Most of the things on the test system are relative, meaning that if the software is running on the test system then it points to the test system, or if the software would happen to be running on the real SDMB then it would point to the real SDMB. There must be something in the registration process that is hard coded to the real SDMB.
I got a receipt for a payment to subscriptions@straightdope.com. I got notices from both the real and test boards, but I can’t find any way to tell which one I was responding to.
I was prompted to look in this forum for info on this matter because even though I paid up (verified by looking at my checking account online and seeing a PayPal deduction), I was still getting e-mail messages from SDMB stating that my subscription was soon to expire.
The mystery of those messages is solved, thanks to the OP.
However, I unfortunately DID click on the test link, went to the test site, and paid for a one year renewal.
Again, I have verified that PayPal deducted funds from my checking account.
The avolatech.com test website shows that I am paid up through 5-22-2018, but the real SDMB website says 5-22-2017.
My apologies for the confusion. We’re working on a site upgrade and test messages were sent in error. I’ve noted the names above; pending investigation, I’m guessing that, even if you renewed on the test site rather than the real one, the money would have gone into our PayPal account. If so, we have a record of this and will make sure your subscription is updated appropriately on the production (i.e., real) site. To reiterate what engineer said, if you have not yet spoken up but think something went amiss with your renewal, pls so advise ASAP and we’ll look into it. Thanks.
As far as I am aware, all of the issues related to this have been resolved. If anything was missed, or if anyone encounters any issues related to this, please let us know.
I am un-sticking this, but I will leave it open in case anyone has any issues to report or any comments that they wish to make.
