Post your subscription problem here!

[jdavis]

@GawnFishin'

I had the same problem as Bill H but I figured it would sort itself out in the rinse. I checked back later and my membership had not been renewed so I went through the process again and my membership was renewed for 1 year. I’ve just recieved my CC statement and I see that I have been charged twice though my membership still shows it as expiring next year '06 and no credit has been given for the second year. Could you look into this for me please. No biggy really let me know when you can.

I’ve submitted a credit in the amount of $7.48 for the second transaction. It should appear on your statement in the next few days.

Jerry

[GawnFishin]

@jdavis

I’ve submitted a credit in the amount of $7.48 for the second transaction. It should appear on your statement in the next few days.

Jerry

Thanks, I would have been just as happy with being credited with another years subscription but whatever.

Once again thank you.

GF.

[jdavis]

@Bill H.

Didn’t see this thread. Just sent this email to Ed Zotti:

Hi Ed,

I’m “Bill H.” on SDMB. I suspect you’re not the right guy to send this to, but I’m not sure who is. Could you forward appropriately?

I tried extending my subscription on the web site, and had problems.

First bug: I used a credit card that has the expiration date 4/05. The subscription software believes (incorrectly) that this is an expired credit card and doesn’t bother verifying it. I realize this won’t impact most subscribers, but it may impact a few others besides myself and is probably easy to resolve.

Second (more important) bug: I entered the information for a second card, and was sent to a page completely blank except for the Straight Dope header at the top with the URL https://securesite.chireader.com/cgi-bin/sdmb/subscribe.bat. In another window, I checked my membership expiration date and saw it hadn’t changed. I clicked the refresh button in the first window, and got correct confirmation information. Now, my membership looks to be extended for one year. However, I don’t know if I was charged once or twice.

Thanks for looking into this.

Regards,
Bill

Hi Bill,

Sometimes the update to the SDMB subscription database times out just like a standard timeout when someone is trying to view a thread. We’ve made some changes to the subscription process to provide more information when this happens but we can’t avoid it entirely. This is what happened to your first attempted transaction.

Unfortunately, you were charged twice but only the second transaction successfully updated your expiration date. I’ve submitted a credit in the amount of $7.48 which you should see in your account in the next few days.

Thanks,

Jerry

[6_6_6]

I just tried to subscribe and was sent to the dreaded blank page…
https://securesite.chireader.com/cgi-bin/sdmb/subscribe.bat

Still, this gives me a chance to try a first post to the Board. Sorry it has to be with a problem. :o

Any chance of a fix, please?

[TubaDiva]

Don’t see anything on the subscription roster, so it looks like your subscription did not take.

Try waiting until after things quiet down a bit (like in the next couple of hours, perhaps) and try again.

Apparently at times of peak usage, subscriptions will time out just like board postings, and the task gets dropped by the server.

We apologize for your inconvenience.

your humble TubaDiva

[6_6_6]

@TubaDiva

Don’t see anything on the subscription roster, so it looks like your subscription did not take.

Try waiting until after things quiet down a bit (like in the next couple of hours, perhaps) and try again.

Apparently at times of peak usage, subscriptions will time out just like board postings, and the task gets dropped by the server.

We apologize for your inconvenience.

your humble TubaDiva

Success! All seems OK now - everyone must be asleep on your side of the Atlantic.

Thanks.

[Critical_Mass]

@jdavis

There was no record of a credit card transaction for you prior to 04/06/05. I’m assuming whatever you did before the 6th did not take and that you attempted re-subscription on the 6th which did take. We have record of a transaction for $7.48 and your subscription is now good until 04/28/06.

Thanks,

Jerry

Don’t know if it made a difference, but the first failed attempt was using Firefox. I was succesful with the second attempt - that time I used IE.

Checked my statement. $7.48 was processed just once. ($9.33 Canadian if you’re interested).

Thanks for your help.

[Bill_H]

jdavis wrote

Unfortunately, you were charged twice but only the second transaction successfully updated your expiration date. I’ve submitted a credit in the amount of $7.48 which you should see in your account in the next few days.

Thanks, Jerry.

[Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor]

Both sides logging out did not help.

I’m fresh out of ideas.

[TubaDiva]

Okay, I need to talk off the board to both you and START.

Please send me an email: TubaDiva@aol.com.

Let’s try to find some time when all of us are online at the same time and we can look at the situation in real time.

your humble TubaDiva

[Kat]

@Bill H.

Second (more important) bug: I entered the information for a second card, and was sent to a page completely blank except for the Straight Dope header at the top with the URL https://securesite.chireader.com/cgi-bin/sdmb/subscribe.bat. In another window, I checked my membership expiration date and saw it hadn’t changed. I clicked the refresh button in the first window, and got correct confirmation information. Now, my membership looks to be extended for one year. However, I don’t know if I was charged once or twice.

I just tried subscribing, and ended up on the same blank page with teh SD header, too and still have a 4/28/2005 expiration date. I have not yet tried again, should I do so and then just watch for double billing?

[TubaDiva]

Exactly so, Kat. Try to pick a time that’s not so busy . . . lemme see what’s going on right now . . .526 Users Online (321 members and 205 guests) . . . well, that’s not so bad . . .

Good luck. If you get billed twice, let us know.

your humble TubaDiva

[Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor]

START is hard to get ahold of.

[TubaDiva]

Just sent him another email.

your humble TubaDiva

[Balthisar]

Ach! I’m trying to re-subscribe before I forget, and there’s no CC option at all! All I get is:

To pay for your subscription, please click the order button next to your preferred payment method and follow the instructions on the following page.
Subscription: Straight Dope Board Membership
Cost: $7.48
Payment is also accepted using PayPal.

There’s a link to PayPal, but there are NO buttons ANYWHERE for my preferred payment method!

Thanks.

[Balthisar]

For the record, I tried it in IE, also. I.e., in IE in addtion to Firefox. No-go de todo.

[MLS]

I just tried and got the same problem reported by Balthisar. I don’t have a paypal account and don’t wish to get one. But the page does not give me a credit card option.

[Random]

Ditto. I’ve e-mailed Tuba.

[TubaDiva]

I have referred this to the techs, it’s going to be tomorrow morning before they even see it, I’m afraid, but they will know about it soonest.

your humble TubaDiva

[WonK]

Hi,

I was invited onboard by a correspondent named Selkie. My understanding is that she covered my membership for the first year. I have registered, and changed my password. Tonight’s the first time I tried posting on the board. However I still get the following message whenever i try to post:

Your guest membership on the Straight Dope Message Board expires on April 10, 2005. To become a subscriber and avoid seeing this screen again, click here. To continue without subscribing, click here.

Please contact me and let me know if I did anything wrong when I signed on.

WonK