February 11, 2004

PayPal Problems (again)

One of the reasons I am growing to dislike PayPal is that if their server program is having trouble communicating with our server, it automatically shuts off the transfer that takes place to activate what the person has paid for (in our case, a diary subscription). However, PayPal will continue to take payments from people, without telling them that their transaction is not going to be reported to our server, and thus they are not going to receive their goods. As a result, we end up with people who (rightly so) are unhappy because they have paid for something they can’t receive.

If the server of our credit card company is having a similar communications problem, it shuts down it’s storefront – so people get a message and can’t even make a payment. This happens rarely, but when it does, it at least saves our users the aggravation of making a payment that seems to disappear into a black hole.

I digress.

The above sort of communications problem occurred between our server and the PayPal server about 48 hours ago, and all PayPal payments made since then have not resulted in renewed or new subscriptions on the OD end. I’ve resolved the problem and got the servers talking to each other again – so payments now will be fine.

However, if you made a subscription payment through PayPal any time between about 4 p.m. EST Tuesday, and 4 p.m. EST Thursday, it is unlikely that your diary was credited for it. If that is the case, please send me the subscription number from the receipt PayPal e-mailed you, along with your diary name, so I can credit your account.

Since this problem has happened with PayPal more than once, and since there is nothing more aggravating than not receiving something you’ve paid for, I’ve set up a new report item on the “Contact Our Staff” screen. If you have had a subscription payment problem like this (or anything else related to subscription payments), please select the “Report a subscription payment problem” button on the screen. That way, your problem will be attended to as soon as possible.

Added later: several people have asked, “Why do you keep PayPal, then?” To which I reply, there are many people who still would rather use PayPal because they are used to it or consider it more private. I tried to remove it when I added the credit card option, but so many people asked to have PayPal back as an option that I put it back.

Thanks,

The DiaryMaster

why not just get rid of the Pay Pal option…anyone who uses Pay Pal obviously has a credit card, and can thusly can just pay through your credit card server

! sounds good

i renewed through paypal with no problem a couple of weeks ago, and also renewed my friend who lives in prague. i don’t like paypal either, but i had a problem with the credit card system. i wrote to you, but i never got a response from you. i don’t know, it’s annoying. i hate the ads so i am willing to pay for a diary i rarely use, but i wish there were an easier way. oh well. take care.

UPDATE: I WAS JUST SEARCHING FOR MY DIARY BY MY AUTHOR NAME (JPDRUMMERMANDYLOR) ON YOUR ALPHA LISTINGS AND IT’S NOT EVEN THERE !!!!!!!! I WAS TRYING TO LOGIN STARTING ABOUT 11:45 PM ON MONDAY NIGHT 02/09/04 AND WAS REPEATEDLY TOLD THAT MY PASSWORD/DIARY NAME WAS INCORRECT AND IF I SUBMITTED MY E-MAIL ADDRESS AGAIN MY CORRECT PASSWORD WOULD BE E-MAILED TO ME.

…..I KNOW I DIDN’T DELETE IT, SO WHERE DID IT GO AND HOW DO I GET IT BACK ???

AFTER FINDING MY DIARY MIA AS STATED IN THE PREVIOUS NOTE I BEGAN A NEW ONE USING THE SAME NAME ONLY TO HAVE THAT ONE ALSO WIND UP MIA WHEN I TRIED TO LOGIN TO IT TONITE, NO MORE THAN TWO DAYS AFTER I STARTED IT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, AT THIS POINT ANY INSIGHT WOULD BE REALLY COOL. HELL, AT THIS POINT I’D GLADLY PAY TO UPGRADE AT THE CHANCE TO GET MY DIARY BACK. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

I CAN BE ALSO BE REACHED AT “jpdrummerdude@comcast.net” IF THAT’S EASIER FOR YOU. I WAS JUST QUITE SURPRISED WHEN I TRIED TO LOGIN TO THE SAME DIARY I’VE BEEN USING FOR AWHILE NOW ONLY TO FIND THAT IT’S GONE WITH NO REASON WHY. I WAS EVEN MORE SURPRISED WHEN THE REPLACEMENT I JUST STARTED TWO DAYS AGO IS ALSO GONE. I KNOW YOU’RE BUSY, BUT PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AND GET BACK TO ME. THANK YOU.

I liked it when you had Amazon.com as an option to pay for OD subscriptions. I never had a problem with a payment going through at all. Would it be possible to bring back Amazon.com as a payment method?

PayPal sucks. It always has sucked, it always probably will suck. That’s why I had such a panic when you took away Amazon payments… but I’ve gotta say, I had to use your new credit-card system last week, and it was slicker than anything. Good job on that. 🙂

Hullo there. A question: I utilize chapters. When someone visits an entry, they click ‘diary contents’ to see the rest of my diary. When you click ‘diary contents’, it automatically shows all chapters. Which doesn’t make much sense, in the context of my diary. Was wondering if there’s any way for the ‘diary contents’ feature to go to chapter view, for those who use it.

You should try authorize.net…easy to set up on the server side, at least in PHP and its a good price…plus, unlike Pay Pal, you aren’t required to create an account in order to pay someone…you accept payment without creating username/password, etc.

I’ve sent you two emails since December trying to get you to address this problem. I suspect that the problem is not all Paypal (otherwise I would have received a response). At any rate, my subscription number is S-3KF021979W769203N, and I would appreciate being reinstated effective today’s date. Please email your response to bbos_260@hotmail.com Thanks.

Hey dont know if you check your notes and you might get mad that this is just a note not about the entry but I gotta tell you THIS SIRE ROCKS. You would not believe how many friends I have meet and how many things I have got help with. Thanks for making the site. Could you posibly leave a note on my diary so every will see it and now that the owner left me a note?? Anyway later

I just switched my diary to only accepting private notes. I was wondering if there was any way of going back and making all the other ones i have on my diary private also.

Why can’t we have both options open to us. I personally loved going through AMAZON I felt that was safer.

Hi, I was just wondering when we could get a move on changing my authorcode.. it certainly is becoming needed. I have emailed you about it about a month ago to which you replied and said you would have to do it yourself and I told you to take your time.. but thats been a couple months ago.. if you could let me know..

How do I get a diary shut down? because there has been quite a few compaints for TroixDaddy because he steals people’s poetry and claims it as his own. just wonderin, thanks.

I have a problem Mr DM!! Can’t get the usual pull down menus along the top of my diary (my diary, my notes, favourites etc) and the help menu is non-existent, that’s why I’m using this! I’ve asked a couple of diary-ists to report it as a fault for me but I wanted to leave you a note to tell you! Can you sort it?!

I’m just curious who runs TOD, is it Od or what?

hi, is there a way to put pictures on my diary? can you let me know? im J/W..sorry bout the pay pal problems.. Lauren – ArmySweetie

somebody hacked my diary 🙁

hey, am i the only one that sees the old toolbar underneath the new one? also the font is all huge. or is that my computer being wonky?

It is all right. I like the back ground

I’m trying to renew my subscription but I’m having some problems. I’ve got a switch card which can debit my bank account, but neither paypal or linkpoint accept switch. I’m not able to send money order because UK post office no longer issues such things and insists that we send cash. I don’t want to risk this and would preffer to use switch. Can I send you my switch card info direct?

Just in case I didn’t mention, I’ve only got a short time left on my present subscription so could you please reply quickly? I know that you’re very busy and all, but y’know.. I don’t much want to lose my diary and all.

How do I tell you about someone posting horrilbe notes on my diary?

I was wondering if there was a way to put music on your diary when you come in? if so can you like help me do it or tell me how. thanx

I copy and pasted the below on here. Maybe you should check it out as I’m sure some of his pictures qualify as porn. The Diary Of A Tugger. by The Virgin Whore.

Hi. I submitted some intrests for the Diary Interests page a few days ago and they were on the interests page within the next 24 hours. Then I submitted a couple more 2 days ago and they have not yet been added. They should be approved, there is no offensive language in them or anything that would be a reason for it not to be approved. I was just bringing it to your attention. Thanx Luv *Sara*

hello, i tried to report a rule violation but in my inbox it said that there was delivery failure so i figured i’d copy and paste it in notes here.. hopefull you can help me out: Dear whom it may concern; the person with the diary: Extended*Gouche is leaving cruel notes on people’s diaries. I don’t know if it’s a rule violation, but if they’re telling people to go kill themselves and making

fun of them, they shouldn’t be allowed to have a diary. They left a note on the diary Never Look Back and a couple of other diaries. I do think this diary inappropriate and i’d appreciate if you could possibly do something about it. Thank you so much for your time. Sincerely, -me.

cool

Is there something you can do if someone is attempting to hack into another user’s FOD? Someone is attempting to get into mine and have it deleted. The user that is attempting this is TheDiaryMasta

The_DiaryMastah. Sorry, this is the correct spelling of the user attempting the hack job.

i’m starting not to like paypal either…i tried to do it for my faceplate i won and it didn’t go through and now i’ve been sent a warning…and then i tried it 2 days ago and it is still acting funny.