Skins ignoring complaints of primitives

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/124042217

Oh my.

This is a very big campfire, and the upshot is that my fellow alum hasn't shown up yet.

Curmudgeoness (5,930 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

A one year membership is $60??????

I guess I am confused. I thought that an annual membership was going to be $42. But when I choose to do the option with no Paypal account, and I do not want to have a $3.50 charge every month, it shows $60 for a year. What gives? How do I just get a star for a year for the $42?

And why is this such a pain in the butt?????

More than a hundred primitive responses, but no word from Skins.

ellisonz (14,108 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

1. Should be $42 total.

I think maybe they did it that way so they don't have to refund.

Curmudgeoness (5,930 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

3. I thought so too.

But the only option I found for one year was $60.

I remember this was so easy before. Not happy.

ellisonz (14,108 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

4. Looking at it again...

I don't see why you can buy a whole year at $3.50 per month or $42 but the one time payment option for a year is $60. I think maybe this is a mistake. My advice is to PM admin.

The above was still early in the campfire, after which many primitives did personal-message Skins, but as of yet, no response from On High.

truedelphi (23,973 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

8. The problem for many of us is that if our bank accounts are programmed to be hit once a month, that five bucks can come in during the one time period of the month when we are broke. SO that check ends up bouncing out and it bounces out fourteen others, and then what should have cost 42 or 60 bucks costs several hundreds.

If DU wants my money it simply has to understand the experiences most of us low income people have had.

ellisonz (14,108 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

9. If you just want to make a one-time non-pay pal payment...

...it says $60 in contrast to the pay-pal option of $42 which may or may not be charged at $3.50 per month. It's not quite clear on that.

MADem (67,715 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

38. I'm confused! If you use paypal, it's forty two, but if you use any other method, it's sixty?

Even if you pay in a lump sum??

And how about those check and money order types?

I don't do paypal....

Suich (7,705 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

40. I used Paypal, clicked on a subscription for 1 year, and got charged $60.00.

If I had opted for the monthly plan, Paypal would have charged me $3.50 each month.

No idea what's going on!

MADem (67,715 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

41. I think we need some Admin 'splaining, here! I'm totally confused, and I don't think I am alone!

EFerrari (159,774 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

32. Paypal is horrendous. Their customer service is cr@p.

I hope the admins figure out other options for people who would rather be shot in the face by Dick Cheney than deal with Paypal.

EFerrari (159,774 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

36. There was a story about Paypal recently.

I don't remember the details but it was some scam about them charging fees much as the big banks were reordering debits to force OD charges.

I had all my bills on autopay until the banks started that particular scam in about 2002 or 3. It was nice while it lasted.

MaineDem (17,466 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

23. I actually liked the fundraisers

And they served as a reminder to donate.

Suich (7,705 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

28. I ended up paying the $60 yesterday, too!

Used Paypal, which took it out of my bank account, and chose the one year option.

Let me know if you hear anything!

quinnox (11,367 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

30. So even with paypal you had to pay $60??

View profile

As a one time charge? That is really weird. So you have to thread a needle in order to get the $42 price for one year, if what people are reporting is accurate.

So, I guess you have to play a little game, and sign up for recurring payments even if you don't want to have it be recurring, and then do the obvious next step. Oh well, that seems rather odd but you gotta do what you gotta do I guess.

Suich (7,705 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

31. Yup!

I don't like recurring or automatic payments at all! My neighbor had automatic payment on his Qwest bill, and since I had just got charged an extra $7.99 for nothing, I told him to check his bill and whaddya know! The same thing happened to him! No problem getting it reversed, just a pain in the neck!

A-Schwarzenegger (12,004 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

46. How about some Admin input on this?

I was having serious serious doubts about $42 for the privilege of madhouse benefits, but if it's $60 it makes the choice simple.

myrna minx (18,913 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

95. It looks like our decision has been made. Sixty smackers is what it costs.

Curmudgeoness (5,930 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

47. Yep, I have six days left.

And I would hate to lose my star....but I will have to let it go. I agree, $42 was steep....$60 is not doable.

I am still waiting for an answer from admin. I will post when I find out. The ideas here are good as to how to get around it, but only if you have a Paypal account, which I don't, and which I will not set up just for DU.

Suich (7,705 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

57. I paid one lump sum and got charged $60.00.

myrna minx (18,913 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

58. It seems that you are required to have a paypal account to receive the $42.00 price.

If you don't have a pay pal account (I have no intention to sign up for a paypal account to subscribe to a website), you are charged the elevated price of 5/mo or $60/year.

Curmudgeoness (5,930 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

75. This is what I have been told by Skinner.

You have to have a Paypal account to use the "recurring" option, and the recurring option is the only way to get $42.

It ain't right, and I will be starless in five days and it will continue until this is more fair.....because an extra $18 is extreme!

Curmudgeoness (5,930 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

76. UPDATE------Goodbye little star.

I have had two PM answers from Skinner, and neither of them have been satisfactory answers, but this is what I gather from it.

If you have a Paypal account you are able to pay $42 for a recurring annual membership (that can be cancelled at any time, so go figure). If you do not have a Paypal account, the only way to get an annual membership is to pay $60 as a one time payment. You do not need a Paypal account to renew your star, but you will be paying $18 more than the people who do.

Whisp (11,579 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

86. I have no idea how these things work but maybe Skinner has a deal with paypal and gets a percentage on top of the fees?

There has got to be a reason that only paypal works for the discount.

EFerrari (159,774 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

83. It's so easy to use until it isn't and they hold your money for some obscure reason and take days to release it or shut down your account as they did to Andy, because they got a phone call from a crank. 

Aside from the fact I promised myself never to use them again when they did that to Andy, I find them unprofessional and unconcerned about their users. Their system is fine -- until there is a problem.

Whisp (11,579 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

84. kicking for Admin attention....

yohooooo? you there?

I think it's great that my fellow alum's pulled another one over the primitives.

The more Skins does that, the more he rises in franksolich's esteem.

[Ballygrl]

It should be free if they were to really practice what they preach.

[franksolich]

This is from another campfire, about as big, on the same subject:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/124043284

A-Schwarzenegger (12,004 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

57. I'm certain that the decision by Admins to not respond publicly to 3 days of questions on this issue can mean only that they are taking the time to revamp the entire payment system.

 

Curmudgeoness (5,931 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

64. You are right. A simple "we are looking into this" would have shut us all up for a while. Now we all have our panties twisted in a bunch. Well, I don't---anymore. I have come to peace with it.

 

Curmudgeoness (5,931 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

63. That is what I have also thought.

The answers to messages sent to Skinner have been vague, and I am hoping that they are saying "good lord, we have a shitstorm that we had better do something about".

 

Note to primitives: my fellow alum Skins doesn't care.

Too bad for the primitives.

[Chris_]

[Karin]

What a mess!  And those loons are not easily placated.  They're used to getting free shit for nothing. 
All in a tizzy...they must have served red jello on Friday instead of the usual green, that everyone can count on.  Environments with plenty of structure and supervision are of the utmost importance. 

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

It should be free if they were to really practice what they preach.

Practicing what they preach would be forcing a few hundred CCers to pay for thousands of DUers.

[GOBUCKS]

Practicing what they preach would be forcing a few hundred CCers to pay for thousands of DUers.

We already do that, in real life.

[zeitgeist]

This is from another campfire, about as big, on the same subject:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/124043284

 

 

 

Note to primitives: my fellow alum Skins doesn't care.

Too bad for the primitives.

Let me see it I got this right, you can get free prophylactics from Obasma but Dummies have to pay to be screwed by Skinner?  Sweet.

[Carl]

truedelphi (23,973 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

8. The problem for many of us is that if our bank accounts are programmed to be hit once a month, that five bucks can come in during the one time period of the month when we are broke. SO that check ends up bouncing out and it bounces out fourteen others, and then what should have cost 42 or 60 bucks costs several hundreds.

If DU wants my money it simply has to understand the experiences most of us low income people have had.

Any person that broke and still keeping Internet and donating to the DUmp deserves the conseqences their stupidity earns them.

[AllosaursRus]

Boy, these DUmbasses sure put a helluva value on their little stars, don't they! I wouldn't pay a dime to be on that shit site! I can go to the county dump for free where I live.

[BlueStateSaint]

kpete, stupid Anne, really stupid Pam, and incredibly stooopid Beth should buy everyone access.

[miskie]

It should be free if they were to really practice what they preach.

I dont think so --

I think everyone should get the average worth of star time- regardless if they donated or not. If the average of donating vs non-donating primitives works out to six days of star member benefits out of a year, then so be it. If the primitives don't like it, they can donate more, or work to exile the non donating members to increase the percentages.

[67 Rover]

Any person that broke and still keeping Internet and donating to the DUmp deserves the conseqences their stupidity earns them.

Hi 5.

[Duke Nukum]

Skinner is nothing if not an impeccable "fisher of wallets."

He knows his audience and they deliver their dollars.

[WinOne4TheGipper]

Practicing what they preach would be forcing a few hundred CCers to pay for thousands of DUers.

BS for giving them that idea!

[LC EFA]

The best bit is that they don't see the parallels between DU as it is now and the actual real world implementation of the society they wish to build.

[Ralph Wiggum]

truedelphi (23,973 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

8. The problem for many of us is that if our bank accounts are programmed to be hit once a month, that five bucks can come in during the one time period of the month when we are broke. SO that check ends up bouncing out and it bounces out fourteen others, and then what should have cost 42 or 60 bucks costs several hundreds.

Who is still writing that many checks a month?  And what bank would even allow a DUmmy to sign up for an account?  And why would a DUmmy even use an "evil money-grubbing" bank at all?  I thought the DUmmies hated all banks on general principle?

Edit - those were mostly rhetorical questions...didn't mean for everyone to try to answer them.

[Ogre]

Let me see it I got this right, you can get free prophylactics from Obasma but Dummies have to pay to be screwed by Skinner?  Sweet.

Ain't that the truth.  Skimmer sure knows how to fleece his flock. 

[redwhit]

Looks like some have already started bargaining:

La Lioness Priyanka
 
Dear Skinner, Elad, and EarlG: I need a student discount on DU

I am kinda serious. Even the Nytimes gives a discount to really broke graduate students.

Would you like to live on $18,000 in NYC with no discounts?

Thank you for looking into this.

Regards,

LLP

http://www.democraticunderground.com/124043957

[Chris_]

How long has she been a student?  She must be in the seven-year BA program.

[Ralph Wiggum]

How long has she been a student?  She must be in the seven-year BA program.

LLP is a perpetual student, majoring in degrees that will never earn her a cent.  Unless there is a fetish market for viewing photos of an unkempt apartment in NYC.

[Chris_]

LLP is a perpetual student, majoring in degrees that will never earn her a cent.  Unless there is a fetish market for viewing photos of an unkempt apartment in NYC.

I don't know... if you bathed her and gave her a breath mint, I might not kick her out of bed.  But she'd have to wear the bunny suit.

[GOBUCKS]

It's really funny to read about these destitute, ragamuffin DUmpmonkeys whining over sending Skimmer $60, instead of $42, when they already have a big swarm of $5 hearts.

One of them worried about paying an automatic five bucks a month, because if the charge came on the wrong day, he'd be hit with overdraft fees! 

And to think, they could have had all the advantages and respect of a yearlong star for a measly $5 just a couple of months ago.

Skimmer has transformed his sleazy little website into a towering, gushing fountain of cash, and the DUmbasses are just beginning to realize it.

Compared with Skimmer, Bev Harris and the Andyscam fraudsters were insignificant little pikers.

Poor, stupid DUmmies.

[dandi]

truedelphi (23,973 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

8. The problem for many of us is that if our bank accounts are programmed to be hit once a month, that five bucks can come in during the one time period of the month when we are broke. SO that check ends up bouncing out and it bounces out fourteen others, and then what should have cost 42 or 60 bucks costs several hundreds.

If DU wants my money it simply has to understand the experiences most of us low income people have had.

If you can't afford a luxury at one time period during the month for fear of going broke then you can't afford it at any other period of the month either. Seriously, if you're living so close to the edge that five bucks is going to make or break you, you shouldn't even have internet service at all, let alone be paying a premium for extra bells and whistles at some message board where you can read and post for free.

[USA4ME]

Curmudgeoness

You are right. A simple "we are looking into this" would have shut us all up for a while.

The way things are looking, it isn't going to cost Skin's anything to shut you up... permanently.

.