Subscription via Paypal Rant

Cuddlesworth

Interesting thread, the only reason I dont subscribe is because of my lack of a credit card. And I'm not too pushed about getting one either.

Beruthiel

ecksor wrote:

Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

I used to be able to write a cheque and have also just handed over the 50 squid to an admin while at a boards beer.
Thus I have been a suscriber from the very start right up to the day the above was stopped.
Since then I have not suscribed, I would like to continue suscribing but I also do not wish to use paypal.

daiixi

B, gimme the cash + 10% at next beers and I will subscribe for you

mike65

Luddites.

Cheques are so 20th century. In 10 years you won't be able to write one.

Mike.

xebec

mike65 wrote:

Cheques are so 20th century. In 10 years you won't be able to write one.

I already can't, I don't have a cheque book.

Hagar

Beruthiel wrote:

Since then I have not suscribed, I would like to continue suscribing but I also do not wish to use paypal.

I really appreciate that supportive post. Thank you.

Ruggie has offered to pay on my behalf but to be honest I feel a bit of a hypocrite imposing on him to do what I cannot bring myself to do. Therefore I'm going to put €50 aside until there is a choice of payment methods. In the meantime I'll struggle on without my pink stars and personalised email. At my age "Sex and Sexuality" belongs in the "All Things Retro" anyway.:D

Sparky

Eh, cant you get access to S+S anyway even if you are a mod?

mike65

Cheques checking out

Mike.

Boston

Question, does boards.ie Ltd file tax returns?

Sangre

Hagar wrote:

{b} Risk managment purposes, what risk? The transaction is complete and the goods or services paid for, how can a fully completed transaction pose any risk to anyone? The only risk to anyone is someone having my details against my wishes.

Well since a lot of people use paypal so they can use their visa/mastercard with a 3rd party without giving the 3rd party their details. This means you credit card details are stored on their system for convenience. Therefore if someone got access to your accounts there'd be a risk.

Btw, imo their complaint investigation is excellent. Had a problem with an ebay buyer and it was sorted lickity split.

Sparky

Boston wrote:

Question, does boards.ie Ltd file tax returns?

Revenue or CRO I think, will tell you that!

Boston

What wrong with asking sparky? And you're wrong revenue won't tell me.

oscarBravo

As a limited company it's required by law to do so, so it's a fair assumption that it does.

Why do you ask?

nesf

oscarBravo wrote:

As a limited company it's required by law to do so, so it's a fair assumption that it does.

Well, any company (limited or partnership or whatever) would have to file some kind of tax returns. There should be a copy of the accounts available to view (for a fee) also, though I think that what's available is pretty basic iirc.

Our man in Havana

They are detailed enough to show a profit or loss.

Vikings

Hagar wrote:

...
{a} Retain my information, why? If I purchase an item in a shop does the shop have any rights to hold a lot of personal details about me?

{b} Risk managment purposes, what risk? The transaction is complete and the goods or services paid for, how can a fully completed transaction pose any risk to anyone? The only risk to anyone is someone having my details against my wishes.

{c} Open a Paypal account, this is my point they are trying to force you to sign up to their system.
...

I work for them so I may come across a little biased but im giving as honest as possible answers here.

(a) and (c) go together there, its more for ease of use than anything, you pay for one thing using paypal then later you want to pay for another, saves having to enter all your details everytime...

With regards to (b), Risk Management is a huge thing and is the area I am in, though the transaction itself seems to be completed chargebacks and the likes can be filed long after a payment is made which is why those details are kept.

Most of the policies are in place to comply with the financial services authority in the uk.

Anyway back on topic, I do agree that limiting subscription payments to paypal only is a bad thing, In fact its the only thing stopping me from subscribing, I would gladly send cash or start a bank transfer to subscribe if that was still available. Though I do understand the inconvenience of those methods on the admin side which is why I havnt complained

Beruthiel

daiixi wrote:

B, gimme the cash + 10% at next beers and I will subscribe for you

You can sing for your 10% missy.
I might buy you a pint though....

Sparky

Boston wrote:

What wrong with asking sparky? And you're wrong revenue won't tell me.

Oh nothing wrong with asking at all.

Beruthiel wrote:

You can sing for your 10% missy.
I might buy you a pint though....

or an easter egg. A big chocolate (mmmmmm) easter egg.

regi

Boston wrote:

Question, does boards.ie Ltd file tax returns?

Sure we do. We even had to pay some corporation tax last year.

Cheques / credit transfer are an awful pain for an organisation looked after by busy people with full-time jobs. We definately don't want to take cash.

We looked at getting a merchant account - it used to be quite painful, but I've not looked for a few years. Since the in-built system managed most subscriptions quite well and you didn't need a paypal account to actually use it, we decided against it.

oscarBravo

IncredibleBulk wrote:

I work for [PayPal] so I may come across a little biased but im giving as honest as possible answers here.

...

Anyway back on topic, I do agree that limiting subscription payments to paypal only is a bad thing, In fact its the only thing stopping me from subscribing, I would gladly send cash or start a bank transfer to subscribe if that was still available.

Waitaminute - are you seriously saying you work for PayPal, but won't use their services to pay for something?

markpb

regi wrote:

Since the in-built system managed most subscriptions quite well and you didn't need a paypal account to actually use it, we decided against it.

Huh? Can you explain that one again?

Also, would it be worth looking at setting up direct debits? I'm not sure of the cost involved but afaik there isn't a huge amount of work.

oscarBravo

markpb wrote:

Also, would it be worth looking at setting up direct debits? I'm not sure of the cost involved but afaik there isn't a huge amount of work.

It depends how you define "a huge amount". It's not like building the channel tunnel, but it's not exactly a set it up and forget about it process either.

markpb

oscarBravo wrote:

It depends how you define "a huge amount". It's not like building the channel tunnel, but it's not exactly a set it up and forget about it process either.

I'm not sure how it works here but my impression elsewhere was that you get permission from your bank to issue DDs and then each period prepare ACH files with each customers NSC and Account number? If people were billed every 3 months for example, it shouldn't be much work.

oscarBravo

markpb wrote:

I'm not sure how it works here but my impression elsewhere was that you get permission from your bank to issue DDs and then each period prepare ACH files with each customers NSC and Account number? If people were billed every 3 months for example, it shouldn't be much work.

They're called "EFT" files here, "ACH" is the American version.

It sounds nice and simple when you distill it into a series of snappy phrases, but it translates into a lot more work than all that.

"...get permission from your bank to issue DDs..." - this can take weeks. There's an application process, then you have to prepare a test file and have it approved by the bank before you can go live.

"...each period prepare ACH files with each customers NSC and Account number..." - prepare them how? What software do you use? Plus, you must get a signed DD mandate from each subscriber, and send the original (not a copy) to the bank before you start taking money by DD. Then you have to handle bounced payments (wrong details on the form, incorrect account type, no money in the account), process the change-of-account instructions that come in periodically, etc. etc.

It sounds nice and simple until you actually have to do it.

Hagar

oscarBravo wrote:

Waitaminute - are you seriously saying you work for PayPal, but won't use their services to pay for something?

It took all my will power to resist making that comment myself.

What's wrong with accepting a standing order? There's no real effort required, just now and again spot check that none have been cancelled.

Boston

Hagar wrote:

It took all my will power to resist making that comment myself.

What's wrong with accepting a standing order? There's no real effort required, just now and again spot check that none have been cancelled.

I'd imagine because it's not an automated system, and you would have to match new SO to users.

Stark

Hagar wrote:

Like many people I think Paypal Sucks so I won't be using it. Ever. I want to support the site but it's not being made easy to do so.

What doesn't suck?

It's not like your average mainstream financial institution is the model of integrity.

oscarBravo

Hagar wrote:

What's wrong with accepting a standing order?

A standing order is a completely different thing from a direct debit.

padser

Don't have time to read through the whole thread so stopped after first page - this may already have been suggested.

Why don't you simply set up an account and give out the account number like certain charities do.

No one can withdraw money with just an account number unless they are the registered drawer.

Then anyone who wants to subscribe can simply walk into a bank and deposit in the money into the account. They can simply put there username beside the lodgement (you get something like 12 characters to identify the money) and at the end of each month the bank will send out a statement to one of the admins with the amount and username deposited.


EDIT I just remembered that the only drawback for person putting the money in is that they must go into the same bank (not branch but same bank eg AIB) as account was set up in

Hagar

oscarBravo wrote:

A standing order is a completely different thing from a direct debit.

I do realise that.
A direct debit is initiated by the recipient of the funds = work for Boards.
A standing order is initiated by the sender of the funds = little or no work for Boards.