Cannot Extend Membership

sflorack · 16 Oct 2005, 03:45 PM

I am currently a Full user on a 3 year subscription. I am attempting to extend my subscription another 3 years, but it's not allowing me, saying that "Account service level/period unchanged. No action performed". The statement is correct, I am not changing the period or service level, I am simply trying to extend my current period.

Is this an expected behavior?

n5bb · 16 Oct 2005, 05:57 PM

I suggest you submit a support request. Using the Support link at the top of the login page, choose the immediately submit a support request link. This type of question isn't easy for other members to answer if it isn't discussed in the FAQ, since we can't all go test it!

ewal · 16 Oct 2005, 06:00 PM

sflorack

You are right, something is not quite right.

I originally purchased a 5 year subscription and this is showing in 'status'.

If I go to the upgrade/downgrade screen and select 5 years it says "Account service level/period unchanged. No action performed". The cost of that 'upgrade' is shown as $159.75 with my account having $106.67 credit if I were to change.

If I however go the 4 year option the cost is shown as $129.80 and after taking intgo account my 'credit' I would only have $23.13 to pay.

What appears to be happening is that the logic behind the upgrade/downgrade screen is looking for a change of term of the original term we bought, with the result it does not allow a new 5 (or 3 or whatever) year plan to be bought if that is what was originally bought. Obviously that effect was not originally meant.

I would bet if you chose 4 years you would get to the actual payment screen. Terms higher than 5 years are not set so I can't test my hypothesis.

Either way, I think the logic behind the screens needs looking at and probably fixing.

Edward

**Sherry** · 16 Oct 2005, 06:03 PM

sflorack,

My understanding of the way it works when you upgrade/downgrade is it calculates the amount of time used then applies the unused amount to the upgrade cost and charges you for the remainder on a "new" subscription. It doesn't extend one that you have.

n5bb · 16 Oct 2005, 06:13 PM

I'm not as brave as you, Edward. Since FM has my credit card information, I didn't want to prematurely upgrade by selecting those boxes!

I do think that FM should allow an extension without limitation in the membership term.

This needs to be explained in more detail in the FAQ.

**Sherry** · 16 Oct 2005, 06:18 PM

sflorack,

I believe you can "upgrade" to the 5 year plan. It will apply any of your unused 3 years to the cost and start you with a new subscription. The 5 year cost, per year, is less than the 3 per year so it might work out pretty good?

Sherry

ewal · 16 Oct 2005, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by n5bb
I'm not as brave as you, Edward. Since FM has my credit card information, I didn't want to prematurely upgrade by selecting those boxes!

Oh one does not have to actually go past the screen to actually paying. And anyway there is no risk if one has no funds in the pool. Just so far as to confirm that it is possible to upgrade.

Edward

sflorack · 17 Oct 2005, 01:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sherry
sflorack,

I believe you can "upgrade" to the 5 year plan. It will apply any of your unused 3 years to the cost and start you with a new subscription. The 5 year cost, per year, is less than the 3 per year so it might work out pretty good?

Sherry

In my opinion, the 3 year level is the best as it's got the best discount without having to extend too far out.

1 Year = $19.95/year
2 Years = $17.45/year
3 Years = $16.61/year
4 Years = $16.20/year
5 Years = $15.95/year

If I select anything other than a 3 year extension, FM will let me proceed, but that's not what I want.. Maybe I'm being too picky?

David · 17 Oct 2005, 01:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sflorack
Is this an expected behavior?

I would say that yes it is. You cannot extend your current account, but you can purchase a new account (for five years if you wish) You will receive a credit for the time unused, which will be used to decrease the amount of money that you have to pay for the new five year account - this is the way that the system is set up to work.

sflorack · 17 Oct 2005, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by David
I would say that yes it is. You cannot extend your current account, but you can purchase a new account (for five years if you wish) You will receive a credit for the time unused, which will be used to decrease the amount of money that you have to pay for the new five year account - this is the way that the system is set up to work.

The 3 year subscription I currently have expires in one year. I simply want to receive a credit for what I have remaining, and sign for another 3 years. I realize this is not really "extending" my current plan as the new plan would take place immediately.

It doesn't make sense that I should have to change to a 4 or 5 year plan just to continue my subscription.

s a · 17 Oct 2005, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sflorack
I simply want to receive a credit for what I have remaining, and sign for another 3 years.

You need to use the "Subscription Details/Renewals" option. Click "Manually Renew Now" - this will let you renew for three years (from today) and give you credit for the unused portion of your subscription.

David · 17 Oct 2005, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sflorack

It doesn't make sense that I should have to change to a 4 or 5 year plan just to continue my subscription.

I didn't say had to sflorack. I said:

>>

you can purchase a new account (for five years if you wish)

>>

The reality is that you can choose any time option you wish, and receive a credit for your unused time.

sflorack · 17 Oct 2005, 06:31 AM

Ahh, indeed. I can't imagine I'm the only one who is confused by this process. Thanks for clearing it up.

robmueller · 17 Oct 2005, 06:05 PM

Yeah, the whole upgrade/renew process is a little, ummm, non-simple

The main issues we came across were:
1. When people upgrade, they generally want it to happen "now"
2. When they renew, they want it to happen from the end of their subscription

Which are both sort of complimentary options. In the end we basically went with 1, and made a renewal = "refund remaining subscription pro-rata, signup/renew/upgrade new subscription from now".

The fact that the 2 different screens do basically the same thing, except the upgrade screen allows you to do it for every combination of servicelevel/period but your current one, and the renewal screen only lets you do it for your current servicelevel/period, is probably a bit odd, but it fits into the above model that "upgrade" and "renewals" are two completely different actions and there shouldn't be two completely different ways of doing the same action (eg either use "renew" screen, or upgrade to same servicelevel/period)

Rob

16 Oct 2005, 03:45 PM	#1
sflorack The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 2,937	Cannot "Extend" Membership I am currently a Full user on a 3 year subscription. I am attempting to extend my subscription another 3 years, but it's not allowing me, saying that "Account service level/period unchanged. No action performed". The statement is correct, I am not changing the period or service level, I am simply trying to extend my current period. Is this an expected behavior? Last edited by sflorack : 17 Oct 2005 at 06:07 AM.

16 Oct 2005, 05:57 PM	#2
n5bb Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: May 2004 Location: Irving, Texas Posts: 8,928	I suggest you submit a support request. Using the Support link at the top of the login page, choose the immediately submit a support request link. This type of question isn't easy for other members to answer if it isn't discussed in the FAQ, since we can't all go test it!

16 Oct 2005, 06:00 PM	#3
ewal Master of the @ Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: West Sussex, UK Posts: 1,334	sflorack You are right, something is not quite right. I originally purchased a 5 year subscription and this is showing in 'status'. If I go to the upgrade/downgrade screen and select 5 years it says "Account service level/period unchanged. No action performed". The cost of that 'upgrade' is shown as $159.75 with my account having $106.67 credit if I were to change. If I however go the 4 year option the cost is shown as $129.80 and after taking intgo account my 'credit' I would only have $23.13 to pay. What appears to be happening is that the logic behind the upgrade/downgrade screen is looking for a change of term of the original term we bought, with the result it does not allow a new 5 (or 3 or whatever) year plan to be bought if that is what was originally bought. Obviously that effect was not originally meant. I would bet if you chose 4 years you would get to the actual payment screen. Terms higher than 5 years are not set so I can't test my hypothesis. Either way, I think the logic behind the screens needs looking at and probably fixing. Edward

16 Oct 2005, 06:03 PM	#4
Sherry Moderator Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: USA Posts: 8,687	sflorack, My understanding of the way it works when you upgrade/downgrade is it calculates the amount of time used then applies the unused amount to the upgrade cost and charges you for the remainder on a "new" subscription. It doesn't extend one that you have.

16 Oct 2005, 06:13 PM	#5
n5bb Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: May 2004 Location: Irving, Texas Posts: 8,928	I'm not as brave as you, Edward. Since FM has my credit card information, I didn't want to prematurely upgrade by selecting those boxes! I do think that FM should allow an extension without limitation in the membership term. This needs to be explained in more detail in the FAQ.

16 Oct 2005, 06:18 PM	#6
Sherry Moderator Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: USA Posts: 8,687	sflorack, I believe you can "upgrade" to the 5 year plan. It will apply any of your unused 3 years to the cost and start you with a new subscription. The 5 year cost, per year, is less than the 3 per year so it might work out pretty good? Sherry

17 Oct 2005, 06:31 AM	#13
sflorack The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 2,937	Ahh, indeed. I can't imagine I'm the only one who is confused by this process. Thanks for clearing it up.

17 Oct 2005, 06:05 PM	#14
robmueller Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 6,102 Representative of: Fastmail.FM	Yeah, the whole upgrade/renew process is a little, ummm, non-simple The main issues we came across were: 1. When people upgrade, they generally want it to happen "now" 2. When they renew, they want it to happen from the end of their subscription Which are both sort of complimentary options. In the end we basically went with 1, and made a renewal = "refund remaining subscription pro-rata, signup/renew/upgrade new subscription from now". The fact that the 2 different screens do basically the same thing, except the upgrade screen allows you to do it for every combination of servicelevel/period but your current one, and the renewal screen only lets you do it for your current servicelevel/period, is probably a bit odd, but it fits into the above model that "upgrade" and "renewals" are two completely different actions and there shouldn't be two completely different ways of doing the same action (eg either use "renew" screen, or upgrade to same servicelevel/period) Rob