Recent Website Issues
Member Dues
You should now be able to get the correct expiration date for your membership. You can accomplish this by clicking on the
Member Status link on the menu at the left, or by clicking here if you are a member.
The way we are now tracking the dues is as follows:
Every time you make a payment, we'll determine if you've already made a payment of $10.00 for the year in which you make the
payment. If you have, then we'll find the next year in which you haven't yet paid and we'll count you paid as that year. So if
you pay more than $10 in a given year, you will be credited for future years.
We count payments received between January 1 and June 30 for the current year, and between July 1 and December 31 for the next year.
Since most members pay yearly, this isn't a problem, but it turns out if you are a new member and you join after June 30 that you end
up getting part of a free year. What a bargain!
What this means for you is that if you haven't paid for a few years, you don't have to make up the difference! We just want you to
be current, so just pay your $10.00 if you think you are behind. However, you can check now to see when you are expired.
When you pay by PayPal your dues are automatically entered into the Atco Dues Database. If you give your check to Art or to me, then we
will post your dues into the same database. When PayPal posts your dues you will automatically receive an email notifying you that we
received it. If we post your dues, then we'll hopefully send you an email (I have been known to forget - thus why I like PayPal.) If you have
not received notification that we've received your payment or if you check on the web and do not see it, please, call Art or me or email
us. We always believe you are right and we are wrong! (well, only because as they say, the customer is always right)
I hope it will be easier for everyone to know when they are behind or ahead. Let us know what you think.
PayPal
Mar 1, 2011 11:36pm
Finally, PayPal is working again. Thanks for those of you who pointed out the problem
back in mid December I think it was. The PayPal interface is quite a tool for allowing
a database to be updated automatically with member dues payments. PayPal came out
with some minor changes but I did not think those would affect us, but something
did. Anyway, now we have the latest version of that software working for us so it
should be more efficient and definitely more reliable. The PayPal interface never
lost anyones funds but the feature that I use the interface for, updating the ATCO
database, was not working well and was inefficient. Now it seems to be working flawlessly
so I guess time will tell.
But, thanks for your patience and don't hesitate to use PayPal. In fact if you have
your own personal PayPal account and you pay your dues with PayPal, there is no
charge to ATCO. We do take a small hit if you use your credit card to pay, but it's
not a big deal. Anyway, thanks again.
73 N8NT
Feb 27, 2011 UPDATE
Most of the testing is now complete. However, now there seems to be a problem with
the license for the software I just updated. Hopefully the manufacturer will adjust
this. As soon as that is fixed, PayPal will be working again. If you use it now,
it will get all of your money correctly but it still won't send the results back
to the ATCO database so it won't get updated automatically. The license is preventing
it from doing that so when that is fixed, all should be working again.
Feb 26, 2011 UPDATE
New PayPal software is now available and testing is in progress. Sorry for the long
delay.
Therefor I have disabled PayPal. I hope to have this back up and running in a day
or two. Again, Sorry for the inconvenience.
PayPal Problems
Recently (I believe it has been after Dec 17,2010) PayPal transactions have not
been reported back to the ATCO website once a transaction has been completed in
PayPal. But PayPal would return back to the ATCO page without posting any status.
If someone happens to click the PayPal button again an exception page (bunch of
ugly text) would appear.
A change has been made so that the ugly page will not come back. If the PayPal transaction
does not come back you may not be automatically credited for your payment, so be
sure and email me (n8nt@atco.tv) if this happens.
I will be installing new PayPal software in a few weeks (the new software is not
yet available but supposedly will be in 2-3 weeks.)
I'm sorry for the inconvenience this has caused anyone who has tried to pay their
dues with PayPal. I have made a number of test payments today and find that PayPal
is getting the money and you will get an email from PayPal. I suspect that eventually
PayPal will send the transactions back to the Atco Website.
Again, if anyone has any issues with this, fell free to e-mail me or call on my
cell phone at 614-563-7443.
Thanks,
Bob/N8NT
PayPal update
PayPal is still working but the automatic update into the database is not resolved.
I am still waiting on a software update for the PayPal interface. I will keep you
posted on this page.
Member Status
As mentioned in the January newsletter we have a modified dues policy for our club.
I have recently updated the website member status to report dues according to the
new policy. All members should log in and go to the member status page and see if
things look ok. Art and I will be happy to make any neccessary adjustments if you
see something that is different from your own records.
Thanks,
Bob, N8NT