33 Comments
User's avatar
Daniel D's avatar

You guys just keep crushing, despite the opposition. It's awesome to see everyone on Unauthorized walking the walk and building your own alternatives. Thanks for staying with it and creating a platform with so much high quality content.

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Unauthorized.TV's avatar

Thank you for your support!

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Douglas Marolla's avatar

I joined UATV a few years ago and have never regretted it. Thank you for putting in this kind of work.

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Leslie Warren's avatar

I am on my second bank account to attempt to set up a checking account in the US that uses e checks. The best I have found so far is a third party 'deluxe payment exchange' that my bank uses. I have never had so much trouble trying to give someone my money. Thanks Clown world. I am going to find a way to give you my annual subscription. Thanks.

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Unauthorized.TV's avatar

Hang in there. We appreciate your support!

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Leslie Warren's avatar

Success. No more "not subscribed" message. Thanks.

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Leslie Warren's avatar

Finally found a way to transfer money using XE that allowed it from a connected debit card. You should have my payment in a day or so.

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Shefi1280's avatar

Signing up via bank transfer is proving quite a "romp" here in the land of the falling yen. 1) I go to the bank I used a decade ago for sending money abroad and inquire. "Oh, you can't do that here! You have to go HQ in the nearest metropolis."

"But I sent money from this very branch a few years ago."

".... You have to go to HQ!!"

Not satisfied, I go to another branch of the same bank.

"Oh, yes, but you can only do it online. Here's a pamphlet."

I go online and follow the instructions.

The online form accepts the SWIFT number but insists also on an IBAN number and keeps screaming at me in blood-red letters that my IBAN number doesn't match, but I discover I can proceed regardless (just click "OK" and move on).

Next, the online form balks at the address, insisting I input the postal code (I had). After some trial and error, I learn I can satisfy the form requirements by typing the full address in all the address fields. Country? Switzerland. Click "next".

ERROR!! THERE IS NO SUCH COUNTRY! PLEASE TYPE IN A VALID COUNTRY!

Errr... Swiss?

YES! THAT IS THE CORRECT COUNTRY.

Ok, next.

ERROR! YOU MUST CHECK THE T&C BOX.

OK, next.

ERROR!! YOU MUST TYPE IN YOUR PHONE NUMBER.

My phone number is in the address info you have for me.

TYPE IT IN AGAIN, DUMMY. I CANNOT READ MY OWN INFO.

OK, next.

ENTER YOUR 1-TIME PWD.

FAIL! REASON MAY BE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING 10 CAUSES.

I reset my 1-time pwd device.

FAIL!

Try again.

FAIL! ALTERNATIVELY, YOU CAN USE THE APP.

I install the app and start the registration procedure. It requires biometric data. Against my policy. I abort.

I guess my pwd device is just old or broken as I haven't used it for several years, so on the next business day, I go to the local branch office and get a new one. Go back online, try again.

The rigmarole of the address is repeated, even when I type in exactly what I typed in before and which was then accepted. Call tech support? There is no phone number and my problem is not included in any FAQ. My bank book has a phone number, but "This phone number is no longer in use." I'm beginning to think dark thoughts and I consider closing my account at this bank, but I receive payments from abroad and so far there's been no problem with that. Suck it up, buttercup. It's the price of "convenience".

Back to the online form. I discover that if I just click "next" I am allowed to proceed! (Of course, the country must be SWISS, not Switzerland, you ignoramus, did you go to school?)

Pwd time. Will it work? It works.

Of course, I haven't actually sent any money yet. This is just to register Infogalactic as my designated beneficiary. The vetting process will take "a few days." Well, that's ok, I think we all need to wind down from all the fun we've had, don't you?

Hang in there, UATV. I'll get you your money eventually.

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Unauthorized.TV's avatar

Hang in there yourself, that sounds beyond infuriating.

We really appreciate your dedication!

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Shefi1280's avatar

Good thing it's just once a year. Having to do it each month would be torture. Of course, by next year, either the rules will have changed, or my pwd device will no longer work, and the fun will begin anew.

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C3's avatar

You could also include payment in Bitcoin which is almost instantaneous and far less klunky than are bank transfers.

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Unauthorized.TV's avatar

True, we could.

The question is whether the number of people who will use such a solution is enough to be worth the time & effort of implementing/maintaining it.

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Richard Thompson's avatar

What was the general response when people were asked if they’d use this option?

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Unauthorized.TV's avatar

There wasn't one.

To be fair, the last time they were asked was prior to card payments becoming entirely unavailable, so it might be worth putting the question to them again.

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Richard Thompson's avatar

I’d be putting a vote in for payment by BTC.

I’ve used the money transfer in the past from Australia and it’s a slow, expensive pain in the arse.

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Alex B's avatar

Is there a chance you could add SEPA payments in EUR? I'm not really that keen on proping up the american banks with fees, nor the added fees caused by them having to calculate the total fee up front due to payer pays all fees. SEPA are reasonably cheap. Or some crypto, but I would imagine that's in a whole other ball park of work for you...

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Unauthorized.TV's avatar

We will eventually, but that's not going to happen by September 1st.

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The Gray Man's avatar

looking forward to more.

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Shefi1280's avatar

Took a while, but I am now successfully subscribed. Well done, me! Oh, and the Devs of course.

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Leslie Warren's avatar

I am on my second US checking account in an attempt to pay for my subscription. I have never had so much trouble tying to pay someone. Clown world sure makes this difficult. I will keep trying. Best I have found so far is a '3rd party vendor' my bank uses.

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Shefi1280's avatar

Payment made. Will take a few business days.

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Shefi1280's avatar

My bank is insisting it needs an IBAN number otherwise it will not authorize the payment. Please advise.

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Unauthorized.TV's avatar

Use the IBAN given.

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Shefi1280's avatar

Got it. Thanks.

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steven's avatar

unfortunately my bank stopped offering international wire transfers

they only do EU or SEPA to those few non EU european countries like Switzerland. and SEPA is only possible in Euro...

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Unauthorized.TV's avatar

We are considering whether to add a SEPA option due to cases like yours.

In the meantime, you might be able to use something like Wise or Revolut to forward a SEPA payment into a USD wire transfer. Probably faster than a direct transfer from a Euro account, too.

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Kajiya's avatar

Had the same issue and sent renewal via Wise. However, there were 5$ of additional fees that Wise did not inform about up front so my subscription transfer is now 5$ short. If I send the missing amount using the same description for the transfer will you be able to recognize and match it?

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Unauthorized.TV's avatar

Don't worry about it. It's not worth the hassle.

Thank you, though.

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Kajiya's avatar

Sorry, I've already sent the missing amount in the morning using the same description so it would match and allow for an easy identification. This time, however, there were no bank charges meaning they are amount based and while initial transfer of 275$ got cut to 270, now the corrective one of 10$ got sent in full. So on balance it would make it an overpayment of 5$ now, gosh...

I work in finance handling payments so I'm well aware of the tediousness you have on your hands. I am more than happy to jump over the hoops for UATV but would like to avoid unnecessary issues for the team. Hope you can use this info to activate the subscription and you don't need to bother putting extra credit towards superchat balance etc should it require any additional effort by the team.

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Unauthorized.TV's avatar

Both payments arrived today. You've been credited an extra 5 superchat tokens to cover the total.

We really do appreciate your concern, but as you've discovered... it's just not worth the time & effort over $5 difference.

The payments that we do have to be strict about are when people don't take on any fees at all and we only end up receiving between 60-80% of the full amount. Fortunately those have been few and far between.

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steven's avatar

i've tried Wise now with the same reference.. hope that'll work fine

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Codex redux's avatar

Edited: Re-reading the instructions, I need to choose "other method" to bring up the Silicon Prairie option. ... Yep. So never mind! And again, thank you.

Thank you for the clear instructions.

On selecting the annual Basic Subscription $120, when I click on "Pay securely with Bank Transfer", an error message appears: This payment method does not support automatic renewal of your subscription.

I (and my bank) are both U.S.-based.

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Unauthorized.TV's avatar

That's just an alert on the bank transfer, not an error message. You can proceed with the checkout that way.

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