Pro is Not Solving My Problems

So, now I can’t post in the Customer Support Forum because my membership level has been changed to a “Free Subscriber (No Purchase Yet)” Does this mean I’m getting my money back? Because if it doesn’t, I respectfully request that you grant me my posting privileges back.

To answer your questions:

I tried both of your suggestions to get the shortcode to work. Reloading the s2M plugin did not work, and the other plugin you suggested (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/trueedit/) not only didn’t work, it caused other problems, so I had to get rid of it.

Without the shortcode, offering only free memberships to my users will not work, so I am stuck with using only level 0. It’s entirely possible that the problem is being caused by my theme, but I have spent a lot of time designing the site with my theme, I love the functionality of the theme, I paid for the theme, and I’m not willing to start from scratch because your plugin is incompatible with it.

Jason’s suggestion to use a Mass email tool was unnecessary because I had already been using Mailchimp with great success. I wanted S2M Pro for the import feature, but when I found out that it wouldn’t email members their passwords upon import, that feature became useless to me too. How would I let 125 people know what their passwords were? And he also says “handle the transition from your old site/system…” There is no old system. This list is members that we used to communicate with via old fashioned email. They don’t have usernames and passwords. We need to create them.

Finally, the reason I didn’t respond to your suggestions was certainly NOT because the problem was solved, but because I was too busy trying to find other plugins that would do for me what S2M could not. Now that I finally have the site functioning somewhat, I’ve come back to re-submit my request. As I said before; I have tried all of your suggestions. They didn’t work. I do not need Pro. Please refund my money. (Especially now that I’m not listed as a paying customer!)

http://www.s2member.com/forums/topic/pro-is-not-solving-my-problems/
http://www.s2member.com/forums/topic/free-memberships/#post-27391

Debbie, your status is set as Customer again, so you can now post in the customer support forums. :)

– Eduan

• This reply was modified 4 years, 2 months ago by  Cristián Lávaque.

Not sure why you’d not be listed as a Paying Customer for a while and then be again. I’ll reply in the other thread instead of continuing here, in order to keep the conversation together.

@ Debbie
Your account was demoted temporarily (and automatically) due to a dispute that you filed against us regarding your purchase of s2Member Pro.

While we work to resolve your dispute, your account has been restored to customer status so that we may continue a dialogue with you. Should the dispute be resolved in our favor, your account will remain in a paid customer status.

Refund Request:
Please see our NO REFUND policy as it pertains to digital non-tangible items. In order to receive a refund, you MUST show us the software failed to perform as advertised. Based on your claims thus far, and on your dispute filed yesterday, I see no evidence to suggest a failure on the part of s2Member Pro at this time. If you can show us the software failed to perform as advertised, and that the issue is indeed caused by a failure on the part of s2Member Pro, we’ll be happy to issue a refund immediately.

Without the shortcode, offering only free memberships to my users will not work, so I am stuck with using only level 0. It’s entirely possible that the problem is being caused by my theme, but I have spent a lot of time designing the site with my theme, I love the functionality of the theme, I paid for the theme, and I’m not willing to start from scratch because your plugin is incompatible with it.

This is NOT a valid claim against our product. If you suspect the shortcode issue is related to theme compatibility, you will need to (a) chose a different theme; or (b) work to resolve the issue with compatibility (either with our help, or on your own – perhaps with the assistance of your theme designer).

We (and other customers) have all confirmed that shortcode processing against s2Member’s WordPress shortcodes DOES work flawlessly against a default WordPress installation. In addition, we are not aware (and we in fact know first hand), that s2Member’s shortcodes are parsed properly 99.9% of the time, regardless of which other plugins and/or themes are in use. The fact that you’re having a problem with shortcodes, suggests there is a deeper issue that needs to be resolved on your installation. If you suspect your theme, please disable your theme temporarily, reverting back to the default WP theme. If the issue is resolved, please contact your theme developer for assistance, or consult the documentation for your theme.

Please see: http://www.s2member.com/terms/#s2-terms-warranty

WARRANTY / GUARANTEE; LIABILITY LIMITATION

s2Member® does not warranty or guarantee its Products in any manner. We cannot guarantee our Products will function with all 3rd party components, plugins or web browsers. s2Member® is not responsible for any 3rd party plugin compatibility conflicts that may occur. It is our policy to support all s2Member® Products as best we can. However, we will only provide support for 3rd party plugin conflicts, at our own discretion; as time allows. Please report any known conflicts in our Customer Support Forum for review. We may offer suggestions or alternatives.

s2Member® is not responsible for any data loss that may occur as a result of installing, running, and/or uninstalling any s2Member® Product. Please remember to backup your files & database before installing, running, upgrading, and/or uninstalling any s2Member® Product. If data loss does occur, please report to our Customer Support Forum for review. We may offer helpful advice.

I wanted S2M Pro for the import feature, but when I found out that it wouldn’t email members their passwords upon import, that feature became useless to me too. How would I let 125 people know what their passwords were?

This is also NOT a valid claim. While I understand your desire to have the ability to email your customers immediately upon import, this is NOT a feature that is offered with s2Member Pro, nor is it advertised as a feature provided by s2Member Pro. Our list of features at s2Member.com states only the following.

Thus, emailing members their password, in whatever way you choose to accomplish this, will need to be made possible through custom coding, or perhaps with another plugin. I believe we’ve already made some recommendations/suggestions for you regarding this issue. In the mean time, we’ve accepted this as a feature request, to be considered in a future release of s2Member Pro.

---

Additional Info:

The dispute that you filed against us, also included an argument that you posted about your inability to use “Unlimited Levels” with s2Member Pro? This is a key feature provided by s2Member Pro, so I’m not sure where this argument comes from exactly.

If you’re having a problem with “Unlimited Levels”, please read the details that follow.

With s2Member Pro installed, please see this section of your Dashboard for full instructions about how to configure the number of Membership Levels you’d like to use:
Dashboard -› s2Member® -› General Options -› Membership Levels/Labels

I have tried your suggestions withe deactivating all of my plugins, and choosing a different theme. These are the results I reported on Sept 22:

“Deactivating all of the plugins (besides S2M, of course) resulted in no change whatsoever on the Options Page. Changing the Theme to Twenty Eleven did get rid of the empty space on the page before the PayPal button, and then the PayPal button worked correctly (it went to my PayPal page) but did not parse the Free Membership shortcode (it remained the same.) ”

So, while changing the theme did make a little difference, it did not make the difference I needed it to make. I need the ability to offer different levels of *free* memberships. I used the PayPal button as a test, but I don’t need anyone to ever go to PayPal. If it was working properly, I would be happily managing my members, not haranguing you for a refund.

My reference in the dispute was about the different levels of free memberships, not different levels of paid memberships. Before my purchase, I searched the forums for how to get different levels of free memberships to work, and the best recommendation I could find was to upgrade to Pro. I understand all of your legal-speak about not guaranteeing etc., etc., but since I didn’t have a crystal ball showing me what was going to work, and what wasn’t, I had to plunk down my money and give it a try. I did it fully hoping it would work. But it didn’t.

As for the import feature, I guess I just took it for granted that when I imported people they would receive an email with access information. I’m sorry I overlooked that that information was missing in your descriptions. I’ve already found another plugin that did this beautifully. So I no longer need Pro to do this for me.

We have launched the website and things are running well. My only remaining problem is that I have everyone on the 0 level, so I cannot have the leadership of the Troop be Editors. This means that I have to add everything to the site myself. If I could offer different levels of free membership, then I could make other people editors, and share the workload.

I have a comany to run and a family to take care of. I can’t spend hours and hours trying to get this to work. I’ve probably put 70-80 hours into this site already on a volunteer basis. I need to get back to my life. And as I said, the theme is not negotiable. I simply will not start over with the design.

What’s the big deal?? This is for THE BOY SCOUTS! Don’t you have any children that are involved in community programs? Can’t you issue a refund simply because it’s for a non-profit for CHILDREN?

If the $58 is as important to your company as it is to the Boy Scouts, then can you fix it for us? I just cannot spend another weekend at my computer updating, testing, updating, testing, trying this, testing, trying that, testing, and ignoring my family. If you can get it to work, we’d be grateful, and you can keep the $58. Everybody’s happy.

Thanks for the follow-up.

I need the ability to offer different levels of *free* memberships. I used the PayPal button as a test, but I don’t need anyone to ever go to PayPal. If it was working properly, I would be happily managing my members, not haranguing you for a refund.

My reference in the dispute was about the different levels of free memberships, not different levels of paid memberships. Before my purchase, I searched the forums for how to get different levels of free memberships to work, and the best recommendation I could find was to upgrade to Pro.

Free membership at different Levels is already possible with s2Member Pro Forms, which can facilitate Free Registration at any Membership Level you’d like to offer.

How to accomplish Free Registration at specific Membership Levels…

1. Copy the Shortcode from this section of your Dashboard:
Dashboard -› s2Member® -› PayPal® Pro Forms -› Free Registration Forms

2. Then change the level="0" attribute to whatever you wish.
Please consult this section of your Dashboard for further documentation on Pro Form Shortcodes:
Dashboard -› s2Member® -› PayPal® Pro Forms -› Shortcode Attributes (Explained)

As noted in this UI panel, the documentation states…

*Tip ( optional )* It is also possible to change the level="0" Attribute to something other than the default Level #0 ( Free Subscriber ). For example, if you need to, you can change it to level="1", attach Custom Capabilities with the ccaps="" Attribute, and even limit this access to a certain timeframe with tp="30" tt="D" ( i.e. 30 Days ). So this Form is very flexible. It can be used to allow free access to just about any aspect of your service.

What’s the big deal?? This is for THE BOY SCOUTS! Don’t you have any children that are involved in community programs? Can’t you issue a refund simply because it’s for a non-profit for CHILDREN?

No. We give no special consideration to non-profit organizations, nor do we provide special pricing for non-profits.

If you can get it to work, we’d be grateful, and you can keep the $58. Everybody’s happy.

If problems persist, please submit a new Dashboard login for us here: s2Member® » Private Contact Form

Please submit a WordPress installation running with the default WP theme, and no other active plugins (other than s2Member / s2Member Pro). If the problem with shortcode parsing still exists in this type of installation, we’ll be happy to run diagnostics for you, and provide you with a resolution asap, including a full refund.

Jason;

I have already done all of what you suggested above, including disabling all plugins, deactivating my theme and trying it with twenty-eleven, as well as providing access to my WP admin area via the private support contact form.

The problem is not that I didn’t follow your instructions. The problem is S2M shortcode doesn’t work. Here are links to four pages all have shortcode on them. S2M is the only one that’s not displaying correctly. I don’t know why. I am not a developer. (please review them quickly so I can unpublish them again. I don’t want to confuse vistors.)

http://www.troop80-bsa.com/login/
(S2M Shortcode)

http://www.troop80-bsa.com/register/
(Shortode for contact form in body)

http://www.troop80-bsa.com/
(Shortcode for contact form at bottom of page)

http://www.troop80-bsa.com/boy-scout-troop-80-fact-sheet/
(Theme My Login shortcode in right sidebar)

Why will shortcode from other plugins work, but not S2M? Beleive me, I would happily pay you for a solution that works, but this one sinply does not work on this site.

Hi Debbie,

The s2Member shortcodes are working for thousands of s2Member customers, and hundreds-of-thousands of other s2Member users. I am personally running several websites where I’m using the s2Member shortcodes and I have no problems with them.

If you’re having trouble with an s2Member shortcode, it’s because of one of two things: A badly coded WordPress plugin that is causing a conflict with s2Member, or a badly coded WordPress theme that is causing a conflict with s2Member. That’s why we always ask that you first try switching to the default WordPress theme (e.g., TwentyEleven) and try disabling other WordPress plugins.

Other plugins that have shortcodes, such as a contact form, are very simple plugins. They do not have anywhere near the complexity of the s2Member plugin, which means there are far fewer things that can interfere with its operation. In other words, badly coded plugins and themes are far less likely to affect a simple plugin like a contact form than a complex plugin like s2Member.

To find the source of the conflict you’re experiencing, I suggest trying to disable other plugins until the s2Member shortcode starts working again. That will help you narrow down exactly which plugin is causing this problem. If all plugins except s2Member are disabled and you still have problems with the shortcode, then that would indicate your WordPress theme is causing the problem. (You can confirm that by switching to the default TwentyEleven theme.)

OMG. Didn’t you read what I wrote above?

“I have already done all of what you suggested above, including disabling all plugins, deactivating my theme and trying it with twenty-eleven as well as providing access to my WP admin area via the private support contact form. ”

This did not work!!

I’m very happy for you and all of the other people S2M is working for, but it’s not working for me.

You know, I’m trying my hardest to keep this civil (unlike this guy: http://www.s2member.com/forums/topic/customer-service-sucks/) but you guys are being really pig-headed.

You can’t be all things to all people. Why can’t you just accept that S2M is not working for me, issue me a refund and move on??

As for Jason’s non-profit comments. I can read; I know your policies; but we all know that it’s within your power to make an exception. You’re choosing not to. Don’t hide behind policy.

And not for nothin’ — you should consider changing your policy to match those of your competitors:

Your Satisfaction is Guaranteed!
Try WishList Member™ for 30 days. If you don’t like it, we’ll refund every penny.

Pasted from http://member.wishlistproducts.com/

(and I know this to be true becuase I had a client purchase it and then change her mind, and they gave her her money back without even a raised eyebrow.)

Or WPMU

○ Guaranteed to work, or 100% refunded

Pasted from http://premium.wpmudev.org/join/

Or Magic Members:

What’s your return policy?In case our software does not perform according to the feature page specifications on supported systems and our support team is not able to help, we are happy to refund you within 30 days of purchase.

Pasted from http://www.magicmembers.com/

I wish I had tried them first…

I understood what you said, Debbie. I know you’ve said having deactivated the plugins and changed the theme to the default, and having re-uploaded the files. I’m sorry we’ve kept mentioning doing that, it’s just that it’s one of those, always, in our long experience. But it’s not impossible that something new could come up, that’s why I took a look when you sent the login info, although I didn’t find the reason behind the shortcodes not being parsed.

Now Jason can take a look, but the login info you sent before doesn’t work anymore, that’s why he requested that you send it again, so he can take a look himself to find what’s causing this behavior in your installation. Could you please submit it again for him to investigate it? s2Member® » Private Contact Form

Thank you very much.

Honestly, I was just about to honor your request, but as I was about to click “submit” I got worried. I’m not very pleased with the way I’m being treated by your company. How do I know I can trust you with admin access to my site? I worked very hard on it and I don’t want all of that work to be undone. What guarantees do I have that it will be functioning when Jason is done? Apparently you have “policies” that must be adhered to. What is your policy around this? What do I need to know before I give you access?

You already submitted the login info before when I looked into this, and no harm was done. So far, we’ve only fixed sites or left them as they were, never worse.

Of course, as a site owner, having a complete, fresh backup of your site is always good practice and really important, no matter who you deal with, and even if you’re not dealing with anybody.

Jason’s the one that makes changes when needing to investigate/fix, and does a great job. He works with respect for every customer’s site and is aware of how important they are, so he takes measures to not damage them.

You can believe that or not, of course, it’s your site and your call. I understand you’re frustrated with this so far, I really do, but most customers have their issues resolved promptly and happily. Here’s an example from today, where Jason investigated and fixed a problem, and the customer’s satisfaction. :)

OK; I submitted the access info. I truly hope he can fix it.

Thanks for the follow-ups.

Details received via email for http://www.troop80-bsa.com
~ Investigating the site now.

Thanks for the follow-ups.

@ Debbie Lonergan

The website that I received details on today contains the following:

– Outdated version of WordPress v3.4.1 (latest version 3.4.2)
– Outdated version of s2Member/s2Member Pro v120703 (latest version 121023)
– Corrupted installation of s2Member Pro v120703
… Please see details about this with resolution below.
– Non-default install w/ 9 other active plugins (one outdated)
– Non-default Modular Theme installed

Screenshots from the installation I received details on today:

Regarding this live installation you posted today…

I find that you have an incomplete/corrupted installation of s2Member Pro.

• (see empty file paypal-codes.inc.php in screenshot below)

I suggest that you backup your entire site first (including your database).

Then via FTP delete the entire folders:
/wp-content/plugins/s2member and /s2member-pro.

Now, download the latest copy of both s2Member and s2Member Pro from your account here at s2Member.com. Upload the latest copies to your /wp-content/plugins directory and then load up your Dashboard. s2Member and s2Member Pro will reactivate automatically.

Please consult the documentation here: s2Member® » Pro » Install/Upgrade Instructions

In Conclusion

This issue you’ve reported is related to PayPal Pro shortcode failure on your installation, caused by a corrupted file in your particular installation of s2Member Pro. This file is not corrupted in the official distribution of either s2Member or s2Member Pro. Therefore, we’ll have to assume this corruption occurred either during, or after having been uploaded to your site; and after it was downloaded from your customer account here at s2Member.com.

Hey, that’s great, Jason! Thanks for finding the source of the problem! :)

Debbie, you could just reupload that file from the v120703 distribution, but he’s right suggesting to reupload the whole thing from scratch, since other files may have had a similar problem during your upload when this happened. And since you’re at it, upload the newest v121023 release instead.

s2Member® » Framework » Install/Upgrade Instructions
s2Member® » Pro » Install/Upgrade Instructions

FileZilla is a good FTP client for Windows. http://filezilla-project.org/
If you use a Mac: Transmit. http://panic.com/transmit/

Make sure you have your Deactivation Safeguards enabled, too, so you don’t lose your s2Member settings during update. [hilite path]Dashboard -› s2Member® -› General Options -› Deactivation Safeguards[/hilite]

Keeping your plugins up-to-date (s2Member and the others), and WordPress too, will help avoid problems with your site, that were already solved by the the newer releases. I like waiting a few days after the release before updating, though, unless it’s very urgent. And always have a backup of your site, just in case.

It’s great that you can have the free registration and other pro-forms working now! :D

Sorry for my silence; Hurricane Sandy whipped our butts here in the NorthEast, and getting online has been a challenge.

Before the Hurricane, I followed all of your suggestions and on first try it seems to have worked. I have not yet gone the extra steps to set things up, but at least the shortcode is doing what it’s supposed to now.

Sorry for all of the back and forth, and thank you for your patience with me.

Warmly,
Debbie

Thanks for your update, Debbie. I’m very glad that you got it working. :)

Let us know if you have other questions or need help again.

And I’m very glad to see you’re well after Sandy. I’m very sorry you went through that.