ddwebb
patreon
Refunds as needed
🕑 Added 2022-11-11 13:43:04 +0000 UTCEdit: Okay, most of this is now invalidated; please see the bolded Edit 2 below for an explanation. I'm going to leave it up for the sake of transparency, but there shouldn't be any problems with this going forward unless I manage to screw something else up.
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Hello, Nemitites, Eserites, and new Izarites! I'm sorry about the bungled roll-out of the billing change; this has all been my fault, and due to my unfamiliarity with the financial side of Patreon and failure to adequately plan ahead. I sincerely apologize.
The situation currently is that folks at the Nemitite tier were charged for the month for content that was then moved to the new Izarite tier, and I didn't think enough in advance about how that would actually work out in practice. It means, with the new billing system, the people who upgraded got effectively double-charged for this month, and the people who chose not to upgrade were charged for benefits that were then immediately removed. Obviously neither of those is fair.
I swear I wasn't trying to scam anybody, I'm just very bad with money. And technology.
Fortunately this is fixable, albeit with a little more effort. I am able to issue refunds with a few clicks, I just need to know who to send them to. I very nearly just pulled up the whole Nemitite list and went down it doing that, but hesitated because there are people backing me at that level who don't do it for the advance content (some have told me so) and I don't want to risk kicking them off. I'm not sure if that's what the refund action would do, even, but I caused this mess by acting too quickly with too little thought so I'm trying to err a bit in the opposite direction.
So there are two kinds of people I need to hear from: People who're staying Nemitite who don't want a refund for the month, and people who've moved to Eserite and want a refund for their Nemitite-level dues for the month (because I don't have a convenient list of y'all anymore, after the tier change). Please post a brief message below telling me which you are within the next few days.
I'm planning to leave this post up for a week, and at the end of that I will go through and send the necessary refunds. Hopefully that'll give everybody time to speak up if they need to.
Again, I'm very sorry about this blunder, and I'm doing my best to make sure it's rectified. The absolute last thing I want is to take advantage of my supporters.
I appreciate all of you.
Edit: Okay, it turns out the folks who upgraded were only charged the difference, not double-charged. That's a load off my mind. So I just need to refund Nemitites for the month, so if you don't want a refund please let me know below and that should be all the information I require to fix this.
Edit 2: In a splendid demonstration of exactly how I got myself into this mess in the first place, an obvious and simple solution was suggested to me which resolves this whole issue without the need to issue a lot of manual refunds. So! I've unlocked the most recently posted chapter for Nemitite-level backers, and will do so for the remaining chapters posted for the rest of this month. Which is what I should've done in the first place, but as you may be starting to realize, I am not an efficient or detail-oriented person.
In any case, Nemitites can still get their advance chapters through November. Any refunds I have already issues will stay refunded, and access is also granted. Consider it my apology for all this mess. I'm extremely sorry that people were inconvenienced because I am stupid.
Comments
Benjamin D Sears
When I upgraded it only charged me $2.10. Nemetite to isarite.
Isaac Boyles
Honestly I don't really care much either way, I have you on my patreon list because I like your work and think you deserve a small sum monthly for that
Dominic Corbin
You were trying to do right by people. That's not stupid. Sticking your foot in your mouth in front of those people... an embarrassment I know too well. This too shall pass, and anyone worth caring about will let it go. Hope the rest of today, and the weekend goes your way. Edit: I swear I clicked reply to Webb's comment for this... time to take my own advice!
D. D. Webb
...sometimes I think I need a full-time assistant just to point out obvious things to me when I get into my own head. Yes, you're absolutely right, that's a much simpler solution.
Daemion
Wouldn't it be easier to unlock the chapters for the Nemitite tier until the end of the month instead of trying to figure out who should get a refund?
Kit Lewis
Yeah. Only charged the difference. But even if it didn’t, I wouldn’t want the refund. OVDT is awesome and I am very happy to get to enjoy it. Thanks Webb!
GraySquirrelEatToast
Seconded, upgrading only charged the $2 difference
Pyro Hawk
Just upgraded to Izarite right now and it wasn't 'charge new' but 'update membership' with my previous member cost acting as a 'credit' to the updated cost. So that's how it works. I'll leave everything else up to you to determine how you'll work around any potential remaining issues. Enjoying the stories so far.
D. D. Webb
Oh, good, that solves half the problem then. Thank you!
jimmie lee
It just charged me the two dollar difference when I switched.
Dominic Corbin
I upgraded tiers, but had already been contributing 5/mo. On Nov 2nd Patreon charged the usual amount, and no extra charges from Patreon in between normal monthly charges. So for me at least everything seems like business as usual.
D. D. Webb
If that's the case it would simplify all this considerably. People who have upgraded, is that what happened?
Monty
Doesn't upgrading only charge the difference?
Patrick Sheehy
Lmao this sounds like something I’d do- no worries
Gemyma
Hi. No refunds please. I'm behind on ovdt anyway so figured I'd stay in the support only tier until I catch up, then upgrade when I'm ready to avoid spoilers
