We’ve happily used s2Member Pro for several years now, and we’re very pleased with it - apart from one ongoing problem.
Our new customers are only human, and as such over time they forget to change their PayPal email address when the old address becomes obsolete. This means that when they signup for (paid) membership their registration email doesn’t arrive, so they get frustrated (and always blame us).
Sometimes, they pay again - and that still doesn’t work. Others create a free account and keep changing their password, in the vain hope that it might cause the problem to heal up.
Worst of all, some complain to PayPal - and we all know what a hassle that can be.
Without fail, it causes the customer to think we’re either inefficient or dishonest - and frustratingly, we cannot contact them because their PayPal email doesn’t work.
We’ve found that customers who create a free account first (to watch a sample video) and later UPGRADE that account, very rarely experience a problem, because when they created the account they (naturally) added their current email address. Then when they pay, it doesn’t matter (to us) whether their PayPal email is valid or not because the account is already created, and upgraded successfully.
We’re tempted to make all new customers create a free account first, and then upgrade it, but human nature being what it is, there’s a chance some will become distracted and not actually get around to going back and upgrading when the free account is created.
It would be better if they were asked for their username and email when they first signup for a full account and when they click submit, they THEN go straight to PayPal, while the account details come to us. The PayPal transaction could then be treated as an upgrade for that account.
Is there any way we could do this and still keep the member signup as one operation, rather than having to signup for a free account, then login to it, and upgrade?
Any ideas to get around the obsolete PayPal email address problem will be most welcome.