New Billing System & PayPal

[Vahrokh]

So... don't use a weak password. (Saving the password on your computer, including 'Remember this password' automatically makes it weak.)
Use lowercase, numbers, uppercase and symbols. A lot of people (probably close to half) forget about the last two. Make it long (at LEAST 8 chars) and not in the dictionary, nor a concatenation of words in the dictionary

Actually, some 2003-2005ish malware can directly "read" into your ********* password fields and saved passwords and send them around, but at the moment this stuff is not the featured malware of the month.

The featured malware of the moment are the "keyloggers" - a phenomenon exploded along with World Of Warcraft diffusion.
Ill minded third world countries criminals (or regular hackers too) redirect gullible or not paying attention people into tampered with internet sites.

Typically you'll read a post or a blog with:

"Latest news" or "Nice girls at"

http://abcd.xyz.cn/goto.php?blah blah

(notice the ".cn" and "goto.php", not obligatory but a lot spread keylogger URL parts)
which believe or not, attract a fair share of clicks.

As users click that, malicious software gets installed to send the hackers everything, really everything you type.

In this case, having your passwords saved into permanent fields would save you typing them and thus preventing the hackers from getting your passwords, credit card info and much more.

Finally, at least when I created my Paypal account (many years ago), it checked for "weak password" and would not accept the 6 characters + numbers password I typed and so I had to put a safer one anyway.

I was right, I did forget the password

Click on the "I forgot password" like link and you can retrieve it by answering some questions yourself indicated at account creation.

1) If you snail mail us your credit card info, we will promptly shred the envelope, burn the shreds and then eat them.

Hmm, so you got your personal Lunus clerk burning and chewing on stuff?

2) If you email us your credit card info, we will promptly smash the computer, burn it and bury the pieces in the desert.

Hmm, you hired Shulahravaukar. Lunus indeed!

What makes me unhappy is that they mail me junkmail offers with my full CC number, address, personal info, etcetcetc inside. Weeee. I hope no scammers ever figure out that company does that. One of these years I'm going to have to get a credit card from a real bank, and not one of these "we have no branches and only exist online, except for our headquarters which are in our CEOs mother's garage!" banks

My bank would never do that. The little they send is in special double "walled" envelopes with random patterns to make reading in transparency harder, plus a black sheet around what they sent.

[velveeta]

Why is there such an aversion to PayPal anyway? I've used it for years for many things and have always been happy with it.

Am I missing something?

totally agree with you, here. i have used paypal for many websites over the years and have never had a problem.

[Galilee]

I have been using Paypal for years now, with never a complaint, too.
That said though: I remember quite well how wary I was when I started out using it, so I can understand quite well that many others now are feeling uncertain.

What I miss in all these posts about Paypal, is some more attention for the other-then-cc-ways that Paypal offers. Especially many europeans simply don't own creditcards; so they will nééd to take one of the other options that Paypal offers.

I will tell what precautions I took when starting out with paypal; maybe that could be acceptable to the wary ones here today as a means of using paypal that they can trust.

I did not have a creditcard, so I went with the other options Paypal has: started out with one, later added another option/route (when I trusted it more).

First thing I did was read about how things work on Paypals site.
Then I did nót go straight on to make an account with them; but instead went to my bank, and made a seperate account there: simple account, without overdrafting-option, and an account on which nothing happens (no checks or salary ever coming in on that one).
I use this account for any and all payments which I think just might be not all too trusted as to the person/company I am paying. Because this way they will never ever be able to fool around with my 'big' bank-account: whatever they try, they will only get hold of the small amount (which I send to it each month from my main account) on thát account, and can't reach my main-account.

Then I went to paypal, and made an account with them; taking the bank-option, and putting in this bankaccount-number. But to make things safer still, I did nót go for them validating my bankaccount, I stayed an 'unvalidated account' (this means Paypal will not take money out of your bank-account, instead they will simply not pay what you order them to pay, unless there is enough money for that in your paypal-account; at least as I understand it).

Next I started using their option to put money on my paypal-account: each month I send a small amount to my paypal-account, enough to not run out of cash and a tiny bit extra; but no big sums, nothing more then I need on there. You can send money to your paypal-account from ány bank-account you have (or relatives or friends can put money on your paypal-account, if you give them the neccessary details, too) - this sending bankaccount is only a send-address and is not in the paypal-books as having anything to do with your paypal-account (unless it happens to be the same bankaccount you are sending from as the bankaccount you entered when making your paypal-account, of course).

Now, with a sum ready on my paypal-account, I can use Paypal freely to pay whatever I want. And Paypal will never take money from my bankaccount (and even if they or anyone else maliciously wóuld, they could never take more then a small sum, as I don't put more then a small sum in that particular bank-account).

Meanwhile, after seeing I could trust them, I did validate that bankaccount I use for them, so now they cán take money from my bankaccount if I would not have enough on my paypal-account; but still they can never take more then the small sum on that bankaccount, as I have made it a 'not able to overdraft'-account; but otherwise I still go on using Paypal in the here described way; and never ever have had any trouble.

Hopefully some of you who feel wary at this point, can use some of this info to get to use Paypal in a way that you feel is safe.

[Creme]

I know of a few teenagers that use gaming cards, do those work with PayPal?

[Deth]

No they would not but if they picked up the prepaid CC cards they could. But I am not sure if there is a age restriction on those. Maybe they could get their parents to pick up one for them and load the money when they ask?

[gopher65]

No they would not but if they picked up the prepaid CC cards they could. But I am not sure if there is a age restriction on those. Maybe they could get their parents to pick up one for them and load the money when they ask?

I believe the age limit is 16 in canada for a pre-paid card. Dunno about everywhere else, but it probably isn't too different. If you are below 16 you probably don't have a job, and your parents should be paying for you.

[Icabald Percival dragon]

Galilee--

Thank you for the suggestion. It is worth a try.

Icabald Percival Dragon

[Screech]

It always amazes me how encrypted online transactions are "omg don't do that, it will raid your bank account, murder your wife and mutilate the dog" but at the same time they have no problem whatsoever handing a complete stranger in a restaurant their card.
Watch this if you don't believe it. (The Real Hustle - Waitress Scam)

[gopher65]

Yeah sceech. I don't use a Credit Card in restaurants. Doing so is a good way to get ripped off. And it won't be something obvious like a 5000 dollar charge that you can take to your CC company and have them fix. It will be 25 or 50 or 100 bucks a month.

It will be something innocuous like a gas station purchase that you won't notice unless you are looking for it, and unless you take your receipts and go over every one of your little purchases every month like my parents do:P. I on the other hand just don't use my CC unless I absolutely need to. It's easy to see fraudulent charges if you know that your only purchases that month numbered three and were from amazon.com and chapters.ca.

Over time those small charges will add up though.

[Velea]

Wow, that's a frightening video! Hope everyone watches it, though, so they are informed.

[Death-knell]

OK, so I signed up with pay pal.

Got an email from horizons saying my username and password. Does that mean I have to use that username now instead of my email address when signing into the game?

[Deth]

Yes. I think. I know I have been using my log-in name for years now and I still think they are the same. In fact I know they are the same as I know I logged in to try and play, Vista user, and I used the log-in name I have always used, since they enabled the feature, and not my email address.

[Death-knell]

oh? I been using my email addie since the beginning. And my username is quite different then my email.

[Deth]

I forget how long ago they changed it from email address to being able to use the ID you created with your original account. I just know I subed and I can use the log-in ID I have used for over a year now. /8->

[Death-knell]

Well I'll have to give it a whirl then. I have everything set to auto log so I really haven't had a reason to try anything else.

[Death-knell]

OK, I think I missed something......

I went to paypal and signed up for the 6 month gifted account under my username. I then went to log in under my username and there are no characters listed!
I log in under my email addie and all my characters are there. HELP!!!!

[Velea]

There are some accounts that are still having problems with using usernames. You should get two error messages when you try to log in with your username before you even get to the character select window.

How do I know this? Well, because I have the same problem. I just use my email address to log in and don't worry about the username thing. Doesn't bother me so long as I can log in.

[Death-knell]

There are some accounts that are still having problems with using usernames. You should get two error messages when you try to log in with your username before you even get to the character select window.

How do I know this? Well, because I have the same problem. I just use my email address to log in and don't worry about the username thing. Doesn't bother me so long as I can log in.

Yeppers, been using my email addie. But does my email addie account = my username account.......because the username account is void of characters?!?!

[gopher65]

Yeppers, been using my email addie. But does my email addie account = my username account.......because the username account is void of characters?!?!

Yeah it is the same account. The username works, but for some people it only works on the website login right now, not with the standalone launcher.

[Meloric]

I've never used PayPal so need answers to these questions please...

I contacted Horizons Support and Reyem did get my two accounts merged under one email address/log-in. I'm ready to set up the billing but don't know which I should use to set up the billing with PayPal.

Do I use my login name or my email address when I set up the billing?

How do I set up two subscriptions on the same account since these were once two separate accounts?
I just want to ensure I don't lose either of the plots for those two accounts. This may be answered for me once I actual go to set up the billing but I like to have knowledge before hand to help preclude any mistakes on my part.

I can log in using just the login name so I know that works just don't know which to use to set up the billing.