Error when buying membership but balance deducted?

[elytsone]

I topped up by €10 yesterday and was receiving an error when trying to purchase the monthly membership. Now my balance has been deducted below the €10 and unable to purchase the membership

[dalyer]

What was the error message?

How exactly were you trying to buy membership?

On the app, on the website, by text etc.?

What is your balance now?

Perhaps you used some service that gets chanrged to your cash credit balance and this reduced your balance?

E.g. MMS, international call/text, calls to "special" numbers such as 1850/1890 etc.?

Hope this helps.

[elytsone]

System error unable to buy membership on the app.
Balance dropped to €9.76.

Wasn't using my phone all evening and when I was I was on wifi to try buy the membership again. Made no calls and sent no texts in that time off wifi

[dalyer]

New 48 accounts start with a cash credit balance of 1c.

You topped up by €10 which would have given you a cash credit balance of €10.01.

Your balance is now €9.76.

The difference is 25c.

That's the cost of an international text.

You seem to be using an iPhone?

That being the case the 25c most likely went on a UK SMS that the Apple iPhone activation process sends behind the scenes.

This is due to the stupid way that Apple do things and is not under 48's control.

You'll have to topup your cash credit balance by another €1 or more in order to have €10+ and be able to buy Guido membership.

Hope this helps.

[elytsone]

I haven't received any international message though?

[dalyer · Accepted solution]

I know.

The iPhone activation process that Apple insist on with some networks SENDS a UK SMS behind the scenes from your phone to their activation server.

You don't RECEIVE anything and don't see any evidence of this UK SMS having been sent other than the loss of 25c cash credit which is used to pay for it.

So that's almost certainly what happened here and due to Apple's stupid process you'll need to topup by €1 or more in order to have €10+ to be able to buy membership.

Note that Apple may automatically send further UK SMSs (on a once off basis) to activate other services of theirs such as FaceTime, iMessage etc 

It's a really stupid system that they use and causes no end of confusion and annoyance to end users.

Hope this helps.

[dalyer]

Did that help at all @elytsone?

[elytsone]

Apologies I've been away with no access to email. Yes that helps I will top up by a euro when I get a chance and hopefully that'll resolve it. Thank you for your help!

[dalyer]

Glad it helped.

Hopefully when you topup and have at least €10 cash credit the membership purchase should go more smoothly.