Join our exciting discussion on website pet peeves!

Hi everyone,

We just posted a new discussion on Facebook about your biggest website pet peeves.

Ever go to a website and the page takes way too long to load? Or click on a broken link when you really really want to know where it goes? Or you have no idea where you are, what you're looking at and what to do next? Haven't we all.

We're sure you all have had similar experiences, on our website or on a different website, and we want you to share it with us!

If you don't have a Facebook account, just leave your comment right here. We'll be happy to read and respond to what you have to say.

So, take a moment and air out your frustrations so we can learn a little bit about what gets under your skin.

Take care!

Not getting through by phone? Business is booming and we're trying to keep up!

Hi everyone,

** Our phone support number is correct, we're just a little overloaded. **

Many of you are trying to get through to us by phone to no avail. We understand that this is an issue for a lot of you because you are just dying to chat with one of our awesome Customer Support Specialists. And we want to chat with you too and help you accomplish what you need to get done.

Because of the increasingly high volume of phone calls we receive in a day, many of you are left behind to wait on hold or to just get disconnected. We want to reassure you that we are hiring more people to take your phone calls and provide you with the assistance you need and deserve. So, please hang in there!

In the mean time, if the problem is not too urgent, just submit a ticket to our support desk and we'll try to help you as much as we can. If it is urgent, please keep trying!

Why not play a little Sudoku while you wait on hold? It'll help pass the time and keep your brain healthy and happy!

Thank you for your understanding.

Advance fee fraud and 419 scams: what you need to know right now

Hi folks,

As many of you know, the internet is a precarious space and you always have to be on your guard no matter what. We recently came across some very interesting articles that we would like to share. They are about "Advance Fee" or "419" scams. Here's a brief explanation:

An advance fee scam begins as a seemingly innocent email request from someone who sounds like they may be important in some way. The urgent email is usually from a bank or governmental official, a person who recently inherited a lot of money or just from someone who is attempting to sound authoritative. Some even sound downright desperate... but that's part of the con.

They will try to convince you to send them money or to cash a check for them. For the use of your bank account, they will offer a percentage of the money they're asking you to cash. If they're not asking you to cash a check for them, then they are telling you that they need the money for charity or their starving children. They are appointing you as their own personal sucker, to put it lightly.

The important thing is that you keep your money and your personal details to yourself. Just delete, delete, delete those emails and pay no mind. Seriously! If anyone ever asks you for money or information and the deal sounds just too easy or too good to be true, be very careful because you could be dealing with someone who aims not necessarily to hurt you, but to take care of themselves and their needs at your expense.

Please read these great articles to learn more:

- Advance Fee Fraud

- Interview with a scammer

Take care and be safe when doing anything online!

About the verification time frame

Hi everyone,

Verification is an important way for us to get to know you better and to develop a more in depth understanding of the members who comprise the AlertPay network. It can also help prevent fraud and money-laundering!

We understand that waiting for your account to be verified can be a little annoying, but please know that we review and process documents based on priority and the order in which we receive them.

We told members in the past that it can take up to 10 business days to get verified; however, due to the increasing number of accounts that get opened every day, we are being faced with even more verification documents to review.

With that that said, members who are waiting for their verification documents to be reviewed may be waiting longer than 10 business days. We do not have a specific time frame in which your documents will be reviewed but we will get to them as soon as humanly possible.

We must review them based on a priority sequence to be fair to all members.

Furthermore, we are working on a more automated verification process for all members so that accounts can be verified within moments rather than weeks.

Lastly, if you have been waiting for a while, you only need to submit one ticket. Sending multiple tickets to Customer Support will increase your wait time due to the amount of time it takes to read and review all of the additional and unnecessary tickets.

So, please submit only one support ticket regarding verification.

Thank you for your understanding!

Establishing a Good Reputation as an Online Seller

Hi AlertPay sellers and business folks,

Do you want to earn your customers' trust and sell more? Making your customers happy and meeting their needs is a great way to do just that.

Here are 6 Top AlertPay Recommendations for enhancing your relationship with your customers:

1. Get “Verified”. Getting verified will greatly enhance your reputation as a reliable and lawful seller. Because buyers know that we know who you are, they will be more likely to buy from you.

2. Let them know that you accept and encourage feedback. This tells your customer that you care about what they want and that you are willing to mould your business to their needs.

3. Provide up-to-date contact details. Make sure that your customer support phone numbers and email addresses are posted on your website and are easy to find.

4. No surprises, no hidden fees. Not everyone likes surprises, especially where money and online security are involved. Be open and honest about what your customers should expect.

5. Always deliver the goods and good service. Word will get around that you put your customers first and that you are trustworthy. They will appreciate this.

6. Develop a concise Refund/Return/Exchange Policy. If your customers are not satisfied with their purchase, you should make it easy for them to return it and get a refund/exchange. This will greatly enhance your reputation.

Did you know that you can grant an instant refund to any of your customers within 14 days of purchase? Now you do!

There you have it — 6 steps in the right direction. Happy selling!

Please beware of fraudulent Haiti charities: tips on how to stay vigilant

Hi everyone,

In times of disaster, it is unfortunate that people with criminal agendas come out in full force to prey on the vulnerabilities of those who just want to help. It is honourable to donate food, clothing, medical supplies and money to a charitable cause, but you must beware of fraudsters and the numerous tactics they use to tug at your heart strings and take your money.

As you know, Haiti is suffering from the catastrophic effects of an earthquake that leveled their capital, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding areas. Although many people, charities and nations have risen to help the Haitian people in their time of great need, so too have criminals — except they only want to help themselves.

Before giving any of your money to a charitable cause, be it for Haiti or any other issue, please consider these tips offered by the American Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police:

• Beware of appeals that evoke sympathy.
• Ask for I.D. if a solicitor is asking for donations in person. They should have a registered tax number of the charity if they are legitimate.
• Research the charity online or call them to inquire about any solicitors.
• Watch out for fraudulent charities with names that sound similar to legitimate charities.
• Avoid giving cash gifts to a charity.
• Do not respond to unsolicited incoming emails and social networking messages.
• Do not open any attachments in email, even if they are photos of a disaster. They may contain viruses which can compromise your security.
• Do not give your personal details to anyone who solicits donations as you could be targeted for identity theft.

In a nutshell, do your due diligence and always think critically about any solicitations, especially when a disaster, such as the Haiti earthquake, has taken place.

Please read more here:

Haitian Earthquake Relief Fraud Alert

National Center for Disaster Fraud to Coordinate Haitian Fraud Complaints

Watch our for Haiti charity scams (RCMP press release)

Information on Identity Theft:

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

United States Department of Justice

We urge people, members and non-members alike, to give what they can to the Haitian cause, but please give only to registered, legitimate and well-known charities. Take care!

Guess what? There's an AlertPay website re-design in the works!

Attention AlertPay members,

In an attempt to streamline our website and enhance usability and your understanding of our services, we are re-designing our website. This has been in the works for quite a while and we are almost done! We're hoping to launch the new site, in English and French, by the end of February.

We will be optimizing some existing content to be more explanatory, and will also be including loads of new, exciting and useful content. The site will be very similar to the existing one, but we will be focusing on our two main audiences: sellers and buyers.

We will be including two fun tutorials on how you can use AlertPay to shop online and to sell online. Among many other things, we are also creating some documentation for sellers and shoppers on how to do some very specific things with your accounts, like how to add a bank account, how to cancel a subscription and how to grant a refund. All that fun stuff!

We want to make our services as easy as possible by giving you the tools and resources you need to do what you have to do online.

Although we have a very comprehensive knowledgebase, we know that even more knowledge is power and so is more useful content!

There is so much more to tell, but we have to keep a few surprises. However, you will agree that the new site will be the best AlertPay has ever had.

More details to come soon and have a great week!