VDG Offsite

[Zhuge]

Open letter to Chaotic

Chaotic,

Allow those who believed they paid for infinite use of your off-site to have access again for three more months. The same amount of time that those who would pay $20 today would receive. Those of us who gave $20 for the off-site during the last month are going to feel upset for what you have done, otherwise.

I did not mind supporting your effort as I felt my $20 was a good nod to your effort and for the time I had put into enjoying your games.

It was a belief that I was getting access to the off-site for quite a long time for the twenty. I was not so much of a fool to believe that it would last for ever. I was thinking in about 6 months you would change that to 20 every year or 6 mos.

However, it was my fault for not really noticing the '1 month - $20' when paying for access and I got what I paid for: One month. You then posted that the one month had not been your intention and you would fix it.

Your fix is understandable and decent. You need to be compensated for your efforts, especially your time. I do not mind the sixty a year. It is a minor cost compared to what else I pay for in my year and I help you to create unique and interesting content.

However, to lead me around like you have with the one month then four months and expecting me to pay again 30 days later when I expected to receive at least 180 days, is very frustrating.

I would, and I expect many others would as well, like to continue to fund your work in the future as you do good work. It is my hope that we could come to an agreement.

Cordially,
Zhuge

[blaman]

frankly speaking we all paid for an infinite membership, we asked about it over emails and we received confirmation about it

so now that it changes and we are given NO CONMPENSATION - this is really unfair

it's not that Im greedy or something - I paid those money because I think that Chaotic deserved credit for his hard work. but the promise given was not fulfilled, and me and others are simply left without access to something we paid for

if any of us felt like going to court - he'd win without any problems descrïption was misleading, Chaotic gave confirmations about it... well, it's obvious that could be considered a fraud. unintentional for sure, but still a fraud

of course noone would do it (at least I hope noone would) but we got screwed and that doesnt feel too good

my understanding is that currently Chaotic has no way to let us back to the website, so my only idea for a solution is if he can put the new content on some FTP server of his and provide those who paid an access to this new content. or send new dates by mail, you have emails of ours, right ?

be it even for just those 3 extra months. but please Chaotic - do not leave it the way it is now. after all we paid first, we were the early adopters. it's not gonna be what we paid for, but at least wouldn't put us and you in such an incovenient situation...

[yawner]

Just a quick update to point out what's happening with the offsite.

Epoch, the internet billing company who handle the memberships, don't seem to have a system which simply allows a one time payment and infinate access. I have found however, the option of how to create new subscrïption options. The sign-up to the offsite is now a one time payment for four months of access.

This way, anyone who signs up will have a third of a year to enjoy any updates. It feels a little better than one month for $19.99 as I don't feel the amount of games there just now warrent the cost. The original point of the offsite was to help with my house moving around May 1st, and my big thanks to everyone who subscribed so far (especially if you did it for that reason), but a constant source of finacial support for the site also helps keep it going, so my aim is to maintain the offsite like this. There is the VIP section, but there really aren't that many people who take it up (27 right now currently subscribed I think), and since the price is about the same now, I am considering merging the two.

If anyone who's membership has run out wishes to resubscribe at the new rate, go ahead, but there is no new content just yet. When there is, it will be announced on the main free site.

Looks like someone is joking here.

[doverfr]

wow... indeed, it seems that it's going to be really unfair if we have paid for a month when others will have 4... even more when it was clearly stated that this was an ONE TIME Payment...

[Painkiller]

This is even a little funny...
It was the first time ever when I paid for access to anything in the net. I hesitated for a week or so, but I loved Chaotic's games so much, and it was supposed to be indefinite (he confirmed it).
Well, I guess it's also the last time for me...
And this last update of his is simply ridiculous.
As far as I'm concerned, he's lost the respect of those who actually respected him the most.

[slagus]

Wow i love chaotic's games but was hesitant about the vip and offsite sections, I was very tempted to sign up very glad i didn't. I mean the customers who paid for unlimited only getting 1 month and the fix being that new users pay for and receive 4 months, how does that help the people who were unintentionally scammed. I know it is not really my business but the least he could do is send the games to the people who paid for them. This is just bad business.

[kessie8yl]

I am so disappointed to read this statement. Chaotic has absolutely no concept of the law, let alone good customer service.
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I too have enjoyed the games in the past and would have been more than willing to subscribe for a reasonable amount. After this however, Chaotic will not be seeing a penny of my money.
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I feel he has cheated his most loyal customers and deliberately misled them.
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Furthermore I believe this latest statement is just another attempt to go on cheating them, since Epoch is set up to continue taking the charge on a regular basis, customers will end up paying $20 a quarter - whether the site has been updated or not!
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I am hoping it is down to naivety, rather than sharp practice but anyone feeling strongly about the way they have been treated can complain in the strongest possible terms to his ISP to start with.
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Chaotic himself could easily be subject to criminal charges as, by openly stating the payment was not recurring, he has left himself open to charges of deception fraud.
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Chaotic really needs to give himself a wake-up call. I just don't think he realises the seriousness of this. It is one thing coming up with games as a hobby and allowing people to play them for free - but once you start taking money from people in return it is another thing entirely.
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Wake up Chaotic before you lose all the loyalty and goodwill you have built up.
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If you want anyone else to trust you with their money you must be seen to be doing right by those you have let down. You know who paid the original $20 fees, in the belief it was a one-off. Give them a "back door" password into the site - or at least pay for a full 4-month membership for them now and let them decide whether they want to continue after that.
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Personnaly I think $80 per annum is too much to pay. As I said, you don't even guarantee to update the site on a regular basis, but others may disagree. One thing is for sure, people must be clear about what they are paying for and get what was promised.
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[Tjommi]

Just to clear things up a bit, I don't know Chaotic other than the brief conversations I have had with him here in the forums in the lagoon. Nevertheless I did what you guys asked and wrote him an email and asked if he would be so kind and pop in here and adress your issues.

[sharkfan]

Chaotic has a blog update on the free site about the membership issues.

[Machmut Kahn]

Quoting Chaotic again regarding the payment stuff.

READ

Good news.

I've finally managed to find a way of altering expired members on the offsite.

It's a tedious process and I have to trawl through all the records online (with no search ability), but it is possible. Pardon my French, but thank Fuck. To say I was getting a little stressed out over this would be an understatement.

If you previously signed up for the offsite, but only got one month's worth of access, email me at this address : vdgoffsitereports@googlemail.com

Please do not use the usual admin email address. This will allow me to keep things better organised.

Email your username, password and the email address you signed up with and I should be able to alter your membership to the longer version.

Please be patient as updating the information isn't a simple case of ticking a box and, as I said earlier, there's no search function.

Now, I'm going for a drink.

Source: http://virtualdategirls.blogspot.com/

A new girl comming to the off-site aswell I see, Tammy.

[qayin]

Well bugger my bumble-bees bread bin. (as a great man once said)

I don't even see the question here, Chatotic has 2 options.
Refund Everyone that has paid while knowing it is a "permenent" thing, or give them permenent acess.
There is no obligation on his side to even start developing games for any period of time, but he promissed, and stated in a law abiding statment that as long as that domain belongs to him, these people will have acess to it.

I do respect people that say they didnt expect it to be permenent and are so calm about it, but my friend, you can ALWAYS donate 5 bucks a month if u want, rather, a GRAET game comes out? send him even 25 dollars with a thank you note and "keep on the good work" but you have to ask for what you were promissed, at least for the sake of those who did want to do it permenently, paying once. and for the sake of ones that would lose their faith in supporting people over the web... as a common goal, ask for what u deserve, after that, donate all you can.

love, Qayin.

[lucky loser]

Thanks Chaotic!

I'm okay with $20 for 4 months. If there's new content, I'll re-up. If not, I won't.

[blaman]

ummm why does he need my email address I used to sign up ? Im really not comfortable with telling my passwords to other people

[cheese101]

he already has your password,giving it again won't do any damage...maybe its just to confirm you are who you say you are?

[yawner]

@blaman
That's good question. It's not beliveable that billing service don't give any (where any means things necessary to contact, like email address) info about custormers or have it own way to contact them.

Furthermore with such data - email, username (without password) - it's possible to login at epoch.com as a customer and have access to all previous payments and ones that will be made.

@cheese101
He has emails too? Then great "confirmation" would be sending by chaotic even new/generated/random password to every user. Not the other way.

PS. Right now it's not even 4 months, but 112 days.