Major Verotel Changes! And I dont think for the better.

[WebDork]

Dear webmaster,

Verotel has an important update about an important subject:
Verotel Pro and Verotel Ticketsclub.

VEROTEL PRO WEBMASTERS, CHANGED IPSP REGULATIONS PER APRIL 1ST

Starting April 1st 2004 VISA and MasterCard require that there is
more transparency regarding larger merchants for which Verotel
processes. End-users need to know which company they are dealing
with when they are using their credit card on the Internet.
This is good for your business and ours, as it will reduce the number
of chargebacks and complaints.

The solution is that larger merchants will need to show their
company name on the descriptor portion of credit card
statements. Currently the name 'VEROTEL' shows up on an enduser's
credit card statement. Webmasters that process, on average,
more than USD 1,000 a week, have been selected in February to
become a VEROTEL PRO customer, and it is required that the webmaster's
company name is shown on the descriptor.

The affected webmasters have been notified by registered/courier
mail and by e-mail.

Please note that starting May 1st 2004, everybody can become a
Verotel Pro customer, regardless of the amount of weekly processing
volume. At that time there is a one time registration fee of
USD 1,500.00 and an annual fee of USD 250.00.

The current preselected group of Verotel Pro customers do not have
to pay any one-time registration fee -and- their annual fee is waived
until January 1st 2006.


VEROTEL CUSTOMERS THAT ARE NOT SELECTED TO BECOME A VEROTEL PRO
CUSTOMER WILL BE A VEROTEL TICKETSCLUB CUSTOMER STARTING APRIL 15TH.

Starting April 15th 2004 Verotel wants to gain more control
over its portfolio with merchants, processing for smaller websites.

That's why Verotel introduces the Ticketsclub (www.ticketsclub.com)
for all Verotel merchants, that have not been selected to become
a Verotel Pro customer. With Ticketsclub, Verotel can actively
monitor endusers that bought a subscription for your website,
reducing the number of fraudulent transactions.

All future Verotel Ticketsclub accounts stay free of charge. However,
some restrictions will be introduced:

- all members being subscribed to a Verotel Ticketsclub merchant
website should login every time at www.ticketsclub.com. That
means that that MEMBERS button link should be replaced on all
Verotel Ticketsclub merchant websites.

- all members being subscribed to a Verotel Ticketsclub merchant
website are being monitored, each time they login to www.ticketsclub.com.
The login information will be shared with all Verotel Ticketsclub
merchants in the Verotel Control Center.

- all websites, owned by a Verotel Ticketsclub merchant, should
be described more detailed in a so called 'Website profile'
by the Verotel Ticketsclub merchant.

- for all credit card, US Check, and Direct Debit Europe transactions
a non-negotiable fixed fee of 14.5% will be charged for all transactions.
There is a 1.5% surcharge for recurring transactions. Please note that
all previous discounts and surcharges will be cancelled for
Verotel Ticketsclub customers starting April 15th.

Please read the full story at:
http://www.verotel.com/new_ipsp.html

You can see on the first page of the Verotel Control Center
if you are a selected Verotel Pro or a future Verotel Ticketsclub merchant.

If you have any questions about our company policy regarding
Verotel Pro and Verotel Ticketsclub, don't hestitate to email
us at [email protected].

We thank you for your business and we hope that we both can
increase our sales and security using these new rules and
regulations.

Kind regards,

Verotel Management
Amsterdam - Netherlands

Wow - I dont like this at all!

All users basically become Verotels property under this new system. They also have to enter via Verotels portal. Signup ratios in my opinion will plummet! and then I wonder how much they will be spammed once logged into Verotels portal.

Straight from their ticketsclub "advantages"...

Great discounts on information and entertainment on the Internet

Then,

The login information will be shared with all Verotel Ticketsclub
merchants in the Verotel Control Center.

Huh? For what purpose? So everyone can market to them?

Too many unknowns...

# If a Verotel Ticketsclub customer elects to use the Verotel Reseller program, then Verotel itself, as a company, should be able to resell your content as well.

So Verotel is going to resell my content ? What does that mean ? They are going to use it as part of promotions? They are going to build competing sites ? or are they simply covering their asses for copyright ?

# All Verotel Ticketsclub merchants should allow Verotel to use the user database of their endusers if the user's last purchase was more then two months ago. Verotel never sells any user- or email lists, but this information is used to remarket endusers with similar websites that fit in the user/website profile

So once a user leaves and asks to unsubscribe they then start getting spammed. Nice backlash against the original webmaster they signed up with. Do I get any credit for the users I have brought into the system when you start upselling them to different programs ? Do they have an option to opt out from the spam ?

At least thanks for the advanced notice so I can start switching to my secondary biller and use them now as primary.

[BVF]

it's legal mumbo jumbo...just wording to let things continue as normal...

But ya never know...they may go out of business tomorrow

[tbabe]

just gotta roll with the punches. These changes dont seem to severe.

[Shoplifter]

It only affects smaller sites. And if you want you can pay for the registration and opt out of the ticket portal.

[WebDork]

VEROTEL TICKETSCLUB is the major issue.

I have to take users away from my site to another one where they then all of a sudden see another 3rd party (and Im not just talking about a secure billing page) website. They also have to use this site as their entry portal from now on as well to my members area. I dont even know if I get to see their details anymore such as emails etc. for when I want to let them know about updates to my site.

My customers are suddenly no longer my own. My conversions are now out of my control. If the TICKETSCLUB site is slow or down or confusing, looks crap or whatever it is one more barrier to signups.

[pussyluver]

Maybe they want to be an AVS?

[Bladewire]

They are increasing their profit by uping their rate from around 7% to 14.5& .. they also want to increase profit by marketing your subscribers! And it's ALL about profit, if it wasn't, then I'd get a commission for all of my subscribers that were upsold to other "ticketclub" sites.

Brilliant move Verotel!

Seems Visa is going to get its way... everyone will have their own merchant accounts OR go through CCBill. We're all being put into a little box and what for? So they can shoot us?

[ravo]

I agree; Looks like TICKETSCLUB is an AVS type system. If you want "regular" processing you've got to pay the fee.

[notjoe]

Originally posted by Squirtit
They are increasing their profit by uping their rate from around 7% to 14.5& .. they also want to increase profit by marketing your subscribers! And it's ALL about profit, if it wasn't, then I'd get a commission for all of my subscribers that were upsold to other "ticketclub" sites.

Brilliant move Verotel!

Seems Visa is going to get its way... everyone will have their own merchant accounts OR go through CCBill. We're all being put into a little box and what for? So they can shoot us?

It'll be like stocking a barrel with hundreds of hungry fish then casting your line