Ordering from Northstar

[geoffb]

Just wondering if anyone has had problems ordering online from Northstar?
I have had my card declined on two occasions despite never having problems anywhere else and know that there are funds on it?
I mentioned this to a pal and he said he's had the same problem.

cheers
Geoff

[pulpgoblin]

Hi - I've just placed my third oreder with them in as many months and its gone through ok.

Only thing I can think of is that they ask for your cards "valid from" date as well as expiry date, which is a bit unusual these days - I'm clutching at straws, but could you have overlooked that?

[Dewbakuk]

Might be worth speaking to your bank. I suspect the problem is that they have an old fashioned charging system, where the orders are printed off and someone manually charges the cards. Some banks/cards don't like it because the company has to tell the machine that the customer 'is not present'. It's the reason we have cv2 numbers, but automated bank systems tend to get twitchy.

It's a problem of modern systems, companies/banks/computers update and create new programs/systems and always assume that everyone else is following suite. While the truth is that most small companies are perfectly happy with the way things work and often don't want/need to update.

[Mr.J]

Mine was declined yesterday, prompt email from them, reordered and went through fine second time. No idea it was declined, not overly concerned either though. Great service from them meant that the order was still placed within 24 hours even with the card shenanigans.

[Silent Invader]

I've ordered a couple of times in the last few weeks and the card payment process was fine 

[Atheling]

Just wondering if anyone has had problems ordering online from Northstar?
I have had my card declined on two occasions despite never having problems anywhere else and know that there are funds on it?
I mentioned this to a pal and he said he's had the same problem.

cheers
Geoff

Geoff,

It happened to me a few years ago- then I realised that I wasn't putting my name in correctly as it was shown on my card! 

Hopefully you've got more sense than me?

Darrell.

[Vanvlak]

Only problem I ever had with paying with a card online - and this was not with Northstar - was when a work-issued card which had not had its account credited on time was refused by an American publisher; the bank in response blocked the card outright until I went to settle the issue personally; and I was not informed, and only realised when I tried to make another purchase.
To be fair this was some 6 years backand never happened again. Could it be a similar over-reaction?

[Iceaxe]

Yes, a day or two ago, exactly the same, my card was declined when it shouldn't have been. I did think it was the bank messing the changeover of cards up as my new one was due to start today, but the existing one should still have worked 2 days ago. Reading these posts, looks like it wasn't me after all. So I didn't get my order.

[Atheling]

Yes, a day or two ago, exactly the same, my card was declined when it shouldn't have been. I did think it was the bank messing the changeover of cards up as my new one was due to start today, but the existing one should still have worked 2 days ago. Reading these posts, looks like it wasn't me after all. So I didn't get my order.

The best thing then to do is to contact Nick personally through the NS site and let him know that this is an ongoing problem.

Darrell.

[Silent Invader]

My experience with them is that if there's a problem they're always quick to respond to emails and then quick to resolve.

[Atheling]

My experience with them is that if there's a problem they're always quick to respond to emails and then quick to resolve.

Mine too

Darrell.

[geoffb]

Actually their customer service has been pretty shoddy but that's another story.

[Rabbitz]

I had my card declined twice but didn't hear about it until I followed up to see if what I had ordered had been dispatched.   
Was told they had emailed me to tell me it had happened but I never received the emails. 

Was a little gutted as the stuff I had ordered was reduced and is now no longer carried by them so I missed out on some great bargains.  The other order was for one of the nickstarters.

Like I say, I didn't know there had been a problem until I followed up with them some time later.

I messaged and email Nick direct and that helped get communications flowing. 

[geoffb]

As I suspected mine was not an isolated incident (I have heard from others in person and online of similar experience with them)
The bottom line is that they have refused to honour a sales price even though it looks very likely there is a problem with their online system and despite them giving me an order number and there being no problem with my card.
Personally I will be avoiding them in future and advise others to consider their poor customer service and rather rude attitude.
I did inform them that I would be passing on my experience with them.

Geoff

[M Blakey]

+1 to messaging Nick he's done me a few favours above and beyond over the years