ORIGINAL: ccmacdon

Ogis,

I don't think it's necessarily just happening to non-US customers but there is definately a lot of non-US customers that seem to have issues.. it's one thing for the on-line store to have some kind of a credit card problem but to expect your customers to sit on hold on the telephone incuring long distance charges for excessive periods of time simply to place an order is absolutely ridiculous. If there was a 1-800 number that worked in Canada I wouldn't have such a big problem with all this, I would have simply waited on the phone, but not if I'm paying long distance charges!! Craig

ORIGINAL: Adroen

Update: After initially facing the same problem as Lostchord and a lot of other people in this thread, I've successfully placed an order through the webstore.

Now what i'm going to say is what worked for me. It doesn't mean it will solve everyone's problems with this particular error, but it has worked for me so i'm passing on the info in case it helps someone out.

Okay now that the disclaimer is out of the way.

The following post and the info contained within it(thanks Adam) is what got my mind ticking over about how I could make the order succeed. Remember i'd already had two failed attempts that had placed 'holding' amounts on my card, just like other posters have mentioned.(These 'holding' amounts dropped off the system a week later for me, as the Sales Support person I spoke to told me they would...Adam also mentioned in his post about this)
quote:

ORIGINAL: Adam Burch [Cakewalk]

When you click the Submit button in our eStore checkout process it triggers a series of events:



CC Authorization - Our credit card processing service determines whether the funds required for purchase are available on your credit card. If approved, a hold is placed for the purchase amount. You made it successfully through this step.

Address Verification - Our CC processor verifies the billing address you gave us, comparing it to the one on file with your CC company. This is where your transaction was declined. That usually means the Billing Address you supplied doesn't match the one on record with your CC company/bank. Can you verify the address on file with your bank before attempting to order again?

If the Address verification fails, the CC Authorization is voided. Or rather, we send a void request. How quickly your available credit is restored is up to your bank. Some take from 5 to 14 days, but it's usually restored in a few hours.




Now that second point about the Address Verification step was what needed to be worked out for the order to succeed for me. Although it wasn't because i was entering the wrong address information...but because the standard(logical) way of entering information into the billing address form, didn't allow for me to enter the address details in such a way that the CC provider's information matched what I'd entered into the webstore's form. Thus the failures. Now if I was from the US, I don't expect this would happen at all as the billing form provided is set up great for US residents to fill in, but the failure happens with overseas customers because of the state drop down box(for international customers who can't enter a state here and have to enter non-US or canada). It breaks the flow of how the address needs to look when the matching happens between Cakewalk's and the CC provider's servers.

So, luckily I could fix this by not using all of the address fields exactly as they are titled. For example you'll see that I had to use the City field to enter the zip/postal-code below.

Okay, this is how I entered the info.
1. In the name fields/boxes: In the first name field/box I entered my first name and a middle initial, with a space between them...even though it only titles this field/box as a first name field/box. Of course if you don't need to put a middle initial you wouldn't, but I did. In the Last name field/box I used my last name, so exactly as it asks.
2. In the Address fields/boxes: Although normally you'd probably only be putting your street name here for example(I was, as it seemed logical). I had to instead use these 3 fields line by line to enter the Street(1st field/box), City/Town(2nd field/box), and State(3rd field/box)
3. The City field: As I mentioned earlier I had to use this City field/box to enter the zip/postal-code instead of the City. I had already entered the City within the previous step above, so didn't need to use this box for the purpose it's titled as.
4. State drop down box: As I'm not from the US, i had to choose the non-US or Canada option from the list. It shows up as N/A on the billing form summary.
5. Zip/Postal-code: Since something had to be entered here(it is a requirement of the form) I just entered a '-'(hyphen) symbol, as the hyphen symbol is a pretty good way to describe a 'blank' entry when at least one character is needed to be entered. Remember I had entered the zip/postal-code in the City field above, so didn't need to put it here again, thus the need to show it as blank.
6. Country: I chose my country from the drop down box. Nothing special here. Just did as needed for this one.

And that was that, so after I'd entered this, the details were listed in the correct order on the next billing/shipping page summary. In order:
Full Name
Street
City/Town
State
Postcode
N/A
-
Country

Whereas using the fields for international customers as they are named exactly, you'd end up with this, which is the way that was failing for me before, as it's not what the CC provider's details look like, so when cakewalk's servers do the match with the CC provider's details it fails. In order:
Full Name(without a middle initial if it was needed)
Street
City/Town
State not able to be listed specifically('non us or canada' option from the drop down box)
Zip/Postal code
Country

Anyway, my order succeeded by changing the address details the way I decribed. I recieved the 2 e-mails(one containing the receipt, then the other with the registration details etc). 2 days later I recieved a tracking number for DHL, which I have tracked and it's now in the same country(woohoo), but due to the weekend, I won't get it till next week now(doh). I also have a proper itemised charge from cakewalk on the cc as well, whereas the previous holds just dropped like described earlier.

Anyway, i'm not suggesting to follow my advice of course. Just telling you of my experience. I really wanted to take advantage of the upgrade offer, and continute using Sonar, so I had to give it another shot. By the way, I tried out my theory by ordering the mp3 activator first, then as that worked I was able to upgrade Sonar(mp3 activator wasn't as dear to risk getting another wrong 'holding' charge from as Sonar was, and I needed it still anyway hehe)

Cheers guys,
Adroen

ORIGINAL: vicsant
There's really been a problem with the Cakewalk store that the Bakers still haven't fixed. The first thread http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.asp?m=774318&mpage=9&key=
is now 9 pages long. Why don't you just order from Sweetwater or audiomidi.com? The offer is the same.

Is there an advantage with buying from Cakewalk? With all the hassles, I don't think so.

i guess i consider myself lucky .. i've been a Sonar customer and user of their online
store for 5 years now ...

ORIGINAL: Susan G

My impression after lo these many months is that CW has no direct control over their mailing list or ordering system. Both are kind of a "hit and miss" operation at this point,...

ORIGINAL: glazfolk

Posts like this are not "Cakewalk bashing" and it's a pity that some people see them as being this. When I worked in Customer Relations (many years ago, for an American company in London), I was taught that we should welcome customer complaimts because they present us with an opportunity to do better.

I would see your comments as very much being in this vein.

ORIGINAL: ccmacdon

I have subsequently ordered my Sonar upgrade from my local music store...