Purchasing a gift membership for a friend

I want to purchase a one year gift subscription for a Canadian friend who is NOT a current member or subscriber. Perhaps I overlooked it but I didn't see the instructions on how to do that- it only told how to buy a sub for the people who are at Dave's now.

I bought two and had to ask the people to register first.

That's right, the person has to sign up and have a username before you'll be able to purchase a subscription for them.

For some reason that sounds funny, " I want to give a gift ( that is suppose to be a suprise), but you have to sign up first? Then its no suprise gift. Is there another way? Gift card? Gift E-mail if you know it,
'Saying You have a membership from' Say "John Doe". Please open and register your membership.

Am I way out there?

Tills

A lot of people buy gift subscriptions for people who are already on here, then it is easy to surprise someone. If you want to surprise someone who's not on here already, maybe for now you could wrap up your own handmade "gift certificate" saying that you're buying them a 1 yr subscription to DG, that way you'll have your surprise, then when they register here they just let you know and then you pay for the subscription.

I'd really like to see a way to give a surprise membership to a new member, too -- like Tills said.

It took me three months to get my own sister to register so I could give her a trial subscription. She thought registering involved more than it does. Still a lot of people who are internet shy. Or who think there is so much out there they can just click to, there is no point in registering or subscribing to a site. (I can and have explained why there is a point but until they are on Dave's they don't really know why this is a good value).

I assume there are either software or other good reasons why the system is set up the way it is. Just wanted to toss in that some subscribers are being lost (or delayed) because a person must register before receiving a gift subscription.

( my record isn't too good so far. 2 friends I offered a subscription to never did register. 1 registered, got the free subscription and never renewed and my sister is still on her 2 month trial).

I THINK you could register her with a name you give her, then pay the subscription and tell her the user name and password. I am guessing that because I can acess DG from other people's computer and still log in as myself. I'm sure there is a way in place to change her password once she is in if you feel funny about setting up her name & password for her.

That's the thing, we can do it that way, but it still kind of spoils the surprise. What if the person doesn't like his or her username the giver chooses? Then s/he must ask the admins to change it. It would be lovely if people could just receive a gift certificate e-mail inviting them to visit and register with a username.

Yes, guess you'll have to "punt" and come up with an option that you like. A pretty stationary background on an email with the invitation you are talking about...

I still think there should be a way, somehow. I have a friend who signed up a year ago for her trial period allot of things happened after that, we had to close our store, she lost her job, then her computer went down we lost touch for awhile, now we are back in touch again. And I want to buy her a subscription, her Bday is in August. I know what her user name was then. is there a way to find out if its still listed?

I hear that you can your user name, but only once. Is that true?

Tills

Tills...list of registered users is here:

http://davesgarden.com/community/memberlist/

Indludes those who subscribe and those who have not (or who let their subscription lapse)

Ooooo thank you I found her, Yee Hee, I have been a member for almost 2 years and still learning the ways of Daves.
I still think there should be a better way to give a gift. Dave, Terry?

Now How to do the rest?

Okay did it, the big problem is am I sure it went to the right person? don't know how to find out. SITD
Tills

You would have put in the recipient's e-mail address when you registered them for a membership here. Other than asking the admins if you can receive notice if the welcome e-mail bounces, I think the only thing you can do is wait for your recipient to tell you s/he received it.

I sent a message to 'Contact us' to make sure I am getting the right person, before I send payment, want to make sure it goes to the right new DGer, LOL
Sent user name and real name, hope they connect!!!
There has got to be a easier way. There is no way to make sure its going to the right person, if you spelling is off H veris h you are sending to the wrong one, with her user name there are 45 ways. I'm sure I got the right one. I did not see a place to send her E-mail address, or did I miss something, never done this before.
Tills

Tillys....I don't recall having to provide the email address of the recipient when I gave two subscriptions as gifts. Maybe I did.

But I think the email thing would only apply if you try to register someone and then give them a subscription. I thought of doing it that way but figured it might get messed up with cookies for the other person ending up on my computer or my IP number being assigned to the person I gave the gift to. Not a techie so I don't know if that could happen but I figured it was safer to follow the official directions of how to do it (have them register, then give that screen name a subscription as you just did)

You're right, all you need to give a gift subscription is their username, you don't need to know their email address.

I hope I did it right, Once I get the confirmation, that I have the right person, Send payment in then wait 10 days (sending check) then I will send a e-mail to her Happy Bday. you are now a member of DG.
Sounds good hope it works out that way, and I didn't pay for someone I don't know.
She joined as a newbe in June 07, but never got a membership, thats what I want to give her.
Tills

I hope she loves it as much as most of us do!!!

What do you mean "most of us" we all love it , or we would not be here. LOL
This is my piece of mine, have to have a shot of Dg daily, my new friends some I have met, some haven't, maybe someday never know what the cards will turn. LOL
I don't think I would have done what I have done (now that sounds lame) If it wasn't for DG, and all the PNW forum members that inspired me to to make a go at it. And other for forums I have drop in on. I am at home here, this is a good place to be.
I am sure she will love it as I do.

tillysrat - I strongly agree. I have several people I would get subscriptions for if they would just register, but I can't get them to do it and I feel weird doing it for them. Even if it was just an official letter stating x bought you a subscription, register and use this # to pay. Would it be that hard to give a number out for non-registered gifts and add a payment option that is a new gift subscription #. Or, even allow them to contact Admin when they register to activate a gift subscription?

Zhinu, if your friends are not even interested in registering, are you certain they would enjoy a subscription? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE DG but the internet stuff is not everybody, some chose to spend their time a different way.

In this case I'm sure, it's just people that are procrastinators (the gift would poke them to get it done), and in one case intimidated by new things on the computers. I send them excerpts and they love them. I've even gotten asked for updates.

My Canadian friend (who is a male) loves gardening and is very internet savvy. He had just never heard of Dave's before. A few months back, I told him to come check Dave's out- and he liked it very much- and loved that there was a Canadian forum! He didn't join b/c he couldn't afford it. The cost of living there is MUCH more expensive than it is here in the states.

Anyway, I may just register for him and then buy him a subscrip. It won't be a surprise like I wanted, but oh well, you can't have everything- lol!!


THANKS to all who responded- I appreciate it very much!

If he came here and checked it out then he's probably already registered, I don't think you can see much without registering. So I'd find out what his username was and then you can buy him a subscription that way.

ecrane,
He actually used my name the one time he came here and snooped around- lol!!!!!!!!