Advice if you are thinking of setting up Epassporte

[Ms Naughty]

Make sure your Visa card is "Verified by Visa" before you even start.

Do this by:
a. Going to your internet banking and getting it set up there
b. Ringing your bank to find out how
c. Going to verifiedbyvisa.com and put in your card number.

Then, when you sign up at Epassporte and a screen appears asking for your password, you will know what it means.

If I had known this tiny little FUCKING detail it would have saved me around 4 hours of non-productive phone tag, hold music, international phone calls, bank/Visa help desk people who had no idea what I was talking about, emails and a great deal of stress.

This is because when I hit that password screen, I happily put in my new epassporte pw, and then my bank pw, and then Visa decided it wanted to block my card because I not authorised.

I have emailed Epassport customer services and advised them that their FAQs and signup information is in need of an overhaul.

They need to tell new users to do the Verified by Visa thing first.

They could also use a toll-free international number OR instant online help.

It's been a stressful day and I haven't got any work done because of this.

If I hadn't been so determined to get an Epassporte account I would have given this up a long time ago. As it is it's cost me time and money and made me feel very frustrated with this company.

OK </Rant>

[nekrom]

Yup I know how you feel.

7 phone calls to epassporte, 8 emails, 3 calls to Commwlth Bank, 2 trips to a Commwlth Bank branch. Then I had to send them in my copies of passporte, utilities bill, license and then I got an account.

I've had less effert getting a home loan then jumping through there houps, now I get the fun of upgrading my account to the corporate one.

-N

[Ms Naughty]

Phew Nekrom! You win with that one. I've had a bad day, but it looks like it could have been worse for me. I feel better now

[Jeremiasz]

uh I get my ePassporte account wihtout any calls or emails.. that's great becouse telephone calls from poland could eat some money

[guitar riff]

Well with all the fraud and Identity theft setting up anything financial will be like pulling teeth more and more everyday.

[weirdsteve]

I set up a new partner account with a site on April 17, I haven't received my password yet. I totally trust this guy but I'm thinking he didn't realize epassporte shut down external emails (because I had the same problem with my other partner paid account) . So if he sent the confirmation from his site @ his domain dot com, It wouldn't have hit me.
I've emailed him twice, but what do you think I should do. (I want my partner account)
--------------
btw epassporte.... external email blockage sucks.

[johnshinil]

Thanks for the info. That was really useful.

John.

[Rand]

Verified By Visa (VBV)
It's true that *if* you can verify your account using VBV then that is the best (fastest) way to activate your account. The problem is that not all banks participate in VBV. If your does, then the ePassporte site will give you the option to use VBV and lead you through the set-up process. If we can not determine VBV availability then you are sent to the ePverify method (which is similar to PayPal's authentication procedure).

WEIRD STEVE - eP blocked incoming email and outgoing email using ePassporte email addresses. In other words, Yahoo or Hotmail (for example) can not send an email to your eP address or visa-versa. However, when a sponsor sets up an affiliate eP account for you, the password information comes from ePassporte to your external email address. If you know your eP username I can check that addy and resend your password. Rand @ ePassporte.com

[Ms Naughty]

Rand - thanks for replying.
My issue here is that the ePassporte website is not at all clear about the Verified by Visa process. Even if they put up the paragraph you just wrote it would be clearer than the FAQ is now.

Because of this confusion I went through a lot of stress so I thought I'd share my information with others, and also appeal to ePassporte to make their signup process a little friendlier to the newbie.

[Rand]

Originally Posted by grandmascrotum

Rand - thanks for replying.
My issue here is that the ePassporte website is not at all clear about the Verified by Visa process. Even if they put up the paragraph you just wrote it would be clearer than the FAQ is now.

Constructive criticism is always welcome. If you felt confused then perhaps others have too.

I've already written new verbiage to be added to the site and input like this always helps.

[Ms Naughty]

Thanks Rand