Detailed guides to painful problems, treatments & more

Help!

Answers to common questions asked by PainScience.com customers

Getting some help around here is easy …

Step 1  Look for a quick answer to your question below.

Step 2  Still need help? Just contact me.

~ Paul Ingraham, PainScience publisher
Vancouver, Canada

P.S. Just want to login? Login here!

Membership and newsletter questions

Q. How do I access members-only content?

A. You have to be logged in, and you have to know where to look for it! You are a member and already logged in 😄 (to this browser, for 30 days). So you can see members-only content scattered around the site — it’s just magically visible to you and hidden from non-members — like these very words (but more interesting in most cases). Where is it, though? Complete listings are on your account page, and articles with bonus content are now also highlighted in the main index pages. You are not logged in. 😞 If you are a member, use your 1-click login link in your purchase confirmation email to login. If you can’t find the email, check your spam folder: that’s where 99% of missing emails end up! Or just “manually” login here, to get the login link sent to you again.

Q. Why am I not logged in when I thought I was logged in?

A. Either you changed browsers and/or it has been more than thirty days since your last login. To re-login in a browser, use your 1-click login link, or have it sent to you again if you’ve lost it.

Q. I paid for a membership and I can see members-only content, but… no newsletter posts in my inbox. What gives?

A. A newsletter subscription is the flagship membership benefit. Other membership benefits are automatic after payment, but the subscription has to be confirmed … if you weren’t already a (free) subscriber. The newsletter only gets sent to subscribers who have responded to their confirmation email. If it’s missing, look for it in your spam folder. If it’s still missing, contact me!

Q. I paid for a membership and I am getting members-only posts by email, but… I can't see member content around the website. What gives?

A. You’re probably a “good” member for $3/month or $30/year, which entitles you only to premium emails and not website privileges that are reserved for the “better” and “awesome” membership plans. For details, see the membership page.

Q. Can I get a refund for my membership fees?

A. For erroneous or duplicate charges and such, of course you can. For dissatisfaction? Not so much. While I do offer refunds for books (and always have), I do not offer membership refunds. Membership is supportive patronage with good perks, not a satisfaction-guaranteed “product.” Please vote with your dollars for good science journalism with conviction! If the content turns out not to be a good fit for you, you can just cancel.

Book questions

Q. How do I get to the tutorial I bought?

A. To access purchased tutorials or m, use the login link in your purchase confirmation email. If you can’t find the email, check your spam folder: that’s where 99% of missing emails end up! Or just “manually” login hereMore information about access.

Q. Are there print versions of your books?

A. No. I sell online tutorials only — a pure digital product. Please do not wait for the mailman after ordering! I may produce print versions someday, but not soon.

Q. What’s with that “surprise” price tag?!

A. I know that hitting the paywall can make a bad impression, but I have to make a living and this is the best way I’ve found to keep the lights on here.

Q. How do I get my money back?

A. Just ask, and there’s no time limit. Send me an email. An explanation is not required (though always appreciated, if it’s reasonably polite).

Q. What if I discover that the book I bought doesn’t apply to me?

A. No problemo: I will do a refund or exchange.

Q. I just don’t like reading on the computer. Can I print PainScience.com ebooks? Or use my iPad, Kindle, etc?

A. Printing the tutorials works fine for such a big document. The best way to read it without being tied to a computer is on a smartphone or tablet, especially an iPad. Get an overview of your reading options.

Q. How do I read PainScience.com books offline?

A. My books are basically big webpages, but you can read them offline with a read-it-later service like “Safari Reading List” (available on all of Apple’s devices), a platform-independent one like Instapaper (etc.), or just DIY with webarchive files.

Q. What format are e-books in? It doesn’t seem to be PDF or regular e-book …

A. No, it’s not a “traditional” PDF or a regular e-book that you would read on, say, a Kindle or Nook. I call the tutorial an “e-book” because it certainly is an electronic book in spirit. But it’s also just a huge webpage, which has some great advantages (and some downsides). If you want to know more about why I use this format, see my rant about what’s wrong with the ebook industry, and how I’m making a better product for my customers.

Q. Is there a difference between “tutorials” and “books” or “ebooks”?

A. Nope: I use these terms interchangeably here. All the same thing!

Q. Can I lend tutorials to friends and family?

A. Yes! Just not with too many people — the suggested maximum is three. You can share the full-access URL (address) for a tutorial page, which is the equivalent of giving someone your username and password for this site. Over-lending will trigger a warning not to share quite so much. 😉

Q. Can I pay an upgrade price to get the full set of tutorials?

A. Yes. If you’ve already purchased one or some of them, you can pay a completion fee for the full “e-boxed set.” There’s a buy button for this on your account page, and at the top of any tutorial you have full access to.

General ecommerce questions

Q. My card was declined but now there’s a charge on my account!

A. This only comes up once in a while. It’s alarming when it does, but it’s a false alarm: it’s just a temporary “authorization” for a charge that will never be confirmed, and it will disappear. More information.

The fine print pages

Other pages about PainScience.com itself: