How to stop customers change their account name details

[Si]

Not overly complicated, but for us, it was necessary (after legal and general business advice), as when customers sign up to our services, they personally sign up to our terms and conditions and accounts are non-transferrable. (at least not without our knowledge and agreement).

When they do want/need to transfer their account to another party, we need to ensure it is done properly and with both parties consent and so we get them both to physically sign a transfer of ownership and acceptance form to keep things legally correct.

 

(If for no other reason, this process also outlines the responsibility of the first customer to pass on all usernames and passwords for the account and gives us a professional introduction and opportunity to 'greet' and welcome the new client taking over the account).

 

That warm fuzzy feeling

 

In WHMCS it is currently possible (3.4.0) for customers to go in and simply change the account owner name. In some cases the persons name it was changed to, knew nothing about it and we were left with a defunct account and no accountability on it either. We know the system can email you with the changes, but when we then contacted people who changed the ownership details to tell them they couldn't do that, they (quite rightly) came back and asked us why we had let them? So, this fix was implemented.

 

What it does:

On the Change of Details page in the client area, it shows the clients first and last name and company name, but it doesn't let the client change them. It then passes the details in any form updates as hidden fields.

 

OPTIONAL: I have included it in this, but is optional for you. We have a link on the page to our pdf download form which they must complete for transfer of ownership. If you don't want to include that, just leave out the bookmark hyperlink in the code in step 2

 

  *[url="#*Change of account ownership"]need to change these details?[/url]

 

and leave out step 3 entirely.

 

Incidentally, we charge a £10 admin fee for the change of account ownership, so not only was this legally beneficial it covers administration costs and makes customers respect their account ownership and how we do business.

 

HOW TO DO IT:

 

Open templates/yourtemplatechoice/clientareadetails.tpl

 

STEP 1: Find:

<input type="hidden" name="save" value="true" />

 

and directly underneath add:

<input type="hidden" name="firstname" value="{$clientfirstname}">
<input type="hidden" name="lastname" value="{$clientlastname}">
<input type="hidden" name="companyname" value="{$clientcompanyname}">

 

STEP 2: replace

<table width="100%" cellpadding="2">
<tr><td width="150" class="fieldarea">{$LANG.clientareafirstname}</td><td><input type="text" name="firstname" value="{$clientfirstname}" size="25" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="fieldarea">{$LANG.clientarealastname}</td><td><input type="text" name="lastname" value="{$clientlastname}" size="25" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="fieldarea">{$LANG.clientareacompanyname}</td><td><input type="text" name="companyname" value="{$clientcompanyname}" size="25" /></td></tr>

 

with

 

<table width="100%" cellpadding="2">
<tr><td width="150" class="fieldarea">{$LANG.clientareafirstname}*</td><td>{$clientfirstname} 
 *[url="#*Change of account ownership"]need to change these details?[/url]
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="fieldarea">{$LANG.clientarealastname}*</td><td>{$clientlastname}</td></tr>
<tr><td class="fieldarea">{$LANG.clientareacompanyname}*</td><td>{$clientcompanyname}</td></tr>

 

STEP 3: and finally, just before

 

</form>

 

add this:

 

  <table border="0" cellpadding="2" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" id="AutoNumber1" width="100%">
   <tr>
     <td>[b]<a name="*Change of account ownership">*Change of account ownership</a>[/b]

     If you wish to change the ownership of your XYZ Hosting account into the name 
     of another individual, you both need to complete the
     [url="http://yoursite.com/downloads.php?action=displaycat&catid=2"]transfer of ownership form[/url].</td>
   </tr>
 </table>

 

Please back-up your clientareadetails.php file first. It works.

 

Enjoy

 

Si

[arhost]

Works great!

 

Thanks

[Baja]

OPTIONAL: I have included it in this, but is optional for you. We have a link on the page to our pdf download form which they must complete for transfer of ownership. If you don't want to include that, just leave out the bookmark hyperlink in the code in step 2

Would it be possible to see a sample of this pdf form you are using for transfer of ownership?

[Si]

Would it be possible to see a sample of this pdf form you are using for transfer of ownership?

 

Hi,

Yea, sure. In fact, if you can give me until tomorrow, once I'm back in the

office I'll give you a .doc file which you can edit and then using something

like http://www.cutepdf.com (if you need a free PDF creator) you can make your

finished PDF.

 

Si

[Baja]

Si,

 

Thanks a lot I appreciate that. I will check out that cutepdf a bit later too.

[Voodoo]

This is a great modification. I would never had thought of that possibility of someone just changing ownership like that. I would like to have a copy of that pdf also if possible.

 

Thanks,

Larry

[Si]

Here is the edited text of the PDF we use. We insert our T's and C's and AUP at the end. I'm sure you'll all edit and improve as you require.

 

Si

 

Change of Account Ownership


If, for any reason, you wish to pass ownership of your ABC Hosting account to a new account owner, this form MUST be completed by both parties.    It should be returned to us along with an administration fee of £10.  (or on receipt we will raise an invoice on the account which may be paid online).  The invoice will be raised in the current owners name.

As soon as we have received this form, and processed the changeover, both parties will be notified via the support system and via email.



To be completed by the NEW owner


Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS, ensuring both parties have signed and return to 

ABC Hosting Company
1 Sillicon Tower 
Your Town
Your State



I, ……………………………….........................................................

agree to take financial control and legal responsibility for ALL of the hosting accounts and domain names currently managed by the current owner, on ABC hosting company’s servers.    I have read and accept the terms and conditions listed below. 


Email Address: ……………………………….....................................



Signed………………………………..................................................





To be completed by the CURRENT owner


I, ………………….....................................

agree to pass control and ownership of my account with ABC Hosting Company  to the above named person.  I have passed ALL usernames and passwords to the above named person including control panels, web mail and my client area login with ABC Hosting Company.




Signed………………………………...............................................







ABC Hosting Company Terms and Conditions

Attach your terms and conditions as well as any AUP you have for them to read.

[Voodoo]

Thank You Si, this will be much appreciated in case this ever comes up on the Cold Sweat-Chicago LLC site.

 

Larry

[haneyhack]

This looks like an excellent tip and I would like to set it up as well, however when looking through the directories I could not find a file named clientareadetails.php I can find clientareadetails.tpl and %%65^62B^62B73EG2%%clientareadetails.tpl.php Where abouts is clientareaddetails.php?

[Si]

This looks like an excellent tip and I would like to set it up as well, however when looking through the directories I could not find a file named clientareadetails.php I can find clientareadetails.tpl and %%65^62B^62B73EG2%%clientareadetails.tpl.php Where abouts is clientareaddetails.php?

 

Hi,

typo...sorry. it is the .tpl file that you edit.

 

Si

[haneyhack]

EXCELLENT! Installed the changes fine and everything works great. Mucho appreciated!

[Baja]

Well done! Works great.

 

Thanks again,

 

Baja

[netmotiv8]

Hello,

 

Is this ok for use with v3.4.1?

[Baja]

Hello,

 

Is this ok for use with v3.4.1?

I first said yes but let me double check that for you. Ok yes looks fine to me.

[netmotiv8]

This could be a nice feature to add to WHMCS as an optional feature within admin to switch this on or off. When ON, the customer sees a 'Transfer Account Ownership' button which when selected instructs the customer through a process similar to an order process etc etc enabling them to pay an admin fee where applicable as well?

[netmotiv8]

Hello,

 

Is this ok for use with v3.4.1?

I first said yes but let me double check that for you. Ok yes looks fine to me.

 

Thanks Baja, I will look at adding this soon.

 

[Baja]

Sure no problem. The only file that change in the templates folder from 3.4.0 to 3.4.1 was forwardpage.tpl

[twhiting9275]

Tested and working on 3.5 as well

[Si]

Tested and working on 3.5 as well

 

Cheers for updating the thread. Was so busy skinning the new 3.5 templates y'day I forgot tbh. But yes, as there were no changes made to the clientareadetails.tpl file in 3.5, you don't need to upload a new one.

 

Si

[Si]

.....as there were no changes made to the clientareadetails.tpl file in 3.5, you don't need to upload a new one.

 

Si

 

Correction: You do need to follow the original instructions in the first post and amend the clienareadetails.tpl file as shown, to have this mod continue to work after upgrading to 3.5.X

 

Si

[Si]

Works in 3.6

[michelle]

This could be a nice feature to add to WHMCS as an optional feature within admin to switch this on or off. When ON, the customer sees a 'Transfer Account Ownership' button which when selected instructs the customer through a process similar to an order process etc etc enabling them to pay an admin fee where applicable as well?

 

I second that! Hope Matt considers adding it in the next version

 

Michelle

[vinbase]

Thanks a lot it works fine in 3.6

 

I have a strange question: What if the client adds a new contact, makes it as default and then deletes the original one (which was default before).

 

Any comments ?

[JasonO]

I don't think you can delete the original contact? If you mean the original account set up that is..

[Si]

Thanks a lot it works fine in 3.6

 

I have a strange question: What if the client adds a new contact, makes it as default and then deletes the original one (which was default before).

 

Any comments ?

 

I don't see how a new added contact can be made as 'default' and I also don't see how you can delete the original account owner. ?

 

Si