Like any member of DA, I want a subscription. I want to make those fancy journals, feature artists, browse with big thumbs (and without ads)…and to have all those little joys of DA available for 20 euros per year.

But, I cannot – because I am from Serbia.

Let me explain it to you. When I first tried to purchase a subscription with my perfectly valid VISA and a billing address in Serbia, I got a message from DA that I couldn't do that, because:

“While your bank has approved this transaction we cannot, due to it receiving a high risk score from our Fraud Detection System, due to the fact that you're connecting from a High Risk Country".

It came as a shock to me since I regularly order things from Amazon and eBay. Still, I tried to do it in another way. This time, I changed my billing address, and, instead of my own, I put my uncle's address in Germany. I tried again, but:

"While your bank has approved this transaction we cannot due to it receiving a high risk score from our Fraud Detection System, due to the fact that you're connecting too far away from your billing location".

So, I got angry and wrote a note to DA's customers’ service, telling them how disappointed I am, and I got a reply, stating that:

“I apologize that you are offended but, we unfortunately have to follow the rules set forth by our processor company. It should be noted that our processor pulls this information off of an official listing put forth by financial institutions and we have no control over which Countries they add".

Now – I understand that DA is not intentionally disabling me from buying the subscription, but still – it's DA who chose its payment system, so, it's DA who's making me feel unworthy.

It's an ugly feeling, always being separated, always having problems not for who you are and what you do, but for coming from a country that people don't like. The funny thing is, democratic changes took place in Serbia 8 years ago and we are now a stable, democratic county. But even if this wasn't the case – WHY would my citizenship be criteria for being able to buy an online subscription?!

And, imagine this – if anyone ever bought my print, I wouldn't be able to get the satisfaction of getting my first "artistic" money - because of the same old prejudicial payment system.

For all these reasons, I wonder – do I really want to be a part of the community that thinks less of me and makes me feel unworthy of its membership because I am from Serbia?

I never asked for special treatment. I just want to be able to do the same thing that anybody with 20 euros per year can do on DeviantArt – buy a subscription. But obviously, for DA, my money is not good enough.

CHANGE YOUR PAYMENT SYSTEM.




P.S. Please fave this news and help attract attention to this unfair practice. It could help quite a couple of DeviantArtists from many countries in the world.