Viewing private messages 25 September 2019 at 4:07PM in Site feedback 4 replies 2.1K views

Freeman24reverseFpenny

I can't seem to view a private message that I've sent. Whatever I click on just loops straight back to where I was.

Also, I initially tried to use the "contact us" facility (not realising this part of the forum existed), but as soon as I selected a topic (eg technical fault), the rest of the page, including the message box vanished.

Any thoughts or advice.

[Deleted User]

Perhaps you are not allowed to send messages. Newbies can't and it can be switched off if abused I think.

JuneS

Freeman24reverseFpenny wrote: »

I can't seem to view a private message that I've sent. Whatever I click on just loops straight back to where I was.

Also, I initially tried to use the "contact us" facility (not realising this part of the forum existed), but as soon as I selected a topic (eg technical fault), the rest of the page, including the message box vanished.

Any thoughts or advice.

I maybe wide of the mark here, but you can only see a copy of a PM you sent if you have saved a copy of that PM in your Sent Items folder.

Under 'Jump to folder', are there any messages in your 'sent items' folder?

To save a copy of PMs you send, there is an option in your User CP (Profile>Settings if using the latest forum skin) you need to have selected, or otherwise have ensured you selected the option to save a copy under 'Miscellaneous Options' under the message you wrote.


I'm not sure what you refer to by the 'contact us' feature, sorry.
The 'Contacts' link at the bottom of the page points here:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/site/site-contacts

... and from there, technical problems are addressed here:
https://help.moneysavingexpert.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001648007-Technical-problems


Edit: I've found the 'contact us' link I think. It's at the bottom of reporting a post, etc
The link is incorrect. It links to this:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/contacts (so 404 error results)

But you only see that if you are using the unsupported, old style, 'greeen' forum skin.
So it's unlikely to be corrected.

Freeman24reverseFpenny

JuneS wrote: »

I maybe wide of the mark here, but you can only see a copy of a PM you sent if you have saved a copy of that PM in your Sent Items folder.

Under 'Jump to folder', are there any messages in your 'sent items' folder?

To save a copy of PMs you send, there is an option in your User CP (Profile>Settings if using the latest forum skin) you need to have selected, or otherwise have ensured you selected the option to save a copy under 'Miscellaneous Options' under the message you wrote.


I'm not sure what you refer to by the 'contact us' feature, sorry.
The 'Contacts' link at the bottom of the page points here:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/site/site-contacts

... and from there, technical problems are addressed here:
https://help.moneysavingexpert.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001648007-Technical-problems


Edit: I've found the 'contact us' link I think. It's at the bottom of reporting a post, etc
The link is incorrect. It links to this:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/contacts (so 404 error results)

But you only see that if you are using the unsupported, old style, 'greeen' forum skin.
So it's unlikely to be corrected.

Right thanks - I hadn't realised it was necessary to save a sent item in order to be able to view it again, as every other forum I'm on, you can see what you've sent automatically.

As far as the "contact us" facility I used, it's the one directly underneath the quick reply box - to the bottom left. '

JuneS

Freeman24reverseFpenny wrote: »

Right thanks - I hadn't realised it was necessary to save a sent item in order to be able to view it again, as every other forum I'm on, you can see what you've sent automatically.

It's been a long time since I originally joined MSE, but I think it's set up to automatically default to save a copy of sent items in yout sent items folder; your settings allows you to turn that off (or on) ... but you can still choose to save or not a an individual message.

Freeman24reverseFpenny wrote: »

As far as the "contact us" facility I used, it's the one directly underneath the quick reply box - to the bottom left. '

Ah, I see. That's a bit more complicated.
At least that indicates you are using the latest and greatest (according to MSE staff at least) forum skin, as that is not there in the older version.

The URL linked to is this (which I post here for reasons that will become apparent)

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/sendmessage.php

You are correct in that is doesn't seem to function correctly when changing the subject to anything other than 'Report a post', when you are using the lastest and greatest forum skin.

BUT ...

It does appear to work correctly when using the older forum skin version that all us senior forum users still like to use.
I have explained how to change the forum skin here.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=6047028 (post #6)

Only registered users will be able to view the above thread/post, but then only registered users have access to change the forum skin for their own personal use.

So you could perhaps change the skin and use the facility to report the technical issue?
As you cannot see the Contact Us link in the old forum skin, you will now realise why I have posted it above, so you can still see it whatever forum skin you use

BUT ...

As I also understand it, MSE are no longer doing updates to even the latest and greatest forum skin, as they are currently working on a brand new all singing and all dancing forum.

(Us senior forum members would probably tell them to go back to the former, 'green' forum skin and not mess about with it. But they ignored us years ago when they introduced the latest skin, so will no doubt ignore our advice again. Maybe the new forum will simply be a message to post any comments on facebook and/or twitter, which is what MSE Martin now concentrates his efforts on. :cool:)

Anyway, that may explain why the function does not currently work on the latest forum skin i.e they don't want to know as they won't be fixing it until they decide how next to "improve" the forum.

But at least you can now try, and tell us if you receive a response.

Don't be too surpised if you do receive a response that simply says please email us at... (as specified in the FAQs I linked to earlier in this thread)

Edit: One issue you may experience if you do try to use the online form is that the Operating System choices only go up to Microsfoft Windows 8, etc
Similarly the browser options only go up to IE10, Firefox21.x, Google Chrome 26, etc.
So perhaps that form is in fact no longer supported in any event, hence why the facility may have been removed when using the latest forum skin.
Good old email will come to your rescue, I'm sure!