Restoring payments, and rebuilding trust in the right supplier.
When their payment system failed completely and the processor pushed an expensive upgrade as the only fix, Larnach Castle turned to Decision1. We found and applied the published fix in minutes, restoring trade and exposing a stand-over sales tactic.
Restoring payments, and rebuilding trust in the right supplier.
The critical issue
Larnach Castle is a busy Dunedin tourist attraction, being able to take payments is absolutely essential. So when their payment system failed completely, leaving them unable to process any sales, the impact on trade was immediate and severe.
A sales pitch, not a solution
The Castle contacted their payment processor for urgent support. Instead of investigating the issue, the processor told them the system was "beyond repair" and that their only option was to commit to a very expensive upgrade. No investigation was offered, no fix attempted. The Castle was left feeling stuck and unsupported.
The Decision1 response
That's when they called us. We immediately researched the problem and quickly found that a resolution for this exact issue had already been published by the vendor. We applied the fix straight away, restoring payment functionality and enabling the Castle to trade effectively again. Total time to resolution: minutes.
Exposing the stand-over tactic
When the payment processor was informed that the issue had been resolved, their response was not to acknowledge the solution but to insist that only they were "allowed" to apply fixes under the contract. This was inaccurate, and came across as a stand-over tactic to pressure our customer into an unnecessary upgrade. Our swift action not only got the Castle trading again, but also helped them realise they could no longer trust their payment processor. They immediately began looking for a new supplier.
The outcome
Because of Decision1's intervention, Larnach Castle regained their ability to serve customers, and the confidence to move away from a vendor that no longer had their best interests at heart. It's a perfect example of why having an independent, technically capable IT partner matters: vendors will sometimes prioritise their own revenue over your uptime.
“When our payment system failed, our processor pushed us toward an expensive upgrade instead of helping. Decision1 quickly found the real solution, got us trading again, and saved us from being forced into unnecessary costs. We trust them completely.”