Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Common Questions about this Website

Membership
 

Q. What do the numbers in my NMRA Membership card mean?

A: There are several items on your membership card that provide important information. In order on the card:
  1. Membership Number - The first 2 blocks are your NMRA member number (12345 00).  The first set being your actual sequential number on joining followed by 2 characters that show your place in the number since the "number" actually refers to your family.  If you are the only member in your family you will usually have 00, the next having 0A, etc.  The next block (format of XX/XX) is your Region / Division.  Regions are numbered from 21 to 39 (00 is for those not in a Region area of the world) If you go to the Region page on the website and go down to your Region Number in the list (shown as XX00 or 2100) you will find your region.  On that section are the Divisions in that Region with the format region + division, or 2101 for first division.  Match those numbers to find your Region and Division.
  2. Expiration Date - this is the date your current membership will expire.  To maintain continuation of your NMRA membership and access to the Member section of the website, you must renew before that date.
  3. Member Since - this is the date that shows the date you originally joined the NMRA.  If you had a long break in membership, this shows the date you last re-joined the NMRA.

Q: When I review my membership information on the Member Info page, I noticed that some of the information is incorrect, out of date or blank. How do I get it fixed?

A: On the Member Information page is a yellow "button" that says "Update Your NMRA Membership Information" - click this, and you will see a page that first has the "change password" process, then by scrolling down has fields for you to enter updated information about your membership, a field to provide any other info or question to the staff, and a "submit" button that immediately sends an email to the NMRA membership staff with the information provided. They will process the changes, and let you know when they are completed. It will take several days for the changes to be posted to the website after the membership system is updated. NOTE: You cannot update your information directly on the website - that information ONLY comes from your membership record, and is updated several times a week from the membership system.  You can also request an update to your information without logging in, using this form.

Q: What is the NMRA At-Risk Policy?

A: Click HERE for the At-Risk Policy Definitions and Frequently asked questions on the policy.

Website

Q. What does "members only" or "members pages" mean?

A: The NMRA is a member based not for profit organization. One of the benefits of membership is access to certain information and services that are not available to non-members. To gain access to these items, a current NMRA member must register their membership on this website through the Registration process, after which those areas of the website that are designated as "members only" will be available to them.

Q: How does a member register for a user account on this website?

A:  Even if you were registered to receive Members Only content on the old website, or had an account on the Old NMRA Company Store, you must register your membership on this web site.  It only takes a few minutes.  First click on the words "Member Log-In | Registration" on the right side of the red bar at the top of the page. This will open a new page called “Members Only.”  Next click on the blue bar that says, “Need a username? Register now.”  This will take you to a page called  "User Account."  Enter a username (any combination of letters and/or numbers) and your email address, then click on the blue bar that says “Create New Account.” (Note: the email you enter MUST be the same one that you have on file with the NMRA membership system. If you have changed your email and not notified the NMRA, you will get an error stating your email is not found.)  You’ll see a message that says an email confirmation has been sent to your inbox.  Follow the instructions in the email to set your new password - the password you receive is only a temporary password, so change it immediately.  That’s it!
NOTE: The HQ Staff CANNOT create your registration, change your password, or do anything with your web site account. They will gladly assist you with renewal if you have expired, and with updating your address and personal information.

Q: I registered, but I did not get the confirmation email. What happened?

A: In 99.9% of the cases this has occured, one of several things is involved:
  1. Your SPAM filter OR your email provider (all Yahoo based email services, including Yahoo, Verizon, Hotmail, AOL, ATT and others, tend to tag our emails) has decided the email was spam, so stuck it in your spam folder or trash. Check those folders to see if that is what happened. For ones tagged by your email provider, log into their email web client, and add our emails to the contact list there. This is called "whitelisting", and is done different ways based on the provider.
  2. You have an email rule that moves emails from the nmra into a special folder - you may not be aware you have such a rule, so check.
  3. The email on file is old and no longer valid, the mailbox is full, or in some cases, your email provider is deciding our emails are spam before they ever get to your mailbox. You will need to check into the master settings for your email account to see if this is true. How? Each provider has different processes and rules set up, so you may have to contact their support to figure it out.

Q: I've logged in before, but have forgotten my password. When I do a "forgot password", I never get the password reset email. Why Not?

A: In 99.9% of the cases this has occured, one of several things is involved: 1) your SPAM filter OR your email provider (all Yahoo based email services, including Yahoo, Verizon, Hotmail, AOL, ATT and others, tend to tag our emails) has decided the email was spam, so stuck it in your spam folder or trash. Check those folders to see if that is what happened. For ones tagged by your email provider, log into their email web client, and add our emails to the contact list there. This is called "whitelisting", and is done different ways based on the provider. 2) you have an email rule that moves emails from the nmra into a special folder - you may not be aware you have such a rule, so check. 3) The email on file is old and no longer valid, the mailbox is full, or in some cases, your email provider is deciding our emails are spam before they ever get to your mailbox. You will need to check into the master settings for your email account to see if this is true. How? Each provider has different processes and rules set up, so you may have to contact their support to figure it out.

Q: When I tried to register, I was told that my email that I used to create the account cannot be found. What is the problem?

A: The website uses the email address you have on file with the NMRA membership system. If you are currenly receiving emails from the NMRA, such as the eBulletin, check to see which address they are being sent to you with, and use that address. If you are NOT receving emails from the NMRA, you 1) do not have an email address on file with the NMRA, 2) the email address on file is old and no longer valid, or 3) the email address on file is incorrect (typo). You will need to check with the NMRA membership staff to verify your address, and make sure it is correct. Contact information is at http://www.nmra.org/contact.

NMRA Store

Q: Credit card has a problem with my card, says "declined". Why?

A: If you have checked the "Shipping Same As Billing" checkbox, and your Billiing info doesn't have your Card Name (name on the card) but just the name you use, OR the billing address info isn't what your card issuer has, you will get a "card declined" error. Start checkout over, and UNCHECK the "Shipping same as Billing" checkbox, and modify the billing and shipping information accordingly.

Q: PayPal login/payment box doesn't come up when I click on the PayPal checkbox and the Continue. What's wrong?

A: Similar to the issue with the credit card being declined. Uncheck the "Shipping same as Billing" checkbox, and make sure the billing information and shipping information is filled in, THEN click on the PayPal continuation.

Q: I paid for something, when will I get it or hear about it?

A: As stated on the completed order screen:
  • Any orders you have placed will be mailed out in 2-4 business days.
  • Membership cards are sent bulk mail and can be expected in 2-4 weeks. If you have purchased the NMRA magazine expect delivery of the first magazine in 6-8 weeks.
  • The online "member only section" will be available for registration in 48-72 hours for new memberships.