Unlike previously, the live chat support no longer has any idea what an API is.
When I tell them what errors I'm getting when creating a subscription using the code in Stripe's (very clear/amazing) docs, and explain that the error is referring to a previously required field that is now optional/deprecated, they ask me for a screenshot, thinking I'm referring to a dialog box I see on Stripe's dashboard.
So I ask for someone who knows what an API is and how theirs works.
They say they'll email me back, and 72 hours later I get a vague email apologizing for the inconvenience and completely misunderstanding the clear error description I provided.
It's frustrating. This used to be a company that supported developers. But now it's impossible, as a developer, to find support from a Stripe developer.
I've spent weeks on the multi-day back-and-forth with L1 support whose job is to shuffle chat requests into a queue.
Are my live chats happening during the time of day (11am Moscow time) when the least experienced people are working?
Sometimes I get people whose English level is upper-intermediate at best, so they can't understand what I am asking on a language level, not even on a technical level.
Is there another channel I could be using for support with Stripe? Phone support (I've waited 2 hours so far and they haven't called me)? Premium support that I pay for?
To answer your question directly, yes there is another channel specifically for questions related to your code and the Stripe APIs: IRC. The #stripe channel in the Freenode network (https://webchat.freenode.net/?channel=#stripe) is staffed most business hours, globally, with Stripe Developer Support Engineers who are there to answer these types of questions. At 11AM Moscow time, we have a team of engineers in Dublin and Singapore who are around to chat.
I’d also be more than happy to help answer any questions you have directly if you want to reach out on twitter over DM @cjav_dev or email cjavilla at stripe.