Name Change Price Should be FREE!!

To REGISTER a username is overpriced at $12.99!! IMVU should NOT charge more than $1.99 to remove the "Guest" off the username. They'd get more people to want to register their names at that reasonable fee. 

I understand the frustration, but because there are so many people willing to pay to change their name, even pay extra for premium names... I can't imagine any business dismissing this value we've accepted :/

I'm happy that on the new imvu app, changing our nicknames is free at any time. On other apps, they have a limit on how often we can change our names, so we have that at least.

I think a USERNAME change I can understand the charge.  It's about trying to make sure people don't just change their names daily.

However, we now have display names, so those you can change for free endlessly. They just don't show up on Classic.

Guest_heather29987 

You have a few options regarding your account name on IMVU:

1. Keep current name
2. Pay to change it 
3. Create new account with the desired name

If you chose options 2 or 3 then slow down and take the time to research:

1. What names are available 
2. What names can be made available by getting creative with the spelling of the name

This can be done by making a list of agreeable names and creative ways of altering the spelling of each name. Some numbers look like letters and some letters look like other letters depending on capital or small case version of the letters. Example Capital letter for i looks like a small case L and so does the numbered version of one. Zero and the letter O look similar, 8 and B look similar, 6 and G look similar, etc. etc. 

Get creative and make a very long list with agreeable names because most of the names on your list will most likely already have been used by someone else who also needed to get creative.

Another option is to combine names; like adding a last names, adding middle names or creating fictional role play type names. If you choose such a fictional role play type name then take time to think about it because such names will need to fit your personality, style of socializing and sometimes even style of outfits. 

IMVU used to provide a name availability search as part of the account creation process but it was discontinued after the account creation process was made more "user friendly" 

Now one needs to test one name at a time by starting the account creation process each time a name is tested. Then one needs to stop the account creation process before completion if the name is changed by the system to a numbered name. This is done by closing the account creation page as soon as one spots the tested name doesn't match the name the system assigns you. If one accidentally completes the account creation process then it's too late to try again using the same e mail address. 

I am guessing that you tried using heather as your name but the system added 29987 to your name. If you had spotted that during account creation process then I am guessing you would have stopped the process by closing the account creation page once you discovered that one can't go back to step 1 on account creation process. 

I advise not using titles in your name because others often have this strange idea that titles need to be earned through social interactions; especially if one is into role play. If one has used IMVU long enough to have earned a title then spending some money on the site is justified. Let's not forget that to function this site needs to have a paid staff and paid tech workers.

Be careful because some names might be seen as offensive or inappropriate which can cause unwanted drama or trouble.

Because of the User Guidelines DO NOT USE those 3rd party IMVU sites that provide folk services like quickly checking which names are available by letting folk type letters and numbers into a box so the program can almost instantly check if name is still available. "I heard" that method was identical to the way IMVU originally allowed new customers to check name availability during account creation but they found ways to make this site more "user friendly" and economic.