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What happens when I derail?
Beeminder will send you an email called the "legitimacy check" (or "derailment notification" if you have No-Excuses Mode turned on) that lets you know you've derailed, how much we're charging you, and what your post-derailment pledge level is. If the derailment was due to any kind of technical error or confusion or is otherwise not legit, reply to that email to let us know, and we'll get it fixed up!
After 24 hours, the derailment charge is processed and will actually hit your account. The ideal is to reply at least six hours before that, so that support can cancel the charge.
In the example below, Nicky's being charged $0, with the pledge going up to $5, for their goal called 'dailyweight'. This means that this time they're not being charged, but next time they go off track, they will have to pay $5.
When you derail, we reset the graph so that your datapoints are back on track. If you've set things up to add "respite" after a derailment, then the graph will be adjusted to give you some days off. For a Do More or Odometer graph this will be added as a flat line where the rate is 0, for the number of days specified. Respite of 7 days gives you a rate of 0 for 7 days, for example.
The same applies to Weight and Whittle Down graphs, with the caveat that ending up on the wrong side of the line (i.e. gaining at all) is still a derailment, even during the respite period. Weight graphs also get an additional adjustment to add your fluctuation buffer back (e.g. if you told Beeminder that your weight can change 2lbs in a day, we'll add 2lbs of buffer post-derailment, so you can weigh your derailing weight + 2lbs).
For a Do Less graph, you'll be given the number of units you specified as buffer.
If you have your goal set to reach a certain total by a certain date, the derailment may change your rate. It's not possible to reach the same goal total by the same date at the same rate as before once you've missed a day, after all!
If you do have respite enabled, that gives you some options after a derailment. If you feel that the goal was a little too ambitious, or maybe the goal isn't something you want to pursue anymore, you can make it easier or quit it! If you do it shortly after you derail, and you have at least 7 days of respite, the changes will take effect before you'll need to start working on the goal again.
Keywords: what a derail entails, post-derailment, post-derail respite, legit check email