Bug & Complaint

[metrony]

What version of 68 Classifieds are you running?
Example: V4.1.8 Developer

What template are you using?
TemplateCodes

Please describe in detail the issue you are having:
The system allows you to get free featured listings, bold, and highlight. All you have to do is go in and modify your ad with the upgraded features. Then when you get to the checkout page just browse back or close the browser. The system then automatically sets the ad as featured, bold, or highlighted (depending on what you ordered). If the ad is set to approve manually the admin has to remember to check that setting and verify payment which is going to be a real hassle. I'm using PayPal so I would think the system would change the ad with the upgraded features AFTER the transaction completes successfully.

I would also think the system would be smart enough to modify the product field name on the checkout page. For example, I modified an ad to make it featured. When going to the checkout page the PayPal product name/description said the name of the package. I would think it would say "Featured Upgrade for Listing Name". It's nice on a checkout screen to get a confirmation of what you're buying.

To use an example with 68C itself. When I buy a new 6 month upgrade for 68C is the checkout screen going to say "68C Developer Version" or will it say "6 Months Upgrade/Renewal"? It just looks a little more polished to be able to read what you're buying so there's no question when the credit card is in hand.

But not having the product field updated with what they're ordering also serves as another problem. Let's say I just have to deal with the above bug. How do I know which user ordered what?

The system just sets the status of the ad to "Not Active" which could mean it's a new ad, an expired ad, or a modified ad. So I go into my PayPal account and see an order for "Listing Name". I look at the price and say "Oh wait, that must be an upgrade... because my listing isn't for that price." In my head right now I know I just got an order for an upgrade. But I don't know for which ad. Since the listing status doesn't say "Modified Ad" and doesn't show me what was modified I don't have any idea whatsoever that the upgrade order was for this specific listing.

The only thing I can do is go through each non active listing, get the persons user id, then find the users email and hope they registered with the same email as their paypal account. Then I can figure out if I should approve this ad.

[Lhotch]

When is 68C admin you should be looking at orders not ads. The ad is hats placed on your system, the ORDER is the transaction that handles the payment of and placing of the ad on your site.

[metrony]

How do you tie an order to an ad? When you're running your site do you normally go back and forth between the ad and order screen before approving the ad?

[Lhotch]

An order is created when an ad is placed. The order is what tracks the payment and overall transaction between your client and your site. The ad itself is linked to the order and what specifically represents what you client wants to list on your site.

As an admin you really dont have to worry about ads much at all, simply deal with orders. If an order is pending approval simply approve it and the ads status will change as well and become visible on your site.

[seymourjames]

To be clear this is not a template issue and it is not really a bug either. Its a functional issue in terms of process design. I agree that it is something that could be enhanced but it is never as easy as saying abracadabra - it al has to be thought out and designed so other difficulties do not surface elsewhere. Perhaps a combined screen of recent orders with links to the listings beside them might help as a first step. You can always hold two of the admin screens open which is what I do. Why not put your two points into feature requests on the forum so 68C can take a look at them in terms of future development.

[Lhotch]

I just think if the documentation better explained the relationship between ads and orders and that ads themselves rarely need to be looked at and approving can all be done by order it would reduce a lot of confusion in this area.

[seymourjames]

I agree. I think part of the issue is one of feeling comfortable. Knowing yourself which advert was paid for or upgraded. Quite frankly, I rarely look at listings now. I know if it is a new advert I will see it appear on my home page anyway which I always click to check it out. Likewise I get an email if someone has made a new ad or modified it.

[metrony]

I see what you both mean. I think the issue comes if you want to approve ads manually before they go live to make sure they meet the terms and conditions.

If I understand it right, manually approving ads can potentially override the order screens control over the ad. Because the admin can just set the ad to active even if the order hasn't yet been finalized.

Now that I'm thinking about it the manually approve ads option should just mean that the status of the ad would require an admin "review". On the listings screen in addition to "Status" of an ad there could be a "Review Status". In order for an ad to go live both need to be set to active and approved.

Then the admin can then control the "review status" to "approved" (if manually approving ads is on) and the order process itself can control the Active/Not Active.

What are your thoughts on that?

[Lhotch]

Originally Posted by metrony

What are your thoughts on that?

My thoughts are that for every opinion on how it should be there are just as many differing opinions. None of them seem to make everyone happy so as a software developer what should 68C do? Its not practicle to maintain 6 different versions of code to accommodate handling of ads in 6 different ways so they simply chose a method which seems to be the most widely usable and accepted.

All I can suggest is you use the feedback system her on the forum and explaine to 68C how you would like it to work and hope that someday is gets changed keeping in mind that as a software package that caters to a wide client base whats ideal for you may not be ideal for the client base at large..