Mmmm ... what to do??

So, I was correct in surmising that what I was hoping to do with the website can't actually be done. The guy from the website software that has been dealing with my question, did recommend that I e-mail their developers as what I want to do is fairly reasonable.

Anyway, it now leaves me with a dilemma. Let me explain. The standard version of the software does not provide any stock control options. The pro version does. So having upgraded to the pro version, I set about setting all the stock levels to 1 - since there is only 1 of each card. So that once a card has been paid for, no-one else can order it. This would help if I wasn't able to log on regularly to update the site. Simples!!! Not so!!!

In order to use the stock control feature, you have to set up Express PayPal checkout. This completely changed the look of the "basket" - showing column titles of Colour, Option, Link Cost, and most alarmingly, the choice of which country you are ordering from. Since none of that applies to what I am doing - particularly as I will not be shipping to any addresses outside of the UK - I contacted the software guy to see if I could block these things from appearing.

Apparently, the international thing is out of their control - it's controlled by PayPal. And to block the other things would also turn off stock control.

So, I have therefore requested to be downgraded to Standard version again, and need to consider what to do. I think what it will have to be a well worded section on the Terms & Conditions along the lines of "the stock shown is unfortunately not in real time, and therefore the card you purchase may very occasionally not be available ...." then a bit about refunds etc.

It's not really ideal - but maybe it won't make any difference as perhaps I'm getting a bit ahead of myself thinking that more than one person may be using the website at a time - and that those "more than one persons" might want the same card.

I suppose the vague vestiges of the systems analyst I was in a former life (and believe me, it was that long ago, it certainly feels like a lifetime ago), just feels that this is a bit of a cop out!! It's an eventuality that could have been provided for, but hasn't been. And so I feel a bit cheated by the software. Trouble is, I'm so out of date with what I know - and website authoring wasn't around in my day - that I'm just going to have to accept it. But will still put my case the sotware developers.

What a pompous sounding paragraph that was. Still, got it out of my system. So, watch this space as I will make a decision within the next week. Meanwhile I have started on making Christmas cards - 18 today!! Not bad for an afternoon!!

Below are a few examples of what will be available on the website when I get it up and running. Just to tease you....








Speak to you soon.

Cxx