Suggestion For Auctiva - Fix it before you release it

DITTO!

I agree - especially about support. Why should people who are paying over $100 a year for this program have to answer everyone's questions?

First of all, these boards were never meant to be official Auctiva Support boards. If you will read the top of the beginning of these boards, you will see that. Auctiva has always told us to file an official support request if we have something that can't be solved coming here. Auctiva Support does answer questions here but it is mostly for users helping users.

I think once you wean yourself off using the Data Card, you will find this program is really OK. I've been using it since July and I would NEVER go back to using the Data Card. I haven't opened a Data Card in months.

Paintpower: They aren't answering "official" support requests either. And it is not just a question of "weaning" from the data card. This thing has a lot of problems other than the data card malfunction. The lack of a help file being one. The fact that it was designed to import data from 2.x but then won't read the data is another. The report function is screwed up and provides erroneous data. None of these things have anything to do with "weaning" from the data card. But even if they did, if they are going to provide the data card for those that don't want to be "weaned", they should have tested it and made sure it worked.

Paintpower: I tried reading the messages from the bgining of this forum. I noticed some posts by you that angry little red faces so you haven't alwuys been singing the praises of this thing. Things may be going smooth for those of you who were involved in teh Beta testing becasue you have adapted your system to the program. But, for those of us trying to make the change from 2.x at this time, the thing is FUBAR.

And I am either going to have to learn to type, proof read or run posts through a spell check.

Yes, that is what beta testing is all about! Finding the problems, working them out, fixing them. Perhaps next time Auctiva offers beta testing on software you should consider participating.

I ran dual programs for about 3 months so I could use the old program while beta testing the new one. When the new one worked to my satisfaction, I dropped using and updating the old one.

I will say that EVERY problem/bug I found in the beta program was addressed and fixed by Auctiva.

I realize that changing over to this program from the old clunky Manager program was probably a big SHOCK to those users who were unaware of it but you did have your chance to participate in the beta testing and to voice your opinions of the program at that time, which I guess you all chose not to do.

These are just a few of the problems that still exist:

No Help File (that is the biggie) Still haven't figured out how to retreive eBay fees.

Email Import Function does not work right

Reports aren't calculating right

Data Card not importing data correctly ( I have found that even with the new system I can do some functions such as entering cost, S&H charges, Insurance more quickly on the data card rather than scrolling all over the spreadsheet - but to each his own)The card is available and therefore should function even if you think everyone should "wean" themselves from it and adapt to your system.

Lack of sufficent email tags

Emails for combined auctions do not include auction numbers or descriptions. Not everyone wants to use invoice numbers and appear to be a large impersonal corporation.

There are many more problems.. The 3.x forum has 2/3 the amount of posts just since Sept as teh 2.x forum even though 2.x has been around for much longer.

Many of these problems should have been fixed before release. And they certainly should have had support staff around to help at the time of release.

There are things I like about the program and, if everything worked, it would be fine. But at the moment that is a big "IF"

As for my participating in the Beta, I really don't have the time. That is why I pay for the manager in the first place. To have a program that saves me time over doing everything manualy. I also pay for a separate posting service because I find it faster and easier than using Auctiva Poster which is included in the amount that I pay for eBud. Not, to mention the fact that every time I have tried to schedule items with Poster, they have failed to launch on schedule. I don't mind paying for a service but I want it to work when they release it and I want adequate support when thngs go wrong.

I agree with you Paint and, as you probably know, I'm generally a cheerleader for Auctiva, but you must admit that the way Auctiva has planned this changeover demonstrates a lack of foresight. You would think after the fiasco of the Service Box that Auctiva would learn that it's users are not all capable of adapting to change. Rolling out 3.0 and then taking a vacation is crazy particularly in light of the fact that there are no help files. They should have waited until they could provide intensive support by quickly responding to the questions in the forum. They could also have spent just a couple of additional hours to write a brief tutorial and post it. It would have been fairly simple to have at least composed a FAQS post. It's been so long since I used the old eDud that I would almost need help with it if I were to go back. The thing about Beta testing is that most of the time people are advised not to beta test unless they are very knowledgeable computer users. Beta testing is seen as a good way to mess up your computer if you don't know what you are doing. I would personally never Beta test a new version of IE for example. I don't think Auctiva users can be blamed for not participating in the Beta. It really is Auctiva's responsibility to ensure that people who pay for it's services are able to use them without having to be computer programmers.

Powerpaint: I just read my post. Don't think that I am being critical of you becasue you are happy with the program.. I'm not.. In fact, I am glad it is working for you. However, I do ask you to understand that some of us have developed systems over the years that have worked for us and we have incorporated eBud into those systems. Now, with 3.x it won't work in its current form. What I am really frustrated about is the lack of support at the time they released this thing. I have seen helpful suggestions you have made in some of the posts and I really appreciate them. Now where is that darn "Get eBay fees" button?

Isn't the other version still working? Why not just use it until Auctiva addresses all your concerns? I don't think they are going to can the old program, at least for awhile yet.

Guess I'm just a glutton for punishment, but I LOVE beta testing software and I am NOT a computer expert by any means! Beta testing gives users the opportunity to have input into a final product. Think how well Checkout could have worked on Ebay if they had only beta tested it with their users and fixed the problems BEFORE releasing it?

I think Auctiva is being very thoughtful in taking almost 6 MONTHS to work on this program. They could have just thrown out version 1, stopped all support for the old program and pulled an Ebay on us!

I guess most of us that were beta testing began not to miss the Help files because we were all helping each other in the Manager Pro forum that went on for months.

I think another problem (for any software developer) is you have: people still using Windows 95, people using various version of 98, people using ME, people using XP, people using all types of Internet browser versions. What a nightmare that must be for programmers. Then people come here with problems, don't state what version of this program they are using, etc.

Try to give post all the particulars you can about a situation and hopefully someone else with the same configuration will be able to help out and it also gives Auctiva a better insight into your situation. Those questions are asked on a formal Auctiva support request, but here everyone just hollers .... *It ain't workin'!* Some cries for help by some posters are almost impossible to even determine what they are trying to do.

I've done Customer Support for an Internet company and believe me, getting information you need to complete the process is sometimes a difficult task! I had one customer trying to get connected who did not even know where the START button was on her computer taskbar! The better your input ... the better the output!

Paintpower: One of the probelms is they aren't answering support requests either. Support is nowhere ot be found.. Not here and not there.. As for the discontinuing of 2.x, when I was hesitant to downlaod 3.x, they made it clear they were no longer going to support the old program.. So I figured I might as well learn this one now. My mistake.

Tom: Thanks for the reply.. However, a lot of people who are involved in 24/7 types of businesses do work on Christmas eve.. I know I have many times. I am looking forward to the bugs being fixed.

rousemark: "Now where is that darn "Get eBay fees" button?"

Rousemark, the eBay fees button can be found under the TOOLS menu. Click on eBay Fees Manager. A new window will open up. Go to the eBay Fees menu in the new window and click on Retreive eBay Fees. Select the dates that you would like the fees to be imported and click OK. If you would like the fees to be applied to your spreadsheet, go back to the eBay Fees menu and click Apply Fees To Main Database. This should solve your problem.

Most of the functions that people are used to having individual buttons for are now under the Tools menu. If you can't find a button for something, look there.


I hope that this helps!

SonOfAGeek

MAYBE WE CAN BLAME IT ON THE eASTER BUNNY THIS TIME
HERE IT IS 3 MONTHS LATER AND STILL HAVING VERY SIMALAR PROBLEMS
AUCTIVA WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF WE WERE THIS SLOW IN PAYING YOU??????

For about a week now we have been unable to get manager to upgrade and have posted so on these boards. We cannot retrieve our ebay fees for March now. We are still getting parse error when re freshing.