WARNING : FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM WITH MIVA READY THEMES and INTERNATIONAL ORDERS

[Geographicus]

Dear Fellow Miva Users -

We are in the middle of redesigning our site using the ready theme system. Like many of you, we recieve a lot of international orders. The current validation system forces people from countries that do not use zip codes to enter data in this field, thus preventing orders from processing. For example, this is a valid Hong Kong address

9 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong

See the problem? So we are not talking about minor places, but rather some of the largest and richest consumer cities in the world.

I brought up this issue with Miva Merchant and they agreed, it is a problem and a valid concern that they will most likely address in "a future update."
Kevin

[Pamela Hazelton]

Re: WARNING : FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM WITH MIVA READY THEMES and INTERNATIONAL ORDERS

Actually, Miva Merchant has required either a Zip or Postal code since at least version 2 (I can't recall the requirement in version 1). This has been a long-running issue with Hong Kong, because it's own government has never really standardized addresses.

For example, see here - there are various formats one can use within HK:
http://www.quora.com/Why-doesnt-Hong...e-postal-codes

With that said, HK users are pretty accustomed to having to complete various fields when shopping US stores, and many times they'll just re-enter HK or the word "none" in that field.

Note, the reason this exists in this cart and many others is that the country field is selected as part of the overall address. To make it otherwise would require shoppers FIRST select a country and then all the ship-to fields necessary appear. A few of my clients have tried that method and found that it affected conversions, especially since accidentally selecting the wrong country and then changing it wiped out fields.

[Rick Wilson]

Re: WARNING : FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM WITH MIVA READY THEMES and INTERNATIONAL ORDERS

As Pamela pointed out this has nothing to do with Ready Themes at all. This has "always" been this way in Miva and you have a number of ways you can choose to control it.

I specifically said to you (in private for the record) that the exact version of the fix you requested would require custom JavaScript and that's not something we'd do for free. You have other options, you can do it yourself, you can hire someone like Pamela, you can simply make the Zip Code field Optional for your store.

To try and suggest we're going to "profit" off of this is humorous at best and down right slanderous at worst. You're the first person in my 16 years with Miva to ever bring up this problem to me and it's existed the entire time. So what "profit" am I going to unlock when I spend thousands of dollars fixing a problem that's annoying one person?

I'm not going to delete this thread (although I think it would be justified), I do suggest you consider choosing to delete it however.

[Bruce - PhosphorMedia]

Re: WARNING : FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM WITH MIVA READY THEMES and INTERNATIONAL ORDERS

We've done the Select Country first on a couple of sites. Never seemed to have the problem of losing information if the country was changed (unless it is the Zip or 'Other State/Province'). Mostly this was done to show/hide the 'Other State/Province', but the same technique could be applied to "hide zip" and populate it with something like 999999.

General Observation: In my opinion, if you make a piece of software work 'out of the box' for everybody. Then everybody gets a box. Meaning, Merchant is an excellent platform. If it did everything you want to do with no modification, then it would do a lot of things poorly. The work-around is fairly easy here--and one of the miva forum folks might even popup with the exact 'drop in code you need'.

[Geographicus]

Re: WARNING : FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM WITH MIVA and INTERNATIONAL ORDERS

Rick -

I did not delete the post as it remains a serious issue. However, I did delete some of my more heated accusations.

I don't think requesting that the basic functionality of the 'out of box' product work is excessive.

What does it matter if it has not worked for 10 years? It still doesn't work.

Kevin

[Geographicus]

Re: WARNING : FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM WITH MIVA READY THEMES and INTERNATIONAL ORDERS

Yes, well lets hope that happens. If the fix is so easy, why is Rick claiming it will cost "thousands of dollars?"

We've done the Select Country first on a couple of sites. Never seemed to have the problem of losing information if the country was changed (unless it is the Zip or 'Other State/Province'). Mostly this was done to show/hide the 'Other State/Province', but the same technique could be applied to "hide zip" and populate it with something like 999999.

General Observation: In my opinion, if you make a piece of software work 'out of the box' for everybody. Then everybody gets a box. Meaning, Merchant is an excellent platform. If it did everything you want to do with no modification, then it would do a lot of things poorly. The work-around is fairly easy here--and one of the miva forum folks might even popup with the exact 'drop in code you need'.

[Bruce - PhosphorMedia]

Re: WARNING : FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM WITH MIVA READY THEMES and INTERNATIONAL ORDERS

A work around is easy. The 'FIX' would require a significant re-tooling of the existing checkout process, especially considering it still has to work for the tens of thousands existing Merchant users who have no need of the change.

Also, as an FYI (as its probably not common knowledge outside of the software industry) even a simple change like changing the label of a field probably costs close to a thousand in an application like Merchant.

[Geographicus]

Re: WARNING : FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM WITH MIVA and INTERNATIONAL ORDERS

I see. Good to know.

[Pamela Hazelton]

Re: WARNING : FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM WITH MIVA and INTERNATIONAL ORDERS

Rick -

What does it matter if it has not worked for 10 years? It still doesn't work.

Kevin

Because it's not that it doesn't work, it's that it doesn't work "for you". Bruce and Rick gave another suggestion (Rick's is built in and free). A third suggestion would be to just put a line next to the field that reads "Don't have one? Just enter anything".

Amazingly, in all my years working with this cart, I've never had a client call me and say they got a message from someone in HK who couldn't order because they didn't have a postal code. Like I said, the bulk of them just enter something generic, because this is not the only shopping cart that requires some sort of code. Actually, it's happened on Amazon, too.

[Geographicus]

Re: WARNING : FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM WITH MIVA and INTERNATIONAL ORDERS

Pamela -

Thank you, I like your suggesting and will most likey implement it.

But, with all due respect, the issue is broader than it 'not working for me'. It won't work for anyone who deals internationally and has a heavy client base in East Asia. That's like saying there should not be handicap ramps because stairs work for 'most people'.

I suspect you have not seen it much in Miva becasue most Miva sellers are in the USA and EUROPE and have limited sales to Asia-Pacific. Amazon is a much bigger system.

Kevin

Because it's not that it doesn't work, it's that it doesn't work "for you". Bruce and Rick gave another suggestion (Rick's is built in and free). A third suggestion would be to just put a line next to the field that reads "Don't have one? Just enter anything".

Amazingly, in all my years working with this cart, I've never had a client call me and say they got a message from someone in HK who couldn't order because they didn't have a postal code. Like I said, the bulk of them just enter something generic, because this is not the only shopping cart that requires some sort of code. Actually, it's happened on Amazon, too.