When an item is out of stock and you don't select the Back Order Available option in the Product Admin, the button should read "Notify when back in stock" and the customer is then given the option to enter their email so they can be notified when the item comes back in stock.

I have an item that will be in stock very soon and I want to give the customer the option of either placing the order and adding it to the cart with a message that it will be on back order or entering their email to be notified when it is back in stock.

Whether I select the Back Order Available for the product or NOT, the button is reading "Notify when back in stock". If the option for back order is available, it does add the item to the shopping cart, like it should, but it doesn't give the customer the option to enter their email if they don't want to place the item on back order and would rather be notified.

I know something changed over the years with this because I have an override of the text for it in my includes.asp file: xxBakOpt="Some of these options are not currently in stock but are available to back order. If you would like to continue with your order, click OK. If you would like to wait to place an order and be notified by email when the item will be back in stock, click Cancel."

Please advise. I'd like the button to read differently for each scenario, if possible. I feel like it saying "Notify when back in stock" when they can add it to their cart for back order is confusing.

Thanks,
Kelley
Ecommerce PlusASP v7.2.6

Hi Kelly, Notify when back in stock is activated when inventor is 0 for the item. Back order you would un-check the sell button and check the back order available, the customer will then see the message on the cart

The following items have been added to your order.
1 test100 has been added
Price:$0.10
Item not currently in stock but placed on back order - select "Edit Order" to modify purchase.



Winners never quit, quitters never win
CSS and Responsive Designs
User Manual for Ecommerce Templates

Well hello there, Sinbad! :)

Sell button? Um... I don't have one of those.

OK, check out https://www.westernbootsales.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Stetson_Ladies_Southwestern_Pattern_Peasant_Blouse

I have this product set up with the Back Order Available checkbox on all sizes and they all have zero inventory. The button says "Notify when back in stock". It would be preferable if it could say "Back Order". So, the customer can only choose to add the item to the cart and place a back order, which is OK, but not for a customer that would like to be notified when the item comes in stock, INSTEAD OF placing the backorder.

There used to be a way to do that, hence my language file override that I mentioned. ;)

Kelley

P.S. The cart does show the notice that the item will be back ordered, as it should.

You can change Notify when back in stock using the includes.asp file. Simply add

xxNotBaS="Back Order"

Marshall
CENLYT Productions - ms designs
Affordable Web Design
Custom Ecommerce Designs
Responsive Websites
Cenlyt.com

Hi Marshall,

I thought of that, but I wouldn't want it to say that for products that are out of stock that don't have a back order option.

Kelley

Hi Kelley
I see what you are saying which I guess is that maybe some who would like to be notified that an item is back in stock wouldn't actually back order the item. But I think things have always been like this. It's an idea though to give the option of either notification or back ordering though and I'll bear it in mind for future updates.

Vince

Click Here for Shopping Cart Software
Click Here to sign up for our newsletter
Click Here for the latest updater

Vince,

I'm glad you chimed in because I noticed something that may be a glitch. On items that I have set up with ALT IDs, there is an issue with this, but on items that don't have options, it works fine.

Example of product without options set up with back order available: https://www.westernbootsales.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Calhoun_Dog_Bed

Example of product without options set up with NO back order available: https://www.westernbootsales.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Bickmore_Light_Hat_Care_Kit

Example of product with options set up with back order available: https://www.westernbootsales.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Stetson_Ladies_Southwestern_Pattern_Peasant_Blouse

Example of product with options set up with NO back order available: https://www.westernbootsales.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Ariat_Women%27s_Dixon_Cow_Hair_On_Shorty_Boot

So, the different button text is showing correctly for the items without options, but the ones with options it reads the same.

UPDATE: It's the ALT ID products with options only. I found a product that has options, but it isn't set up with ALT IDs. It has the correct button when I set it up either way. https://www.westernbootsales.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Reebok_Men%27s_Black_Athlete_6_Sport_Boots_w%2FComposite_Toe

Kelley

P.S. The difference in SIZE of the "Notify when back in stock" button... I can't explain! LOL!

Hi Kelly,

When you're using alt ID's for your options and you want to use the back order feature this is what you need to do

Set the front end product that displays with a stock value of 1 so the out of stock message never displays, when you're using alt ID's that product will never be added to cart anyway.

Then check the back order checkbox on the hidden products that are assigned to the options that you want to assign the back order feature to. Those hidden products will have their own stock values so when they have a zero stock level the back order feature will kick in.

So when the customer picks an option that's out of stock with the back order feature assigned to it they have the option to order it.



* Database Migrations and Conversions*
* ASP to PHP Cart Conversions*
*Contact Us*
*Buy The PHP Capture Card Plugin*
*Rate Our Services/View Our Feedback*

Hi Phil,

Thank you for looking into this for me. You had me all excited there for a bit! Ha, ha! Sadly, it didn't work. :(

Example: https://www.westernbootsales.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Stetson_Ladies_Southwestern_Pattern_Peasant_Blouse

The main product is now set to an inventory of 1 In Stock without referring to By Options and the Back Order Available box is unchecked. All of the hidden products have that box checked. On the front end, the Add to Cart button is visible and when you select an option, the pop up box to enter their email appears and will not allow the user to add the item to their shopping cart.

Kelley

Hi Kelly,
I'm not too sure of your exact set up there and I did have a similar issue when I initially tried to set this up.
Have the hidden products that are assigned to the options got stock values?

Please go here -removed

choose 30 waist 33 leg and add to cart

So this works for my client perfectly



* Database Migrations and Conversions*
* ASP to PHP Cart Conversions*
*Contact Us*
*Buy The PHP Capture Card Plugin*
*Rate Our Services/View Our Feedback*

Hi Phil,

Hmm... no, all of the products have zero stock. I tried adding stock to just one of them, but that didn't change anything.

I tried it on your site, and that's fine if you want the customer that wants to place the item on back order. I think the difference here is that I want the customer to be able to add it to the cart IF they want to back order it BUT I also want to have the option for the customer to enter their email IF they DON'T want to place it on back order and would rather be notified.

Thing is, ECT used to work this way. Not sure what updater overwrote it, but I have a language file override in my includes.asp file that instructed the customer to hit "OK" to add to cart and back order the item or hit "Cancel" to not add it to cart and instead enter their email address.

Totally perplexed. Have I mentioned that I use inventory control?

Kelley

Can you email me your admin login and I'll take a quick look at your setup on the Stetson Ladies Southwestern Pattern Peasant Blouse product

Email sent! :)

Thanks so much,

Kelley

Can you try that product now please?



* Database Migrations and Conversions*
* ASP to PHP Cart Conversions*
*Contact Us*
*Buy The PHP Capture Card Plugin*
*Rate Our Services/View Our Feedback*

Hi Phil,

Now it just adds it to the cart. When I add one it adds it without a back order warning. If I add another (same size) it adds it with the warning.

Kelley

I've just tried all the size options and the only one that doesn't give the back order message is the XL size because that's in stock



* Database Migrations and Conversions*
* ASP to PHP Cart Conversions*
*Contact Us*
*Buy The PHP Capture Card Plugin*
*Rate Our Services/View Our Feedback*

Yes, it does show the warning as expected. I didn't realize you put stock in the size XL and I was adding it twice (hence not getting the warning the first time, but did on the second). There isn't actually stock in that size so I had to change it back (live site and all) but I think Vince gets what I'm after here and will hopefully make it so the button reads accurately for the stock on the size selected, as it does for products without ALT IDs and hopefully adds that and the change so that a customer can have either choice on an out of stock product in the next updater.

Thanks for all your help, Phil, I really appreciate it! I do like that it says "Add to Cart" now instead of "Notify when back in stock" because I have the Back Order Available option selected for this product. I have a LOT of products like this - guess I have some work to do! LOL!

By the way, for anyone else reading this that wants to achieve the same outcome, what we did was for products set up with ALT IDs, is changed the main (visible) product to show a value of 1 in stock and not have it refer to the options (set In Stock rather than By Options in product admin). Then ALL ALT ID (hidden) products have the Back Order Available checkbox marked. Now, here's the kicker, if you UN-check the Back Order Available checkbox on the main product, it will result in the customer getting the prompt to add their email address to be notified and not allow them to add the product to the cart. If you check it on the main product, it will allow them to place the back order and have a warning in the cart. With either scenario, the button reads "Add to Cart" and all options show font color as if they are IN STOCK, regardless of the stock value. (We have ours set so out of stock items are usually greyed out.)

Kelley