We don’t just say we’re the best consignment software, we guarantee we’re the best consignment software available. Peeps’ Consignment & Resale Software, written from the ground-up by Dean Casey, Owner @ The Computer Peeps.
We have the features consignment & resale stores need, we have the easiest-to-use consignment software available, and we have the most-reliable consignment software on the market.
So we configure everything here, including the network, printers, consignment software, automated backup system, etc. Her Zebra tag printer is pre-installed and configured here; we also configure the second system (or any system in the network) to print across the network to the Zebra. So she can print tags from either computer, using just one Zebra tag printer. Everything is color-coded/labeled so when the systems arrive, it's literally just a matter of "connecting the dots".
All of her hardware is tested and configured to work with her consignment software. We include a complete system overview, so Dell warranty info, system logins, consignment software network setup, etc.
It truly is just a matter of unpacking the computer, plugging in the power and network cables and then "connecting the dots." We walk our clients through this process and then remote-in as soon as the systems are online. We test everything once again to ensure all printers are performing exactly as our clients expect.
An on-site is a little costly, especially for something that can be done remotely. We don't leave you "stranded" to do it on your own and believe me, if it wasn't easy for our clients to connect everything, we wouldn't have been able to help so many consignment store owners with this type of setup.
Let me know if you have any additional questions!
We do not own CCE and we have nothing to do with Consignment Success' and Consignment Ease's programming. I recommend posting on the correct blog/forum, which can be found via the following URLs:
- News/Blog: http://news.consignmentshopsoftware.com/
- Support Forum: http://forums.consignmentshopsoftware.com/
Have you tried calling CCE Support to address these issues? Have you posted these issues to their Support Forum? I suggest working with CCE directly, by phone, so you can voice your concern for these issues.
The difficult area is balancing customer frustration between what's ultimately actually going on. The term "glitch" gets tossed around daily. I receive calls on a daily basis with "glitches" in Liberty, ConsignPro, Consignment Till - you name it, we get call about it. ConsignPro's database can be easily crashed. Liberty's performance can be easily slowed. Consignment Success/Ease can experience slow-downs with larger databases. So while I love people utilizing our blog, we need to focus on actual technical details. For example, it's very easy to mark items as 'Missing' in Consignment Success, via Inventory Clean-up/Write-Off Items. Consignment Success even lets you customize your statuses - e.g. Donate, Return, etc.
Let us know if you need anything else!
I see a lot of users of ALL the consignment programs contact us with "slowness" issues. Our hardware pricing can be found on our Hardware Prices Page @ http://thecomputerpeeps.com/prices/hardware/.
Looking forward to seeing more store owners over on r/consign!
This is Dean here. We've had a handful of comments that people have tried to post in regard to BCSS.
The one thing that is true about all of the spam comments I've denied is - they've all ignored BCSS' stolen CCE Copyright and stolen software. Proof above, if you need a helpful reminder.
When you address that in your emails or comments - and you know who you are - we can start to have an open discussion about the real issues here. Until then, our goal will continue to be to educate consignment and resale store owners so they can make a well-informed decision. BCSS has bombarded search engine results and I'm glad The Computer Peeps have been able to pierce right through that.
With software, you actually don't own it. One cannot sell Liberty to another person. So it wasn't that you bought Liberty used. The terminology can definitely be a bit confusing, but you didn't actually buy Liberty used.
Here's how it works:
- If you decide to sell your store today, but you are keeping the name Baja Rosi's and the physical store location is the same, then you can TRANSFER the software license to the new store owner (IF it hasn't been previously transferred, that is). NO SOFTWARE IS BEING SOLD in this instance. You are simply transferring the right to use the license of the software to the new store owner, as Resaleworld allows this in their End-User License Agreement. The software was not sold in this case.
- If you decide to close your store today, but you are truly closing the store, you cannot sell your Serial # to "So-and-So's Consignment Shop" across town.
If you have any questions about Liberty's licensing terms, you can call Resalworld to verify the terms of their license. Ask Resaleworld if you can sell your software to "So-and-So's Consignment Shop" across town. :)
Ok, BCSS is a software developer, right? You're tellin' me they picked-up some cheap, HTML template and FORGOT TO EDIT something? They don't use WordPress, so they don't use some at-a-distance editor/web interface to work on their web pages. They just use a standard template that's listed under "Web Hosting & Technology" on hundreds of template sites and tweaked it. As a software company, they should be smart enough to edit their own copyright.
Let's pretend for a second, you're right though. They obviously typed SOMETHING there - so why didn't they type THEIR copyright instead of CCE's? Just a bit of an oversight, wouldn't you say?
I'll raise you one more, commenter. If your Google-Fu is strong, you can go find BCSS' first version, stolen from CCE. We outlined the details of that in the following article -> http://thecomputerpeeps.com/2011/06/best-consignment-shop-software-using-cces-copyright/, which I linked to above. I guess BCSS forgot to take out CCE's company info before they started distributing their software. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
We have clients call us every single week, with issue after issue from BCSS. I have worked for a software developer, I was a Project Manager, and I understand the reality of software development. None of the consignment programs are perfect. While they might not be perfect and while there are improvements that could be made to ALL of the major consignment programs, at least the legitimate vendors out there attempt to release program updates. BCSS' updates aren't new features or stability fixes. They scramble to address issues their software has caused to store owners' databases. BCSS still has the same data integrity issues it's had for years. dBase/FoxPro is an old, outdated database technology. While dBase/FoxPro can be used for storing data, it's old technology and it relies way too much on the software using it, to be programmed perfectly for stability, performance, and data integrity. So I hope that addresses the copyright issue.
Go to Privacy Settings > Blocked People and Apps > Manage Blocking. You can block requests from specific people, or specific apps:
Facebook has just become too much of a breeding ground for viruses and crappy content. I get my news and info from reddit and I share via Google Plus. I have a Facebook account so I can participate in Resale Connect, but Google Plus really does offer more for businesses @ SEO and it's a bit more grown-up in certain ways than Facebook is. I'm trying to think of how the consignment industry can take advantage of Google Hangouts - i.e. Google Plus' free video conferencing. You can invite people to a group video conference and everyone can see and hear one another.
I'm still waiting for the beer & cupcakes on my birthday app! ;)
Yep! You nailed it right on the head! The first time you visit Facebook after installing NoScript, you'll see at least two sites to be allowed:
In this case, it's Facebook's primary domain (facebook.com), as well as one of their secondary domains (fbcdn.net). Sites the size of Facebook aren't running on just one computer in a closet somewhere. Frequently, 'assets' (e.g. images, style sheets, etc.) will be offloaded to another server/other servers dedicated to 'content delivery'.
Take a look at Google Plus when you have a second. It's worth claiming your own page, just for the SEO benefits alone. Let me know if you have any questions!
BCSS has given her handfuls of "updates," but it's all smoke and mirrors - they're not updating anything in those builds. Data integrity, relational integrity, and input validation - Steve @ BCSS should look into those things.
It sounds like it's time for you to convert off of BCSS. All we can keep doing is sharing this information and hopefully it will save future store owners the misery and money lost. Steve has best consignment software flooded everywhere and still, to this very day, he's still able to scam store owners and take their money.
Thanks for posting on our blog! Consignment Ease and Consignment Success suffer from the same issues that all non-server/client RDBMSes suffer from - performance and stability issues. Success uses dBase/FoxPro (.dbf) files. On day 1, the program will perform quite well. As more data is added on or if you add additional workstations to connected to the shared folder on the server where the data files reside, you will begin to see LONG delays when loading the program, or navigating from screen to screen.
Moving to Gigabit Ethernet can help, if you're on a 10 or 100 Mbps network, but the application doesn't actually send that much data across the network. The issue is many-fold and it all boils down to the type of database management system, or lack thereof, that is used for applications that utilize dBase or FoxPro.
You will never see a company say, "We need a database management system that scales up from 10-100 users - let's use dBase!"
So if you're at the point where you have 3+ systems and potentially will have more in the future (along with more inventory, more sales, more consignors, etc.) then you need a database management system that can actually handle that volume.
We're open Monday-Friday from 10AM-5PM and on Saturdays from 12PM-4PM. We offer a free 30-consultation and we can discuss all of your options. Let me know if you have any additional questions!
Thanks for replying to our article! We get asked this all the time - i.e. "What is the best consignment software out there?" That very catch phrase is the phrase each of the consignment software vendors try to capitalize on as well. They all say something about "best" somewhere on their sites. That's why we decided to utilize the same terms and inject some accurate information into the sales smog out there.
None of them are the "best" consignment program. Each of them have pros and cons - some more cons than others.
First, you have to stick with the programs that are established and will be around in their current capacity, for years to come. The reputable consignment programs out there are:
Each of them can run a consignment store, but you'll find each program has its limitations, as well as benefits. For example, Consignment Ease and Consignment Success (little and big brother versions of the same program) are easy to install and easy to just "start using" right away. There are limitations to those programs though, such as the fact that in order to keep your accounting correct, you are personally responsible for running multiple maintenance utilities to balance out accounts. Failure to do so results in accounts being paid incorrect amounts. For a small store with just one computer and a not-too-high volume of consignments/sales, Consignment Ease is an inexpensive program that would give you far more than you would have if you did everything by hand. Ease and Success also don't scale up well, as far as networking and large amounts of data. If you planned on running 7 computers and processing hundreds of items and sales each day, the technology behind those products does not allow for it.
Liberty doesn't require manual accounting, markdowns are automatic, backups can be configured automatically, and since it utilizes MS SQL Server, it does scale-up well to larger networks and larger amounts of data. Liberty isn't perfect though and even on a fast network with fast systems, certain screens in Liberty can show Not Responding, even though the hardware and database are performing very quickly. Liberty also only does Item Fees based on a flat dollar amount, not based on a percentage. For stores who do a wide-range of prices - e.g. furniture - a percentage Item Fee might be a must-have. Does that mean Liberty is useless? Absolutely not. Some might be able to work around that issue, whereas some might find that as a show-stopper.
ConsignPro has been around for years and the many options it has, reflect the many years of feedback from store owners and updates Brian has responded with. ConsignPro is also very easy to install and can run in a network environment better than Ease or Success can, since it offers actual database settings within the software. It utilizes MS Access for its database, which provides it with a bit of a performance boost over Ease/Success, but since it's MS Access, it too is limited by larger amounts of data, as well as concurrent connections to the database - e.g. from other computers adding items, ringing-up sales, etc. Brian's Remote Item Entry though, was a really fantastic way to go about adding items while off-site. It's all web-based, so you don't have to purchase an app or install any special software. You can do remote item entry from a tablet, a phone, a laptop, etc.
ConsignmentTill is the only one of the consignment programs to offer customizable tags. You can layout and design your tags/barcodes any way you'd like. That being said, it doesn't include any tag formats right out of the box and you have to either create them yourself, or Ron @ ConsignmentTill remotes-in to configure them. ConsignmentTill has a very touch-screen friendly point of sale interface and can be networked. It also suffers from performance issues, once you get up to 3+ systems. Ron has made very strong efforts to address this though and has moved from Access, to an embedded-SQL database and rumor has it, is about to enhance the database back-end in the near future.
The key is, you really should try ALL of the programs before you buy. Put together a short checklist of tasks that you will go through in each of the programs. Be very deliberate, e.g.:
You have the benefit of getting at least 30 days to try each program, so there's no reason a store owner can't try each program and truly pet each through its paces.
We also offer a free consultation if you'd like to discuss any specific concerns or if you have any unique processes that you want to be sure the consignment program you select, can in fact handle.
We are not compensated in any way, shape, or form. We are specialists in the consignment industry. You will not find ANY website on the Internet that says BCSS is "great" - that is, no website that isn't OWNED AND OPERATED BY STEVE @ BCSS.
Show me one website that says BCSS is good and I will show you the owner of that website is Steve @ BCSS.
Facts:
- BCSS is the only consignment software vendor who is not a member of NARTS.
- BCSS was stolen from CCE.
- BCSS still utilizes false copyright information.
- BCSS uses the worst possible database platform out there - dBase/FoxPro.
- BCSS has not had a serious update in years.
- BCSS is unstable and crashes so often, clients who use it setup reminders to make multiple backups throughout the day.
We are so vocal about BCSS, because Steve has done nothing but take money from store owners. He has absolutely NO TECHNICAL SUPPORT. He has a consignment store owner who does support for his software. He will not participate in any public forum, nor attend the NARTS conferences every year.
You will not find a single, successful, 10+ years-in-business consignment store ANYWHERE that is running BCSS.
Steve @ BCSS spends all his time on polluting search engine results with the myriad websites he runs. We are quite proud to have absolutely destroyed his little search engine pollution game. It's why you found this very post.
Let me know if you would like any further details. I strongly encourage you to download and install the demos of each of the consignment programs out there. From ConsignPro, to Liberty, to ConsignmentTill, there are plenty of legitimate programs out there. BCSS is a scam and his "$150" is bogus - it's $150 per year for three years. Don't waste your money and do your research on dBase/FoxPro performance issues.
While I am always the first to discourage our clients from switching software, the stability - or lack thereof - of the database and the program, are not something we can faithfully recommend to any consignment or resale store owner. Trying to save a little bit of money up-front, turns into program crashes and delays down the road.
Liberty, ConsignPro, and ConsignmentTill, to name a few, or some of the reputable consignment programs out there. You'll see us say it and I'll say it again - none of the consignment programs are perfect. If you're already running into issues and considering the track-record of BCSS' performance, I recommend trying out the free demos for the various consignment programs out there. Each offers some form of conversion/data import, so you can bring your consignor accounts and inventory into the new program.
Let us know if you have any questions!
Liberty is one of the most popular and widely-used consignment programs in the industry. The method they utilized for the existing Send Mail feature, in my opinion, is a shortcut and it avoids putting in the work now, to benefit the USER in the long-run. If they have two options, one is easy on development, but difficult on you. The other is more difficult on development, but easier on you.
I feel store owners who have paid for the "best consignment software" (cough) deserve better. We're already getting the support calls for "Liberty won't send email until I configure Outlook Express!"
Maybe they just added this now as a place-holder and in their next release, they'll add a similar feature as ConsignPro. I think Liberty users deserve it and there's no reason to take the easy way out and push the burden onto the users.
A problem Liberty AND ConsignPro face, is neither of them are compatible with secure (SSL/TLS) connections. For users of Gmail, Google Apps, Liberty and ConsignPro are incompatible. This is a matter of them adding support for SSL/TLS. Is that something that takes months? No. Would it benefit users of both of these consignment programs? Yes. Why haven't they added secure email connections? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It looks like your website is hosted @ http://www.marketrends.net/. Some servers require you connect/authenticate at least once before sending an email. The server configuration should permit SMTP connections though, as long as they are authenticated.
I highly recommend utilizing Google Apps for email infrastructure. Of course, both Liberty and ConsignPro still do not support SSL/TLS, so stores who are enjoying the benefits of Google Apps, cannot utilize email with Liberty or ConsignPro.
We're definitely aware of the Start Menu 'hacks' out there. Ninite has had Classic Start available for download for quite some time.
Thus far, every client who's purchased Windows 8, has run into application crashes. The removal of Aero gives the appearance of a snappier interface, but underneath, application stability just isn't there yet, based on the last few weeks' worth of calls.
Windows Blue is already on the horizon for 2013, so Windows 8 might not be around in its current format for much longer.
I try to keep stability in mind, along with a straight-forward system and Windows 8 just doesn't offer anything for consignment businesses or small-businesses in general, just yet. Hands-down, the push is for a touch interface with Windows 8, that's the name of the game. The fake fast-boot, the line in the sand @ Microsoft's app store, UEFI, etc. all point to a closed system.
For anyone still running Windows XP, absolutely move up to Windows 7. I wouldn't make the jump to 8 just yet. Let's see where Windows Blue goes, if anywhere, and let's see a Service Pack make its way out.
Thanks again for posting! Feel free to hop on the ConsignmentTill MS SQL Server thread too!
Note: RJFSOFT does not charge extra for the ability to add (connect) networked computers to the central database.
A couple highlights regarding version 4.0:
- Zebra Tag Printing: Ability to set a different printer to each tag design
- Ability to save width and position of columns in displayed tables
- Wish List Updated:
* Record date Wish added
* Record notes for Wish
* Record date customer contacted
* New form for viewing/searching wish lists
- Feature to give consignors "Quick Cash" (from drawer) without having to perform a true settlement
- Version 4.0 will not work on Windows XP for database computer (but OK for networked computers). Install version 3.6 if you only have XP computers.
- Vista requires SP2 (service pack two) installed
- Windows 7 requires SP1 (service pack one) installed
thanks, Ron
Windows Defender has been part of Windows since Vista and now, they are essentially rolling MSE and Defender into one.
Microsoft Security Essentials and Windows Defender are absolutely horrible antivirus programs though. MSE is one of the most-commonly circumvented security products I see come across my desk. Here's a recent example we just posted to Facebook.
Moral of the story: do not rely on MSE/Defender for your antivirus.
I am a small business owner with 2 consignment shops presently. Both are ULTRA busy, all accounting done manually at the moment. I purchased BCSS two years ago and have had a nightmare of a time getting it going. Now that I have a second store, it's not even possible as far as I understand it. The hardware that i bought is still all the box, never even used. I am desperate to get automated; really need to do something before I burn out from working 24/7. I would like to grow my business to include other locations ultimately so I am seeking a program that I can grow with. Would you have any recommendations??
Thank you so much.
Tina
As you and many others have found, BCSS just doesn't seem to be able to provide a reliable, stable platform for consignment and resale store owners to run their business on.
When it comes to scalability, the database engine itself really has to be scrutinized. You simply will not find any developers building applications that are meant for large-scale data storage and high-performance, using the database engine BCSS uses (dBase).
It's worth considering one of the SQL-based solutions, which would be Consignment Till or Liberty.
Depending on which hardware items you purchased, it's possible some of it will work with a different consignment program. Each of them utilize very specific parameters, which the programs and tags are designed around. Sometimes hardware can be bent into working, if not completely, then partially. e.g. receipt printer prints, cash drawer doesn't auto-fire.
We can take a look at the hardware you have and see if you can squeeze any life out of it. A worse-case scenario, is the hardware can be sold on eBay, Craig's List, or to another store owner.
We're available Monday through Friday from 10 AM-5 PM Eastern and Saturday from 12-4 PM. We offer a free 30-minute consultation as well.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for commenting!
That depends. Where is this backup being saved to? Is it going to a little USB flash drive? An external hard drive? The internal hard drive? *gasp*
So that would be the first set of questions that would have to be answered, to know if the backup you're doing right now, is functional in the event of a system crash.
I don't know how many clients we've worked with though over the years who click "Yes" each day, but the backup file was being saved to the internal hard drive.
That's not the end of it though. Is that your only backup? If you're relying solely on a single USB flash drive to store your backups, you are putting all of your eggs in one basket. The goal with a backup system, is redundancy. Again, I don't know how many clients we've worked with who were backing-up to a single USB drive, only to lose it, snap it in pieces when they bumped into the computer, or it just flat out die on them prematurely.
So that brings up the question of, are you going to backup to 7 different USB flash drives? Are you personally going to house/store all of those? What about nights when you don't close the store and an employee closes the store?
We want to achieve redundancy, but we don't want to implement a Rube Goldberg setup either.
Liberty's included RWMaint utility can create a backup of the database and it increments the file name each time it does so - e.g. RWD1, RWD2, RWD3...RWD7. Once it gets to 7, it re-writes 1, then 2, and so on. This has to be configured to run via Scheduled Task though. It also has a drawback - it stores these RWDn files on the internal hard drive. Its purpose is actually to compress/maintain the database, so it performs a backup prior to doing so as a precaution. Two birds, one stone. Those files just need to be scripted to be copied out to another location.
We recommend the following setup for Liberty:
- User-generated backup @ "Yes" each night, goes to exteral USB hard drive
- RWMaint scheduled to run nightly
- RWDMaint's backup files copied to external drive via script
- CrashPlan configured to grab all RWDn backups from all locations, as well as user-generated backup on the external hard drive
With the above setup, you have an extremely redundant backup solution for not only your Liberty data, but every important file on your system as well. Whether it be a document, picture, or spread sheet, you'd have everything backed-up to multiple locations (you can even send backups to your house) AND you have the luxury of being able to immediately restore any version of a file. e.g. If you botch a spread sheet and need to revert to the one from *three days ago*, it's one click to do so.
Liberty also has an additional backup utility (RWDBack), but we do not recommend utilizing it for scheduled tasks. It will fill up your hard drive with backup files. Ask RSW if they feel confident in a backup made by RWMaint and it will be a resounding, "Yes!"
As always, if you have any questions just let us know! We can configure all of the above for you. It's simply too affordable and too easy to achieve such a setup, tried and tested.
There is only one official version of AdBlock Plus. You get a handful of other results below it, but the very first AdBlock Plus is the one you want.
I've put together a video tutorial for you as well. :)
How To Install AdBlock Plus for Firefox
Let us know if this helps or if you have any additional questions!
Thanks for commenting! We have worked with and are very familiar with SBS' The Consignment Shop Software. Astrix though, no. We have no clients utilizing their software and as someone who's been in the consignment industry since 2003, I can't say I've heard of them. That's not to discount them completely, just stating the facts.
Have you downloaded, installed, and fully evaluated each of these programs? Since you're in Canada, it's definitely worth considering ConsignmentTill by RJFSoft. Canadian tax rules, check rules, etc. are important, as is the new 'penny' change. ConsignmentTill just moved to a much stronger, faster, more reliable and scalable database too - MS SQL Server. So now ConsignmentTill and Liberty are the only two consignment software programs utilizing MS SQL Server. That's a pretty important factor as well, as this isn't just a game or for personal-use - this is your business; your livelihood.
The database in which you store your consignors, items, sales, payouts, etc. is very important. There's a reason Ron @ ConsignmentTill spent the time to convert to MS SQL Server - it's more reliable. Since you're already going to be a two-computer network setup and will only grow from there, the database at the center of your setup is a key factor here.
QuickBooks' Consignment module, while functional, is an add-on/after thought. If you're serious about consignment, I would go with an actual consignment software program. Ever client we've worked with who tried the QB consignment module, switched to a professional consignment program eventually.
It's easy enough to do an online shopping cart which looks great, is easy to use, and is functional; completely independent of the consignment software vendors. For that, PayPal would be used and your customers could pay with credit cards, without having a PayPal account.
As far as credit card processing within the system itself, you can utilize the integrated software such as X-Charge, or you can utilize any credit card processing service you'd like outside of the software.
Let us know if this helps and if you have any additional questions, let us know!
Sorry to hear you're running into issues with BCSS, sincerely. It's a pain in the ass (pardon my language, but it is) and this is why it's not fair to say you (BCSS) offer tech support, when it's a store owner who's doing the support. Qualified techs are rare. We speak with qualified "techs" on a regular basis and we're always expecting to talk to someone who's going to wow us or display the skills necessary to support databases, address PCI DSS, etc. It's rare that you find a tech at that level, let alone a store owner who is supposed to be the software tech for however-many users.
It's a shame she/he didn't have a backup of your database to revert to, but you're here now, so all we can do is move forward.
There are multiple consignment programs on the market. None of the programs are perfect and none of the software vendors are angels sent from heaven. They are at the very least, legitimate programs and legitimate vendors and are members of NARTS. So you definitely have some options that are more stable and more reliable than BCSS.
We have a list of the reputable consignment software vendors available on our Consignment Software Vendor Overview.
We're open today (Saturday) from 12-4 PM Eastern. We help stores convert and transition from no software or from other programs, all the time. We most-recently helped Dragonflies & Ladybugs convert from BCSS. They chose Liberty4 Consignment as their software to replace BCSS. The good thing is, you can download demos of each of these programs and try them for free. Liberty has a complete conversion for BCSS data. ConsignPro should be able to get your accounts and inventory at the very least. ConsignmentTill as well.
We help stores convert and deal with the many issues between buying consignment software and actually getting up and running. Just ask Polka Dots Consignment the amount of work involved with getting their systems righted, getting their data converted, performing custom changes to the database, training, etc.
Feel free to give us a buzz @ (888) 374-5422 and we can answer any questions you might have about any of the programs, the conversion process, and getting your systems up and running under PCI DSS.
Thanks for replying! It was definitely a good move to no longer store cp.ini in the Windows directory, but that's not what I'm referring to in the entirety of this post. ;)
This issue still happens today, even on v8.23!
If you do not select the correct antivirus software AND properly configure it OR if you utilize a program such as Carbonite to backup the entire ConsignPro directory, then you WILL run into issues and the cp.ini file will either be deleted (antivirus) or "bumped-in to" by Carbonite, leaving the file named cp2.ini.
So just to be clear, the issue with the file getting deleted STILL EXISTS in v8.23. We have numerous, documented Support Tickets over the last week, all due to the new update. :)
Thanks again for replying though!
So as of right now, it boils down to one, key issue - you cannot send emails to Accounts in Liberty unless you have email software installed AND configured on your desktop computer. e.g. Mozilla Thunderbird, Microsoft Outlook, etc. If you already have Microsoft Outlook installed and configured, then you have a 'Default Mail Client' on your computer (i.e. installed software which has been configured to send emails). So when you click the 'Send Mail' button (the button really should say, 'Launch Your Email Software'), Liberty should attempt to launch a new email via your Outlook program.
It's 2013 and installing desktop software just to be able to send and receive email, is silly. If you have 4 computers at your store, email software has to be installed, configured, maintained, and backed-up on all 4 computers. This is a burden to the store. Why not just be able to go to outlook.com or gmail.com?
For the SSL, or lack thereof, issue, it's a few lines of code to implement SSL support. Even if it's a day of programming, or a week of programming, is the response that it would 'cost too much' to add SSL support? Free software supports SSL, so a paid, 'boutique' application should support SSL as well. Since Outlook.com requires a secure connection, it appears as though Liberty would not be compatible with Outlook.com's SMTP settings.
Let us know if you have any questions!
If you have a second or third computer running Liberty, each would have to have its own license/installation for Microsoft Office and then Outlook would have to be configured.
Let us know if you have any additional questions!
Yikes, that's not good. Sorry to hear you're running into issues with BCSS. From time to time, each of the consignment software vendors can take a bit to call you back. It is usually the same day though and typically within a few hours or less. Do they have that many calls to return, that Ringo can only pass along your request?
While we do not encourage store owners to jump-ship and convert to a new consignment software program at the first sign of issues, there is a reality here that cannot be ignored. It's probably a good idea to begin the 'demo' process of each of the major consignment programs. Liberty has an actual conversion utility, ConsignPro can import accounts and inventory, ConsignmentTill has an import function, etc.
If anyone @ BCSS reads this, feel free to comment back! (Edit)
I am really sorry to hear that and more-so, a bit intrigued. I don't think I've ever heard of a company trying to get its customers to not say anything bad about it. Can you imagine buying a Coke or Pepsi and either company trying to say you can't talk about how you don't like their product? That seems really, well, weird.
Hopefully you have been able to find a better solution for your business. If you need anything else or if you have any questions, just let us know! I'll scrub these comments for you this weekend.
All the best,
Dean
Thanks for posting! I haven't had to address this specific issue, but anything can be done if you're capable or willing to pay a developer. If WooCommerce doesn't support it directly, it comes down to customization or WooCommerce adding such a feature. Customization has a cost though, both now and with maintenance.
As a workaround, one of the first things that comes to mind is a 'related product', so the shopper could select the amount to donate.
It can't hurt to submit a request to add this feature, but chances are, even if it was added it wouldn't be done within your time line. This isn't something there would be documentation for, as much as someone simply has to write the logic @ IF customer does stuff, THEN round up. The function to calculate that, is something I wouldn't even dare to pretend to say I could write. The bigger question when it comes to custom/homegrown development, is who maintains it? You can't just throw a plugin or custom code at a WordPress installation and forget about it.
So I would either look into custom development - i.e. hire a developer if programming isn't your area of expertise - or try to find a suitable compromise within your existing setup. Maybe x-post over on r/programming or r/wordpress?
Best of luck!
p.s. Kudos @ CloudFlare. ;)
Thanks for commenting! You're right about searching Google and what shows up when you search. The majority of the search results have been bombarded by BCSS and the other consignment software vendors have even picked-up on the whole 'best consignment software' SEO approach.
Yes, this website is for real. =) It doesn't take much searching to see The Computer Peeps' background and just how many consignment store owners we assist.
The first thing is, any sites that are "paid reviews" are just that - paid reviews. The post you're commenting on here is specific to BCSS and the "flooding" of search results, which has led to many of our clients wasting a lot of time and money on issues with that software. Since many store owners go to Google and search for information, we felt it was unfair that one person flood the search results and confuse so many.
Now, as far as legitimate software vendors, any of the vendors who are NARTS Members are legitimate companies. What's interesting is, we've been approached by vendors to refer clients for financial gain. That is not our goal nor our interest and it's amazing how a vendor's attitude change when you tell them you're not interested in a referral program. :) Our goal is to help store owners have correct information so they can make an informed decision.
We offer a free 30-minute consultation and we can go through the technical details, program usability, and more so you can have a clearer idea of what each program is and what it can do. Most-any of the consignment programs can run a consignment/resale store, but there are both key technical differences, as well as subjective preferences that affect things.
What's difficult is for one store owner to say, "use this software because I use it". For every store owner who likes a consignment program, we have 5 other store owners' experiences that are contrary to that. If you go into the purchase knowing all of the details and are aware of any details that might be left out by a vendor during a sale, you are likely to have a far better experience and end-up with the program that works best for your store.
I recommend joining NARTS so you can communicate with other NARTS members - i.e. real store owners - all across the country. There is also a Facebook Group called Resale Connect for store owners, which many store owners discuss this very topic.
I'm here every weekday from 10-5 and Saturday from 12-4 if you have any questions! Thanks again for commenting!
Sorry to hear you're running in to issues! Windows 8 is essentially the shortest-lived version of Windows, outside of Windows ME. We simply cannot recommend Windows 8 for any of the consignment programs, as it has proven to not be completely compatible, let alone ready for "prime-time".
For Liberty backups, I would not utilize their RWDBack utility for automatic backups. It has a serious shortcoming, which is that it does not automatically maintain its backup files and will eventually fill-up your hard drive. It has also been the only backup utility of Liberty to have multiple bugs and failures over the years - e.g. not backing up files back in 2008, "forgetting" Scheduled Tasks, etc.
For Liberty backups, their RWMaint utility really is the best solution and the one we recommend. Not only do you get daily backups which are self-maintained - i.e. RWD1 - RWD7 - it also performs the recommended database checks and database compression, properly maintaining the database for you.
So hands-down, go with RWMaint and I would avoid RWDBack. There is no doubt The Computer Peeps can configure the best backup solution for your system, Liberty, documents/files, etc. Just let us know if you'd like us to take care of this for you or if you have any additional questions!
All the best,
Dean
Thank you very much for commenting, sincerely. I am going to test/verify each of these directly, but I can say with a fair amount of confidence, the "two registers" issue is 100% related to the lack of a proper database management system.
ConsignPro utilizes MS Access, instead of utilizing a RDBMS (Relational Database Management System) such as MySQL, MS SQL, Oracle, etc. By not having this, it allows for "collisions".
Now, even if ConsignPro isn't utilizing such a system, what this tells me is, Brian isn't utilizing something called "Transactions". These exist even in an Access database and they are a core fundamental for writing large/complex amounts of data to a database and ensuring the data goes in properly and without conflict. Without utilizing Transaction-based queries, you're at the mercy of time itself, which can and will lead to "collisions."
A quick Google search of 'access transaction query' returns plenty of results -- e.g. http://www.pcreview.co.uk/threads/can-access-make-a-transaction-query.1175097/.
Without this, you simply cannot have a reliable tracking system, ESPECIALLY once you start adding multiple computers writing to the same database. It's simply a fundamental of database design and program design.
The 'off screen' issue is such an easy one to fix. It's built-in to Visual Basic -- i.e. "Window location = Center, Manual, Parent Center, etc." These things are so easy to fix and there's really no reason such an issue should persist longer than A) internal testing or B) a customer saying, "Hey, I noticed this."
The shutdowns at the end of the day, can be related to email. ConsignPro does not support proper SSL and the result is, at opening + shut-down, when ConsignPro goes to connect to the email server (or attempt to do so), it can take 30+ seconds while it fails in the background. This is also a fundamental of programming @ multi-threaded programming (prevents UI lock-ups), as well as time-outs/proper exception handling.
Thank you again for commenting. My goal is not to make Brian feel bad. These issues are verifiable and ConsignPro could hire any outside consultant and they'd be told the same thing. The fact that the major consignment software vendors have shown a history of allowing issues to go on for years, speaks mounds to me. I support and maintain consignment/resale store owners' systems all day, every day. Doing so reveals just what issues the vendors have. They try to say "all software has bugs," yet I have provided the line-by-line fixes for said bugs and have demonstrated said bugs take minutes to fix. So is it cost? Is it time? Is it interest? I can only assume, but at the end of the day, my clients are more important than the feelings of the vendors.
I'll check-in again this week, once I've had time to test these issues. Thanks again!
I know it's not 255. The fact that this issue has existed for over a decade, is the issue. Really poor UX. Really poor.
You could fix this in one minute:
Dear god, someone's finally looking at how TTimer has no error handling? I've reported this multiple times. I shouldn't have to though. Anyone who actually supports this software for even a week, can see that issue and how poorly it handles the exception. Someone shouldn't have to tell you about this -- your programmer should know better.
If you install Liberty updates even once, you would've seen the Taskbar icons breaking every single time. That I had to point it out, is telling.
Do a clean install of Liberty on a clean machine @ sorting the column. It's been reproducible for well over 7 years. It's the datagrid.
You've got issues @ form validation all over the software. The blank POS coupon is just one example. Why isn't someone going through these screens on a regular basis?
You must not really understand the focus issue. You tried to 'fix' it with a workaround @ making the splash screen go away after so many seconds. The focus issue is not only on the login screen, but multiple screens throughout the software. I must support the software far more than you do, if you haven't seen this and the fact that you even tried to fix it with a workaround, should be clear enough.
This reply is seriously a waste of time. You might be able to get over on customers, but you can't get over on me. I recommend spending the weekend and try to learn how to code. You're either being lied to by someone, or you know exactly what I'm saying.
You make it sound like "recompiling" is magic and so difficult. If you can't recompile to fix a bug, you've got bigger issues. I'm not even going to address how silly that sounds. You're over exaggerating and trying to come off like software development is magic.