Comments on: ZipCodeShop – a word of warning http://david.steadson.com/2009/05/19/zipcodeshop-a-word-of-warning/ a blog Fri, 09 Jul 2010 20:09:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Sam Lewis http://david.steadson.com/2009/05/19/zipcodeshop-a-word-of-warning/comment-page-1/#comment-215 Sam Lewis Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:43:09 +0000 http://david.steadson.com/?p=122#comment-215 Chris, Thanks for the mention of Moxie Maps but the url is actually http://GoMoxieMedia.com I actually developed some of the code for ZipCodeShop and was stiffed on my fee. Michael Chalkley never returned another phone call or email. FYI, Moxie Maps is not encrypted, never will be. It supports Mosets Tree 2.1.x. You can check out a demo at http://demo.gomoxiemedia.com Chris,

Thanks for the mention of Moxie Maps but the url is actually http://GoMoxieMedia.com I actually developed some of the code for ZipCodeShop and was stiffed on my fee. Michael Chalkley never returned another phone call or email. FYI, Moxie Maps is not encrypted, never will be. It supports Mosets Tree 2.1.x. You can check out a demo at http://demo.gomoxiemedia.com

]]> By: david http://david.steadson.com/2009/05/19/zipcodeshop-a-word-of-warning/comment-page-1/#comment-213 david Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:16:35 +0000 http://david.steadson.com/?p=122#comment-213 david@steadson.com works! david@steadson.com works!

]]> By: Chris http://david.steadson.com/2009/05/19/zipcodeshop-a-word-of-warning/comment-page-1/#comment-212 Chris Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:58:00 +0000 http://david.steadson.com/?p=122#comment-212 David, How do we get ahold of you? I cannot find a link to email anywhere- Chris David,

How do we get ahold of you? I cannot find a link to email anywhere- Chris

]]> By: Chris http://david.steadson.com/2009/05/19/zipcodeshop-a-word-of-warning/comment-page-1/#comment-211 Chris Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:29:57 +0000 http://david.steadson.com/?p=122#comment-211 There are so many people facing the same situation these (ZCS)people ought to be in jail. Sadly I too became a victim in January. Why hasn't the attorney gen. investigated ZCS for fraud/interstate wire fraud already? I encourage each of you to do the same- both in your home state and in GA. There is a new extension called moxie maps. Visit www.moxieGoMoxieMedia.com I am not vouching for them but I just purchased and we are customizing it now. There are so many people facing the same situation these (ZCS)people ought to be in jail. Sadly I too became a victim in January. Why hasn’t the attorney gen. investigated ZCS for fraud/interstate wire fraud already? I encourage each of you to do the same- both in your home state and in GA.

There is a new extension called moxie maps. Visit http://www.moxieGoMoxieMedia.com I am not vouching for them but I just purchased and we are customizing it now.

]]> By: david http://david.steadson.com/2009/05/19/zipcodeshop-a-word-of-warning/comment-page-1/#comment-104 david Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:58:32 +0000 http://david.steadson.com/?p=122#comment-104 Well I have one, but it's not a simple plugin like the ZCS one. It requires quite a bit of customising for each site. I'm working on simplifying it and some step-by-step instructions. Fabrikar keeps updating their component which keeps me constantly out of date as well! In short, the Fabrikar GoogleMaps visualization will show you any geocoded data you like. The only two "tricks" are geocoding database addresses and then selecting what you want to show. Geocoding can be done by various other free components. A radius search requires comparing two geocoded addresses, I've simply created a SQL function for this and compare an address submitted by a form with an address already in the database. If you know SQL it's not that hard to do. If you don't know SQL, well ... you'll need a step-by-step! Well I have one, but it’s not a simple plugin like the ZCS one. It requires quite a bit of customising for each site. I’m working on simplifying it and some step-by-step instructions. Fabrikar keeps updating their component which keeps me constantly out of date as well!

In short, the Fabrikar GoogleMaps visualization will show you any geocoded data you like. The only two “tricks” are geocoding database addresses and then selecting what you want to show.

Geocoding can be done by various other free components. A radius search requires comparing two geocoded addresses, I’ve simply created a SQL function for this and compare an address submitted by a form with an address already in the database. If you know SQL it’s not that hard to do. If you don’t know SQL, well … you’ll need a step-by-step!

]]> By: cj ferg http://david.steadson.com/2009/05/19/zipcodeshop-a-word-of-warning/comment-page-1/#comment-103 cj ferg Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:10:41 +0000 http://david.steadson.com/?p=122#comment-103 David, Please update us on the fix if you have one. Or let us know that you don't. I am sure you understand what it feels like to be missing a solution. I have no idea how to fix this and I really rely on it... Appreciate any response or redirection to possible solutions....thanks a bunch for the blog on this.... David,

Please update us on the fix if you have one. Or let us know that you don’t. I am sure you understand what it feels like to be missing a solution. I have no idea how to fix this and I really rely on it… Appreciate any response or redirection to possible solutions….thanks a bunch for the blog on this….

]]> By: cj ferg http://david.steadson.com/2009/05/19/zipcodeshop-a-word-of-warning/comment-page-1/#comment-102 cj ferg Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:21:02 +0000 http://david.steadson.com/?p=122#comment-102 Help!!! My search function does not work anymore...it says I have a license problem..??? I paid for the software...last year. I didnt know it would time out on me. Does anyone have a solution....please...thanks. Help!!!

My search function does not work anymore…it says I have a license problem..???

I paid for the software…last year. I didnt know it would time out on me. Does anyone have a solution….please…thanks.

]]> By: Bryan http://david.steadson.com/2009/05/19/zipcodeshop-a-word-of-warning/comment-page-1/#comment-101 Bryan Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:56:20 +0000 http://david.steadson.com/?p=122#comment-101 Hi, We have been using ZipCodeShop for about 4 years and recently needed to move to another host. Having to use a Windows server for some of our other systems that reside on the server, we have had all sorts of problems with 500 errors when running ZipCodeShop. Thought the simplest would be to change our directory to another domain that could run on a Linux server and so contacted support. No response to my support ticket. Tried the contact form - no response. Tried ringing from the UK - no response. If the company has gone down then they should say so or take down their website not keep advertising their products. In my book that's dishonest. If you've come up with a solution using an alternative please let us know. Hi,

We have been using ZipCodeShop for about 4 years and recently needed to move to another host. Having to use a Windows server for some of our other systems that reside on the server, we have had all sorts of problems with 500 errors when running ZipCodeShop.

Thought the simplest would be to change our directory to another domain that could run on a Linux server and so contacted support. No response to my support ticket. Tried the contact form – no response. Tried ringing from the UK – no response.

If the company has gone down then they should say so or take down their website not keep advertising their products. In my book that’s dishonest.

If you’ve come up with a solution using an alternative please let us know.

]]> By: Aidan http://david.steadson.com/2009/05/19/zipcodeshop-a-word-of-warning/comment-page-1/#comment-87 Aidan Sat, 06 Jun 2009 09:32:34 +0000 http://david.steadson.com/?p=122#comment-87 I am soo glad that I'm not the only one. Unfortunately I bought without reading up on it first. rookie mistake! I was just impressed on its demo. I will be eagerly awaiting to hear how you go with Fabrik, I have tried it before and got a little lost truth be told. Perhaps I should have paid for the extra extensions, but I wasn't too keen on spending more money that would go to waste... I am soo glad that I’m not the only one. Unfortunately I bought without reading up on it first. rookie mistake! I was just impressed on its demo. I will be eagerly awaiting to hear how you go with Fabrik, I have tried it before and got a little lost truth be told.
Perhaps I should have paid for the extra extensions, but I wasn’t too keen on spending more money that would go to waste…

]]> By: Mark http://david.steadson.com/2009/05/19/zipcodeshop-a-word-of-warning/comment-page-1/#comment-72 Mark Mon, 25 May 2009 15:11:26 +0000 http://david.steadson.com/?p=122#comment-72 I purchased 2 years ago and they were very responsive. I like the product so much, and I have a great relationship with Nancy and Mike I(owners) and Evan and Jeff (support), and I even beta tested and found or fixed a few minor bugs. I modified the code a time or two to fit my needs and posted the workaround on the forum (back when it worked), for others to use. I purchased a 2nd license for a different site at the suggestion of one of the devs because the price was supposed to go up within the next few weeks. That was a year ago this coming July. Since then the code was encrypted and the support dwindled to absolutely nothing. I was trying to get a hold of a bug in the "category" dropdown and it was never fixed. All I got were promises of new versions, features that I was going to love and paid support. Week after week of them telling me that the new release would be out over the weekend; or after a new server test; or after a new vulnerability or bug was corrected. Then after all the waiting, Mosets Tree would have a version upgrade so they held off to rewrite or modify for the changes. In early November 2008, the emails stopped. the live chat support had ceased a few weeks earlier and the phone was never answered. I sent support tickets and direct emails to the Mike and he finally responded in mid December. Here it is: Mark: We received an investment/licensing agreement from a Fortune 500 firm which has allowed us to move to larger offices, and add servers/employees. We are in the final stages of migrating to the new site. There will be quite a few changes in the licensing and support structure. We will be announcing these changes in the next few days. There will be the option for full support including chat and phone but it will be supported by new fees. Regards, Michael W. Chalkley CEO ZipCodeShop.com I thought "great" at last I will have something to work with. But now it's May 25 2009 and there has been nothing, nadda, nix... el zippo! Unless you count the popup on their website that claimed that their server was being upgraded and the site refreshed... but that was supposed to be done "Over the Weekend" of April 24th - 26th. These clowns are worthless. I will help with whatever I can. At first I wanted to de-ionize the code but I thought it was unethical. However if the code is not supported and the company is no longer developing it, then it would actually be a fork, so I suppose its still an option. That's when I came upon this blog and I read about Fabrik. I had not even thought of using it and truthfully I'd heard about it on J! extension sites but it seemed convoluted to me. I now have it and I am interested in your solution. Do you have documentation for your implementation? Will you share? I can help. Mark Harris I purchased 2 years ago and they were very responsive. I like the product so much, and I have a great relationship with Nancy and Mike I(owners) and Evan and Jeff (support), and I even beta tested and found or fixed a few minor bugs. I modified the code a time or two to fit my needs and posted the workaround on the forum (back when it worked), for others to use. I purchased a 2nd license for a different site at the suggestion of one of the devs because the price was supposed to go up within the next few weeks. That was a year ago this coming July.

Since then the code was encrypted and the support dwindled to absolutely nothing. I was trying to get a hold of a bug in the “category” dropdown and it was never fixed. All I got were promises of new versions, features that I was going to love and paid support. Week after week of them telling me that the new release would be out over the weekend; or after a new server test; or after a new vulnerability or bug was corrected. Then after all the waiting, Mosets Tree would have a version upgrade so they held off to rewrite or modify for the changes.

In early November 2008, the emails stopped. the live chat support had ceased a few weeks earlier and the phone was never answered. I sent support tickets and direct emails to the Mike and he finally responded in mid December.

Here it is:
Mark:

We received an investment/licensing agreement from a Fortune 500 firm which has allowed us to move to larger offices, and add servers/employees.

We are in the final stages of migrating to the new site. There will be quite a few changes in the licensing and support structure.

We will be announcing these changes in the next few days. There will be the option for full support including chat and phone but it will be supported by new fees.

Regards,

Michael W. Chalkley
CEO
ZipCodeShop.com

I thought “great” at last I will have something to work with. But now it’s May 25 2009 and there has been nothing, nadda, nix… el zippo! Unless you count the popup on their website that claimed that their server was being upgraded and the site refreshed… but that was supposed to be done “Over the Weekend” of April 24th – 26th. These clowns are worthless.

I will help with whatever I can. At first I wanted to de-ionize the code but I thought it was unethical. However if the code is not supported and the company is no longer developing it, then it would actually be a fork, so I suppose its still an option.

That’s when I came upon this blog and I read about Fabrik. I had not even thought of using it and truthfully I’d heard about it on J! extension sites but it seemed convoluted to me. I now have it and I am interested in your solution. Do you have documentation for your implementation? Will you share? I can help.

Mark Harris

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