Can't renew featured package when currently featured (message: used up)

[Horizon]

If I set up a featured package like this:

4921

It allows a user to select featured and pay to post a new featured listing.

Or if a listing is a standard listing, it allows them to change to featured package using the upgrade/renew button, pay, and have it become a featured listing.

However, if I try and re-feature (add time) to an already featured listing using the upgrade/renew button, I get:

4922

which says (used up) if the listing is already featured.

Does this mean you can't renew a featured listing until it expires?

(You can toggle it to a standard listing, save. And then change it to a featured and you don't get the (used up) message.)

[Rudi]

As it's a single listing package, you need to update it via My packages page

[Horizon]

(I think I'm going to have you customize the "upgrade to featured" package with one more tweak, as I think that is very close to doing exactly what I want... so I may not need to know the answer to this, but I'm curious, so I'll ask anyway)

I'm not sure what setting the single-listing featured plan "limit use of plan" to "unlimited" does. I thought it would allow one to purchase/renew it without limits, but that seems to be incorrect.

If I click on My packages as a user, it doesn't allow me to update the featured single listing plan - there is no button to update it there. The only button I see is to purchase a new plan.

However on the purchase a new plan, the only option is the standard (the single-listing standalone featured plan doesn't appear there). The standard appears on the Purchase a new package page but can't be bought again since I already have it as the user. See screenshots. I find this a bit confusing, but I'm obviously not quite grasping the concept here, or maybe I'm trying to make it do something that it doesn't do (allow someone to renew standalone featured package before it has expired)

(I think the upgrade to featured may actually be a better fit for me with one more customization, so if this doesn't' work like that, I can live with it, but I'm curious if I'm doing something wrong that I'm not seeing.)

[Wei Hong]

(I think I'm going to have you customize the "upgrade to featured" package with one more tweak, as I think that is very close to doing exactly what I want... so I may not need to know the answer to this, but I'm curious, so I'll ask anyway)

I'm not sure what setting the single-listing featured plan "limit use of plan" to "unlimited" does. I thought it would allow one to purchase/renew it without limits, but that seems to be incorrect.

If I click on My packages as a user, it doesn't allow me to update the featured single listing plan - there is no button to update it there. The only button I see is to purchase a new plan.

However on the purchase a new plan, the only option is the standard (the single-listing standalone featured plan doesn't appear there). The standard appears on the Purchase a new package page but can't be bought again since I already have it as the user. See screenshots. I find this a bit confusing, but I'm obviously not quite grasping the concept here, or maybe I'm trying to make it do something that it doesn't do (allow someone to renew standalone featured package before it has expired)

(I think the upgrade to featured may actually be a better fit for me with one more customization, so if this doesn't' work like that, I can live with it, but I'm curious if I'm doing something wrong that I'm not seeing.)

Hi Horizon,

Did you have a customization for featured function? I'm wondering if it's expensive to have customization that count standard and featured separately, which I think will solve most of the problem.

Active and inactive check:
Listing main counter (A) = Standard counter ( B ) + Featured counter (C)
If A > 0 => Listing stay active
If A = 0 => Listing inactive

Featured or standard check:
If renew or upgrade with standard package for (n) days => B + (n)
If renew or upgrade with featured package for (n) days => C + (n)
If C > 0 => Listing status is featured
If C = 0 => Listing status is standard

I'm no expert in coding but I tried my best to come up with this logic, please comment on this. Thank you Flynax Dev

[Rudi]

(I think I'm going to have you customize the "upgrade to featured" package with one more tweak, as I think that is very close to doing exactly what I want... so I may not need to know the answer to this, but I'm curious, so I'll ask anyway)

I'm not sure what setting the single-listing featured plan "limit use of plan" to "unlimited" does. I thought it would allow one to purchase/renew it without limits, but that seems to be incorrect.

If I click on My packages as a user, it doesn't allow me to update the featured single listing plan - there is no button to update it there. The only button I see is to purchase a new plan.

However on the purchase a new plan, the only option is the standard (the single-listing standalone featured plan doesn't appear there). The standard appears on the Purchase a new package page but can't be bought again since I already have it as the user. See screenshots. I find this a bit confusing, but I'm obviously not quite grasping the concept here, or maybe I'm trying to make it do something that it doesn't do (allow someone to renew standalone featured package before it has expired)

(I think the upgrade to featured may actually be a better fit for me with one more customization, so if this doesn't' work like that, I can live with it, but I'm curious if I'm doing something wrong that I'm not seeing.)

Very strange... By default, when your single-listing package is unlimited, it should always be available on the upgrade page

Maybe you changed the limit settings after you posted your listing? If everything is ok from your side, you'd better create a ticket and we'll check

[Horizon]

Hi Horizon,

Did you have a customization for featured function? I'm wondering if it's expensive to have customization that count standard and featured separately, which I think will solve most of the problem.

Active and inactive check:
Listing main counter (A) = Standard counter ( B ) + Featured counter (C)
If A > 0 => Listing stay active
If A = 0 => Listing inactive

Featured or standard check:
If renew or upgrade with standard package for (n) days => B + (n)
If renew or upgrade with featured package for (n) days => C + (n)
If C > 0 => Listing status is featured
If C = 0 => Listing status is standard

I'm no expert in coding but I tried my best to come up with this logic, please comment on this. Thank you Flynax Dev

No, only a simple modification of the "Upgrade to Featured" package to start, updating the date to the current date when used. The standalone featured package does this when you upgrade to it by switching to it, so I just had that function applied to the Upgrade to Featured package to bump the date too.

My second modification request may be to allow use of the Upgrade to Featured package before expiration, and adding another "Upgrade to Featured" period so it's additive; right now, it's designed to only be used if not featured, and the period isn't additive. I think this would be pretty simple... I hope.

In my mind I'm thinking of featured status expiration date as one thing and listing expiration date as another; I think your idea of additive expiration could make sense, but I have to think about it more. I can see how an additive would work so you are never shorted which is an important point for me. Always like to give my users a little bit more and never a bit less as people remember that. I don't fully understand the usage of the date fields yet, so have to look at this more. I know there is
Date (posted date)
Featured Date (zero if not featured, or date featured if featured)
Pay_Date (next payment date; so current date + expiration period when you signup to paid package; have to look at how this works more (is it current date for signup to non-expiring package?) It seems to be additive already if you signup for a standalone featured package after already having one...)

I need to study this more; I'm just getting up to speed...

Currently there are some things that are tricky for me to grasp too. e.g. If you offer a free package, someone can currently click the upgrade/renew button very frequently to push their date current every day for example, so that looks fresher than a featured ad where you have to pay each time to renew; I'm not clear how limits work, for example if you can allow someone to post 30 listings but not renew 1 listing every day 30 days in a row, etc... I haven't started to think of multi-listing featured package options...

[Horizon]

Maybe you changed the limit settings after you posted your listing
Quite possible as I've been looking at different options to setup packages; I will do more testing. Possibly package usage is assigned non-unlimited to an id and doesn't become unlimited when the package is changed to unlimited... I'm not sure. I will test some more.

[Wei Hong]

My second modification request may be to allow use of the Upgrade to Featured package before expiration, and adding another "Upgrade to Featured" period so it's additive; right now, it's designed to only be used if not featured, and the period isn't additive. I think this would be pretty simple... I hope.
This issue has been raised here:
https://forum.flynax.com/showthread.php?8062-Set-a-period-of-time-before-user-can-renew-a-free-listing
Before that we complain the abusive usage of free listing, and now this. I trust that this should be adjusted soon as many user will realized how inconvenient it is. I'm glad to see an active user like you here.


In my mind I'm thinking of featured status expiration date as one thing and listing expiration date as another; I think your idea of additive expiration could make sense, but I have to think about it more. I can see how an additive would work so you are never shorted which is an important point for me. Always like to give my users a little bit more and never a bit less as people remember that. I don't fully understand the usage of the date fields yet, so have to look at this more. I know there is
Date (posted date)
Featured Date (zero if not featured, or date featured if featured)
Pay_Date (next payment date; so current date + expiration period when you signup to paid package; have to look at how this works more (is it current date for signup to non-expiring package?) It seems to be additive already if you signup for a standalone featured package after already having one...)

I need to study this more; I'm just getting up to speed...

Currently there are some things that are tricky for me to grasp too. e.g. If you offer a free package, someone can currently click the upgrade/renew button very frequently to push their date current every day for example, so that looks fresher than a featured ad where you have to pay each time to renew; I'm not clear how limits work, for example if you can allow someone to post 30 listings but not renew 1 listing every day 30 days in a row, etc... I haven't started to think of multi-listing featured package options...
I've been here for years and I still need to get my head straight with this listing package sometimes to be honest. I need to study it again when I have time

[Horizon]

I think for packages/featured my approach is going to be to start with the simplest customizations that will work for my particular need right now, and then continue to build on it as necessary.

I'm going to tackle "simple" first, and then in a bit I'll probably worry about the next level of expirations and renewals complexity in more detail.

I've had flynax do a few customizations for me so far and it has been a good experience each time.

[Wei Hong]

I think for packages/featured my approach is going to be to start with the simplest customizations that will work for my particular need right now, and then continue to build on it as necessary.

I'm going to tackle "simple" first, and then in a bit I'll probably worry about the next level of expirations and renewals complexity in more detail.

I've had flynax do a few customizations for me so far and it has been a good experience each time.

Glad to hear that. ^_^