Client Status Addon

[GGWH-James]

As you all may know, WHMCS does not do much of anything with client statuses. This can (and does) throw off a number of reports. Keeping this status up-to-date can be useful in a number of ways.

 

We have been using an in-house addon module developed to automatically update a client statuses between Active and Inactive; depending upon whether or not they have any active peoducts/services or domains. At present, we have the status updated once per day when the daily cron is processed; we have no real need for this particular status to be updated more frequently.

 

Before we package this up, would anybody else even be interested in such an addon?

Edited December 21, 2010 by GGWH-James

[othellotech]

We have been using an in-house addon module developed to automatically update a client statuses between Active and Inactive; depending upon whether or not they have any active peoducts/services or domains

We're doing the same process ...

* Switching where "active" to "inactive" where has no domains (or all cancelled 6+months ago) and has no hosting (or all cancelled 6+months ago) and no telephone calls in 6+months and no support tickets in 6+months

* Switching where "inactive" to "active" where domain.status in Active/Pending/Pending Transfer/Expired

* Switching where "inactive" to "active" where hosting.status in Active/Pending/Suspended

* Switching where "inactive" to "active" where in tblAffiliates

 

All done with raw mysql - been thinking about making it a cron/hook for a while - so i say go for it

[GORF]

Definately useful! This will help with reporting, forgotten manual changes and good clean organization in general.

[GGWH-James]

Ya, I think that we will aim to make this (and others) available by the end of the month; at latest.

 

Right now, we are concentrating on rolling up some recent bug-fixes into a new update of our abuse package and ensuring that all currently know/reported bugs are patched. Once that has been finalized, we will get some of this other stuff we have been using ourselves available before starting in on v3.0.0 of the abuse package and its planned addons.

[EasyWHMCS]

We'd be intrested in this

[GGWH-James]

OK, we are getting this packaged up all nice-like for the new addon system. We are looking to release it over the next day or two.

 

For our own use, we have clients who have a domain that is Active/Pending/Pending Transfer or any other Active/Pending/Suspended service as Active and the others as Inactive. This suits our uses, but I am guessing though, that everyone would like to selectively choose in the configuration which statuses classify a client as Active?

 

Any other suggestions that can be quickly implemented for the initial release? If it is something that would require some work, it would be in the next version.

[Cape Dave]

This seems to have some serious appeal. I am not a heavy user yet, but it seems this would come in VERY handy as I grow my business. Dave

[Matt]

This can (and does) throw off a number of reports.

 

This is not true strictly speaking. And is why there's no automated client status changes.

 

No reports in WHMCS use the client status as the client status doesn't mean anything as far as the system itself is concerned - they are for staff use only.

 

For example income forecasts are based on product statuses (not client status), order reports are based on order statuses (again not clients), acitve products/services/domains counts are based on the product statuses themselves, etc...

 

Matt

[GGWH-James]

How about when I login to the homepage and see X amount of Active clients who are NOT active? That would be the first instance of such inconsistencies. Obviously, I am not the only one who has such an opinion about these things.

[Dedigeeks-Sean]

@Matt - As James said when I also login it says we have so many active clients, we really don't have that many, I do not see how this could be left out?

 

@James - I might buy, not sure yet! It is an excellent idea, mainly for me is because that we e-mail clients and we want to e-mail only active ones and this puts it off because the inactive clients also get the e-mail even though they are no longer active which is quite annoying.

 

@Matt - I really think you should fix this up because it does become annoying regardless if it impacts the product line.

[stormy]

I would like to add to the ongoing discussion about this company's policies, since I have been already requested a "government issued photo ID" which I don't really need to provide, and been threatened with a license suspension with no money back.

 

Turns out there's a lot of very clearly worded information about privacy law in Canada (called PIPEDA).

 

http://www.priv.gc.ca/information/02_05_d_08_e.cfm

http://www.priv.gc.ca/I_I/guide_e.cfm

 

I will quote one paragraph from each link, bolding mine:

 

An enterprise may only collect personal information that is essential to the business transaction. If further information is requested, you are entitled to ask why, and to decline to provide it if you are dissatisfied with the answer. You should still be able to complete the transaction, even if you refuse to give out more personal information than is warranted.

 

PIPEDA requires organizations to:

 

• explain why they are collecting, using or disclosing your personal information;

• obtain your consent when they collect, use or disclose your personal information;

• supply you with a product or a service even if you refuse consent for the collection, use or disclosure of your personal information unless that information is essential to the transaction;

• collect information by fair and lawful means; and

• have personal information policies that are clear, understandable and readily available.

 

This company is requiring personal information that is not essential to the transaction, without providing an explanation. Also, they request this personal information after fraud verification via phone has been passed, and after the money is in their Paypal account with no way of claiming it back.

 

I don't have time to dig out more Canadian laws, but their TOS would have a few illegal clauses were they happen to be a European business.

 

I am trying to discuss this with GG Hosting but from the replies so far, and what I've read in this thread, they seem adamant in incoveniencing their customers, and referring everyone to their TOS. Well, the Law is above any TOS.

 

My experience with GG Hosting addons boils down to this: I had problems buying the software (phone verification errors, I had to receive about 4 automated calls), problems installing it (ioncube encoders and what not), and now they don't want to let me use it nor refund my money.

 

I bought two fully owned licenses for their Client Status and Order Status addons, not the fraud add-on, which I was planning to buy soon. Not anymore.

[GGWH-James]

Canadian privacy laws are in place to protect the privacy of Canadian residents; not those foreign to Canada. That aside, we in fact can ask for the information that we do; our policies were drawn up between lawyers of both ours, credit card issuers, and our payment gateways. Our polices do state what the information is used for and why we ask for it.

 

Moreover, we don't just out of the blue ask for anything after you've paid without any notification prior. As per the attached, there are no less than 5 hyperlinks to our policies presented to you during checkout. In fact, we make no effort to bury this policy deep within our ToS; we've even given it it's own knowledgebase article within the Policies category for ease-of-reference and it's displayed on the very first page that's loaded when you click any one of the Polices links presented during checkout. You gave your consent and authorization when you clicked the 'Complete Order' button and entered into a contract with us. One cannot claim ignorance to/of this policy.

 

Now, if you were actually a Canadian resident, a lot of what's written in what you referenced would apply to face-to-face (i.e. brick-and-mortar) transactions; as-in asking for this, that, and the other. I could go into more detail about all of this, but have made our position quite clear in several places regarding this. I also notice that nowhere in your ticket did you ask if you could blur out some of the information on your ID. I have no doubt that Raleigh would have accepted that if you were to have asked him and that the information he needed was visible.

 

Regardless, our policies are what they are and you signified your express understanding and acceptance of them. If you didn't agree to them and/or understand them, you should not have completed your order, thereby indicating as much.

Edited April 4, 2011 by GGWH-James

[stormy]

There are lots of international treaties dealing with privacy. I had hoped to resolve this in a friendly way, but if you want to get it directly from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, you will. Good luck. I'll let this thread return to its normal course.

[GGWH-James]

There are lots of international treaties dealing with privacy. I had hoped to resolve this in a friendly way, but if you want to get it directly from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, you will. Good luck. I'll let this thread return to its normal course.

We do in fact have the right to ask for this information. Moreoever, you entered into a contract with us giving your consent. If you feel any part of it's invalid or unenforceable, you're more than welcome to file with a Canadian court; we'll gladly appear at the proceedings.

[easyhosting]

Canadian privacy laws are in place to protect the privacy of Canadian residents; not those foreign to Canada. That aside, we in fact can ask for the information that we do; our policies were drawn up between lawyers of both ours, credit card issuers, and our payment gateways. Our polices do state what the information is used for and why we ask for it.

 

Moreover, we don't just out of the blue ask for anything after you've paid without any notification prior. As per the attached, there are no less than 5 hyperlinks to our policies presented to you during checkout. In fact, we make no effort to bury this policy deep within our ToS; we've even given it it's own knowledgebase article within the Policies category for ease-of-reference and it's displayed on the very first page that's loaded when you click any one of the Polices links presented during checkout. You gave your consent and authorization when you clicked the 'Complete Order' button and entered into a contract with us. One cannot claim ignorance to/of this policy.

 

Now, if you were actually a Canadian resident, a lot of what's written in what you referenced would apply to face-to-face (i.e. brick-and-mortar) transactions; as-in asking for this, that, and the other. I could go into more detail about all of this, but have made our position quite clear in several places regarding this. I also notice that nowhere in your ticket did you ask if you could blur out some of the information on your ID. I have no doubt that Raleigh would have accepted that if you were to have asked him and that the information he needed was visible.

 

Regardless, our policies are what they are and you signified your express understanding and acceptance of them. If you didn't agree to them and/or understand them, you should not have completed your order, thereby indicating as much.

 

Regardless to what your TOS state if you are based in Canada, you MUST comply with these Canadian laws, even if selling to foreign buyers as your business is based in Canada and and falls under the Canadian Business/trading laws.

this is the same as if you sell to someone lets say in france, you must also comply with any french laws applicatale to the transaction and business practices.

[stormy]

And the story ended with this email I received today from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. Here's an extract:

 

Over the last few months we have spent some considerable time attempting to communicate with GG Webhosting. We sent a letter (was returned), tried faxing, phone calls, contacting through their web portal, domain registrar etc. They did not respond and address the complaint. Nonetheless, since you had provided to us enough evidence and it appeared that they were in fact in violation of Canada's privacy laws (PIPEDA), we were preparing to go ahead with a report of finding in the matter.

 

As I arranged to send the final notification to them, I realized that gg-webhosting.net has been taken offline, essentially it appears that the organization no longer exists. I found some talk about here also: http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1088616

 

Their site has been offline for the past few months (!!!). I'm going to try my luck again with Paypal.