Docsaway Addon: Mail Paper Invoices to Physical Customer Addresses

[docsaway]

Hi All,

 

The WHMCS Docsaway Addon is now available.

 

This addon allows you to mail your customer invoices out in paper format to your customers addresses. The module connects to the Docsaway pdf mailing platform, which uses globally positioned printing stations to print and mail your invoices closer to your customers address.

 

Docsaway is a hybrid mailing platform. It allows users to upload PDF documents that they wish to be printed and mailed to a physical address. Docsaway has multiple global printing stations giving the user the ability to get their documents printed and mailed closer to their recipients location. This can result in faster delivery times and save money, especially if your sending your invoices overseas.

 

The new WHMCS Addon module can be found at:

https://www.docsaway.com/index_m.php?page=developers

 

Please give the module a try and let us know what you think.

 

Best Wishes

 

Paul.

[UKCloudHost]

Hello,

 

I am seeing the following error:

 

Fatal error: Cannot redeclare class TCPDF in /home/username/fake/path/towhmcs/includes/classes/class.tcpdf.php on line 328

 

Using latest version of module for PHP 5.3 (we are actually using PHP 5.4) and WHMCS 5.2.2

 

Any ideas?

[docsaway]

Hi UKCloudHost,

 

Thank you for alerting us to this problem!

 

There was a change in the newer version of WHMCS which caused this error. This problem has now been fixed on our recent version of the Docsaway module, which you can download at the following location:

 

https://www.docsaway.com/index_m.php?page=developers

 

Best wishes

 

Paul.

[docsaway]

Hi Everyone,

 

Our site was updated not so long ago to download the module you now need to go to the following link:

https://www.docsaway.com/index_m.php?page=1_6

 

Best wishes

 

Paul.

[docsaway]

Hi Everyone

 

I wanted to let WHMCS users a new Docsaway add-on is now available.

 

Once installed the new module enables WHMCS users to:

 

- Send a letter direct to any contact direct from within WHMCS

- Send invoices automatically via postal mail for any specified client

- Automate the verification of customer addresses so you “Know your customer (KYC)”. This is particularly beneficial to Nominet accredited partners.

 

The module is free for existing clients until 31 July 2014 so please download a copy now if it may be of use. Full details of the plugin may be found at http://whmcs.docsaway.com.

 

Best wishes

 

Paul

[yggdrasil]

I'm interested in using this service, for bigger customers as well address verification. I think sending paper docs is nice. Its very original and I don't think any other company is doing this.

 

But then I see everything is encoded in the module and no install instructions. I stopped right there. Why would you do this unless there is something to hide? Remember WHMCS is a billing software, if you want people installing a module to use your services, they have to trust you to run code in their servers.

 

I mean, honestly even the language file is encoded !!!! Why?

 

You are not even allowing users to use another language or change the template to integrate it with their WHMCS or design? How is someone supposed to use the address verification if you cannot integrate it with your templates or even change one word as its all encoded...

 

Example even the lang/english.php is encoded. That file is supposed not to be encoded with modules, so users can create a copy of it to their own language they are running WHMCS.

[docsaway]

Hi Yggdrasil,

 

Thanks for getting in touch.

 

Why does anyone encode software? It is not because they have something to hide. In this instance we encode as we only support the code we have produced. We would be unable to support any customisation to the code and this helps prevent that possibility. I can advise we have many customers successfully utilising the software and hope you will consider joining them.

 

When encoding we simply encoded all our php files, I will add another download today with a source code version of the language files, as that was over looked, thanks for pointing that out.

 

Best wishes

 

Paul.

[yggdrasil]

<p>

Hi Yggdrasil, Thanks for getting in touch. Why does anyone encode software? It is not because they have something to hide. In this instance we encode as we only support the code we have produced. We would be unable to support any customisation to the code and this helps prevent that possibility. I can advise we have many customers successfully utilising the software and hope you will consider joining them. When encoding we simply encoded all our php files, I will add another download today with a source code version of the language files, as that was over looked, thanks for pointing that out. Best wishes Paul.

</p>

<p>

I completely understand and there is nothing wrong with protecting software but it does not make sense to encode everything or all software.</p>

<p>

First, your module is not sold. Its free. There is no point in encoding a free module because the profit in this case does not comes from the module but from using the service. Companies give away a module for a billing systems to increase their market so more users buy their services and the profit is there, not in the module which is a tool.</p>

<p>

The second reason is because a lot of people, me included are very relunctant to install encoded files on a server. While there are modules from real companies, there are very suspicius modules as well for WHMCS and since its encoded you have no idea what data its pulling out or in. From all I know, a module could be reading all your customers data and sending them externally. Even Chrome plugins where detected to be infected and since nobody is checking WHMCS modules, all we have is trusting the developer or the company. Now I understand some may have to do this for security purposes, but that would mean their code is actually not secure as security by ofuscation does not work.</p>

<p>

If a module is properly coded there is no reason to hide it unless its for intellectual property which makes no sense in free modules, since you already require an API or username to connect to the services (I assume). A module code should be safe by nature when its connecting to the external services. I don't see how anyone could take any advantage on reading the code in a free module since your service is quite unique so I don't know what they would copy.</p>

<p>

The third reason is what I mentioned before. I want to use your service, but how could I? You encoded the language file and templates. WHMCS customers may be not even using their WHMCS install in English, or they may have several languages, so they need to copy the original English file and do their own translations, and I'm very sure some have their installations customized so they may need to fit the text and templates to their looks as well. In particular since your service is sending postage to different countries all over the world is rather strange you assume they would only use English.</p>

<p>

Would your customers send English postage to someone in Brazil where one of your postage station is just to name one example? Probably not. Please update this when its fixed. You should not at least encoded the template (looks) and language files. Thanks</p>

Edited June 7, 2015 by yggdrasil