No visibility to Merchant Outbox folders in-world?

[Tantra Breen]

I just migrated my 32 Marketplace items from Magic Boxes to Direct Delivery. Everything seems to be working and I have sucessfully tested several items.

HOWEVER, when I am in-world I do not see a Merchant Outbox folder in my inventory and the Me > Merchant Outbox selection shows an empty window and the message "Your Outbox is empty" after the little circle chugs along for a few seconds. Is this normal?  How would I change the contents of a folder if I cannot see it anywhere in-world?

I am using the latest SL viewer (3.3.4) on Vista-64 and have no other SL problems (cough, cough.)

Any ideas?  Thanks!

[JoJo Aurelia]

As far as I know there isn't an outbox folder. You'll know what you have on MP by going to Merchants area in Market Place and manage listings. I have items on MP and no outbox folder, either. And yes, it will be empty once you send them to Market Place.

[Pamela Galli]

If you do a search of this forum you will see several threads on the topic. (You can also do a Google search to find the instructions.)

[Tantra Breen]

Thanks Faye. And to Pamela, all I see is "problem, problem, problem" and "failed, failed, failed" in these forum posts.

Since everything works properly, I am probably past the setup phase, my question was about ongoing maintenance of my listings. So I have a new Tantra Teaser or something, do I just chunk it into the Merchant Outbox dialog window again and hope like hell that it 1) goes into the proper folder, 2) removes the old one and 3) associates the new one with the proper listing information? Based on my experience with LL, that sounds like a "crap shoot."

Again, how will ongoing updates to my products be handled? What am I not understanding? (I did not see any LL wiki pages dedicated to this, only to the initial setup and migration.)  Thanks!

 

[Arwen Serpente]

Tantra, for updates to an existing DD listing, the new version would be uploaded and it appears in the unassociated section of inventory. Then go to the current/existing listing and "reassociate" with the new version that was just uploaded.

 

[Pamela Galli]

---

Tantra Breen wrote:

Thanks Faye. And to Pamela, all I see is "problem, problem, problem" and "failed, failed, failed" in these forum posts.

Since everything works properly, I am probably past the setup phase, my question was about ongoing maintenance of my listings. So I have a new Tantra Teaser or something, do I just chunk it into the Merchant Outbox dialog window again and hope like hell that it 1) goes into the proper folder, 2) removes the old one and 3) associates the new one with the proper listing information? Based on my experience with LL, that sounds like a "crap shoot."

Again, how will ongoing updates to my products be handled? What am I not understanding? (I did not see any LL wiki pages dedicated to this, only to the initial setup and migration.)  Thanks!

 

---

I did a search of "outbox" just now and found quite a lot of threads on the topic. 

[Tantra Breen]

Thanks Arwen, but it didn't quite work that way.  I dropped a newer version with exactly the same name into the Merchant Outbox dialog, and yes, when I went to the Marketplace it was unassociated. The only options were Create and Delete. When I touched the name it automatically "created" a new, empty item listing,which is not at all what I wanted to do. I then had two listings for the same item.

It seems really strange to me that I cannot find the procedures to UPDATE a product, and that nobody else seems to be asking the question here either (despite what Pamela implies.) Again, am I just missing some basic concept?

So I ask again, does anyone know how to update an existing Marketplace product with contents of exactly the same name? What I am trying to do should be SUPER SIMPLE, as in almost everyone would be doing this on a regular basis.

[Pamela Galli]

---

Tantra Breen wrote:

Thanks

Arwen

, but it didn't quite work that way.  I dropped a newer version with exactly the same name into the Merchant Outbox dialog, and yes, when I went to the Marketplace it was unassociated. The only options were Create and Delete. When I touched the name it automatically "created" a new, empty item listing,which is not at all what I wanted to do. I then had two listings for the same item.

 

It seems really strange to me that I cannot find the procedures to UPDATE a product, and that nobody else seems to be asking the question here either (despite what Pamela implies.) Again, am I just missing some basic concept?

So I ask again, does anyone know how to update an existing Marketplace product with contents of exactly the same name? What I am trying to do should be SUPER SIMPLE, as in almost everyone would be doing this on a regular basis.

---

The outbox has been in use for months. The question has been asked and answered many times. Either you can do a search or you can wait for someone to come along and either type it for you here or do the search for you and paste it for you here.

[JoJo Aurelia]

I believe Arwen answered it... What I was doing was just unlisting the old item, then doing an auto fill and the older item would appear, and auto fill it, add any other info, like V2, etc., and then list it, then delete the old one. I never have figured out the way Arwen explained but I think she has an easier method than me.  I wasn't clear as to your question, but now I see you want to update something. 

 

[Tantra Breen]

I tried uploading an item with the exact same name, BUT on the old item listing when you press the "Edit associated object" button, THE LIST IT RETURNS FILTERS OUT ITEMS WITH THE SAME NAME. It wouldn't show it to me when it was unassociated, nor would it show in the list after I created an empty listing for it.

So far it seems that there is no way to perform a simple and necessary task that 99.9% of merchants would do on a regular basis.  :-(((  

Anybody?

[Tantra Breen]

Pamela, either contribute to the answer directly or please leave me alone here. No reply is needed, just go away and be unhelpful to somebody else.

[Pamela Galli]

---

Tantra Breen wrote:

Pamela, either contribute to the answer directly or please leave me alone here. No reply is needed, just go away and be unhelpful to somebody else.

---

1. Since you want to know how to update merchandise with direct delivery, try searching "update direct delivery". 

2. Look at the 8th thread, 

 

Direct Delivery - Updating Product Box

 

Took me 15 seconds.

[Tantra Breen]

So it turns out the forum keyword to search on is "DD" and NOT "merchant outbox," jeeez, sorry I'm not an "insider."

I found a seven page instruction sheet from Darrius Gothly, the link is here for anybody else that needs to know this: http://bit.ly/UpdDDProd

Seven pages and no, you CANNOT use the REAL item name when you upload it, the SAME product now needs to have a DIFFERENT name in order to SPOOF the system, ugh..

This used to be as easy as 1) delete the old item in the Magic Box, 2) drop in the new item and 3) go play SL. It's now an excrutiating and confusing 10 step process. Sorry I was late to yet another  painful implementation.

Thanks

[Pamela Galli]

---

Tantra Breen wrote:

So it turns out the forum keyword to search on is "DD" and NOT "merchant outbox," jeeez, sorry I'm not an "insider."

I found a seven page instruction sheet from Darrius Gothly, the link is here for anybody else that needs to know this:

http://bit.ly/UpdDDProd

Seven pages and no, you CANNOT use the REAL item name when you upload it, the SAME product now needs to have a DIFFERENT name in order to SPOOF the system, ugh..

This used to be as easy as 1) delete the old item in the Magic Box, 2) drop in the new item and 3) go play SL. It's now an excrutiating and confusing 10 step process. Sorry I was late to yet another  painful implementation.

Thanks

---

There is a link to Darrius in the thread I linked for you. Glad you managed to find another somewhere when you did a search. :-)

As far as coming up with search terms -- that has nothing to do with being an "insider" but knowing how to use keywords to search for anything anywhere, not just this forum.  But I think you know that, and I think you know how to perform searches.

 

This forum is a valuable resource for those who are willing to use it to find answers to questions by searching for them. Yes it can take a few minutes, but as I pointed out earlier, your choice is to do the search yourself or wait for someone else to do it for you, or wait for someone to type an explanation for you.

[Sassy Romano]

---

Tantra Breen wrote:

you CANNOT use the REAL item name when you upload it, the SAME product now needs to have a DIFFERENT name in order to SPOOF the system, ugh..

This used to be as easy as 1) delete the old item in the Magic Box, 2) drop in the new item and 3) go play SL. It's now an excrutiating and confusing 10 step process. Sorry I was late to yet another  painful implementation.

Thanks

---

There's no need to change the name.  Just upload the new one, go to the website and associate the listing with the newly uploaded item.  Same name but it will have a newer date.

It would have been nice to have Merchant Outbox present a folder view just like inventory does but there has already been far too much misinformation about how Direct Delivery works with some people believing:-

" it will bloat my inventory" - (DD uploads to MP, gone from local source)

"what happens if my inventory doesn't load" - (that's just a locally cached copy, nothing is ever really IN your inventory in the first place but just a pointer to it elsewhere)

"I don't want LL having direct access to MY inventory" - (they already have FULL access to it and always have).

But yes, a folder view would have been nice but that's not how it is and that's that.

As for not being an "insider", the communications could have been much better from LL but given that we all mostly know this, it's a good idea to take control of what is within ones realm to change.  If LL doesn't make information available in a form that is effective, it's our responsibility as merchants to seek out that information.  Nobody here was an "insider" except maybe those on the beta team but the information is here for everyone regardless.

Things change, one has to keep up.

[Pamela Galli]

---

Sassy Romano wrote:

---

Tantra Breen wrote:

you CANNOT use the REAL item name when you upload it, the SAME product now needs to have a DIFFERENT name in order to SPOOF the system, ugh..

This used to be as easy as 1) delete the old item in the Magic Box, 2) drop in the new item and 3) go play SL. It's now an excrutiating and confusing 10 step process. Sorry I was late to yet another  painful implementation.

Thanks

---

There's no need to change the name.  Just upload the new one, go to the website and associate the listing with the newly uploaded item.  Same name but it will have a newer date.

It would have been nice to have Merchant Outbox present a folder view just like inventory does but there has already been far too much misinformation about how Direct Delivery works with some people believing:-

" it will bloat my inventory" - (DD uploads to MP, gone from local source)

"what happens if my inventory doesn't load" - (that's just a locally cached copy, nothing is ever really IN your inventory in the first place but just a pointer to it elsewhere)

"I don't want LL having direct access to MY inventory" - (they already have FULL access to it and always have).

But yes, a folder view would have been nice but that's not how it is and that's that.

As for not being an "insider", the communications could have been much better from LL but given that we all mostly know this, it's a good idea to take control of what is within ones realm to change.  If LL doesn't make information available in a form that is effective, it's our responsibility as merchants to seek out that information.  Nobody here was an "insider" except maybe those on the beta team but the information is here for everyone regardless.

Things change, one has to keep up.

---

BTW, Darrius' guide makes it very clear that no renaming is involved at all. He  could not have made the instructions simpler or clearer.

[Butch Daddy]

---

Tantra Breen wrote:

Thanks

Arwen

, but it didn't quite work that way.  I dropped a newer version with exactly the same name into the Merchant Outbox dialog, and yes, when I went to the Marketplace it was unassociated. The only options were Create and Delete. When I touched the name it automatically "created" a new, empty item listing,which is not at all what I wanted to do. I then had two listings for the same item.

 

It seems really strange to me that I cannot find the procedures to UPDATE a product, and that nobody else seems to be asking the question here either (despite what Pamela implies.) Again, am I just missing some basic concept?

So I ask again, does anyone know how to update an existing Marketplace product with contents of exactly the same name? What I am trying to do should be SUPER SIMPLE, as in almost everyone would be doing this on a regular basis.

---

http://community.secondlife.com/t5/English-Knowledge-Base/Managing-your-Marketplace-store/ta-p/700191#Section_.1.6

 

[Butch Daddy]

---

Tantra Breen wrote:

I tried uploading an item with the exact same name, BUT on the old item listing when you press the "Edit associated object" button, THE LIST IT RETURNS FILTERS OUT ITEMS WITH THE SAME NAME. It wouldn't show it to me when it was unassociated, nor would it show in the list after I created an empty listing for it.

So far it seems that there is no way to perform a simple and necessary task that 99.9% of merchants would do on a regular basis.  :-(((  

Anybody?

---

http://community.secondlife.com/t5/English-Knowledge-Base/Managing-your-Marketplace-store/ta-p/700191#Section_.1.6

 

[Butch Daddy]

---

Tantra Breen wrote:

So it turns out the forum keyword to search on is "DD" and NOT "merchant outbox," jeeez, sorry I'm not an "insider."

I found a seven page instruction sheet from Darrius Gothly, the link is here for anybody else that needs to know this:

http://bit.ly/UpdDDProd

Seven pages and no, you CANNOT use the REAL item name when you upload it, the SAME product now needs to have a DIFFERENT name in order to SPOOF the system, ugh..

This used to be as easy as 1) delete the old item in the Magic Box, 2) drop in the new item and 3) go play SL. It's now an excrutiating and confusing 10 step process. Sorry I was late to yet another  painful implementation.

Thanks

---

http://community.secondlife.com/t5/English-Knowledge-Base/Managing-your-Marketplace-store/ta-p/700191#Section_.1.6

 

[Pamela Galli]

I remember you from SLX, Jacob -- wish more old SLXers would drop by here.

[Butch Daddy]

---

Pamela Galli wrote:

I remember you from SLX, Jacob -- wish more old SLXers would drop by here.

---

 

I think the down ecomony has hit a lot of us.  I pulled my items back when the change to this new site happened and all of the talk of charging for free items etc and I just haven't bothered to start creating again.

 

I still lurk, but mostly figured I would wait out all of the growing pains that the rest of you are going through before I considered jumping back into the mix again LOL.

Guiniea pigs running on the wheels is not who I wanted to be this time around.

[Darrius Gothly]

---

Tantra Breen wrote:

So it turns out the forum keyword to search on is "DD" and NOT "merchant outbox," jeeez, sorry I'm not an "insider."

I found a seven page instruction sheet from Darrius Gothly, the link is here for anybody else that needs to know this:

http://bit.ly/UpdDDProd

Seven pages and no, you CANNOT use the REAL item name when you upload it, the SAME product now needs to have a DIFFERENT name in order to SPOOF the system, ugh..

This used to be as easy as 1) delete the old item in the Magic Box, 2) drop in the new item and 3) go play SL. It's now an excrutiating and confusing 10 step process. Sorry I was late to yet another  painful implementation.

Thanks

---

LOL You should see the 57-step process I did for updating a product in a Magic Box. (just kidding .. but it's a lot). I made it that long by adding lots of pictures and extra explanation .. in an attempt to keep people from missing anything crucial. But Arwen pretty well nailed it earlier.

1. Drop the new product into the Merchant Outbox and Upload it

2. Go to the existing listing for the item and change the Associated Item to the one just uploaded.

3. Go to Unassociated Inventory and delete the old uploaded product.

Presto! Done. No fancy name games, no "will it or won't it automatically" anything. (Hint: Assume nothing happens automatically.) I can do an update in less time than it takes to log in to SL. Of course I need to prep the product folder and make sure all the parts are correctly updated before uploading the product folder, but that's basic groundwork .. nothing special.