Major problem with "Buttons"

[Webbuilderchic]

I have been working on our new website for several months. I originally started by using "Add to cart" buttons, and then decided to switch over to "buy now" buttons. I double-triple-quarduple checked the ending page for both of these buttons to make sure it was the same. (The view cart page, where you can adjust your quantity's etc) And it has been, for two months. Until last night.

Now the "buy now" button sends me to a DIFFERENT page rather than the "view cart" page as it had been. I called your customer service and they couldnt tell me anything except make all your buttons over. She put me on hold for a total of thirty minutes while she talked to the "technical support", and when I asked if I could just talk to them she said she didn't have authorization to transfer me, but that I could go online and submit a technical problem and they would contact me back by email tomorrow.

This is BS. It's taken me weeks to make my buttons, and now because it's magically sending me to a different page I have to spend WEEKS more to remake all them!?!?

Oh, and on top of all this I can't even "edit" the buttons I already have made, 1. there is no option to change a button from a "buy now" to an "add to cart". and 2. the bottom half of the page never loads, so I cant get a button to generate my code!

This has got to be one of the longest and most frustrating things I have ever had to deal with. If anyone knows how to use this please help me.

[skier]

Unfortunately you're missing the concept of Add to Cart and Buy Now item buttons. 

Add to Cart is intended to allow the customer to select an item, Add it to the Shopping Cart, allow the customer to change or edit the quantity, proceed to checkout or continue shopping  by returning the web site.  In addition, the View Cart item button code will ONLY work Add to Cart item button code. 

Buy Now is a one time purchase, customer makes selection, is presented with the PayPal Screen and has to opportunity to either checkout or cancel.   Also, depending on how you have the button coded, you can also change the quantity.  There is NO Shopping Cart and the View Cart button will NOT work with a Buy Now button.

And if you are using the online button creator, by default you are creating "hosted" item button meaning specific variables are stored on the PayPal Servers.  Unfortunately with hosted item button code, you cannot change it from a Buy Now to an Add to Cart or the other way.  The code needs to be recreated.

Suggest checking out  PayPal's Website Payments Standard Integration Guide which can be found here.  The Guide explains how all of this stuff works.

Note for a good customer experience, don't mix Add to Cart buttons with Buy Now buttons as you will TOTALLY confuse your customers.  

Regards,

skier