I would like to show a product as being out of stock - not as simple as you think !

[PatF]

Hoping this title might bring in a few more readers than the last effort !

What I wish to do is to show a message under the product name saying that the product is temporarily out of stock.

This would be independent to zen carts "out of the box" options. In Zen cart admin you can either a) set the product out of stock image to replace the add to cart box or b) leave the cart option open and then when the customer adds to cart the cart displays a message that the item is currently out of stock etc.

What I really badly at this stage ! need to do is to display that a product is out of stock yet still allow the item to be added to the cart and checkout etc. Our customers are feeding back to us that they find it very irritating to only be told after adding to the cart that the product is not immediately available.

The best example of this is any product listing at www.play.com where in both the main listings and in the product listing itself there is a message displayed saying "In Stock" or "Temporarily out of stock" depending on the stock levels.

I have looked at the traffic light stock indicator contribution and this essentially does something similar in that it checks the stock levels on each product and then displays a coloured icon to match.

I have already posted this but I think most people dismiss it as a another newb who has not read the instructions type post so if anyone has any ideas at all would be very grateful !!!!

[yellow1912]

I believe that Zen DOES allow you to display the product out of stock, while still allow it to be added to cart and check out

Look some where in admin->configuration->stock (or something like that), and you will see that option.

[PatF]

That option is to set

Show sold out image instead of add to cart -->0 ( ie off )

and then

Allow Checkout ----> True


But this is exactly what I described in option B - the customer only finds out a product is out of stock when they add it to the cart. You can set

Show sold out image instead of add to cart -->1 ( ie ON )

but this then stops the add to cart function.


Unless I have missed something ????????????

[AlohaRover]

This is the exact same problem I am facing.

If i display product qty on the page, then I get people either thinking that the -7 is just a dash in front of the number and that I have 7 on hand, or I have people that actually email to ask, "what does the -7 mean?"

If I don't display the number available at all then I get tons of emails asking "is xyz in stock?"

I want people to be able to order products even when I am out of stock, but there has got to be a way to display a "Out of stock, back order ok" message either on the product listings page and/or the product description. Not after they add it to the shopping cart.

[jeanjean88]

You should do as i did.

In words:

If q.ty > 0 ====> Print: AVAILABLE
If q.ty = 0 ====> Print: NOT AVAILABLE - ON ORDER (and u let it order ---> Backorder)
If Q.ty<0 ====> Print: Not available

the code

<?php
if (zen_get_products_stock((int)$_GET['products_id']) >0) {
$zc_stock_level_image = '<span class="Disponibile">' . DISPONIBILE . '</span>';
}

elseif (zen_get_products_stock((int)$_GET['products_id']) <0) {
$zc_stock_level_image = '<span class="Arrivo">' . ESAURITO . '</span>';
}

else {
$zc_stock_level_image = '<span class="Esaurito">' . IN_ARRIVO . '</span>';
}
echo '<b class="Stock">Stock Level: </b>' . $zc_stock_level_image;
?>

[mommydesigns]

Which file are you referencing?

Thanks.

[PatF]

You should do as i did.

In words:

If q.ty > 0 ====> Print: AVAILABLE
If q.ty = 0 ====> Print: NOT AVAILABLE - ON ORDER (and u let it order ---> Backorder)
If Q.ty<0 ====> Print: Not available

the code

This code ...... looks like a different language ( not just PHP )

<?php
if (zen_get_products_stock((int)$_GET['products_id']) >0) {
$zc_stock_level_image = '<span class="Disponibile">' . DISPONIBILE . '</span>';
}

elseif (zen_get_products_stock((int)$_GET['products_id']) <0) {
$zc_stock_level_image = '<span class="Arrivo">' . ESAURITO . '</span>';
}

else {
$zc_stock_level_image = '<span class="Esaurito">' . IN_ARRIVO . '</span>';
}
echo '<b class="Stock">Stock Level: </b>' . $zc_stock_level_image;
?>

Are these referncing a graphic file or a defined text ?? not 100% up on the PHP

Thanks for the help

[PatF]

This is the exact same problem I am facing.

If i display product qty on the page, then I get people either thinking that the -7 is just a dash in front of the number and that I have 7 on hand, or I have people that actually email to ask, "what does the -7 mean?"

If I don't display the number available at all then I get tons of emails asking "is xyz in stock?"

I want people to be able to order products even when I am out of stock, but there has got to be a way to display a "Out of stock, back order ok" message either on the product listings page and/or the product description. Not after they add it to the shopping cart.

We are also coming from the point of view that we dont want the customers to know exactly how many of each item is in stock. If you have 1 or 2 of each item then you look like a smaller amature site. So the simple in stock or temp out of stock message is what we need.