Multiple email notices for end of auction

agbates · September 1st, 2007, 06:26 PM

This is very similar to another thread about multiple posts but I didn't want to hang my problem onto someone elses thread so here goes.

I bid on a test item that was posted on my classifieds. I was high bidder and won the auction. I received an end of notice today at 5:07, 5:12, and 5:13, all the same as below saying I had won the item. This doesn't seem right.

xxxx,

Congratuations! You are the high bidder on xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (test auction)! Your high bid was USD110.00.

Auction link: http://xxxxxx/showproduct.php?product=17

Please contact the seller to arrange payment and delivery.

Seller's profile: http://xxxxxx/classifieds/member.php?u=419

Seller's email address: xxxxxx@kc.rr.com

Thank you!

Chuck S · September 1st, 2007, 07:14 PM

I will do some testing cause from initial look dont see where its possible

agbates · September 2nd, 2007, 01:19 PM

I received approximately 75 emails from the software for an item that ended, ironically spaced correctly (every 10 minutes) from my cron task running. Here's the cron task I have setup via CPanel.

wget --spider http://www.xxxxxxx.com/classifieds/sendnotice.php

Here are one of the emails of approx. 75 I received:

Art,

Congratuations! You are the high bidder on Rare Bumper Sticker! Your high bid was USD3.25.

Auction link: http://www.xxxxxxxxx.com/classifieds...php?product=15

Please contact the seller to arrange payment and delivery.

Seller's profile: http://www.xxxxxxxxx.com/classifieds/member.php?u=1127

Seller's email address: xxxxxx@celticweb.com

Thank you!

This seems to be similar to other problems Photopost Classifieds owners are having. Any relation perhaps?

Chuck S · September 3rd, 2007, 09:10 AM

well I dont see where it loops and sends multiple emails. I did a quick test on mine and did not see an issue. The issue reported on this forum had to do with category subscriptions and has already been fixed

agbates · September 3rd, 2007, 11:17 AM

O.K., so what do I do here..I have disabled the cron task as my members were complaining about the mass emails. I suggest the following. I can create an account for you on my forum, you can post an item for sale in the classifieds, I will enable the cron task, you will probably get bombarded with email and you can tell me what I can do. That seems to be the only way unless you can think of another.

agbates · September 3rd, 2007, 08:43 PM

I've been reading about this issue more, and it was suggested to try to run the cron task without the --spider switch, and in quiet "-q" mode. I'll try this, but I'm not going to get my hopes up.

David Bott · October 7th, 2007, 09:31 AM

I have the same issue and would like this looked into as my members are getting very upset getting a mail every 10 mins. I then need to go in and delete the ad so it will stop. It just makes for more admin work that is not needed.

Can you please advise on a fix for this issue as it goes back to Sept 3 as the last post date.

Ver 2.61

Thank you.

agbates · October 7th, 2007, 10:00 AM

David,

I agree, this is an issue that should be looked into. This (among several other) problems seems to affect enough customers so that it should be eliminated or worked around at the code level. But, I'm just a customer, what do I know

The email bombardment stopped when I eliminated the "--spider" switch in the cron task and added the quiet mode switch "-q"

Try it with a test item that expires in three days. Set yourself up another account on your forum so that you can start a 3 day ad, and you can place a high bid on it.

What I did was create an auction ad, and a buy it now ad. I did this with enough dummy ads so I could see the output as a buyer and a seller. Just post "TEST AD" so your members don't accidently participate. I wanted to make sure I never had it happen again to any of my members so I really tested EVERY possible ad configuration. Unfortunately, unless you have a time machine, you will have to wait three days to see if your test is successful, but I have a feeling the cron command line re-configuration will work.

Good Luck.

Chuck S · October 7th, 2007, 10:28 AM

You may set whichever cron task switches you need to on setting up your cron task. There is nothing we can do when it comes to your server setup. I beleive Michael did post some points in the actual cron task thread and if those help cool.

The only code level I can think of is running that script though our program in increments like we do with the catcache it updates. Well that might eliminate your server issues running a cron and making it loop. As stated there is no loop or issue with our code in this regard. Your issue seems to be with your cron task rubbung over and over and not updating. Let me know your outcome but I suspect that since the minute you changed that switch things stopped so.

agbates · October 7th, 2007, 12:28 PM

How come I don't have problems like this with VBulletin? similar tasks, no problems there...

Chuck S · October 7th, 2007, 01:38 PM

vbulletin does not use a server cron task. Your issue seems to stem from finding the correct cron for your server. Different hosts have different requirements this type of stuff is way beyond our control. If you run the file in your browser I am sure everything runs fine and now hopefully your cron task is functioning correctly.

David Bott · October 7th, 2007, 02:10 PM

I humbly disagree....You supplied the code that runs via cron. Regardless of how it runs, if the code says look at this and if this equals this then do this. If nothing is changed in the database it will keep doing it over and over again. Thus is the case of the ended auctions.

It looks, sees it is ended and sends out the notice to the seller. It does not seem to make any change to the database, like setting a status if e-mail was sent or not. As such it does what it programed to do each time in this case sending it again each and every time the cron task runs your code.

This I do think is a issue, a bug, in the coding. Unless I am totally mistaken on how it all runs, which I could be based on the mention of the switch above of -q. But I do admit I do not know your coding inside and out.

Thanks

Chuck S · October 7th, 2007, 03:03 PM

What I am saying david everything runs fine that I see. Users whom have had this issue have solved it just as you did with the cron modification. The cron task setup or things you need to do involve your host not us.

If you run the cron task by url or via a properly functioning cron I do not see this multiple emails. It is only when an inproper cron is setup that is not allowing the script to fully execute. At least thats my diagnosis and seems to me one Michael noted years ago.