The Voucher Code Will Not Work

[LuckyBenski]

Well, I guess it could be done by a simple check of a user account - total spent in OCUK shop, years on forum etc and once confirmed, send a voucher code.
Maybe I'm wrong, I dont know, just a thought.

Unfortunately that would require an absolutely massive amount of man power

What you've described, that "simple" check is the massive amount of manpower.

 

[Deleted member 66701]

Well, I guess it could be done by a simple check of a user account - total spent in OCUK shop, years on forum etc and once confirmed, send a voucher code.
.

A simple check? On tens if not hundreds of thousands of accounts? It would have to be some kind of customised database query, manual would be too time consuming, but OCUK have consistently stated they don't have a web development team to implement something like this. You wouldn't want to run something like this against a live system, so I'm assuming some kind of OLAP database needs to be in place to run reports against - customer details might not even be covered via ETL even if such a database exists.

Maybe I'm wrong, I dont know, just a thought

Yeah, you're wrong

 

[Deleted member 66701]

Not to mention the data/privacy implications. You can't just run a search "oh who spends lots of money, let's email them". That doesn't really work in 2021.

Queue the moaning from all those that didn't tick the "please include me in communication and marketing' preference box

 

[LuckyBenski]

Queue the moaning from all those that didn't tick the "please include me in communication and marketing' preference box

It's just not fair is it

No, exactly, everything happening in the world right now is really quite unfair and that definitely applies to the graphics card market!

 

[Jay85]

Would never work, they already said they have millions of customers as they dont just ship nationally they ship worldwide. Hell it wouldn't surprise me if caseking their sister company shares information between them making the job even harder.

 

[varkanoid]

A person who has 10,000 posts is much more likely to have assisted other forum members over that time, as opposed to just coming on here to whine like some seem to be joining to do. And how many more times do people have to be told that it isn't technically possible for OCUK to measure eligibility through past purchases? That can't happen because over those years, not everyone will have had their forum account linked to their purchase account. That one fact alone means that doing it that way would be far more flawed than an actual post count.

You might not like it, but that's how it is. I'd have liked a 30 series card too, but I ain't paying these prices for a graphics card. If that means I don't get one, so be it. I'll just go outside instead, it's summer.

Yeah I know I've helped people more times than I can remember, if we had the thanked button or something like that it would show how its not just a post but contributing to helping your fellow forum member.

Honestly, I'm finding it very hard to believe that a simple fair system of sending out an email with unique code to allow purchases to anyone who's spent anything in the past with them, I.e. spent a few grand over past 5 years, send an email inviting them with a code.

Its well know to active members that the OCUK system is creaking and on its last legs they cant make any kind of change without a lot of planning. They dont have in house devs working on the website it will have to through all manner of changes. This is why they are developing the new system.

 

[Deleted member 66701]

Hell it wouldn't surprise me if caseking their sister company shares information between them making the job even harder.

There are quite severe restrictions on exchanging data due to GDPR, especially across geographic boundaries.

 

[phinix]

A simple check? On tens if not hundreds of thousands of accounts? It would have to be some kind of customised database query, manual would be too time consuming, but OCUK have consistently stated they don't have a web development team to implement something like this. You wouldn't want to run something like this against a live system, so I'm assuming some kind of OLAP database needs to be in place to run reports against - customer details might not even be covered via ETL even if such a database exists.



Yeah, you're wrong

No, I'm not
There must be a simple way to solve this.

 

[Deleted member 66701]

No, I'm not

Yes you are.

There must be a simple way to solve this.

There isn't.

If there was, don't you think OCUK would have implemented it already?

Besides, the codes posted on MM IS a simple and effective solution.

You're just salty because you don't benefit from it due to not being an active forum member who doesn't contribute to the success of this community.

 

[phinix]

Yes you are.



There isn't.

If there was, it would have been done already.

I'm sure OCUK guys will come up with something.

 

[Jay85]

Yeah I know I've helped people more times than I can remember, if we had the thanked button or something like that it would show how its not just a post but contributing to helping your fellow forum member.



Its well know to active members that the OCUK system is creaking and on its last legs they cant make any kind of change without a lot of planning. They dont have in house devs working on the website it will have to through all manner of changes. This is why they are developing the new system.

Wonder what will happen when they migrate over to the new system? Imagine if we all got reset to 0 lol.

There are quite severe restrictions on exchanging data due to GDPR, especially across geographic boundaries.

True, having to deal with customers nationally is already a headache enough.

 

[Jay85]

I'm sure OCUK guys will come up with something.

I'm pretty sure they are but how much time and effort they're willing to put into it is another matter. Nothings free you know...

 

[Deleted member 66701]

I'm sure OCUK guys will come up with something.

They have - codes are posted to the MM - an effective and simple solution that is a reward for active forum members who contribute to the success of this community.

 

[Jay85]

They have - codes are posted to the MM - an effective and simple solution that is a reward for active forum members who contribute to the success of this community.

You can shout this as much as you want, the ones who don't have access to MM will just continue to moan and cry .

You'll never get through to them

 

[Mr_Clark1000]

Mass emailing links would just mean that a random group of previous customers could buy cards. They might still choose to scalp those cards. I don't understand why everyone is bandying this phrase "loyal customer" about when AFAICT the scheme is aimed at forum community members not customers.

Not to mention the data/privacy implications. You can't just run a search "oh who spends lots of money, let's email them". That doesn't really work in 2021.

So much misinterpreted information being made up and then repeated all over this thread and the wider forum.

So any active forum member can be guaranteed to not be a scalper??? Also, companies do, can and should run checks on past purchase information with unique offers sent, as long as secure data retention is imposed there shouldn't be any issues.

I've done plenty of database and back end development in the past and truth be told the information being managed and interpreted isn't exactly complex stuff. Of course I don't know how it's implemented here but it is simple DB queries and logic to come up with a list of emails.

Unique codes are already done on the MM anyway so that's not exactly a hurdle to overcome.

Just send these codes in an invite out to past customers, simples

 

[Deleted member 66701]

I've done plenty of database and back end development in the past and truth be told the information being managed and interpreted isn't exactly complex stuff. Of course I don't know how it's implemented here but it is simple DB queries and logic to come up with a list of emails.

It's complex if you don't know how to do it or don't have staff who know how to do it

Just send these codes in an invite out to past customers, simples

How many times do we have to say this, that is not simple!

First you have to write a custom mailing script (assuming OCUK don't have a tool in place already) and OCUK don't have the resources available to do this (even assuming the platform/tech can actually do it). Then you'll have people moaning they didn't get the emails because they unchecked the "include me in marketing communications" check box.

Stupid idea.

 

[Jay85]

So any active forum member can be guaranteed to not be a scalper??? Also, companies do, can and should run checks on past purchase information with unique offers sent, as long as secure data retention is imposed there shouldn't be any issues.

I've done plenty of database and back end development in the past and truth be told the information being managed and interpreted isn't exactly complex stuff. Of course I don't know how it's implemented here but it is simple DB queries and logic to come up with a list of emails.

Unique codes are already done on the MM anyway so that's not exactly a hurdle to overcome.

Just send these codes in an invite out to past customers, simples

Yes over to the millions of accounts on their database, im sure that will end well. We already saw what happened when the code got leaked and the website came to a standstill and yet again ocuk have to do refunds and clear yet more backlogs. Scalpers or not, a huge rush of people trying to buy a few products is not controlling anything. You're just gonna get pee'd off people screaming how they couldn't get a card cos the site crashed or because they were too slow.

 

[PatBerry]

It's complex if you don't know how to do it or don't have staff who know how to do it



How many times do we have to say this, that is not simple!

First you have to write a custom mailing script (assuming OCUK don't have a tool in place already) and OCUK don't have the resources available to do this (even assuming the platform/tech can actually do it). Then you'll have people moaning they didn't get the emails because they unchecked the "include me in marketing communications" check box.

Stupid idea.

gdpr and not "simples"

Also why do people think that evidence of past purchasing means that customer is not a scalper. Scalpers buy and then sell lots of stuff.

 

[Sheriffneil]

We will post when it's done, that might be in a few days it might be weeks, as there are several possible causes and we're somewhat limited in how and when we try different potential fixes.

Rest assured we want the GPU deal section fixed and will make an announcement/thread when it is, before any deal goes live in the GPU deals section.


Unfortunately that would require an absolutely massive amount of man power and going by what scotti B and gibbo have said probably not viable especially with the store being as busy as it is at the moment and them already trying to deal with the graphics cards updates etc .

Thanks for the response

 

[Jay85]

gdpr and not "simples"

Also why do people think that evidence of past purchasing means that customer is not a scalper. Scalpers buy and then sell lots of stuff.

Nope it doesn't, but how is releasing the stock to the public leading to overselling a product by hundreds if not thousands and then making people even more angry because the site crashed (yet another thing to moan about) any better? Like Amiga said, the point of the MM code is for forum members who have been in the community long enough to gain access to certain parts of the forum in particular those who have helped or contributed to the community throughout the years.