Photo Packages design flaw...
iElllisPhoto
Registered Users Posts: 7 Big grins
Hello World! (this is my first post here...i'll do my best!)
I thought found a bug/flaw in picture packages, but I've been told (twice) by support, that this is "by design" and I was wondering what the community thought.
Say you create "Photo Package A" and you have 10 "client galleries" (each client gallery being for a different client you've photographed)....
For each client gallery, you have them marked as unlisted...you then go to your "Photo Package A" and apply this package to all 10 galleries. You do this b/c you want to offer consistent packages and you don't want to have to price each individual gallery. This all works fine.....but here is the problem.
If you are "Client#1" and you are in your personal, unlisted gallery (you got there b/c i sent you the link to your gallery) and you select to buy a photo package....and select "Package A", all seems well. However, at the bottom of the page where you put your package together, you notice there is an option to "change gallery". If you select this option, you can pick ANY GALLERY that has the same package applied to it...even if its unlisted. This means that "Gallery#1" can see, and purchase photos from "Gallery#2 - 10". This seems really flawed, IMO....but am I the only one?
This is the response I get from support....
*****
I am very sorry but any galleries within the package are viewable. The 'change gallery' option within the package feature allows a customer to change to any other gallery the package is available even if that package is unlisted. The system is designed to show off all the galleries within that package no matter if they are public or unlisted. Please accept our humble apology for any problems that this causes you.
*****
Now....I know that I could just apply a password to the galleries, and that would "solve" the problem...but thats not part of my work flow....I keep all my galleries as unlisted and send links to my clients....
Again...just wondering if I'm just crazy for thinking this is flawed...
Looking forward to the feedback.
I thought found a bug/flaw in picture packages, but I've been told (twice) by support, that this is "by design" and I was wondering what the community thought.
Say you create "Photo Package A" and you have 10 "client galleries" (each client gallery being for a different client you've photographed)....
For each client gallery, you have them marked as unlisted...you then go to your "Photo Package A" and apply this package to all 10 galleries. You do this b/c you want to offer consistent packages and you don't want to have to price each individual gallery. This all works fine.....but here is the problem.
If you are "Client#1" and you are in your personal, unlisted gallery (you got there b/c i sent you the link to your gallery) and you select to buy a photo package....and select "Package A", all seems well. However, at the bottom of the page where you put your package together, you notice there is an option to "change gallery". If you select this option, you can pick ANY GALLERY that has the same package applied to it...even if its unlisted. This means that "Gallery#1" can see, and purchase photos from "Gallery#2 - 10". This seems really flawed, IMO....but am I the only one?
This is the response I get from support....
*****
I am very sorry but any galleries within the package are viewable. The 'change gallery' option within the package feature allows a customer to change to any other gallery the package is available even if that package is unlisted. The system is designed to show off all the galleries within that package no matter if they are public or unlisted. Please accept our humble apology for any problems that this causes you.
*****
Now....I know that I could just apply a password to the galleries, and that would "solve" the problem...but thats not part of my work flow....I keep all my galleries as unlisted and send links to my clients....
Again...just wondering if I'm just crazy for thinking this is flawed...
Looking forward to the feedback.
0
Comments
This is a huge privacy issue.
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Thanks Allen!...I was thinking the same thing....I hope the "powers that be" see it the same way.
... and you were never given the direct link.
Thanks for pointing this bug out. I have no experience with packages, coupons or event links yet but it's good to know it sounds like it works exactly like an events link than being easily applied to galleries, like a price-list which is what I thought it would have more accurately resembled.
(Honestly, this seems like it should be under the "Bugs" category, but a mod or SM team member would need to agree...)
It seems like you expect it to work like a price list (which I think is valid), but I can also see the benefit of being able to assign multiple galleries to a package so one property of a package is the list of galleries that the customer can choose from. How else would you let a customer pick from multiple galleries if you ever wanted them to?
It's been a while since I used packages, but can't you "copy" an existing package when you create a new one? So you would create one package and then create a copy of it for each of your galleries?
The issue with this is that you can see all unlisted galleries that are associated with a package. That's really not "good" and exposes all of (my) client galleries because they're just unlisted galleries to which I send customers a link. If they decide to buy a package, they can magically see everyone else's photos.
A workaround is to create a unique package for every client, but that's a pretty big hassle, especially when packages have to be uniquely named.
Unlisted should mean unlisted. Packages are implemented so poorly. Smugmug seems to want to make it so hard for both site owners and their customers. Packages need to be available through the shopping cart system. When a customer chooses a photo to purchase, they should be offered a package. It shouldn't be separate and hidden away. Also packages need to be available through coupons. Coupon codes should be entered first, unlocking reduced pricing or "unlisted" packages.
Not holding my breath for improvements.
Dave
I think it stinks, too. I was just working on getting this finally together but I'm not touching it now. I agree that unlisted should remain unlisted. At least block it with a password request if anyone should want to sneak a peek. I don't need the fathers of my kid shoots sneaking peeks at my boudoir shoots. Neither the mother of the children nor my boudoir clients would be very please with me. What a stupid option! I've been on the fence with Smugmug now for some time but with the price increase and now finding this out, I'm really looking over at jumping to the other side.
www.amomentisforever.com
TOTALLY AGREE HERE...IT IS A HUGE PRIVACY ISSUE.....