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Topics - Scott

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1
Happy New Year!
Congratulations on a successful year of selling, and best of luck for this new year.

In this post, I will go over a few points for the new customers that joined us last year, and then I will share our immediate plans and some future roadmap items.

To get started in 2024, please note that MyCostPro is not tied to a specific year. 
You do not need to download a new file to continue to gather your selling information.

I do recommend saving a backup file containing your 2023, just in case anything happens.  One way would be to email the file to yourself; then it will be in the cloud for you to retrieve for as long as you have that email account.

If you prefer to have a clean new file each year, that is fine too!  You can save your current file as its own file name:

-Click the black FULL SCREEN button near the top right, that will display the ribbon bar. 
-Select File->Save As... and rename the file MyCostPro2023.xlsm (or whatever you choose).

Then navigate here to get a new copy for your new year's sales:  https://mycostpro.com/download
When you first open the program:
-Input your existing (same as before) download key
-Go to the Account Info / Settings tab
-Set your UTC offset to synchronize the ebay sales to your timezone
-Change the number of days to 1, 2, etc. to go back to the beginning of the year
-Download your sales
-Check to see if any sales are included from the previous year that you don't want to include
-If there are some, click the black FULL SCREEN button so that the row numbering is displayed
-Right click the row number of the transaction from the previous year, and select delete... this method safely deletes the entire transaction.

If you have any problems, don't hesitate to post them here or email me at support@mycostpro.com.
I prefer questions to be asked here, so they can potentially help other users by seeing the answer.  However, you can always email me directly.

OK, now I will get into our current plans.

We have been working on an update, and when it is a bit closer to being released, I will make a new post about it.  I think everyone will like the new content.
I don't want to over-promise on it, but the intention is to streamline a few things and make data that you want to see more immediately accessible.  Let's call this the "Dashboard" update.

When the Dashboard update is close to being finished, I will send copies to the users who have expressed interest in being beta testers.

-Email me with the subject: Beta tester volunteer   if you want to be included in this or future beta tests at support@mycostpro.com

After getting feedback from beta testers for a short period, we will make some final changes and then make the new version available for general download.
NOTE:  This update will require the Excel 365 app on Windows.  If you don't have 365 (which you should consider getting it because it has lots of feature improvements) don't worry - your existing MyCostPro will continue to function in the previous version of excel.

The next roadmap item after the Dashboard update is to reprogram the internal code of the MyCostPro program.  This will sort of be like an engine tune-up; it will make future improvements much quicker to implement, and it should improve the overall speed and responsiveness of the program.
In this phase (based on customer feedback), it may be possible to reintegrate the non-365 compatibility, but we need to hear from you all if that is something which is important to you.

As always, we are also continuously making updates to our servers which grants us the flexibility and adaptability to follow along with the living, ever-changing ebay API...transparent to you users!  If there are any server changes we make that we think may impact anyone, we will post it to the MOTD and the FORUM version history page.

This post is getting a bit long, so I'll wrap it up here...happy new year once again!
Scott

2
Feature Requests / The future of MyCostPro updates
« on: November 16, 2023, 05:00:04 pm »
Please vote about if future updates should leverage Office 365 enhancements to improve speed and usability.  On the downside, users of older versions of excel would not receive as regular of updates, because updates would include features they do not have access to.

3
When I released the last update there was a mixup where I was updating a slightly out of date version, so some of the updates from the previous release were "undone".
This is resolved and available for download now:
 - P&L reports updated to include all relevant fees (again) including ad fees, etc.
 - Version note added back to top right of homepage above our logo.
 
New Feature added this version as well:
 - Option for commission client sliding rate to be calculated on "Incremental" or "Highest Rate".  Incremental pays each rate as it progresses in price (recommended), Highest Rate charges a flat rate at the selling price level.

4
1. Download the latest version of MyCostPro at https://mycostpro.com/download

2. Set your settings as you prefer on the settings tab; make sure to set the UTC offset to your timezone so the sales will come in matching the time that you sold them.

3. In the Settings tab, set the number of days to go back slightly past the beginning of the year.  (If you have already downloaded a full 90 days, thats OK, move to the next step)

4. Delete the sales from the previous year by carefully following these steps:
  - Click the black FULL SCREEN button near the top right, this will display the row numbering and ribbon bar, etc.
  - Select the row, or multiple rows (be sure it is selecting the entire row(s) by selecting from the row numbering area.)
  - Right click one of the row numbers that you have selected, pick 'Delete' from the drop down list


5
Some users were experiencing performance issues (program wide) related with the ACTIVE X drop down boxes that were on the report tabs (to select month and year for reporting).
They were replaced with standard excel data validation lists, the down side being that two of the reports need to hit a button after selecting the year, but even for users who hadn't noticed, this should significantly improve performance.  The new file is NOW LIVE for download:

Download with your download key and user ID at:  https://mycostpro.com/download

MyCostPro  (New file needs to be downloaded for new features)
 *  ACTIVE X drop down menus for Year and Month on reporting tabs replaced
    - Potentially significant performance improvement sheet wide if you are experiencing unexpected slowdown.
 *  Added MyCostPro version to "note" above the MyCostPro logo on the Home Tab. (hover over red triangle to view)

Server and API changes (New MyCostPro file not required.)
 * Added support for eBay Standard Envelope cost and tracking
 * Added tracking to International Shipping that was not previously available.  (API note, some international shipping costs are still not provided through the current APIs)
 * Added logic to adjust Refund and Partial Refund FVF amounts when it is not being properly returned from API.
 * Corrected Active Item Variation Quantities and BIN price when it was repeating value from initial Listing.

Let me know if you have any questions, thank you!

6
General Discussion / Requesting help from one of you kind users!
« on: January 08, 2023, 01:05:22 pm »
I hope everyone's new year is going well!
I am looking for a user who is willing to let me make a video using their download data to show of some of the more recent features.
(I haven't been selling on eBay lately so I can't use my account)
I would take care to not show any of your customer's information (user names) etc, and I would only show fake COGS and profit results, etc.

Just let me know by replying here or emailing me at support@mycostpro.com

Thank you!

7
Frequently Asked Questions / How to delete sales entries
« on: January 06, 2023, 04:04:33 pm »
To delete sales entries, or any downloaded data in MyCostPro, please follow these specific steps.

Click the black FULL SCREEN button near the top right, this will display the row numbering and ribbon bar, etc.

Select the row, or multiple rows (be sure it is selecting the entire row(s) by selecting from the row numbering area.)

Right click one of the row numbers that you have selected, pick 'Delete' from the drop down list


Let me know if you have any trouble or questions about this!

8
Hello everyone, and Happy New Year!
We have just released a significant update which is NOW LIVE for download:

Download with your download key and user ID at:  https://mycostpro.com/download

MyCostPro  (New file needs to be downloaded for new features)
 *  Client Commission Support added
    - Setup screen allows user to set various options including how to pair the client by SKU, etc.
    - Calculated commission and client information is automatically added to sales list tab
 *  Mileage Tracking screen and yearly summary added
 *  Replaced Performance Snapshot with more powerful and flexible PRO Query screen
    - See filtered results to match multiple criteria, view summary and itemized list if needed
 *  Changed characteristics of how the download duration days are updated (simplified)
    - Changed default duration to 90 days instead of 7
 *  Added additional line item details to all of the various reports and P&L statements
 *  Added additional options for BULK SHIPPING (located in the Account Info / Settings tab)
    - Add bulk shipping transactions to the sales transaction tab (only previous option)
    - Send bulk shipping transaction information to the EXPENSE TRACKING tab (separate from item sales tab)
    - Ignore bulk shipping transaction information (do not import) - if user prefers to enter manually
 * AD FEEs will now tie directly to the individual Transaction instead of the general listing.  A new column was added for these.
 * All VBA macros are now code signed with a Microsoft-trusted provider, allowing for more granular policy control for security-focused users.
 * Replaced 'Click Layout Assist' fucntion with updated Hide / unhide 'h' column button

Server and API changes
 * We are continually adapting to eBay API changes and optimizing for enhanced speed of download, additional data points that can be retrieved, etc.  These continuous changes throughout the year do not require a new file to be downloaded.

Thank you so much for everybody's feedback in making these changes!
Let me know if you have any issues with the new file.

9
Current Events / Happy New Year 2023!
« on: December 31, 2022, 02:28:28 pm »
All -
Just to give you a heads up we are about to roll out a pretty big update to the MyCostPro file.
Normally we try to make all of our changes behind the scenes (server-side) but this update adds several new features and improvements to the existing file, so it will require a download to see the new stuff.
I will make a detailed update post as soon as the file is available, HOPEFULLY it will be finalized by New Year's Day, but it is possible it could be pushed back a day or so (I will explain more in the update post when I make it)

I just wanted to give you a heads-up incase you are about to start working on the new year's data, you might want to wait a day or so.

I hope everyone had a successful 2022!

Scott

UPDATE:  This will be released SOON, but not tonight, I apologize for the delay.

10
Technical Support / Trouble with your shipping cost information?
« on: December 30, 2022, 11:17:36 am »
Here is the status of shipping cost information with the new eBay APIs.


1.)  Bulk Shipping (w/ multiple shipments) - The new APIs do not contain the item transaction information paired with the individual cost of each shipment.  It only includes the total and the transactions that make up the bulk shipment.  To account for this information we have included a separate line item in your sold item tab as we cannot accurately put them in the individual row of each sale. 
  * With the newest update (January 3rd, 2023) the user can choose to send these bulk costs to Expense tab, Sold item tab, or Ignore them completely. *

2.)  Paying for shipping with PayPal - The new API will NOT return shipping costs if the shipping is paid for out of your PayPal account.  You can adjust this at the bottom of the page where you pay for the label, choose the option to pay with ebay account balance.


3.)  Non-USPS shipments (Fedex, UPS, etc) - These shipments will return the shipping cost, but it will not return until after the label is scanned and used;  Ebay treats all non-USPS shipping vendors as 'pay on scan' and USPS as 'pay on print'.  If your non-USPS shipment is missing shipping information, you can reset the download duration to go back far enough to cover that sale, and re-download sales, and it will populate the missing shipping cost (assuming the label has been scanned and used).


4.)  All other shipments (including bulk shipment with single item) should return with no issues, so please let me know if you have any issues not mentioned in 1-3 above.


Additional Background -

We (and most developers that utilize the eBay APIs) used to gather the shipping cost information through the 'selling manager' API.  EBay deprecated the 'selling manager' API and now only provides the shipping cost information through their newer 'Finances' API which comes with the restrictions mentioned in 1-3 above.
We have been in contact with the eBay Developer Support team about these issues and they have internally created a 'feature request' ticket to address #1 (above).  They have provided feedback that #2 & #3 (above) are functioning as intended.

11
As many of you know, the eBay API used for shipping was deprecated, and a new API took its place that is not fully functional.
The current API does not always return item transaction information in order for us to link the shipping cost to a specific sale, and it NEVER returns transaction information for bulk shipping.

The eBay Developer Support team has responded indicating that they have escalated to development support requesting additional API functionality to fix this, but they did not give any time frame for a resolution.

In order to provide as much information as possible for your (our customers) downloads, we will be creating a line item for the  BULK SHIPPING amount, which will include the sum of all of the items shipping costs for that transaction.
Since we cannot break the amount out accurately for each item, we will lump them together as a row in your sales download.

We anticipate this change to roll out the evening of 11/19/2022.

If anyone has any questions or concerns about this update, please let us know as soon as you are able.  Thank you for being loyal MCP customers!

12
MyCostPro Updates and Version History / Shipping API update - 10/27/2022
« on: October 28, 2022, 05:45:06 am »
Thursday evening we updated the source for shipping cost data to match changed made by eBay.  Let us know if you see any issues!

If you have recently had missing shipping information you can now reset your download duration and it should populate now.
  * Go to the Account Info / Settings tab
  * Input the number of days to go back to cover the missing shipping
  * Click the 'reset duration' button
  * re download your sales

13
MyCostPro will now include the 12 digit Order Number xx-xxxxx-xxxxx in the Transaction details of your sales (no download required if you unhide the column in the Transactions section).

A new version of the MyCostPro download is available where the column will be visible by default.
- This download also fixed bug that prevented all "x" marked Active Listings from transferring to Product Master if you had over 1,000 Active Listings

As always, you can get the newest version here with your download key and user ID:
https://mycostpro.com/download


14
MyCostPro Memorial Day update (5/25/2020) - Live now

 * Button added to Active Listing page to send specified Active listing items to the Product Master tab (See tutorial below)
    - Place an X in each row you want to send to the Product Master tab, click the button to send them

 * Overall streamlining of internal calculations, especially changes to the widget calculations
    - Should improve speed during navigation on very large MyCostPro files

 * Default settings added in the Account Info / Settings tab
    - Full Screen OFF will prevent automatically entering Full Screen mode when MyCostPro starts
       (Full Screen mode hides ribbon bar, and column and row labeling to make more visible room for your eBay data)
    - Currency setting will update the whole sheet to various currency symbols, or remove them.  Click the apply button after selection...
    - Widget calculation mode can be set to auto, or on-click only.  (On click mode will prevent calculating the widgets until the refresh button is hit to prevent excessive calculations in the background)

 * Reporting improvements
    - 12 month Total added to yearly report chart
    - New widget drop down selections added for 'yesterday' and '7 days'

* Click-Layout-Assist button will default to OFF upon re-opening MyCostPro file
    - This mode being ON can negatively impact performance as well as clip-board functionality, and should only be turned on to quickly change your page layout, and then back OFF.


To download the update just put your userID and download key in at:
https://mycostpro.com/download

Post here if you have any questions about the update!

15
Today we released an update that will fill in the Listing Dates on the sold item tab.  (As requested in the "Feature Request" section of the forum)
This change is live now, and will work in your existing file, but please note the following:

* The "Listing Date" (column G) is hidden by default. 
* The default formatting of the column is set to "Generic", so the formatting doesn't "look" like a date (but it is)

If you want to see Listing Date we have a new version of the sheet available to download that takes care of everything, or if you want to keep your existing file simply follow the steps below.

To hide/unhide columns on sold item tab
 - Click the "Click Layout assist:" button so that it reads ":ON"
 - Click the double triangle above the vertical column bookmark for "Listing"  (scroll all the way to the left of the sold item tab to find this)
 - Delete the "h" above "Listing Date" and any other columns that you want to be displayed by default, add an "h" to hide any
 - Click the double triangle above the "Listing" column bookmark again (to toggle hide)
 - Click to turn "Click Layout Assist:" button back to "OFF" (leave this off whenever not in use)


To Change the formatting to display as a date
 - Click the FULL SCREEN button (this will display the standard excel ribbon bar menu).
 - Right click column G column header (right click on the "G")
 - Select "format cells..." from the drop down
 - Select Date format and select which one you like from that list
 - Click the FULL SCREEN button again to maximize your MyCostPro display area

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