Website Woes

Ok, so I understand the concept of CSS. I am also amazing at "Copy and Paste". So all I need to do is find the relevant coding and C&P it into the right places?

Errr, Nope!

I won't bore you with the details but there was a lot more work than that to get the pages looking like they do. However, you may think, apart from the fact I put the navigation buttons down the side, that they do not look a whole lot different. They may not to you but, trust me, they do to Google!

Go and have a look!

I managed to get the patterns pages finished well before the deadline for the new selling regs. This included the new T&C page along with a cancellation form. I also managed to get the T&C pdfs upload to all of my Ravelry patterns. Whether people actually download them, is another matter.

However, Ravelry does not have the tick box required by EU sellers to protect themselves from unscrupulous people and this is one of the reasons I have decided not to use their download facilities on my site any more.

I have found a new instant download provider and, I must say, I am loving it!

Yes, more work to do on the website. More learning curves. And more late nights.

Watch this space for more news!

A Steep Learning Curve.

So, there I am thinking that I can learn all of this new stuff gradually when I get thrown yet another curve ball.

There are new selling regulations which are coming into force all over Europe on June 13th 2014 and my website has to comply with them!

Panic!

These new regs are "The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013" and have been updated to include a new section to cover the selling of "Digital Downloads" and that means me!

If you buy anything online, you have 14 days in which to change your mind and inform the seller. You then have another 14 days in which to return the item and the seller has 14 days from its safe return to issue a refund.

You generally do not have a right to cancel once a digital download has started. However, this is only the case if you have been told and given your explicit acknowledgement. You generally do not have a right to cancel once a digital download has started. However, this is only the case if you have been told and given your "explicit acknowledgement". The simplest way to gain "explicit acknowledgement" would be a tick box at the check out.

The problem here would be that I do not have my own check out. I use a variety of selling platforms across the www. Mostly USA based who do not have to conform to these rules and are not willing to change things to help European sellers comply with regulations.

We think we have found a way around this while still complying but trying to get a straight "Yes" or "No" from anybody official is like banging your head against a brick wall.

Back to that steep learning curve. Instead of learning everything gradually, I am having to learn it all at once. Mostly I can find what I need online and adapt it to my needs. But sometimes I get totally stumped and have to look for an alternative way.

I think, by the time I have finished, I will have earned a degree in "Copying, Pasting and Fudging it". But I am quite pleased with what I have achieved so far.