Formletter Editor - Formletters are used when emailing your buyers about the items they have purchased. Rather than type each email by hand you have formletters.

AuctionSage comes with a few key formletters built-in:

  • Address Request - Send this email when you need the buyer's address to calculate shipping charges
  • Congratulatory - Send this email when you know the shipping charges and want to contact the buyer to let him know he won what the charges are, etc.
  • Payment Received - Send this email when you have received payment just to let the buyer know it has arrived
  • Item Shipped - Send this email when you have shipped the item(s)
  • Not Paid - Send this email when you havent received payment for an item

You may also add your own formletters and optionally associate an existing status with the formletter. You may also create a new status folder and associate it with any new or existing formletter. It is all very customizable.


Edit Formletter Add New Formletter Assign Status to Formletter
Formletter Codes <LISTOFITEMS> Code Delete Formletter


The formletter editor screen is accessible in two ways:
  1. From the Edit Menu select "Formletters"
  2. Double-click on an existing formletter title in the treeview under Form Letters.

 

Edit a Formletter
  • Expand the "Formletters" branch of the treeview control by double-clicking on it
  • Double-click on the formletter name you wish to edit
  • The formletter editor will appear as depicted to the right
  • Make any changes necessary and from the File Menu select "Save Changes"

To change the name of the formletter (the name that will appear in the treeview) just type the new name in the combo area where it says "Form Letter Title"
Add New FormLetter
  • Bring up the Formletter Editor Screen and from the File Menu choose "Add New Formletter"
  • Enter the title for this formletter in the Form Letter Title area. The title is what you see in the treeview control
  • Select a status to associate with this formletter
  • Enter the subject line of the formletter. Some formletter codes are available for the subject line
  • Enter the body of the formletter
  • From the File Menu select "Save Changes"
  • You will now see this new formletter in the treeview under "Form Letters"
Assign Status to Formletter - When a status is associated with a formletter the item is updated to that status folder when you send that formletter. ie: The Address Request formletter has the status "Address Requested" associated with it. When you send an Address Request formletter the item(s) are updated to the Address Requested Status Folder.

You may also assign a blank status to formletter. When a blank status is assigned no status updating occurs when sending that formletter.

To assign a status to a formletter select the status from the dropdown list.

Notice the blank entry at the bottom of the dropdown list. Select that to have no status assigned to the formletter.

If you assign a new status to an existing formletter and the status that was previously assigned isn't assigned to any other formletter then you will notice that status folder disappear. Don't worry, you can get it back if you want. Go to the Status Editor and add that status folder back. AuctionSage never deletes the datafile even if you remove a status folder.
Deleting a Formletter
  • Double-click on the formletter you wish to delete in the treeview or select the formletter from the form letter title list on the formletter editor screen.
  • From the Formletter File Menu select Delete Current Formletter
  • Confirm that you wish to delete the formletter by clicking Yes
  • If you also want to delete the status folder assigned to the formletter answer Yes
Formletter Codes - These codes are all available from the formletter editor "Insert" menu or you can just type the code. Formletter Codes are replaced with actual data when sending email. Most of the codes are self-explanatory.
Insert Menu Selection Formletter Code Replaced with
UserID(bidder) <USERID> UserID of buyer
Buyer's Firstname <BUYERNAME> First name of the buyer, taken from the address (first word of address is assumed to be first name)
Invoice Number <INVOICENUMBER> Invoice number
Description <DESCRIPTION> Description of item ( for combined invoices is replaced with "See List")
Auction End Date <ENDS> Date auction ended
Item Number <ITEMNUMBER> Item number (for combined invoices is replaced with "Multiple Items")
List of Items <LISTOFITEMS> List of all items combined in "Qty * Item number - Description.... Subtotal" format. This works for single items and combined items
Link to Auction Page <LINK> Link to view auction page. won't work with combined invoices.
SubTotal <SUBTOTAL> Multiplies Qty * Bid
Shipping <SHIPPING> Shipping Charge
Packing <PACKING> Packing Charge
Shipping and Handling <S&H> Shipping Charge + Packing Charge
Insurance <INSURANCE> Insurance Charge
Sales Tax <SALESTAX> Sales Tax
Other Fee <OTHERFEE> Other Charge (Tax)
Total Charges <TOTALCHARGE> Total of all charges for invoice
Amount Paid <AMOUNTPAID> Amount Paid
Paid Via <PAIDVIA> Method of Payment (Check, PayPal, etc)
Amount Due <AMOUNTDUE> Total Charges minus Amount Paid
PayPal Payment Link <PAYPALLINK> Link for buyer to click to pay via PayPal. Click here for more details on this link.
Shipped Via <SHIPPEDVIA> Method of shipment (Priority Mail, etc)
Tracking Number <TRACKINGNUMBER> Delivery Confirmation Number, UPS Tracking Number, Etc
Seller's Address <SELLERSADDRESS> Your address as entered in File - Setup - Enter your address (Seller's address)
Seller's Name <SELLERNAME> First line of seller's address
Seller's Phone <SELLERPHONE> Your phone as entered in File - Setup - Invoice Printing Preferences
Buyer's Address <BUYERSADDRESS> Buyer's address
Today's Date <TODAYSDATE> Today's date
Days Since Auction Ended <DAYSSINCEEND> Number of days difference between today's date and date auction ended.
Days Since First Contacted <DAYSSINCECONTACT> Number of days difference between date of first item in status history and today's date.
Any of the formletter codes can be inserted into the BODY portion of the formletter.

Only the following formletter codes can be inserted into the SUBJECT LINE of the formletter

  • <INVOICENUMBER>
  • <DESCRIPTION>
  • <ITEMNUMBER>
  • <AMOUNTDUE>
  • <SHIPPEDVIA>
  • <TRACKINGNUMBER>
  • <DAYSSINCEEND>
  • <DAYSSINCECONTACT>
  • <TODAYSDATE>
  • <ENDS>
  • <USERID>
<LISTOFITEMS> formletter code. This code inserts a list of all purchases in the email. Whether its a single item or a combined invoice it will insert a list for all items in the invoice. This code is configurable via the main screen File Menu - Setup - Configure <LISTOFITEMS> Code

The <LISTOFITEMS> formletter code has formletter codes itself. The only codes usable are listed on the configuration screen. You can configure what appears in the list of items by configuring the code.

If you use the <LINK> code, be sure it is the last item because the <LINK> code is replaced by a link to the auction page and starts on a new line in the email.

The truncation option lets you truncate (trim) descriptions to the length you designate. With the new 55 character titles you may find the email doesnt look right because the description is too long. Set the truncation to 45 characters or whatever is you preference.

Click Apply Changes when finished.