Argos Stock Checker - CheckArgos.com (Jul 15 - Preview of new site now avaialbe)

DaveGefow · 19-09-2011 4:54pm

thanks op

witnessmenow · 19-09-2011 6:30pm

syboit wrote: »

thanks, here's the number, 388/2816

Thanks for the feedback, you identified a bug ok.

Im after uploading the fix for it there, but I dont know if its just the time of the evening or what but it seems to be returning unknown status a lot! (although i wasnt testing it all day, sometimes argos is just moody)

I'll keep an eye on it over the evening to see does the stability improve, the fix shouldnt have had an effect on stability, but maybe seems like too much of a coincidence. Could people keep me posted on the unknown status thing (if there is particular shops that are getting it etc).

Also i noticed a bug with firefox, OOS items should appear red (items that can be ordered yellow). They dont show up on firefox, will look into too.

EDIT: no wait i borked it

Will try and sort it now.

EDIT EDIT: OK i think its fixed now. (stock levels, not firefox)

Chet T16 · 19-09-2011 8:35pm

The mobile version isn't working for me on my Android or in Firefox

I had started on an Android app but there doesn't seem much point with the mobile version now

syboit · 19-09-2011 9:26pm

witnessmenow wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback, you identified a bug ok.

Im after uploading the fix for it there, but I dont know if its just the time of the evening or what but it seems to be returning unknown status a lot! (although i wasnt testing it all day, sometimes argos is just moody)

I'll keep an eye on it over the evening to see does the stability improve, the fix shouldnt have had an effect on stability, but maybe seems like too much of a coincidence. Could people keep me posted on the unknown status thing (if there is particular shops that are getting it etc).

Also i noticed a bug with firefox, OOS items should appear red (items that can be ordered yellow). They dont show up on firefox, will look into too.

EDIT: no wait i borked it

Will try and sort it now.

EDIT EDIT: OK i think its fixed now. (stock levels, not firefox)

thanks, searches now coming back ok for me

witnessmenow · 19-09-2011 10:10pm

Over 1400 searches since yesterday, not bad! That also doesnt include any searches made through Basqs site if im not mistaken to the way hes worked his site.

Basq · 19-09-2011 10:47pm

witnessmenow wrote: »

Over 1400 searches since yesterday, not bad! That also doesnt include any searches made through Basqs site if im not mistaken to the way hes worked his site.

Yeah, I'm using your script to query.

Hope you don't mind but my hosting company has bizarrely strict restrictions on PHP (they have some PHP functions like 'allow_url_fopen' set to off, so stuff like get_headers doesn't work)... this has all gotten a tad nerdy!

But if you've a problem with me using the script, just let me know and I'll take it down - no problem!

And this is why I'm more than happy to let you use the mobile version on your site.. maybe detect user-agent and redirect to as a new subdomain (e.g http://mobile.checkargos.com) - sure we'll chat about it. Not really the place for it here!

Oh, and have a few ideas on suggestions on one or two useful features so pop me a PM when you've a minute.

PS - have added an image and title to the mobile version.. as below:

Argos Stock Checker

swampy353 · 19-09-2011 10:48pm

Hi basq. For some reason I am able to delete text from the page on iPhone. It the pops up a msgbox with the text to the left

Basq · 19-09-2011 10:49pm

swampy353 wrote: »

Hi basq. For some reason I am able to delete text from the page on iPhone. It the pops up a msgbox with the text to the left

Yeah, they're actually text-boxes but I might make them non-editable. Ta for that!

EDIT: That's done now.. you shouldn't be able to delete the text now.

jimmycrackcorm · 19-09-2011 11:46pm

Very nice site.

babo9 · 20-09-2011 8:55am

witnessmenow wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback, you identified a bug ok.

Im after uploading the fix for it there, but I dont know if its just the time of the evening or what but it seems to be returning unknown status a lot! (although i wasnt testing it all day, sometimes argos is just moody)

Nope, I think that is the time of the evening, once the Argos stores close, stock levels are refreshed as reserved items that weren't purchased are released back into the wild, I've noticed it before!

bored_newbie · 20-09-2011 9:38am

bored_newbie wrote: »

Good work lads. I'll check the mobile one out on the iPod touch later.

Looks very good on the ipod..

swampy353 · 20-09-2011 9:40am

Basq, just a suggestion but would it be possible to have the catalogue number as a number only field? Just the input would be a bit quicker, also then you're not handling exceptions for non standard characters. Great site to both you and the op

d31b0y · 20-09-2011 10:11am

Is it possible to pull back the price and reduction etc and list it on the site. Then for any bargains, we could just link to the stock checker site and everyone could see instantly what the cost is and the availablity

nava · 20-09-2011 10:20am

d31b0y wrote: »

Is it possible to pull back the price and reduction etc and list it on the site. Then for any bargains, we could just link to the stock checker site and everyone could see instantly what the cost is and the availablity

I think if you include the url for your result it should work, here is 1 I did earlier 3882816 LEGO® City Airport it should show you the search results.

Basq · 20-09-2011 10:21am

swampy353 wrote: »

Basq, just a suggestion but would it be possible to have the catalogue number as a number only field? Just the input would be a bit quicker, also then you're not handling exceptions for non standard characters. Great site to both you and the op

Yeah, shouldn't be a problem. Will look into it later.

d31b0y wrote: »

Is it possible to pull back the price and reduction etc and list it on the site. Then for any bargains, we could just link to the stock checker site and everyone could see instantly what the cost is and the availablity

You can certainly do this on witnessmenow's site by doing the following:

http://www.checkargos.com?productId=<insert catalogue number here>

(e.g http://www.checkargos.com/index.php?productId=400/7298).

d31b0y · 20-09-2011 10:30am

Oh yer... so you can. Site is blocked in my work so couldn't check properly. I wonder who registered that URL before you witnessmenow (and more to the point, what they were doing with it)

nava · 20-09-2011 10:36am

witnessmenow

Can a link be added to reserve the item on the Argos website (when I click on a store with stock on the results) or maybe the Argos reservation number at the button of the page.

Basq

Also looking great just couple of comments, can the price be include on the result? Also same as above on the link or reservation number.

witnessmenow · 20-09-2011 3:34pm

nava wrote: »

witnessmenow

Can a link be added to reserve the item on the Argos website (when I click on a store with stock on the results) or maybe the Argos reservation number at the button of the page.

Basq

Also looking great just couple of comments, can the price be include on the result? Also same as above on the link or reservation number.

I had a quick look before at reservations and I got nowhere. When I get more time ill have another look.

I can provide basq the price. I have a function for it already just need to give you a way of calling it.

Basq · 20-09-2011 4:03pm

witnessmenow wrote: »

I had a quick look before at reservations and I got nowhere. When I get more time ill have another look.

The well established iCheckStock doesn't even allow this (AFAIK), so don't think it's easily done... they would have done it by now if it was.

witnessmenow wrote: »

I can provide basq the price. I have a function for it already just need to give you a way of calling it.

It's OK.. I've that done already. Thanks anyways mate.

viking · 20-09-2011 11:33pm

I like what you guys have done, fair play to yis

Been meaning to give http://www.cataloguecompare.com a stock checker (and some maintenance) for ages but never got round to it. This has given me the motivation to get started on it.

dodzy · 21-09-2011 12:50am

viking wrote: »

I like what you guys have done, fair play to yis

Been meaning to give www.cataloguecompare.com a stock checker (and some maintenance) for ages but never got round to it. This has given me the motivation to get started on it.

I smell a killer partnership comin

bring it on !!!

Hal Emmerich · 21-09-2011 1:27am

What do they say about buses?

Pj! · 21-09-2011 1:49am

Bloody hell Basq don't jump in his grave as quick!

Basq · 21-09-2011 9:16am

Pj! wrote: »

Bloody hell Basq don't jump in his grave as quick!

pajoemccracken · 21-09-2011 10:59am

Hi,
thanks to OP for a great time saver.
Could you incorporate a search for "Less than half price" items and display only the ones that have stock?
Pajoe

witnessmenow · 22-09-2011 9:34am

pajoemccracken wrote: »

Hi,
thanks to OP for a great time saver.
Could you incorporate a search for "Less than half price" items and display only the ones that have stock?
Pajoe

If you can provide a link to that search on Argos I can look into it.

To be honest I don't have any interest in making it check every product looking for half price stuff recursively at this time. There is more user side stuff I'd like to implement first. As I was typing this it did sound better and better though

Basq · 22-09-2011 9:39am

witnessmenow wrote: »

To be honest I don't have any interest in making it check every product looking for half price stuff recursively at this time. There is more user side stuff I'd like to implement first. As I was typing this it did sound better and better though

I don't think there's an easy way to do it without literally parsing through pages and pages of products.

There was a useful little feature I spotted on the Argos site the other day that allowed you to view clearance stock by store.. so you could eliminate out-of-stock clearance items in your local store.. but can't seem to find it now!

I'll look into it this evening anyways.

JohnK · 22-09-2011 9:54am

This link allows you to select your store and view clearance items http://www.argos.ie/static/ArgosClearance

Basq · 22-09-2011 10:05am

THAT'S the one!

Many thanks JohnK.

podgeandrodge · 22-09-2011 11:40am

thanks to the guys for these stock checkers.

makes me wonder why Argos make it so difficult!

deiseindublin · 22-09-2011 7:03pm

podgeandrodge wrote: »

makes me wonder why Argos make it so difficult!

+1. You'd imagine they would want you to find the stock.

pissed · 24-09-2011 6:31pm

New link dont seem to be working for me

Edit works in Google Chrome but not working in Explorer.

witnessmenow · 24-09-2011 7:22pm

pissed wrote: »

New link dont seem to be working for me

Edit works in Google Chrome but not working in Explorer.

Which new site? Is it mine (http://checkargos.com) or is it basq's? (http://www.basquille.net/argos/)

What version of IE are you using? My site works on the few versions of IE i tried though. Both my site and basq really on javascript though so make sure thats not disabled (it probably wouldn't be unless you specifically blocked it)

On brighter news i made an update to the site there. I have added a new page: Clearance Checker

Select your store, a minimum price and a maximum price and it will search through the clearance stock in your store. I will see can i give you more options in a further update (like select a category) but this was just something to get the ball rolling.

I have not tested this all that well (as in I haven't tried all stores) so please let me know if there is anything broken.

It can be a little slow if it has to load too many products, still somehow faster than the argos website though

:pac:

24-09-2011 7:27pm

The clearence checker is great!!

Thanks a million, Witnessmenow!!

pissed · 24-09-2011 8:14pm

Sorry I was referring to the link in post 1 - Basq's one which I have just noticed is a mobile version.

Great work by the way. Makes searching much easier.

Ricky91t · 24-09-2011 8:50pm

witnessmenow wrote: »

Which new site? Is it mine (http://checkargos.com) or is it basq's? (http://www.basquille.net/argos/)

What version of IE are you using? My site works on the few versions of IE i tried though. Both my site and basq really on javascript though so make sure thats not disabled (it probably wouldn't be unless you specifically blocked it)

On brighter news i made an update to the site there. I have added a new page: Clearance Checker

Select your store, a minimum price and a maximum price and it will search through the clearance stock in your store. I will see can i give you more options in a further update (like select a category) but this was just something to get the ball rolling.

I have not tested this all that well (as in I haven't tried all stores) so please let me know if there is anything broken.

It can be a little slow if it has to load too many products, still somehow faster than the argos website though :pac:

Just a suggestion, I'd prefer to see the original price and the reduced price instead of the percentage you're saving

witnessmenow · 24-09-2011 8:55pm

Ricky91t wrote: »

Just a suggestion, I'd prefer to see the original price and the reduced price instead of the percentage you're saving

Point noted, I'll see what other people think of it. The main reason for not putting the old price i didnt want the two prices getting confused, especially when your half way down the page and you've forgotten which price is which!

You can hover over the price or saving with your mouse and it will tell you the "was" price

tfitzgerald · 24-09-2011 9:46pm

Deleted User wrote: »

The clearence checker is great!!

Thanks a million, Witnessmenow!!

I second this I think it's fantastic thanks a million

Basq · 26-09-2011 9:57am

pissed wrote: »

New link dont seem to be working for me

Edit works in Google Chrome but not working in Explorer.

Yeah, the mobile site works fine in Chrome but doesn't appear very well in any other browser.

Have added a 'Notify Me' button now when an item is out-of-stock - this allows you to enter your e-mail address and you'll be e-mailed when the item is back in stock. I'll fix up the e-mail address prompt this evening.. it's a bit small and fidgety but it should work.

Have also added 'Recent Searches' and 'Popular Searches' and done away with the dodgy Tab layout at the bottom of the screen which seemed to only work with iOS devices (and not particular well when scrolling).

I can't stress enough to people how better the app is when 'Added To Home Screen' (as it's optimized to use the entire screen) on iOS devices so I've added a prompt to get people to add it.

dodzy · 26-09-2011 10:30am

Basq wrote: »

I can't stress enough to people how better the app is when 'Added To Home Screen' (as it's optimized to use the entire screen) on iOS devices so I've added a prompt to get people to add it.

+1, its super.

DubDJ · 26-09-2011 1:53pm

Excellent tool lad's. Love the clearance section makes it very handy. Great if it had filters for each section, furniture, computing etc. Just a little suggestion.

Should sell it to Argos

applejam · 27-09-2011 3:17pm

Clearance checker is fab, just made a start on some Christmas presents

Dozen Wicked Words · 27-09-2011 3:39pm

Basq wrote: »

Yeah, the mobile site works fine in Chrome but doesn't appear very well in any other browser.

I can't stress enough to people how better the app is when 'Added To Home Screen' (as it's optimized to use the entire screen) on iOS devices so I've added a prompt to get people to add it.

Works very well on my Galaxy sII using Dolphin HD. Lovely job.

Basq · 27-09-2011 4:19pm

dooferoaks wrote: »

Works very well on my Galaxy sII using Dolphin HD. Lovely job.

I'll check it on my brand new HP Touchpad later! /brag

PS - have work done on the 'Clearance Checker' on the mobile version but finding the resolution difficult to work with.

Any product with a title over 40 characters needs to be chopped..

e.g

It'll have to do - will roll that out later this evening.

Basq · 28-09-2011 12:01am

The Clearance section is now on the mobile version too..

.. but it doesn't work for all stores yet.

I've let witnessmenow know about this as it's the same on his implementation.. but there are a number of stores (e.g Carlow - currently sorted by 'Relevance') that will not allow you to sort by 'Price (Low - High)' which somewhat makes the whole "max price / min price" criteria useless!

Mack_Attack · 28-09-2011 10:41am

Apologies if this has been asked before, but is there a UK version of this Argos checker?

The Irish version looks awesome, great work!

Basq · 28-09-2011 10:43am

Mack_Attack wrote: »

Apologies if this has been asked before, but is there a UK version of this Argos checker?

There is iCheckStock.. think it's their equivalent.

witnessmenow · 28-09-2011 11:24am

I have the search written for UK stores, if someone provided me a list of UK stores and their store ids I would make a UK version. I think there is 600+ stores in the UK so i dont fancy making that list myself!

atmmusa · 01-10-2011 5:45pm

thanks, great useful website and app. was bit sad to discover that there is hardly any stock of anythin in Dublin though:)

witnessmenow · 02-10-2011 2:38am

Hi Guys,

I updated the clearance section of the site.

You can now select a category that you want to search and it will go check that categories clearance section for products that match your price range. It will then check each item that is returned stock status in the store that you selected and remove any that aren't in stock.

Leaving the Section to "All Sections" will search the clearance corner for each store (as if you went here) - Just typing this out i realise how un-intuitive this is ... it sounds like it is checking all sections :rolleyes: will fix up if i can think of anything better!

Also the colour problem in firefox should be sorted now (missing a "#"

)

The numbers:
The site has done over 4.5k searches and that doesnt include the searches from basqs mobile site, so i have no idea what the total is but thats not bad going for 2 weeks. It also does not take into any searches on the demo site (which reminds me i must take them down!)

Since launching the clearance section last week there has been over 1.5k searches on it

EDIT: those searches are separate.
4.5k product searches
1.5k clearance searches

Argos Stock Checker - CheckArgos.com (Jul 15 - Preview of new site now avaialbe)

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