I just spent the last hour+ on the phone with PayPal 'tech support' because the system isn't working properly. I dunno if I'm using coding for a one-time payment instead of a subscription or what, but notification ain't happening.

So after 10 minutes of their 'customer serivce' automated system (which was too stupid to understand the number "FIVE") I finally got a human. After explaining everything to one rep, he bumps me to a second one. I explain everything to her, and only then does she say she needs to transfer me since mine is a business account. So I get a third rep. She listens to everything, then says "Oh, you want tech support" and, you guessed it, transfered me.

Finally, tech support. Right? I ask the chap some questions about how the IPN filters through the script, trying to determine how to handle subscription cancellations. He says the only notice is by email, and I'll have to manually go into my database and remove any cancelled accounts. I pointed out that their IPN manual states that I should receive some sort of pre-populated variable that I can use to talk to the MySQL database and deactivate the accounts automatically, but the manual is pretty vague about where the script to do so is supposed to be put, and what triggers it.

I ask which variable sent through the IPN is populated with the subscription ID, because I should be able to write the initial PayPal subscription ID (not the same as the transaction ID) into the users account, and use that same number on cancellation of the subscription to write in an unsubscribe notice in the dbase field for that user. So which variable returned by PayPal carries that ID?

Well - at this point he confesses that he's not actually tech support, and says they closed 5 minutes ago (not 5 minutes before he received my call, mind you, but about 15 minutes into his 20 minute BS blather) and would I mind calling back on Monday?

45 mins bouncing through rep after rep, finally reaching the tech department, and only after talking ot the guy for 20 mins does he say he's not actually a technician? And he could have transfererd me to someone who knew the answers, but instead pretended he knew what he was talking about until after they closed? Good lord. What's the point of the 'tech support hotline' then?

Let me tell you the code.

The first thing you do, no matter what, is get bumped up to at least second level tech before you even start talking. :)

I'll go knock on their door and tell them they suck for you. I live about 3 miles from their call center. My wife even used to work for PayPal before it was bought by Ebay. She left because they were a bunch of idiots then. I can't imagine it would be better after a buyout like that.

Get black on 'em.

To change the script I wrote to subscription you just add a few variables that are listed in the IPN manual. It's pretty easy but I suggest you get my script working again on a one time charge basis before changing more stuff. It worked flawlessly with the sandbox and the code I had in there. I'd venture to guess that you've erased a variable I defined. If possible, I'll look at it later tonight and I'll probably take it back to the sandbox level. The paypal ipn manual is actually pretty easy to understand but I doubt I'll be able to modify the code to completely work since I don't know entirely how your db is setup. I'll at least put some comments in there where you should execute the queries.