Link new data to serial of product sold

I have a product which is assigned a serial number.

The product can be bought (online) and specific details added through custom order fields. This detail is then included in a picture which is emailed to the customer after their order is received. This is set up and seems to work well.

However, I want the customer to also be able to buy the product and at a later date come back to the site and enter the details and have this information linked to the original serial number which was assigned when the product was first purchased (0nline). Can this be done? If so, how?

The product can also be bought in retail stores with an assigned serial number. I want the customer to be able to go online and enter the details (as mentioned above) and have it linked to the serial number on the item they purchased in the store (not online). Can this be done, If so, how?

The problem is that if they buy the product in a shop (not online) the product has the corresponding serial number attached to it (on sticker on the physical product). The customer needs to go online and put in information (to register the product online). How do I enable them to pull up the correct serial number (matching the one on the sticker) and get it connected with their details?

Hi Jerome. Thanks very much for your prompt reply. I have now set up the consumption plugin using a random generator. I have tested and it is working just as you said. The backend shows it has been used but it hasn't been assigned to the user. Also, I want to collect some information from the customer when they consume the serial. I think I need to set up some custom fields to do this but am not sure how to do this so that it shows up on their monitor when they consume the serial. Can you help me with this?

Thanks for all your help. You do a great job!

Hi. Thanks very much. I tried changing the components contoller file as you said. When I tried to consume a serial from frontend I got a blank screen. At the back end the serial was used but not assigned to the customer. I change the code back to the original code and now I get a blank screen whenever I try to consume a serial.

I think what I want to achieve should be very simple. All I want to do is sell a product which will have some registration details attached to it. This can be done in three ways:

1. This product can be bought and the details entered at the time of purchase. This I have done simply by creating custom order fields which are completed at the time of purchase. All good there.

2. The product can be bought online and the customer can enter the details at another time by completing a registration of the product.

3. The product can be bought in a retail outlet with a serial number sticker on it. The serial can be consumed online and the details be completed.

I think that #2 and #3 should be able to be done using a consumable serial. In #2 the custome should be able to purchase the product online and receive an email with the consumble serial and instructions of how to use it to register their details for the particular item(s) purchased. #3 should be easily done by going online and consuming the serial and completing the same details.

Does this make sense to you?
I have spent many hours trying to achieve this. It seems like it should be quite forward and simply done.
Can you help me to achieve my goals in the easiest simplest way?
At the moment I have come to a complete stop because I can't get any consumable serial to work.

Hi. Thanks for your response and help. I really appreciate it. Please don't push yourself too hard... No one should have to still be working at 3am! Thanks for working on the new HikaSerial release. I am happy to wait a few days until you are satisfied that it is a stable release. You've given me a few things to think about and try so I will try some more. Thanks again.