watercolor (and any bod else reading)
"...you are saying that the info on my confirm.php will not be recorded into my db tables at check out..."
You should NEVER try to rely on the thank-you page for saving of a transaction record to db etc. It is a known fact many buyers will either stupidly surf elsewhere from the PP payments results page AND that from time to time buyers browser or ISP connections crash and that means records will be missing.
**An IPN script "notify_url" hidden tag can be added to any PP pay button form INCLUDING saved "hosted" buttons.
IPN
The PP totaly discreet IPN process is designed just for post payment (instant) db / info email etc processing no matter what the buyer does. In almost all cases the IPN notices will be received by your IPN script long before any buyer can even get to successfully? see a thank you page.
See PP site for IPN process help / samples and the PP IPN forum for "angeleye"s excellent and free php mySql IPN script.
Regards.