Copy and pasting the recordset will work as long as you aren't trying to directly refer to the first recordset value in a parameter. You would need to store the parameter as a $_GET[] variable for instance temporarily to get around that problem. The tech guy rightly didn't want to walk you through it and debug it with you, but I assure you it is possible. His mixed results were probably as a result of users mixed abilities in following his instructions.
Unfortunately GoDaddy has some specific requirements because of some of their unique server settings.
What checkout provider and shipping providers are you using? It is likely you will need to cut and paste code into a particular location to get those working properly on GoDaddy. You should probably post a support incident when you are ready to go live including that information and they will guide you through the necessary updates.
