I got this code from the web service site (but of course they have no
kind of implied warranty on it) that builds a URL with a querystring
and sends it.  Naturally, the parameters (of which there are a ton, no
idea why they don't want XML input, but I digress) are separated by &
signs.  I know if you try to encode a string with an & character in a
URL, it comes out as %26 to prevent improper parsing.

However, this code seems to be encoding the variable delimiters (&) as
well (encoding it at &), causing the request to be refused.  This
is the code:

Imports System.Web.Services
Imports System.Web.Services.Protocols
Imports System.ComponentModel

<System.Web.Services.WebService(Namespace:="http://badger.com/")> _
<System.Web.Services.WebServiceBinding(ConformsTo:=WsiProfiles.BasicProfile1_1)>
_
<ToolboxItem(False)> _
Public Class Service1
   Inherits System.Web.Services.WebService
   <WebMethod()> _
   Public Function AuthorizeAPI(ByVal Input1 As InformationToPass) As
String
       Dim rp As New ReturnParams
       Dim currentDomain As AppDomain = AppDomain.CurrentDomain
       'for regular unhandled stuff
       AddHandler currentDomain.UnhandledException, AddressOf
MYExceptionHandler
       'for threads behind forms
       'AddHandler Application.ThreadException, AddressOf
MYThreadHandler
       Dim whr
       Dim data
       Dim WWW_OR_DEVELOPER As String = "Developer"
       whr = CreateObject("WinHTTP.Winhttprequest.5.1")
       whr.settimeouts(0, 0, 120000, 240000)
       whr.Open("POST", "https://" & WWW_OR_DEVELOPER &
".skipjackic.com/scripts/evolvcc.dll?Authorize", False)
       data = ""
       ' SET REQUEST HEADER
       whr.SetRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/x-www-form-
urlencoded")

       ' A STRING TO STORE THE VARIABLES TO POST
       Dim qString
       qString = ""

       'Return "Hi, this page is served by Brent White's own system
and can be looked at " & Input1.SecondParam & " times."
       'Return Input1.SerialNumber
       qString = qString & "SerialNumber=" &
Server.UrlEncode(Input1.SerialNumber) & Chr(26)
       'Return Input1.Dev_SerialNumber
       qString = qString & "DeveloperSerialNumber=" &
Input1.Dev_SerialNumber & "&amp;"
       qString = qString & "SJName=" & Input1.SJName & "&"
       qString = qString & "Email=" & Input1.Email & "&"
       qString = qString & "StreetAddress=" & Input1.BillStreet & "&"
       qString = qString & "StreetAddress2=" & Input1.BillStreet2 &
"&"
       qString = qString & "StreetAddress3=" & Input1.BillStreet3 &
"&"
       qString = qString & "StreetAddress4=" & Input1.BillStreet4 &
"&"
       qString = qString & "City=" & Input1.BillCity & "&"
       qString = qString & "State=" & Input1.BillState & "&"
       qString = qString & "Zip=" & Input1.BillZip & "&"
       qString = qString & "Country=" & Input1.BillCountry & "&"
       qString = qString & "Phone=" & Input1.BillPhone & "&"
       qString = qString & "Fax=" & Input1.BillFax & "&"
       qString = qString & "ShipToStreetAddress=" & Input1.ShipStreet
& "&"
       qString = qString & "ShipToStreetAddress2=" &
Input1.ShipStreet2 & "&"
       qString = qString & "ShipToStreetAddress3=" &
Input1.ShipStreet3 & "&"
       qString = qString & "ShipToStreetAddress4=" &
Input1.ShipStreet4 & "&"
       qString = qString & "ShipToCity=" & Input1.ShipCity & "&"
       qString = qString & "ShipToState=" & Input1.ShipState & "&"
       qString = qString & "ShipToZip=" & Input1.ShipZip & "&"
       qString = qString & "ShipToCountry=" & Input1.ShipCountry &
"&"
       qString = qString & "ShipToPhone=" & Input1.ShipPhone & "&"
       qString = qString & "ShipToFax=" & Input1.ShipFax & "&"
       qString = qString & "OrderNumber=" & Input1.OrderNumber & "&"
       qString = qString & "AccountNumber=" & Input1.AccountNumber &
"&"
       qString = qString & "Month=" & Input1.MonthExpr & "&"
       qString = qString & "Year=" & Input1.YearExpr & "&"
       qString = qString & "CVV2=" & Input1.CVV2 & "&"
       qString = qString & "TransactionAmount=" &
Input1.TransactionAmount & "&"
       qString = qString & "CustomerTax=" & Input1.SalesTax & "&"
       qString = qString & "CustomerCode=" & Input1.CustomerCode &
"&"
       qString = qString & "PurchaseOrderNumber=" & Input1.PONumber &
"&"
       qString = qString & "ShippingAmount=" & Input1.ShippingAmount
& "&"
       qString = qString & "SummaryCommodityCode=" &
Input1.SummaryCommodityCode & "&"
       qString = qString & "orderstring_lvl3=" &
Input1.OrderString_lvl3
       'rp.SJName = Input1.SJName
       'rp.Email = Input1.Email
       'Return Input1.BillStreet
       'Return Input1.BillStreet2
       'Return Input1.BillStreet3
       'Return Input1.BillStreet4
       'Return Input1.BillCity
       'Return Input1.BillState
       'Return Input1.BillZip
       'Return Input1.BillCountry
       'Return Input1.BillPhone
       'Return Input1.BillFax
       'Return Input1.ShipName
       'Return Input1.ShipStreet
       'Return Input1.ShipStreet2
       'Return Input1.ShipStreet3
       'Return Input1.ShipStreet4
       'Return Input1.ShipCity
       'Return Input1.ShipState
       'Return Input1.ShipZip
       'Return Input1.ShipCountry
       'Return Input1.ShipPhone
       'Return Input1.ShipFax
       'Return Input1.AccountNumber
       'Return Input1.MonthExpr
       'Return Input1.YearExpr
       'Return Input1.CVV2
       'rp.TransactionAmount = Val(5 * Input1.TransactionAmount)
       'Return Input1.TransactionAmount
       'Return Input1.SalesTax
       'Return Input1.CustomerCode
       'Return Input1.PONumber
       'Return Input1.ShippingAmount
       'Return Input1.SummaryCommodityCode
       'Return Input1.OrderString_lvl3
       On Error Resume Next
       whr.send(qString)
       whr.waitforresponse()
       On Error Resume Next
       data = data & whr.responsetext

       If Not IsNothing(whr) Then
           whr = Nothing
       End If
       Return qString
       'Return data
       'rp.SJName = data
       'Return rp
   End Function
   Private Sub MYExceptionHandler(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As
UnhandledExceptionEventArgs)
       Dim EX As Exception
       EX = e.ExceptionObject
       Console.WriteLine(EX.StackTrace)
   End Sub

   Private Sub MYThreadHandler(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As
Threading.ThreadExceptionEventArgs)
       Console.WriteLine(e.Exception.StackTrace)
   End Sub
End Class

Public Class InformationToPass
   Public SerialNumber As String = {private}  'Removed actual value
from pasted code
   Public Dev_SerialNumber As String = {private}  'Removed actual
value from pasted code
   Public SJName As String
   Public Email As String
   Public BillStreet As String
   Public BillStreet2 As String
   Public BillStreet3 As String
   Public BillStreet4 As String
   Public BillCity As String
   Public BillState As String
   Public BillZip As String
   Public BillCountry As String
   Public BillPhone As String
   Public BillFax As String
   Public ShipName As String
   Public ShipStreet As String
   Public ShipStreet2 As String
   Public ShipStreet3 As String
   Public ShipStreet4 As String
   Public ShipCity As String
   Public ShipState As String
   Public ShipZip As String
   Public ShipCountry As String
   Public ShipPhone As String
   Public ShipFax As String
   Public OrderNumber As String
   Public AccountNumber As String
   Public MonthExpr As String
   Public YearExpr As String
   Public CVV2 As String
   Public TransactionAmount As String
   Public SalesTax As String
   Public CustomerCode As String
   Public PONumber As String
   Public ShippingAmount As String
   Public SummaryCommodityCode As String
   Public OrderString_lvl3 As String
End Class

Public Class ReturnParams
   Public SJName As String
   Public Email As String
   Public TransactionAmount As String
End Class

The "&" characters keep getting picked up as &amp; (except in the
first parameter, which shows it as #x1A;

When the request gets passed to the service, it treats each field as
blank.

Why is this not working?  It seems to run counter to every example
I've seen on the internet.