Shipping help needed

[mike1234]

Hi

Well my first query must have not been very clear so Ill try a new one)

I sell one of a kind items magazines and paper memorabilia photographs and more

So Im wondering how I can set up my shipping and am open to suggestions -----

I have been on Ebay for 10 years and always used a flat rate and typically on some items no increase in shippingif they bought up to a vertain number.....

I am open to suggestions and am willing to use weighted shipping I just am not sure how and although i tried setting up with usps it says it cannot tabulate right now ------

Also are the zones already in the program?

Any suggestions how i should proceed would be appreciated
thank you

[mamasylvia]

Your first query was clear enough but I had no suggestions for how to implement it so I didn't say anything -- I would guess others had the same reaction.

I changed from flat-rate shipping through Paypal's shopping cart to the USPS module when I changed to ZenCart last year. It was a bit of a hassle to weigh all my products and calculate the weights into decimal pounds, and I didn't realize I had to switch from "test" to "production" server, but it has worked very nicely since I finally got it working. And I think my customers like it because they are paying only actual shipping & packaging costs, which generally less than my guesstimates (since the guesstimate had to be high enough to ensure I didn't lose money). So it has been worth the aggravation to me to get the USPS module up and running.

I would think that would work well for you as well. A number of light items can fit into the first-class-parcel weight limitations, and if someone orders too much for first-class, the USPS module lets them decide whether to pay less for slower delivery (parcel post) or more for faster delivery (Priority). The only feature I was concerned about was the flat-rate envelope, which some of my products wouldn't fit in, but it just hasn't come up.

[mike1234]

thanks for your response ))))
Ill try the weighted usps way....But is it working for you now ---I understand usps had some issues and it was not working -----
To clarify -----When I enter a new product it is there that I enter the weight ? And then if someone purcases multiple items , the zencart program adds the total wieght of all items and then usps will calculae the totals of all 4 items ---?

Lastly are the shipping codes and zones for each country already in zencart as a default
thanks ))))

[mamasylvia]

> is it working for you now ---I understand usps had some issues and it was not working

It has been working for me almost a year now. I didn't hear about USPS not working, but it seems that nearly everyone who activates the USPS module (including me) forgets they have to notify the USPS to switch their account from test to production in order to actually work. Someone must have a macro of "you need to Email USPS and request to be switched to production," it happens so often. <semi-g>

> When I enter a new product it is there that I enter the weight ?

Yes, the product page has a place for the weight (in decimal pounds -- 4 oz would be entered as 0.25, for example), and if the product weight varies by attribute, you can enter a + or - weight to adjust by.

> And then if someone purcases multiple items , the zencart program adds the total wieght of all items and then usps will calculate the totals of all 4 items ---?

Exactly. Further, you can add a "tare" weight for the packaging and/or an additional shiping cost - mine is $0.60, which covers most of the padded envelope and label that I use. ZC defaults to a 3 lb tare (for all shipping methods, not just USPS), which brings in approximately 2 people per week asking why some light product on their sites is charging for 3+ lbs. <g>

> Lastly are the shipping codes and zones for each country already in zencart as a default

I don't understand zones at ALL. Everything I've tried to set up has blown up in my face. I set up a U.S. zone, instructed the USPS module to ship only to that zone, and got a yellow warning bubble by the USPS module that wouldn't go away no matter what I did. Just today, someone else wrote that his yellow bubble changed to green when he changed zones to "none." I tried that and my yellow bubble also changed to green, but will some customer in Uzhekhstan now be able to order and only pay U.S. rates for shipping? I have no idea.

[mike1234]

thanks sooo much heres the error i get with using usps im not sure why ( its set to production on the module)
We are unable to find a USPS shipping quote suitable for your mailing address and the shipping methods we typically use.
If you prefer to use USPS as your shipping method, please contact us for assistance.

in addition do i have to set up counntry codes when using usps seems like it would take crae ofitself

[mamasylvia]

> We are unable to find a USPS shipping quote suitable for your mailing address

Wow, I have never seen that error message. Did you Email USPS to switch to production? You have to do that AND edit the Zencart shipping option to production, they are completely separate items.

[mike1234]

thank you sooo much its all fixed I had to ask usps to switch to production ))) you were right
One question regarding tare weight
I see how to change it but im not clear on the definitions
Its my understanding it all works off percentage?

But I remember seeing your post stating you use $.60
how do I input a fixed amount thanks ) now i think i use
0:10

[mamasylvia]

> Its my understanding it all works off percentage?

No, you can use a flat amount or a percentage. My store server appears to be down so I can't look at it right now, but look at the instructions/examples - you can put a percentage in the first part of the box or a flat amount in the second part.

> But I remember seeing your post stating you use $.60
how do I input a fixed amount

That isn't in the tare amount, that's a "handling fee" in the shipping module USPS. I have a small amount in the "tare" to cover weight of the packaging and the handling fee to cover the cost of the packaging (padded envelope and Paypal-compliant label together run about $0.75 but I haven't gotten around to raising my fee yet).