Help Setting up my shipping

[ZuluRose]

Hello,

I desperately need some help setting up my shipping module.
Right now I am using Table Rate and USPS.
The USPS is not working even though I have a Web Tools User ID.
It gives me the message in the check out process (not in the admin screen):

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.

I had to ship a order to the UK today and my table rate only billed the customer half the actual price I had to pay. I also will be shipping to Japan, South Africa, and the EU and I think that might be even more expensive.


My questions are:

1) What is really the matter with the USPS module. The post office is really close I'd love to use them.

2) Maybe I should offer UPS. But how do I get that going?
Do I need an UPS Account?
Is it cheaper for me to drop stuff at UPS or have them pick it up?

3) Can I set the Tare rates to differ for different Shipping Zones?

4) If I am out of town, how do I notify the user that the product will ship when I return? or better yet, we do I notify the customer on shipping dates? I have a page called shipping and returns, but that is a link in my footer. I would like to show the user something in the body of the page.


Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated ASAP as order are coming in the store and I need to handle them appropriately without absorbing the cost out of my pocket when I go down to the USPS.

-Alex[FONT=Arial][/FONT]

[Ajeh]

Do you have the correct 5 digit zipcode setup in the Shipping/Packaging?

[ZuluRose]

Yeah, its set to "11225".

[Ajeh]

And after getting your USPS Web Tools User ID you called USPS and had them activate your account ...

And you are in Production and NOT in Test mode as USPS breaks a lot ...

[ZuluRose]

Ah, I just got off the phone with the USPS they activated my account that seemed to do the trick.

[Ajeh]

They are funny that way ...

Thanks for the update that calling USPS and having them activate your account fixed the shipping problems with USPS ...

[ZuluRose]

Now I am curious how I should set up my UPS shipping.
I will deliver Legal size envelopes to UPS.

UPS Pick up Method = CC Customer Counter?
UPS Packaging? = CP
Residential Delivery = RES

Right now, the UPS cost is 20 BUCKS for a next day drop off of a one pound item.
That seems way too high ... But it might be right. Does that sound right?

[Ajeh]

Is that really 1lb quote? Or do you have a TARE weight added on?

[ZuluRose]

I have the tare weight set to 1:1.
Should I disable that?

[Ajeh]

That means you are adding 1 lb plus 1% to the shipping ...

If you want no Tare, you would use 0:0 ...