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I've been reading through this post and I think my questions (I hope) is a lot easier.
I've tweaked the module to work for me for large letters (I always send via padded bag size 1 or 0) so that it charges what I like to charge as the way it was set up was too expensive.
So I got it going real good from items less than 50gms to 500gms and it works real well. I just had to use a minus amount the handling fees areas.
However, with the overseas charges I can get it to work for items less than 50gms but it keeps that amount no matter how many items I add to the cart. And all the pricing for overseas letters/parcels are correct. I used the minus sign again to get it to work for items less than 50gms. But for some reason it doesn't work as well as the aussie set up does.
Any idea where else I can tweak this to get it working for me? Thank you so much. I appreciate that shipping modules are tricky. Nothing beats a human being at a post office counter with scales and measuring tape!! If only I could get one of those in my zen cart files ......
Hi GAM,
> If there is anyway I can help and if you want me to perform testing > etc, please don't hesitate to ask as the sooner I can offer online
> quotes for ECI the better! :)
I'll almost certainly be emailing you a preliminary copy for testing purposes before uploading anything to the zencart site for others.
I really will get onto it ASAP, but don't hold your breath just yet 'cos I really am quite bogged down with end of year classes.
Cheers
Rod
G'day vivaraquel,
> I've been reading through this post and I think my questions (I >hope) is a lot easier.
I wish that were the case.
> I've tweaked the module to work for me for large letters (I always
> send via padded bag size 1 or 0) so that it charges what I like to
> charge as the way it was set up was too expensive.
Curious, because all the letter rates are 'fixed' variables (ie, not calculated like the parcel quotations), so the only way it could really overcharge is if your 'large letters' are actually being quoted as parcels, which will be the 'default' unless you either change the default dimensions, or explicitly define your items with accurate dimensions (as mentioned elsewhere in this thread).
> So I got it going real good from items less than 50gms to 500gms > and it works real well. I just had to use a minus amount the
> handling fees areas.
In that case, you are 'correcting' the wrong thing. You should be trying to get the weights/dimensions right to classify the item(s) are large letters, not trying to compensate by introducing negative handling fees.
> However, with the overseas charges I can get it to work for items
> less than 50gms but it keeps that amount no matter how many
> items I add to the cart.
You have something fundimentally wrong somewhere. Although I'm no expert on how the weights are actually calculated (as per the 'weights.txt' file this is not a function of the AustPost module) but I seriously doubt it'll be giving you different weights depending on country of destination ;-)
As I said, you have something fundimentally wrong somewhere, and I'd not even like to guess what or where.
> Any idea where else I can tweak this to get it working for me?
Not really, but I also can't fathom what scenario would require you to use negative handling fees in order to obtain a valid quote.
Something is 'odd'.
For international shipping I've gone the zone rates way so I don't have to bother with it except I don't know how to introduce insured parcels that way.
For Australian rates using your module I have set the dimensions as per the padded bag size 1 which is (rounded off) 15x23 and then allowed the maximum of 2cm for width.
When you say: "In that case, you are 'correcting' the wrong thing. You should be trying to get the weights/dimensions right to classify the item(s) are large letters, not trying to compensate by introducing negative handling fees."
I totally agree except I don't understand what I might have done wrong as I think I entered the dimensions correctly.
So I took off the dimensions I entered as I figured I probaly don't need them is the module is set up for letter rates by default. But I get this message when I go to estimate shipping
Warning: Division by zero in /home/easybead/public_html/includes/modules/shipping/austpost.php on line 166
On the cart the weight is showing up properly but not on the stimation window. What is it supposed to divide by?
Thanks.
This is what I have in that line 166:
$x = round(($cube / ( $maxlength * $maxwidth)),2) ;
I have no idea if that's whats meant to be in there.
G'day V,
> For international shipping I've gone the zone rates way so I don't
> have to bother with it except I don't know how to introduce
>insured parcels that way.
I only support the AP module, not the zone rates module, and I've no idea how that handles insurance.
> For Australian rates using your module I have set the dimensions
> as per the padded bag size 1 which is (rounded off) 15x23 and
> then allowed the maximum of 2cm for width.
What do you mean by "allowed a maximum of 2cm" for width?
Last time I checked the AP module didn't have any setting for maximum anything ??????
> When you say: "In that case, you are 'correcting' the wrong thing.
I meant that literally, you are correcting the wrong thing.
> I totally agree except I don't understand what I might have done
> wrong as I think I entered the dimensions correctly.
If you had, then you'd be getting valid rates, just like the rest of us ;-)
> So I took off the dimensions I entered as I figured I probaly don't
> need them
How did you come to that conclusion? How is the AP module supposed to know that your parcels are small enough to be a letter?
Seriously, do you think I would have gone to all the trouble of adding dimensions to products if they weren't going to actually be used?
> is the module is set up for letter rates by default.
I'm not sure if you are saying that you have set up the AP module for your store to default to letters, or whether you are implying that the distribution version is set up to use letters by default.
If the former, then you have obviously messed up somewhere - possibly by confusing the 'default' dimensions with the non existant 'maximum' dimensions?
If the latter, then I'd like to know where you got the impression that the module defaults to letter rates, because as discussed elsewhere in this thread, the defaults are set to NOT use letter rates.
> But I get this message when I go to estimate shipping
> Warning: Division by zero
Yeah, computers really have a hard time dividing numbers by zero. They always seem to complain about it. <g>
> On the cart the weight is showing up properly but not on the
> stimation window.
Err, so when did we start talking about weight issues? I thought you were having dimension issues?
Are you now telling me that you are having a problem with both the weights AND the dimensions?
What else aren't you telling me? The last time I had a discussion like this it went on for almost a week before I eventually figured out that the person involved was trying to use the AP module with an old version of zencart.
I rather not repeat that frustrating experience.
> What is it supposed to divide by?
Anything other than zero ;-)
> This is what I have in that line 166:
> $x = round(($cube / ( $maxlength * $maxwidth)),2) ;
I guess that looks right (isolated lines of code are often meaningless).
> I have no idea if that's whats meant to be in there
Unless it is something you added, or if you downloaded the module from somewhere other than zen-cart.com, then I think it is safe to assume it is supposed to be there. I really do tend to avoid writing code or adding options unless it actually does something.
So, how about we (yes, you and me), take a look at this particular error together:
-------------------------
Problem: Warning: Division by zero
Code: $x = round(($cube / ( $maxlength * $maxwidth)),2) ;
------------------------------------
Not too difficult - it only has one division operator, and it is saying:
the answer ($x) is "something" divided by the maxlength times maxwidth, then round the result to 2 decimal places.
So, we now ask ourselves, where could this 'zero' come from?
The answer should be obvious, it is either going to be the 'maxlength' or the 'maxwidth' - if either of these are zero, then the result is going to be zero (anything multiplied by zero = zero).
So, the quesion now becomes WHY are these values zero?
Alas, this is one question that I can't answer without more info. At this stage I am going to assume you are running an older version of zencart, because it is currently the only thing I can think of that will explain your multiple issues.
Cheers
Rod
Ok, I uninstalled it and installed it again and chaged the dimensions from what comes up to the padded bag dimensions of 23x15cm and changed the Default Parcel Height from 2.5 to 1.99. As per the Australia Post site a parcel height above 2cm is considered a parcel and not a large letter.
It is working for 1 items. But it is multiplying the height of 1.99 when multiple items are added to the cart so that stuffs up the cost. Is there a way around this?
Thank you for your time and I appreciate you bearing with me.
G'day V,
> Ok, I uninstalled it and installed it again and chaged the dimensions > from what comes up to the padded bag dimensions of 23x15cm
> and changed the Default Parcel Height from 2.5 to 1.99.
> As per the Australia Post site a parcel height above 2cm is
> considered a parcel and not a large letter.
Uhuh.
> It is working for 1 items. But it is multiplying the height of 1.99
> when multiple items are added to the cart
But isn't that to be expected? If one item is 1.99cm high then surely two of them stacked on top of each other will be 1.99 x 2 ?
> so that stuffs up the cost.
No, it doesn't stuff the cost, what it is doing is accurately quoting the cost. Single item @1.99cm high is perfectly suitable for letter rates, but if you stack 2 of them together they become too large for a letter and are therefore quoted @ parcel rates.
> Is there a way around this?
Sure. Simply give your products accurate dimensions, and always remember that the DEFAULT dimensions are only used when there are no dimensions explicitly defined for any given item.
IOW, for your items, if you set the dimensions to
23x15x0.2cm, the first ten items will be quoted @ single letter rate, but the 11th item will push the dimensions over the limit and will therefore be quoted at parcel rates.
If all of your products are of similar dimensions, then setting the defaults to those dimensions will save you a lot of work, however if you have any items that are of different dimensions then they will need to be explicitly defined, else they will also be quoted using the defaults.
One final note. The AP module does NOT take into account the thickness of the packaging (it has no way of knowing whether you are using padded bags, regular envelopes, or perhaps even disk mailers), so if this is likely to be an issue I suggest you over estimate the height of your items a little to avoid being caught out with a package being quoted as a letter, only to find it is a little oversize due to the packaging.
Cheers
Rod
I understand about the thickness of the packaging. The items in the bag are under 2cm 90% of the time.
However, since the packaging is 23x15 I am not going to stack one item on top of the other, I am going to lay them side by side. Depending on the items (eg, bead strands) this will make the height be more than 2cm. So is there a way to make it not do that?
I appreciate you have put the time and knowledge into making this module and I am by no means saying that you've done it badly. Simply that I personally don't stack my products one on top of the other so if there's a way I can stop the module from doing it, it would work better for me personally.
And when you say give your products accurate dimensions and any items that are of different dimensions will need to be explicitly defined, I don't undertsand where I would do this. When creating a new prodcut all I can enter is its weight, qty, model and image.
Thank you again for your reply.