ozpost shipping module

[RodG]

Hi again Rod

Thanks for adding 4012. We're small but very important :).

I agree :)

Regarding the satchels quote:

I understand and it does seem a conundrum. The server is just trying to fit the board in the cheapest satchel it can find, to the buyers benefit. It doesn't know I am too lazy and cheap to keep an entire range of Pre-Paids on hand. Clearly it doesn't know me as well as you do!

Well, not yet, but as with anything I code, I try to make the program as clever as I am (which equates to being as cheap and as lazy as everyone else) <grin> .

Here's my thought for what it's worth.

The satchels cost the same no matter where you are or where you are posting even outside the express network so you don't really need a server quote. They are more like a fixed price option.

This is true, up until the time Australia Post increases their fees, at which time everyone will need to manually update their prices, which negates the benefits of using a server. Beleive it or not, some merchants are so 'out of touch' they still offer economy air as an overseas shipping method (Australia Post dropped this about 3 years ago).

Perhaps if you could have any of the four satchels selected optionally with the merchant inputting their own pricing.

Thus if I select 5kg satchels in the menu (all I stock) at $22.00 (including handling) the price could be displayed whenever a product within the dimensions was being quoted.

Of course this might be a bit of a nightmare (?) to program.

Not really a 'nightmare', but it does place more dependance on the client code, which out of necessity I need to keep as simple as possible for portability purposes).

Nonetherless, it IS an option to be considered.

Another option (easy to implement, but I'm not convinced that there isn't a better way) is for the server to provide quotes for *all* satchels (that are suitable), and leave it for the client to filter the ones they don't need. This is much like the current method, but it will have the 'bad' side effect of offering (say) the 3kg and the 500gm stachels instead of just the 500gm ones, if suitible. IOW, it will present the customer an option that they don't really need. It WILL solve the current problems though.. but it is a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils, in my opinion.

My 'other' solution is to update the client code (again), to include another setting to tell the server to continue to work the way it is, or to return all satchel quotes as indicated above, thus making it a user choice.. This is the 'near ideal' solution, other than it does introduce yet another setting that would probably confuse most people as to its purpose.

As you can see, several possible silutions, but so far nothing I'm 100% happy with. (Which is why I seek other ideas and inputs).

Otherwise, I guess I would need to see if AP were willing to sell me, a humble retailer, some of their very important and special 3kg and 5kg XL satchels which apparently are only available to "contract/account" customers who have slept with an independent member of the Commonwealth parliament
http://auspost.com.au/business/expre....html#satchels

LOL.

Have you asked at your local PO recently? As of last May the 5kg XL satchels were made available to most outlets for general use.

6 quotes and still outside the Express Network (probably update overnight I guess).

I may need to take another look into the outside express network (my update should have taken immediate effect)... as for the duplicate quotes, it appears that you have more than one 'australia post' module installed/activated.. This is probably because you needed to make such a large jump in versions, and in the change from V1.x.x to V2.x.x I needed to keep the code entirely separate for developement purposes, therefore is is/was possible to have two versions running at the same time. Just disable the older version.

Cheers
Rod


Thanks again. At least I now understand what I didn't know.

cheers

cheers[/quote]