Very basic question on free shipping but where is the answer?

[chris parker]

Have you ever looked so hard for the answer to a problem without finding it, that you end up with that lump in you throat and almost screaming at your PC?



I'm there right now. So please will somebody help me?

I want to offer free shipping - that's all. Should be simple in Zencart right? OK then...here we go...

The rules are that:

1. Shipping is taxable, just like everything else I offer - a flat rate of 17.5%. i.e. If the shipping is set at a flat rate of say 10.00, then the tax amount would be 1.75 thus the total shipping charge would be 11.75.
And of course, if you give the shipping away free, you charge 17.5% of nothing - which is 0.

SO WHY WON'T ZENCART UNDERSTAND THAT?

I created a coupon and ticked free shipping.

Here is what Zencart does in checkout (let's pretend you buy a book which is free):

Book: 0

Sub-Total: 0

Flat Rate: 10.00

Discount Coupon: freeshipping : -10.00

TAX 17.5%: 1.75

Total: 1.75

WHY WHY WHY? It does not take a genius to calculate that (0 + 0 + 10 - 10)= 0

And 17.5% of 0 = 0.

So why does Zencart INSIST of charging 1.75 (which is 17.5% of the original shipping fee) when it is quite clear that the shipping ended up being free?

And even more importantly, how on earth do I get this to stop?

I cannot offer free shipping across my entire store, hence the free shipping coupon. But it does not work!!! Did nobody make a fix for this yet? Do you all charge your customers more tax than you need to, and give the taxman more tax than he's entitled to? For God's sake!

[shrimp-gumbo-mmmhhh]

What version are you using?

What are you order_total_modules sort orders?

[chris parker]

Hi ShrimpGumbo,

Thanks for taking the time to consider my awful plight.

I am using version Zen Cart 1.3.7
Database Patch Level: 1.3.7
v1.3.7 [2007-12-28 13:56:17] (Fresh Installation)

My order_total_modules sort orders are:

COD Fee ot_cod_fee Not Enabled
Discount Coupon ot_coupon 295
Group Discount ot_group_pricing 290
Gift Certificates ot_gv 840
Low Order Fee ot_loworderfee 400
Shipping ot_shipping 293
Sub-Total ot_subtotal 200
Tax ot_tax 300
Total ot_total 999

Also, my shipping is set to "Taxable Goods", along with my stock.

Any ideas? I am desperate for some answers/help here, otherwise it renders my cart useless.

[Kim]

What settings do you have for the Admin> Modules> Order Total> Discount Coupons?

[chris parker]

Oh thanks Kim! Thanks for helping me out.

My settings at the moment are:

Discount Coupon

This module is installed
true

Sort Order
295

Include Shipping
false

Include Tax
false

Re-calculate Tax
Standard

Tax Class
Taxable Goods

Did I do something wrong here?

[Kim]

What happens if you set the coupon to include the tax?

[chris parker]

Hi Kim,

If I set the coupon to include tax, it still does the same thing. The 17.5% tax on the original shipping amount still remains.



I thought you had it there too.

Do you think this is a bug?

[Kim]

Hhhmmm, I suppose that is possible, but coupons and taxes are not my area of expertise.

[chris parker]

Hi Kim,
Do you think you could get somebody who knows about the coupon system to take a look at this thread perhaps?

It seems to me as if Zencart (at least in my installation) is currently calculating the totals in this order (even though they display in a different order):

Subtotal
Minus Group discount
Plus Shipping
Plus tax
Minus Free Shipping

When it actually should be:

Subtotal
Minus Group discount etc.
Plus Shipping
Minus Free Shipping
Plus tax on whatever is left over.

Wonder why it does it incorrectly?

[Kim]

Chris,

I have emailed the OT expert. Hopefully he will be online later today.