Australian shipping rates and dimensions

[Annie_zaz]

Hello,

I would like to hear from Australian shops regarding their shipping mods they are using.
Does anyone uses the Auspost mod? I want to use it but a lot of the threads out there say its buggy.
My customer does not want to pay a monthly fee for the Ozpost mod.

Does anyone know of a dimensions mod? My client has a pawn shop and an item may be bulky but light.

I was planning on using the table rate using Australia post pre-paid satchels as a guide and adding a handling fee as the customer says thats for bubble wrap etc.. We will be shipping to all over Australia.

What do other Zenner's suggest? I keenly await your answers

[frank18]

Zone Rates only.

Have been using Australia Post (satchels, both Express and Parcel Service) since 2007. To OS destinations only shipping Express Courier International or Registered Air Mail Intl (up to 2kg). All of these mods are cloned Zone Rates modules with different language files.

Just need to update my rates as they change with Australia Post - no big deal.

Also offering Store Pickup / Local Delivery to local post codes only (see PDP in my signature).

[Annie_zaz]

I think what I'll be doing is setting up table rate for pre-paid satchels up to a certain weight then for the parcels after that weight I will use their experienced "guesstimate" on how much it costs to ship items from each category and see how that goes.
It would be good if there was a dimensions mod. I saw one by numinix but it's for UPS and other USA style couriers.
I am planning on adding on the austpostcode mod too.

[RodG]

Hello,

I would like to hear from Australian shops regarding their shipping mods they are using.
Does anyone uses the Auspost mod? I want to use it but a lot of the threads out there say its buggy.

Not only buggy - but this is a RIPOFF of my own ozpost code - Hacked and released to avoid paying the modest subscription fees that cover the ongoing updates, support and the running of the ozpost servers.

My customer does not want to pay a monthly fee for the Ozpost mod.

Most Ozpost subscribers are happy to pay because it SAVES them money. It'll never underquote (as long as product data is correct). It is also 100% tax deductible.

I was planning on using the table rate using Australia post pre-paid satchels as a guide and adding a handling fee as the customer says thats for bubble wrap etc.. We will be shipping to all over Australia.

The Ozpost module is rather unique. It is the only module (for any Ecommerce system) that takes product dimensions into account when it comes to prepaid satchels. All others I've seen go by weight only - and anyone with experience will tell you that a product (or products) weighing under 500gm doesn't always fit the 500gm satchels - So a 3kg Satchel is needed instead - Loss to merchant = $5.15 per order.
Sometimes even a 5kg Satchel will be needed - Loss to merchant ~$9.00.

The merchant only needs to suffer 10 of these losses a year before they start costing more the the ozpost subscriptions.

The ozpost module also has some very powerful packing algorithms. Whereas many modules perform a simple 'stack', the ozpost module will 'pack' as many items into a given size satchel that will physically fit - Other modules will require either multiple stachels, a satxchel that is larger than actually needed, or negate the satchels entirely and fall back to parcel rates.

What do other Zenner's suggest? I keenly await your answers

The old hacked 'auspost' still mostly works - it is no worse than any other 'simple' module.
Frank18 has a Zonerates module that he's developed for Australian users,

.... but for *serious* merchants - Nothing comes close to ozpost - (not just ZenCart, but for any of them).

The ozpost system (it is far more than just a 'shipping module' - has been designed specifically for *merchants* (as opposed to just supplying customer quotes). It has be devised with two 'prime directives'

1) PROTECT THE MERCHANT. (It will NOT underquote)
2) Provide the best possible quote for the customers. Regardless of the size, weight and quantity of the product(s) added to the cart.

Ozpost subscribers also get support above and beyond the ozpost module itself - Many supporters have had custom modifications added to cater for specific needs, and I've even provided free help and support for any other issues they've had with their store (beyond the help I provide in the forums).

..... and guess what - after taking the running and maintenance costs of the three independent ozpost servers and the ongoing development and updates to the various ozpost modules, I've still yet to turn a profit.

Just my 2cents worth. :-)

Cheers
RodG

[Annie_zaz]

Not only buggy - but this is a RIPOFF of my own ozpost code - Hacked and released to avoid paying the modest subscription fees that cover the ongoing updates, support and the running of the ozpost servers.



Most Ozpost subscribers are happy to pay because it SAVES them money. It'll never underquote (as long as product data is correct). It is also 100% tax deductible.



The Ozpost module is rather unique. It is the only module (for any Ecommerce system) that takes product dimensions into account when it comes to prepaid satchels. All others I've seen go by weight only - and anyone with experience will tell you that a product (or products) weighing under 500gm doesn't always fit the 500gm satchels - So a 3kg Satchel is needed instead - Loss to merchant = $5.15 per order.
Sometimes even a 5kg Satchel will be needed - Loss to merchant ~$9.00.

The merchant only needs to suffer 10 of these losses a year before they start costing more the the ozpost subscriptions.

The ozpost module also has some very powerful packing algorithms. Whereas many modules perform a simple 'stack', the ozpost module will 'pack' as many items into a given size satchel that will physically fit - Other modules will require either multiple stachels, a satxchel that is larger than actually needed, or negate the satchels entirely and fall back to parcel rates.




The old hacked 'auspost' still mostly works - it is no worse than any other 'simple' module.
Frank18 has a Zonerates module that he's developed for Australian users,

.... but for *serious* merchants - Nothing comes close to ozpost - (not just ZenCart, but for any of them).

The ozpost system (it is far more than just a 'shipping module' - has been designed specifically for *merchants* (as opposed to just supplying customer quotes). It has be devised with two 'prime directives'

1) PROTECT THE MERCHANT. (It will NOT underquote)
2) Provide the best possible quote for the customers. Regardless of the size, weight and quantity of the product(s) added to the cart.

Ozpost subscribers also get support above and beyond the ozpost module itself - Many supporters have had custom modifications added to cater for specific needs, and I've even provided free help and support for any other issues they've had with their store (beyond the help I provide in the forums).

..... and guess what - after taking the running and maintenance costs of the three independent ozpost servers and the ongoing development and updates to the various ozpost modules, I've still yet to turn a profit.

Just my 2cents worth. :-)

Cheers
RodG

Hi Rod,
Thanks for your response. I would happily use the Ozpost mod but unfortunately my client is a bit on the cheap side.
I have already mentioned this Ozpost mod to my client.
We'll see how we go with their shipping costs and if they are taking losses I will remind them of this mod.

[frank18]

....
Frank18 has a Zonerates module that he's developed for Australian users, ....

Just for the record, the only shipping module I have ever developed is PDP (Product Delivery By Postcode - local delivery only) and it is not only for Australian stores - and not related to or cloned from OzPost

[frank18]

Hi Rod,
Thanks for your response. I would happily use the Ozpost mod but unfortunately my client is a bit on the cheap side.
I have already mentioned this Ozpost mod to my client.
We'll see how we go with their shipping costs and if they are taking losses I will remind them of this mod.

I ran that module once on a trial basis but found it a bit of an overkill for my personal purposes (my items are small and predictable).

But, having said that, I would recommend that module to anyone with very variable item sizes / weights etc. Also gives you the options to make use of many courier services. And as a heads up for your client, it would save him/her plenty - well worth the few bucks a year.

[RodG]

Just for the record, the only shipping module I have ever developed is PDP (Product Delivery By Postcode - local delivery only) and it is not only for Australian stores - and not related to or cloned from OzPost

Apologies for the incorrect reference/name I gave to your PDP module. Thanks for the enlightenment that it isn't only for Australian Stores (I honestly thought it was) - Either way, I was pretty sure that it was all your own work and unrelated to the ozpost module, and hopefully I didn't imply or insinuate otherwise.

I am aware that it is an option that Australian merchants have available to them though, because I'm not (never have been) happy that 'ozpost' had a virtual monopoly - Which is why although I may gripe about the hacked 'AustPost' module I would never seek to have it removed from the ZenCart Add-ons, because it does provide that option to those that need 'free'.

One of these days I'm going to have to check out PDP for myself and hopefully I'll then feel a lot more confident in recommending it to other Australians as viable option to those (many) that don't need all the options/features that ozpost provides.

Cheers
RodG

[frank18]

Apologies for the incorrect reference/name I gave to your PDP module. Thanks for the enlightenment that it isn't only for Australian Stores (I honestly thought it was) - Either way, I was pretty sure that it was all your own work and unrelated to the ozpost module, and hopefully I didn't imply or insinuate otherwise.

LOL, no probs RodG

I am aware that it is an option that Australian merchants have available to them though, because I'm not (never have been) happy that 'ozpost' had a virtual monopoly - Which is why although I may gripe about the hacked 'AustPost' module I would never seek to have it removed from the ZenCart Add-ons, because it does provide that option to those that need 'free'.

One of these days I'm going to have to check out PDP for myself and hopefully I'll then feel a lot more confident in recommending it to other Australians as viable option to those (many) that don't need all the options/features that ozpost provides.

PDP also deals very well with the "odd" British postcodes. Feel free to incorporate it into OzPost if it appears handy for bulky or time / temperature sensitive products. In fact I recommend it for the use of my ASOC module - (auto store open close) which ties in well with a take-away shop.

[Annie_zaz]

Just for the record, the only shipping module I have ever developed is PDP (Product Delivery By Postcode - local delivery only) and it is not only for Australian stores - and not related to or cloned from OzPost

Thanks for your post frank18 would you recommend your PDP for this store I am working on?
Does it help with setting up shipping rates for different states? I have created 3 hypothetical customers, Hannah, Fred and Wilma they all live in different states of Australia but they get charged the same shipping rate at checkout.
Does it let you set up a table rate with dimensions?
This shipping bizzo is doing my head in