Urgent Help Needed - USPS Module Not Working for TN only

[mcqueeneycoins]

Please help!
I have installed the USPS shipping module and have adjusted the settings, etc. so that the module is only available when the shipping weight exceeds 0.01lbs.
We have several items we charge a flat rate shipping fee for, so I have set the weights of those items to be 0.

I have a customer in TN who is trying to place an order. The weight is 0.10lbs, so the USPS module should be the only shipping option that displays...but it doesn't.
In fact, no shipping module options display for her at all! Not even the message "we are not shipping to your area".

I have tested myself and the USPS module displays pricing for all of the other states I've tried...TX, CA, etc. just not TN addresses.

I have checked my zone settings, changed the USPS settings from "shipable areas" to "none" and still not working.

I upgraded to the latest USPS module thinking it was a USPS glitch, but that didn't fix the problem either.

I just don't know where to look at this point since it's working for all other states.

When she removes the items with weights, the flat-rate option DOES appear, so that is working as intended.
It's only when the weight is >0.01lbs that it doesn't working...again for TN only.

Any ideas??

[DrByte]

installed the USPS shipping module and have adjusted the settings, etc. so that the module is only available when the shipping weight exceeds 0.01lbs.

How exactly did you go about that? (ie: tell me how to do that in my own brand new test store, after installing the latest USPS plugin)

In fact, no shipping module options display for her at all! Not even the message "we are not shipping to your area".

Does the whole page display properly? Or is the footer and right-side of the page disappear too? It "should" display "something", but if only half the page is being drawn, then you're running into a software PHP error. See: http://www.zen-cart.com/content.php?124-blank-page for guidance on finding the actual error details in the server's /logs/ folder.

[mcqueeneycoins]

Thanks, Dr. Byte--I may have pinpointed the problem after playing with it some more, but still not sure how to solve it. I reviewed the debug file and saw a few zip code errors--it appears that if an invalid address is entered the module won't display any options, but it does not produce any error messages alerting the user to the possible invalid address--is that normal? I also answered your questions below.

How exactly did you go about that? (ie: tell me how to do that in my own brand new test store, after installing the latest USPS plugin)

I modified the /includes/modules/shipping/flat.php file as follows:

// bof: turn off if weight is > 0
if (!IS_ADMIN_FLAG) {
  if ($_SESSION['cart']->weight > 0) {
    $this->enabled = false;
  }
}
// eof: turn off if weight is > 0

just after:

      // disable only when entire cart is free shipping
      if (zen_get_shipping_enabled($this->code)) {
        $this->enabled = ((MODULE_SHIPPING_FLAT_STATUS == 'True') ? true : false);
      }

That way the flat shipping option will only display when the weight = 0. I set all items eligible for flt-rate shipping with a weight of 0.

Does the whole page display properly? Or is the footer and right-side of the page disappear too? It "should" display "something", but if only half the page is being drawn, then you're running into a software PHP error. See: http://www.zen-cart.com/content.php?124-blank-page for guidance on finding the actual error details in the server's /logs/ folder.

Yes, everything displays normally, only the shipping option is non-existent.

[mcqueeneycoins]

Dr. B--any thoughts on how to prevent the shipping option from being blank when an invalid address is entered? As of right now, no error produces to alert my customer that an invalid address was entered, and therefore only a blank shipping option section appears with no way for them to proceed to checkout. Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated!

[DrByte]

Am I correct in understanding that entering ANY invalid zip, regardless of where in the country, no quotes show at all?

ie: - it's not specific to TN
- and it's not specific to USPS
- and it's not with a misspelled city/street

It's just with an invalid zip?


Zen Cart, out of the box, if all shipping methods return no results (or get set to enabled=false due to validation criteria), will display "Sorry, we are not shipping to your region at this time."
I usually find that most customers quickly realize "that doesn't make sense .... oh, I mistyped my address, lemme go fix that ... yay, now I get a shipping quote".
But you could edit your language file to add a "hey dummy, check your address" suffix to that "we're sorry" message.

There's currently no way to tell the USPS module to tell the customer on-screen exactly what's wrong with their address.