Weight of the Packaging on large heavy and light tiny products: USPS Tare ?

[dharma]

I sell 2 types of products, one heavy and one light.

the packaging is about the same weight as the product.

heavy: 16oz product, 16oz packaging
light 3oz product, 3oz packaging.

Using the USPS API module

I have set the tare at 16oz (small/med packages) for the heavy 16oz product and it works perfectly! each shipment is the weight of the products and the one-time package weight.

But, how do I reflect the weight of package for the light packaging? (3oz)

as it is now all products are charging the heavy packaging (16oz) , so the cost of shipping of a 3oz product in a 3oz mailer which should be around $6 is $11 (total weight 19oz)

I have experimented with the larger package tare and Maximum Package Weight, but it seems to split everything into different boxes, based on that weight. ( I tried the Maximum Package Weight at 32oz)

did I miss something?

can I not use USPS shipping rates, because I have more than one box weight

[Get Em Fast]

Admin>configuration>shipping/packaging

There, you can set the tar for both small-med packages, and for larger packages. You could also set all to a percentage. If all you packaging = the same as your products, as per your examples, then, you could just set all of them for a 100% tar, and that would do you just nicely.

[dharma]

Thanks for your reply...I have both large and small tares filled out with there respective ratios.

How do I get the larger packages tare to kick in? I read elsewhere about adjusting the max. package weight, but that seems to just make more boxes.

[Get Em Fast]

Well, you got me there. If you've already got the ratio set in each of these fields, then it should be working.

[dharma]

I must have something backwards....

in order for the larger packing weight to kick in what would you recommend if for example

one package weight was 1lb and the other 2lbs.

the product weight that would require 2lb packaging starts at 2lbs

or have I misunderstood something?

[dharma]

Perhaps to clarify my situation, I need one ratio to be at 100% the small packages, and the larger packages to be at 120%

so far I can only get the small packages module to effect the weight.

[Get Em Fast]

Well, I'm not exactly sure. See, on my store, I just weigh all my items, packaging included, before I even add them to my products list, and have my tar set to o, ie. if you see a product on my site, purchase it, the weight that you see, IS including the packaging, but the shopping cart doesn't add ANY tar. It might not be the best way, but I'm like you.....I don't know exactly what the poundage is before it changes to a larger package.

Also, a very small item might weigh 20lbs., and USPS charges you for a small 20lb. package, when on the other hand, another item that's very large, might not weigh more than 5lb. Then USPS charges you more for the packaging than the actual weight.

So, I just done it that way.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

[dharma]

Guess, I will keep pumping numbers in....might work eventually...I could always go back to my flat rates, those and cold a cold beer are looking good right now.

Thanks again for the help!

[dharma]

Completely lost on this one.

It appears I cannot use USPS rates because I have 2 package weights 3oz and 10oz which need to be applied to specific products: 3oz product gets the 3oz packaging and the 10oz product gets the 10oz packaging.

In my situation, the package weight must be applied to the first item and then go away, so if a customer orders just one of something it is the weight of the item+ tare packaging = actual USPS shipping weight. If they add 2 or 3 more items in an order, the additional product weights add to the "one time tare weight"

I can't use a percentage in the the small to med tare, because it will keep adding package weight each item, same with adding the weight of packaging to each item (product weight), so I am either undercharging on one item or overcharging on multiple items per order.

I have tried to configure the larger package tare, but it appears the only way to get it to activate is to set the max weight, which divides the order into multiple boxes, and does not work out either.

so as it stands now I have the small med tare set to adding the 10oz weight of the larger packaging (0:0.625) to everything, effectively overcharging shipping by 7oz on the smaller packages, on international shipping it adds up.

This is the closest I can figure out, without giving up and doing zone shipping.

I have searched the forums back to 2004 and can't find a resolution to this.

any suggestions?

[Get Em Fast]

Not really. That's why I do it like I do. you might get ajeh on here to answer this question. I'm sure she could explain it. Might have to pm her.