I am having trouble with Google Check Out and Real Time shipping. I've searched high and low and cannot find a solution anywhere on the web- including here (plenty of others with similar troubles, dating as far back as early 2007, but no one provides an answer... does that mean no solution exists?).

I currently have GCO as payment option and UPS and USPS as shipping (gave up on trying to get Fedex module to work with GCO - what a nightmare! and a shame too). I am using Merchant Calculation mode for shipping and have set the defaults for the shippings services I use under: "Default Values for Real Time Shipping Rates."

Here's the thing: I'm only getting Real Time rates for USPS about 65% of the time and UPS is even worse; I only saw a Real Time UPS Rate ONCE! which probably equates to about 1 percent of the time that I've been working on this for the past three days.

I understand the implications of "Default values for real time rates in case the webservice call fails." but what I do not understand is why the webservice calls would seemingly be failing so often??? I mean- really- is that normal? Are we more likely to have to charge arbitrairily default values for shipping as opposed to real values and either: a). loose money on shipping or b). upset customers who perceive shipping to be too high?

I know that there must be a solution to this that I am merely overlooking (though darned if I can find it). I've really bought into this whole open-source ZEN thing (power to the people, and all that) but holey-shamoley! Is it really only viable for dot guru types!? I'm sorry if I sound flustered (which I nearly am at this point) but I'm just not feeling the ZEN here (and I want to).

I would apprciate ANY suggestions concerning a solution, a hint in the right direction, or even an alternative. Thanks.

Oh- and one last thing. I tried the set CURL Proxy Status = false as suggested in DrByte's announcement (because I'm hosting on GoDaddy) and so far results appear the same - intermitent, at best. I'm using the most current versions of everything. ... Can anyone help?