ozpost shipping module

integrity_designs:

Hi
is there any way of getting this module to work with letter sized and parcel size when the items are priced by atributes?

No. (The module doesn't 'know' about attributes).

integrity_designs:

I sell labels, and plan on selling them in larger quantities such as 2000+ labels which would place the weight over 500g.
The problem I have is not being able to get the ozpost module to recognise "parcel" weight from "large letter" weight.

There isn't any difference. This is like asking "What weighs most, a ton of bricks or a ton of feathers".

The answer, of course is, they both weigh the same, a ton.

Anyway, now I've had my little bit of fun, I guess the best way to answer this is to give a quick quide as to how the module 'works',

Based on the 'package' weight and dimensions provided, the server first determines whether it is both small enough and light enough to be considered a letter, if so, it then goes on to categorise the size and cost of the 'letter;'.

A check is then made against the "Show parcel rates if letter sized" setting, and if set to 'no', the letter rates are returned.

If set to "Yes" the program continues to obtain the parcel rates (for the same size/weight 'package'), and returns the costs for both the letter and the parcel rates.

The client program (the zencart module) then compares this list of quotes with the methods that have been enabled/disabled to end up with a suitable list of methods available to that 'package' to where ever the customer may be.
.
That's how the quotations work.

The next question is, what determines a 'package'?

In your case, sheets of labels. Let's assume that you can fit 20 sheets into a large envelope and it'll be classed as a large letter. Let's also assume that one more sheet will exceed either the max 500gm weight and/or the 20cm thickeness.
From this, each sheet can be assumed to be 1mm thick.

If customer buys 0-20 sheets, the 'package' will be classed as a letter. If they buy 21 sheets, it'll be classed as a parcel.

The 'key' to having this work correctly is to ensure the weighr & dimensions of each sheet is correct (at least from a mathematical perspective).

Does that help?

Cheers
Rod

Thanks heaps for your reply and yes it certainly does help.
I will just continue on with the flat rate shipping I have done.

I had a feeling it was not going to work but I HAD to ask and try LOL.
This is now the 3rd time I have completely done the store from scratch.

Kind Regards

which australia post module is the most recent & stable for 1.3.8?

Is the vcsweb server down?
As the Ozpost mod is not working today and does not seem to be able to connect to vcsweb.com.

Don't worry it is OK now. Just a little hiccup!

Hi , ive been a long time fan of this mod and used it plenty of times, but at the moment im having troubles with a server im setting it up on (lunarpages).

ive been debugging it to find out where its going wrong, and got as far as the info that comes back from the request for postage quotes. the problem is the data returned is stripped of its structure and is just the words !!

here is standard flat rate structure returned by 'quote' class:

Array ( [0] => Array ( [id] => flat [module] => Flat Rate [methods] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [id] => flat [title] => Best Way [cost] => 5.00 ) ) ) ) 

and here is what is returned by my 'ozpost.php' quote class:

RPP12.553 Regular ParcelREG15.354Registered ParcelPPSE5K18.501 5kg Prepaid Satchel ExpressCOD22.754Cash On DeliveryEXP26.701 Express Parcel  0.00  2.80 

any ideas ?? :mellow:

michellewardley:

which australia post module is the most recent & stable for 1.3.8?

http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?main_page=product_contrib_info&cPath=40_51&products_id=1286

well after reading the page b4 this, it seems php5 is needed, :oops: it now works but im gtting a $0 option at the top of the quotes ???

hayden:

Hi , ive been a long time fan of this mod and used it plenty of times, but at the moment im having troubles with a server im setting it up on (lunarpages).

ive been debugging it to find out where its going wrong, and got as far as the info that comes back from the request for postage quotes. the problem is the data returned is stripped of its structure and is just the words !!

here is standard flat rate structure returned by 'quote' class:

Array ( [0] => Array ( [id] => flat [module] => Flat Rate [methods] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [id] => flat [title] => Best Way [cost] => 5.00 ) ) ) )

> 
> and here is what is returned by my 'ozpost.php' quote class:
> 
> ```php
RPP12.553 Regular ParcelREG15.354Registered ParcelPPSE5K18.501 5kg Prepaid Satchel ExpressCOD22.754Cash On DeliveryEXP26.701 Express Parcel  0.00  2.80 

any ideas ?? :mellow:

it looks like it was coz debug mode was still on... i think its fine now, but its not showing insurance options ?? is this normal

hayden:

it looks like it was coz debug mode was still on... i think its fine now, but its not showing insurance options ?? is this normal

Insurance will only appear if the items are over $100

Cheers
rod

RodG:

Insurance will only appear if the items are over $100

Cheers
rod

i take it this is because people dont want to insure something under $100

hayden:

i take it this is because people dont want to insure something under $100

It's because Australia Post won't offer insurance for anything less.

It is more practical to use registered post instead (which gives up to $100 insurance by default).

Cheers
Rod

Hi Rod

I'm asking a lot and I may be dreaming but I just have a couple of questions about this mod. My store mainly has small products (craft supplies) and I mainly use pre-paid satchels and tiny padded bags to send my goods. Is there a way that this mod can work on just weight rather than the size of each product too? At the moment I have the weight displaying in the shopping cart then I need the customer to choose <500g or >500g during checkout but it doesn't always work out correct... they see the cheaper price and go with that.

In most cases everything the customer orders will fit in the satchels but I do have 12" x 12" paper that has to go in pizza boxes. Am I dreaming by hoping that if they put the paper in the cart the mod will magically know and charge them the pizza box price instead of the satchel?

I have been thinking this mod over for about 5 months now but every time I get The Castle quotes going over in my head because I think I might be asking too much and it can't be done. "She wants how much? Nah.... tell her she's dreamin'"

amyleew:

Is there a way that this mod can work on just weight rather than the size of each product too?

I would have to ask Why? The entire purpose/point of using product dimensions is to improve accuracy and allow the module to determine whether any given package can be classed as a letter, etc.

With only the weight to go by the module is unable to make this determination.

amyleew:

At the moment I have the weight displaying in the shopping cart then I need the customer to choose <500g or >500g during checkout but it doesn't always work out correct... they see the cheaper price and go with that.

Wouldn't you?

amyleew:

In most cases everything the customer orders will fit in the satchels but I do have 12" x 12" paper that has to go in pizza boxes. Am I dreaming by hoping that if they put the paper in the cart the mod will magically know and charge them the pizza box price instead of the satchel?

Although there is no magic involved, the ozpost module will determine the possible shipping methods based on the both weight and size. It won't show (for example) a 500gm prepaid satchel if the items in the cart weigh over 500gm - Nor will it show them if the items evaluate as being too large to fit.

On the other hand you may have an item that is less than 500gm, that is too large for for the 500gm satchels, but small enough to fit a 3kg satchel, in which case the module will quote for the 3kg satchel as well as regular parcel rates (if enabled).

Cheers
Rod

Hi Rod,

First of all, thank you for taking the time to both write and support this module.

I've got the version of your module up and running on a full patched Zen Cart 1.3.8a site which I'm currently testing.

I've been though this thread a couple of times to solve a couple of problems which I first ran into (cURL and when having a blonde moment, the kgs vs gms in regards to weight). However I can't seem to find an answer to my current problem, which I hope you might be able to assist with.

The client I'm setting up this site for wants to sell Gift Certificates. The gift certificate is set up as per the FAQ page, which means that "Always Free Shipping" is set to "No, Normal Shipping Rules", it has 0 weight and 0 for dimensions (for testing purposes, the default dimensions in the ozpost module are set to 1,1,1). Yes, the item price is set to $0, and a drop down (set by attributes) specifices the value.

Now, when the item is in the shopping cart by itself, it's listed as Free Shipping. When there is more than 1 item in the cart, in the testing case a 100gms ball of wool, it's wanting to package it in a 3kgs satchel. The ball of wool by itself in the cart will only require a 500gms satchel.

I've been looking at this problem for most of the afternoon and this evening, however I just can't seem to find the answer, I guess other than suggesting that Gift Certificates be purchased in a separate order by themselves.

I put the module in to debug mode and this is what it put out (yes tare percentage is set to 0%, we've set a 100g ball of wool to weight 105g (back end is configured in kgs, so 105g = 0.105).

1 item:

2 items (one with free shipping):

If you couple please let me know the best way to solve this issue, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Daniel

thisismywww:

If you could please let me know the best way to solve this issue, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Daniel

Easy to solve. Go to your gift voucher product(s) and give them a weight of 0.001

The problem (for you, and anyone else that is interested) is that the ozpost module isn't (and never has been) made 'aware' that gift vouchers (and other virtual products) are a special case, and need to be excluded from any shipping calculations.
One of the things the ozpost module does (some will argue that this isn't the right thing to do) is ensure all products have a size and weight, and if none are given then the module assigns values. In the case of weights, a value of '0' is simply converted to a value of '1' - and in your case, since you are using 'Kgs' as your scaling factor this is being interepted as 1kg. Therefore, too heavy for the 500gm satchels.

Incidently, the comment I left myself in the code would indicate that I assumed the '1' would be 1gm - So I guess another way of solving your problem would be to change your weight factor to gms instead of kgs. An extra gram isn't going to make any significant effect on postage costs.

My 'rule of thumb' in deciding whether to use Kgs or gms is, if most of the items in the store weigh less than 1kg then use gms. If most of the items in the store weigh more than 1kg, then use Kgs.
If you have roughly the same number of each... toss a coin :-)

Cheers
Rod

For those of you that have asked for 'ozpost' to support 5kg Express parcels, the server now supports this method.

If you don't want to wait for the next ozpost release to take advantage of this, you can enable it yourself by editing:
/includes/modules/shipping/ozpost.php, then locate the line that reads:

. if ((in_array("Prepaid Express Satchel", $this->allowed_methods)) && (( $id == "PPSE5" ) || ( $id == "PPSE3" )))

and change it to:

if ((in_array("Prepaid Express Satchel", $this->allowed_methods)) && (( $id == "PPSE5" ) || ( $id == "PPSE3" ) || ( $id == "PPSE5K" )))

Save your changes. That's it.

Cheers
Rod

Rod,

Thank you very much for your quick response. I did test the gift certificates today with success (as you knew would happen :cool: ).

Also, thanks for providing the update in regards to the 5kg satchel. I've updated the module and will test it on the test site.

Once again thank you (three times in one post :cool: ),

Daniel

Dear Rod,

I am having a little bit of a blonde pregnant moment with my fully patched and up to date zen and this mod, I keep getting a debugging error on top of my postage quotes - see Pic.

I feel I have done everything suggested in this thread to get it to work and it still doesn't, can you please advise. I am at the point of almost going back to the archived Austpost mod.

Thanks in Advance
Leigh

Ribbonista:

I keep getting a debugging error on top of my postage quotes - see Pic.
<snip>
I feel I have done everything suggested in this thread to get it to work and it still doesn't, can you please advise.

I'm not exactly sure what you want advice on. The fact that you are seeing the debug messages, or the fact that with the example you provided you wasn't able to get any valid quotes.

To get rid of the debug messages, go to admin/shipping/ozpost and set 'debug' to 'off'.

To solve the problem of not obtaining a valid quote on the example you gave, it seems that this is because your item has an invalid weight (probably zero).

Ribbonista:

I am at the point of almost going back to the archived Austpost mod.

Why would you even consider going back to an unsupported module that no longer provides valid quotes?

Cheers
Rod