Free shipping amount changes when there are downloads in cart

I've searched and played with setting and I am just baffled. I hope someone can help me.

I'm on version 1.3.8a and did the upgrade (via official procedure) in 2007. Free install via FTP was version 1.3.6 in 2006. I'm using the Free Shipping Module and the Zone Rate module. PHP: 5.2.17 (Zend: 2.2.0), database: MySQL 5.5.30-log. (Plugin's, Add on's? I haven't done very good keeping track. A few I can think of - CSS Buttons, Easy Populate, Google Analytics, USPS Auto-Fill, Advanced Cross Sell, Sitemap XML, Super Orders

The url is: t h r e e s i s t e r s f a b r i c . c o m

I have products (fabrics, books, etc.) I sell and charge shipping for and I also have digital patterns I sell that are downloaded. Most of the time shipping rates and free shipping (or no shipping because of downloads) works fine.

It is not often that the products are ordered at the same time as the downloads. However, when they are it appears the free shipping threshold is changed and I can't figure out why. Notice the two screen shots. I put the same items in, but changed the quantities and notice when it changed to free shipping. Can someone help me?

PS - I've just done more testing and it appears that whenever the quantity of downloads equals the quantity of shippable products (whatever the total) the shipping comes up free. So strange! Any advice?

Sincerely,
Allison

Do you have your Download Products marked as:
Always Free Shipping
and/or
Virtual Products

If so, this is incorrect ...

Download Products "know" they are Free Shipping based on the Attribute with the Download filename on it ...

Try turning OFF the Always Free Shipping and/or Virtual Product on your Downloadable Products and then test your shipping ...

That fixed it. And I had read that somewhere too, but somewhere in my testing that info went missing. Thanks a million for your patient help. Sorry to bother you with questions when you've already shared the answer. Now to go change all those products...

~Allison

Not a problem ... glad to hear that you were able to resolve this one by fixing the settings on the Download Products ... :smile:

OK - so I am now looking at a new twist to this question.

I have products that require 3 file format attributes.

2 file formats can be downloaded and require free shipping.
The third file format (I call it "other") needs to be emailed and still requires free shipping.

However - because the "Other" format is not a download, the cart is charging shipping. How do I correct his and not re-create the problem I had earlier when I used Always Free Shipping and/or Virtual Products?

Do you only use the Zone Rate zones shipping module?

Is it based on Price, Weight or Item count?

Are all of the Products that have the email Attribute in the Categories under Digitized Patterns?

I only use the Zone Rate module. It is based on price. And yes, they are all under the subcategories of Digitized Patterns.

See if this zones.php works for you ...

Download it and unzip it and set your Top Categories ID for the Digital Patterns on this line changing the 54 to your categories_id:

        if ($lookup->fields['parent_id'] == [B]54[/B]) {

then and load it to:
/includes/modules/shipping

Too bad, AJ - it doesn't work. I tried putting it in my template folder and when that didn't work I tried overwriting the orig Zen file in the folder structure you mentioned.

I even tried drilling down a level. I try to put all my digital files in the All Digitized Patterns category and then linking them to the various appropriate subcategories. Thought I'd at least try using the category (All Digitized Patterns) that the pattern in my test cart was located in. No go.

I sure appreciate your help!

As a side note - If I select -
Product is virtual: Yes - skip shipping address
then no shipping is charged. However, that opens up the problem I had earlier. Which, occurs less often than this new caveat now that my emailed option has become more popular.

That is odd as it works for my testing ...

Did you edit the file and change the categories_id for 54:

        if ($lookup->fields['parent_id'] == 54) {

to match the categories_id for the Digitized Patterns?

Are all Products marked as:
Product is Virtual: No, Shipping Address Required
Always Free Shipping: No, Normal Shipping Rules

NOTE: You should have NO Products in the category itself for Digitized Patterns, they should all be in the subcategories beneath that ...

I added the answers (in red) to your question directly in the quote...

Ajeh:

That is odd as it works for my testing ...

Did you edit the file and change the categories_id for 54:

    if ($lookup->fields['parent_id'] == 54) {

> 
> to match the categories_id for the Digitized Patterns?  Sure did. 
> 
> Are all Products marked as: *All of 'em?* No, because I found some that I missed. :)  But the one I was testing was marked correctly.  
> Product is Virtual: **No, Shipping Address Required**
> Always Free Shipping: **No, Normal Shipping Rules**
> 
> NOTE: You should have NO Products in the category itself for Digitized Patterns, they should all be in the subcategories beneath that 
> Correct.  That's how it is.  
> ...

Okay ... let's try 20 questions ...

Is the Digitized Pattern categories_id 109?

If so, if you go into phpMyAdmin and do a search of the table:
categories

on parent_id 109 ... do all of these categories come up?

All Digitzed Patterns
Background Fills
Blocks & Triangles
Borders & Corners
Edge to Edge Pantographs
Feathers
Pattern Sets
Point to Point (P2P)

Note: you will need to confirm the categories_id for each of them ...

They're all there. I've got the category images named accordingly, so 'twas easy to see. Also confirmed the id's.

And yes, the parent id is 109...

Next question ... if you go to Modules ... Shipping ... and click on the Zone Rate zones shipping module, what do you see in the right panel?

OK - this is really weird. The zone rate module is gone on the list. And yet, it's working. And I'm sure it was there back when you first asked what shipping modules I used because I checked to be sure before I answered you. Now, regardless of what I click on in Modules>Shipping nothing displays on the right. It seems to me that it used to, though I could be wrong.

Also - I'm noticing that the FREE SHIPPING! (freeshipper) module is green. Hope that wasn't green before and that's what's causing the trouble. I can't turn if off though because the info on right isn't displaying.

Please do a REMOVE, INSTALL and reconfigure on the Zone Rate zones shipping module ... then test this again ...

I'd be glad to. :) But... can you tell me how to remove it? Do I have to find files? Find database tables?

And can I use the "Zone Rates Clone" to reinstall? Or do I need to find orig files?

Well you should see the one that I made for you and when you click on it there should be a remove button ...

However, if there isn't a REMOVE then something about it is upsetting the Modules page in the Admin ...

If you are on v1.3.8, you need to add the Debug Tool to see what errors you are getting in the /cache directory ...

So, you want to get this addon and install it:
http://www.zen-cart.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=606

Then try to get a quote on shipping and try going to your Admin Modules ... Shipping ... and see if any debug logs are generated and post what they read ...

When I get back later I will check to see what you come up with ...