USPS Rates Wrong

Forgive me if this has been answered before; I tried to search for it but didn't see it.

The USPS rates on my site are way off.

For instance, I have one product that is 5.0 pounds.
My store postal code is 01701 (I assume this is what it uses?)
The customer is 36027
My shipping module is set to show retail prices.

If I go to the USPS website, the rate for Priority Mail is $17.80.

But on my website, the rate shows as $11.55

My shipping module version date is 2014-01-26.

Thanks in advance. Hopefully it's something simple.

--Susie

Try the current USPS October 30, 2014 K6 has updates for the November 2, 2014
https://www.zen-cart.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=1292

That made it worse! Now the rate shows as $10.40.

Not sure what I'm doing wrong.

Oh that's weird. Now it's back to showing $11.55. Must have been a cache problem when I installed the new module.

But it still isn't what it should be. It should show $17.80. Well, 18.05 because I've added on .25 handling fee.

Could you go to the Modules ... Shipping ... in you admin and edit the USPS shipping module and turn on the Debug to Logging ... then go to checkout_shipping ...

Now, look in the directory:
/logs

and Zip the Shipping log that is generated and post it as an attachment on your next post?

Sure...took me a while to find it because it's only in /logs if that directory already exists, otherwise it is in /cache.

Added a product. The estimated shipping was back to $10.40. But this time I continued to the page that shows the final shipping charges and it showed as $15.90. Then I hit BACK in my browser until I got back to the page that showed estimated charges, and it had changed to $15.90.

I have two logs, probably one from when it showed me estimated shipping and the second from when it showed me the actual shipping charges.

Thanks, Susie
Attachment #15315

on usps are you choosing Flat rate box or Use Your own box, that will make a difference and commercial pricing vs retail pricing, in your logs i saw variable

You gave 2 logs for a product with a weight of 3.5 lbs ...

I see:
ZipOrigination: 32754
ZipDestination: 36027
Priority $10.15

and the other is:
ZipOrigination: 32754
ZipDestination: 01701
Priority Mail: $15.65

If I go to the USPS site and test these, I get the same quotes ... add in your $0.25 and you get the $10.40 and $15.90 ...

What are you testing on the USPS site that has different results?

An observation ...

You started the thread talking about a 5lb package but posted shipping logs for 3.5lb packages ...

Is it possible that on the USPS site you are checking quotes for 5lbs (which is $17.80) but on your site you are checking quotes with a package weighing 3.5lbs (which is less than $17.80)? :lookaroun

Aha, now we're getting somewhere!

ZipOrigination: 32754
Where does ZenCart get the origin zipcode from? Now that you mention this, I do recall changing it once upon a time to be 32754 because that's where my one product was being drop shipped from. But now I have another product from a different state, so I'll have to figure out what to do. I might have to buy a special shipping module that lets me put in different source zipcodes by product. But I don't see where this is set. My store address shows as 01701.

You gave 2 logs for a product with a weight of 3.5 lbs ...
This is the real problem. I don't know where it gets 3.5 lbs from. I doublechecked the Products Shipping Weight field for the product I put in the cart, and it is 5.

Also, when I changed the setting so that it shows the weight on the shipping page, it shows as 5.

In your Zen Cart Admin in the Configuration ... Shipping/Packaging ... are settings for:
Country of Origin
Postal Code

You need those set correctly for where you are shipping from ...

Then, if you edit a Product, you need to check its Product Weight ... This is where the 5lbs or 3.5lbs is coming from ...

NOTE: Weight of the shipping quote is a combination of ALL Products in the shopping cart plus any weight on Attributes if you are using them ...

That explains the zip code, but not the weight. The product weight of that item is 5 pounds. I am not using attributes, and it was the only thing in the cart.

Besides, those things would cause the weight to be more than the one product, not less.

This is so odd. I'm sure the wrong weight is what's causing the shipping to be so low.

Have you an URL to this product that we could perhaps peek at?

Maybe we can spot something ...

Don't know if this forum lets me put in a link, but there's a screenprint of the product page. Maybe you can see something I'm not.http://www.critterwheels.com/images/productpage.jpg

For the moment, could you turn on the display of the Product Weight in USPS shipping module by checking the box to Display Weight?

Ok, it's on.

Thanks, Susie

Now, if you look at the /logs or /cache depending on your site, what are the current logs when you try a quote for the product:
/the-upgraded-chillawheel-p-28.html

Check the date/time on the shipping log file to ensure it is current, then Zip the files and post it on your reply.

Now the log shows as 5 pounds.

Ok, embarrassed to admit this...but my only conclusion is that when it showed 3.5 pounds before, I must have put the wrong product in. I would swear in court that I put in the right one, but looking at the insurable amount in the previous log, I must have put in the lighter product.

So I guess there's no problem after all. I just have to figure out how to have the different source zip codes based on product. The only way I can see to do that without a lot of technical work myself is to buy that really expensive shipping module--Advanced Shipper 6. It comes to about $116 In US dollars. But I emailed the company to confirm that I could do this kind of thing, and they said I can set up a 'method' for each individual product any way I want.

Which actually will help me solve another problem: for one of my products that is shipped in a padded envelope, I only want the buyer to be able to get it via First Class Mail. Haven't been able to do that easily.

Anyway, getting off-track.

Thanks so much for your help, and sorry to waste your time on what was clearly a user error. (Aren't they all?) ;-)

Not a problem ... glad to help you better understand how things are working ...

And you would be amazed the number of times a test was being done on a Product and what thought to be done on another product where nothing was matching up ... :blink:

Good luck with your cart!

There is a commercial mod called Advanced Shipper that will do what you want. You can use it to specify which items use what shipper and where different items are drop shipped from using this mod.
Don't know of any other mod that will do what you want.