AUSTPost module

Hi, hoping you can help me here.

My AUSTPost module work fine...except for one thing that bothers me...

If a customer orders a DVD, which has a weight of 100gms, the module is estimating $14.47 for shipiing from Perth to Sydney...this seems horrendous and I'm sure that this is not the actual charge!

Is there a problem with the calculation of the rates?

Thanks

By Memory
Go to ADMIN , configuration, shipping/packaging.
Select Package Tare Small to Medium - added percentage:weight and change to 0:0. Do the same fo Larger packages - added packaging percentage:weight
:wink2:

You can confirm the exact price that Aus Post will charge by going to Aus Post.

I spent a whole weekend getting this module to work but it was worth it.

Gerard :smile:

Thanks very much...it worked!

Cheers
Sharon

Thankyou was what I couldnt work out as well :)

I'm having a differetn type of hiccup.

I've installed it and it works fine except it is assuming packages are parcels and what I send is classed as a large letter.

So evern though I've entered the parcel dimensions and the maximum height for large letters it's working out the cost of a parcels.

If someone could tell me where the code is or what it looks like for changing the base cost of the parcel, I am willing to change it to the $1 for large letters within Australia and $1.85 for international.

I guess as it also varies according to weight, I can always play around with the added percentage weght thingy in the CONFIG>SHIPPING/PACKAGING. But I really need to change the base cost which can't be done from the module installation settings in admin.

Thank you so much, it is greatly appreciated.

Hi Guys n Gals

In regards to the tare weights and the AustPost module, it is my suggestion that rather than using 0:0, you are better off using 0:40 & 0:2000, with a maximum package rate of 20000 (this is assuming you are weighing in grams, rather than kilos).
Not only will this give more accurate rates, it also avoids several possible error messages due to invalid calculations.

A 40gm tare weight may seem to be rather insignificant, but if you are mailing an item that weighs 230gm, this 40g tare weight makes $1.00 difference in the postage cost.

Cheers
Rod

I've installed it and it works fine except it is assuming packages are
parcels and what I send is classed as a large letter.

So evern though I've entered the parcel dimensions and the maximum > height for large letters it's working out the cost of a parcels.

The primary reason that it does this is because the Aust post server itself assumes that you are sending parcels rather than letters.

If someone could tell me where the code is or what it looks like for
changing the base cost of the parcel,
I am willing to change it to the $1 for large letters within
Australia and $1.85 for international.

There is no 'base cost' setting.

I guess as it also varies according to weight, I can always
play around with the added percentage weght thingy in the
CONFIG>SHIPPING/PACKAGING. But I really need to change the base
cost which can't be done from the module installation settings in
admin.

Thank you so much, it is greatly appreciated.

My advice to you, is that since the AustPost modules are expecting parcels rather than letters, you might be better off using the "fixed price" postage module instead. You will need to need to replicate this module using a slightly different name for each, so that you will end up with 2 'fixed prices', one for Aust, one for o/seas.

Having said that, this is one of those things that I've considered adding to the 'improved' Aust post module. However, there are a number of problems and dilemmas that need to be solved. For example, how do we tell the module that the item is small enough to be considered a letter? is it a large letter, or a small letter? We can't assume that very light items are letters, because we sell phone covers that only weigh 50gms, yet they are too large to go as a letter.
I had thought about using the parcel dimensions, but this is currently a 'global' setting in the config/shipping&packaging menu, which means everything will be considered a letter, therefore the 'fixed price' module is more suitable anyway . I could modify the product database so that each item has its own dimensions, but this brings up other issues, such as what if item#1 is 100x20x110 (letter), and another is 1000x200x1100 (parcel) - Do we add these dimensions and calculate as a parcel? do we calculate and send the items separately? What about 2 parcel sized items? How do we handle those?

The current modules both work on the idea of 'boxes' - These boxes all being the same size, regardless of the quantity or size of the items going into them. It is assumed that each 'box' will hold the maximum weight that you will be mailing. I'm having a hard time trying to come up with a better solution.

One of my ideas for 'letter rates' was to have the store admin use negative weights to signify a letter rate, eg, weight -1 = small letter, weight -2 = large letter. Other than puzzling how to handle mixed letters and parcels in the same order, this could probably work. Unfortunetly, to get it to work will also mean modifying some of the core zencart modules and I really want to keep this module as simple to install or remove as possible.

If anyone has any other ideas or suggestions I'd love to hear them.

Cheers
Rod

Thank you Rod for your eply.

When I was thinking about this I didthink that there would be other issues ome up as I know it's not that simple. Thank you anyway, I will try the fixed option and see how that suits me.

Have a nice day.

Me again. Just a question. I've opted for the table rate except I can't have registred/insured mail as an option, that was why I wanted to use the AustPost module as this gives the customer the option to choose if they want their orders sent registered or insured.

I guess I could always leave the AustPost and just not add a handling fee as the parcel rate covers handling and packaging for my large letter items. But if there was a way to have the option using a different method I would prefer that

Any ideas?
Thank you.

vivaraquel:

I'm having a differetn type of hiccup.

I've installed it and it works fine except it is assuming packages are parcels and what I send is classed as a large letter.

So evern though I've entered the parcel dimensions and the maximum height for large letters it's working out the cost of a parcels.

If someone could tell me where the code is or what it looks like for changing the base cost of the parcel, I am willing to change it to the $1 for large letters within Australia and $1.85 for international.

I guess as it also varies according to weight, I can always play around with the added percentage weght thingy in the CONFIG>SHIPPING/PACKAGING. But I really need to change the base cost which can't be done from the module installation settings in admin.

Thank you so much, it is greatly appreciated.
Letter rates are now supported. V1.5.1

Rgds
Rod

Hi Rod,

Hope you can help me here!!

I am new to ZC but have managed to get the cart up and running. However this afternoon I decided to go live as I thought everything was fine. I installed SSL on my server and thought that it may have caused my problem but turning it OFF and then back ON agian made No difference.

I am getting the following ERROR on Checkout:

Available Shipping Methods Rates
Australia Post (ERROR:Unable to obtain a valid quote from the Australia Post Server.
Please try again later, or contact the store owner if problems persist. )
Australia Post (ERROR:Unable to obtain a valid quote from the Australia Post Server.
Please try again later, or contact the store owner if problems persist. )
Australia Post (ERROR:Unable to obtain a valid quote from the Australia Post Server.
Please try again later, or contact the store owner if problems persist. )
Store Pickup (Walk In) $0.00

Any ideas as to what it could be! I tried changing the Values in Shipping/Packaging but it does nothing. Before I decided to go live it seemed to be working in TEST mode.

I did go back to test mode but that made no difference either.

Wayne

Hi crash,

 The problem you are experiencing isn't due to anything that you have (or haven't) done.  

The austpost DRC server has been down all day... Seem like their database server has crashed. They'll probably reboot it in the morning.

Cheers
Rod

RodG:

Hi crash,

The problem you are experiencing isn't due to anything that you have (or haven't) done.

The austpost DRC server has been down all day... Seem like their database server has crashed. They'll probably reboot it in the morning.

Cheers
Rod

Sorry to bother you Rod, I just want to ask, will that be the same problem, if normally my Express Post charge was $10, but today, some of it has turned out to be $6.65....

I have no idea what has happened, I haven't change anything, and it works fine for months now..

Sorry to bother you Rod, I just want to ask, will that be the same problem,
if normally my Express Post charge was $10, but today, some of it has turned out to be $6.65....

I can't really answer this, because with the server down you shouldn't be getting ANY quotes, just the same error message as the rest of us.
What version of austpost are you running?

Cheers
Rod

Oh Oh! I installed the new version of this module and I get this message when I go to estimate shipping and if I continue to checkout

1054 Unknown column 'products_length' in 'field list'
in:
[select products_length, products_height, products_width from zen_products where products_id='271' and products_length > '0' and products_weight > '0' and products_width > '0' ]

What is it and how do I fix it? I take it I am supposed to have entered the info about product length weight and width but when I go to edit the product I added to cart there is nothing there but the usual product info.

Where would I go for this?

Thank you.

It's okay, I got it going. What a fright!!

Anyway, thank you for the update although it doesn't seem to be working out letter rates. I use size 1 padded bags which if they are under 500g and up to 2cm thick class as a large letter but it still seems to work it out as a parcel. So in the handling fee areas I subtract rathern than add til it gives me what I want.

Thank you again, have a nice day.

Anyway, thank you for the update although it doesn't seem to be working out > letter rates.

It works for me :-)

I use size 1 padded bags which if they are under 500g and up to 2cm thick
class as a large letter but it still seems to work it out as a parcel.

What weight and dimensions does it show on the shipping estimator when these large letters are being calculated at parcel rates?

If you haven't added any dimensions to your products then the default dimensions are used, and unless you have edited this the default is a little larger than allowed for a large letter.

Solution: Either add dimensions to your product(s), OR, change the default dimensions so that they are size compliant.

Cheers
Rod

Hi I need a help with this error message please. I am using zen v1.3.8b with the latest AustPost mod.

I have read the posts and did what was said in regards to Tare inputs but I am keep getting this message.

Where should I be looking ?

1054 Unknown column 'products_height' in 'field list'
in:
[insert into products (products_quantity, products_type, products_model, products_price, products_date_available, products_weight, products_height, products_length, products_width, products_status, products_virtual, products_tax_class_id, manufacturers_id, products_quantity_order_min, products_quantity_order_units, products_priced_by_attribute, product_is_free, product_is_call, products_quantity_mixed, product_is_always_free_shipping, products_qty_box_status, products_quantity_order_max, products_sort_order, products_discount_type, products_discount_type_from, products_price_sorter, products_image, products_date_added, master_categories_id) values ('1000', '1', '094922901903', '24.9583', null, '0.05', '2', '20', '15', '1', '0', '1', '0', '1', '1', '0', '0', '0', '1', '0', '1', '0', '0', '0', '0', '0', 'large/A K.jpg', now(), '1')]
If you were entering information, press the BACK button in your browser and re-check the information you had entered to be sure you left no blank fields.

Come on! how silly I feel now :-)

I forgot to instal the mod in admin ..

All seems to be working now.

oavs:

Come on! how silly I feel now :-)

I forgot to instal the mod in admin ..

All seems to be working now.

That was easy ;-)

Cheers
Rod.