Snype:
Thanks for your help Rod.
I know the GST is ill placed but I thought I'd give it a shot. The client only wants GST on products and not shipping.
In that case you client is a fool.
Snype:
I can't see why someone woudl add GST for shipping.
It isn't a matter of adding GST to the shipping, it is a matter of subtracting it.
Anytime your client posts a parcel to anywhere in Australia they are paying GST to Australia post.
Being a GST registered business, your client is entitled to claim these GST credits back (if they don't, they are effectively giving money away to the government)
The 'problem' is, the quotes from the AP servers (for AU delivery) are always GST inclusive, and if left that way, and taxable products are added to the cart, another 10% GST will get added to the (shipping) quote during checkout. To circumvent this problem, the 'tax' flag tells the AP module to reduce the quotes obtained from the server by the taxation amount, so when it gets re-added again (by zen-cart, not the shipping module) the net result is the original GST inclusive price.
If this sounds all too confusing for you, don't worry about it. Just do the 'right' thing, and the end quotes will be correct (tax and all).
The 'right' thing being to set the tax option if you are dealing with a GST registered company, and not set it if they are not registered for GST.
Snype:
Isn't it only important to add GST for the products you sell. Postage is just a means of getting the item. Not a means to make a profit.
GST has nothing to do with making a profit (except for the government).
Traders really don't have a choice in this matter. If they are registered for GST then the government assumes they will be collecting GST on every service they provide, including postage. Unless your client likes paying more tax than they need to the postage fees need to derived accordingly.
Snype:
I adjusted all my tare weight to 0 but this still did not fix the problem. It changed the test data but the numbers still don't make sence. Also there is a jump from $4.20 to $8.40 there is no $5.40 for parcels between 250 and 500 grams.
My test data
weight = cost (standard parcel)
2.5 = 4.20
10 = 4.20
17 = 4.20
17.5 = 4.20
19 = 4.20
20 = 4.20
20.5 = 8.40
21 = 8.40
23 = 8.40
24 = 8.40
25 = 8.40
26 = 8.40
56 = 12.60
I guess the only consistant data is that when it hit a certian point the price will rise. Still the numbers do not make sense.
What doesn't make sense (to me) is the value of your weights..
In one instant you mention "between 250 and 500 grams", yet your scale example shows values in the ranges 2.5 - 56.
Is that 2.5 grams to 56 grams, or 2.5kgs to 56 kgs?
Either one is way outside of the 250-500 grams that you specifically mentioned.
Even more confusing is that the last test item, weighing 56 somethings is giving a price that cannot be correct either way.
If it were 56 gms, the quote would either be letter rate (assuming it has suitable dimensions AND letter rates are enabled), or it would give a quote for the minimum parcel rate (whetever that is these days).
On the other hand, if it were 56kgs the AP module should return an error message stating that it can't get a valid quote (because the maximum weight that Australia post will handle is 20kgs).
Snype:
Any other ideas? I'm forseeing that I will need to chrunch through the austpost.php code to get it all working.
Please don't take this the wrong way, but if you do that I can guarantee that you will never get it working correctly. The reason being is simply because the code itself isn't broken. If it were everyone would be having the same issue.
The AP module is merely a 'go between'. It takes its input data from the users shopping cart, forwards that data to the Australia post online calculator, adjusts for tax (if required) and returns the result to zencart.
If you try modifying the austpost.php code all you will be doing is screwing with the messenger when you should be screwing with the originator of the message, ie, the input data.
Basically, what I'm telling you is that your problem is with your data. Once you come to realise and accept that the sooner you'll have the problem solved.
As already noted, your test data simply doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
2.5gm - 56gm = minimum parcel weight (or letter rate)
2.5kg - 56kg = Will produce an error on all weight over 20kg
Hmmm, one possible explanation... If these are grams, and you are testing by ordering 'x' number of items weighing 1gm each, sooner or later either the cubing rules will come into play, or the parcel will need to be split into multiple packages due to size restrictions.
Yeah, that'll be it.... parcel splitting..... with 56 of these 1gm items, if you haven't put in any dimensions for them, the defaults will be used, and this parcel, even though weighing only 56 grams, will require 3 separate packages, and it appears you can get 20gms of them per package.. ie 2 packages @ 20gm, + 1 package @ 16gm. The mininum cost per package being $4.20, hense your price leaps of $8.40 and $12.60
Solution. Add a dimension to your test item so that the defaults aren't used. (I suggest that you not set the defaults to something really small in this instance, even though the effect will be the same).
Lesson to be learned: The AP module will try to keep you out of trouble by enforcing the Austrlalia Post restrictions. If you want consistantly accurate results all products must be supplied with its real world dimensions (is if packed into a cube shaped box) as well as accurate weights.
Failure to supply either will cause defaults to be used that will generally err on the side of caution, ie, it'll over quote).
Depending on the products dimensions, 50 items weighing 1gm each doesn't always cost the same as 1 item weighing 50 grams to post.
Cheers
Rod.
ps. If you can follow all of the above, and you are still having a problem, please supply a URL where I can see for myself what is going on.