[Old] Royal Mail Modules

Right, first rule of debugging, ask the obvious.

Do your products in your catalog have weight ?
If you attempt to buy that EXACT shopping cart through another method, does royal mail work ?
Have you set up the percentage weight thing correctly in admin > configuration > shipping/ packaging >Package Tare... (I use 10%:0)

With so many unspecified variables, you try to narrow the search down to a cart that works, so even temporarily putting COD as a payment menthod, may get you to a stage where you can see royalmail working, then you repeat the steps with google.

Philip.

Right, first rule of debugging, ask the obvious.

Do your products in your catalog have weight ? Yes 0.100kg

If you attempt to buy that EXACT shopping cart through another method, does royal mail work ? Yes Turned on paypal and it is working, go to checkout and it is showing 0.100kg

Have you set up the percentage weight thing correctly in admin > configuration > shipping/ packaging >Package Tare... (I use 10%:0)

If that is the handling fee available on each shipping selection, if I put it at ten percent it just makes silly postage costs for 0.100kg goes up to about 12.50 - I tend to just add a flat 1.50 rate

With so many unspecified variables, you try to narrow the search down to a cart that works, so even temporarily putting COD as a payment menthod, may get you to a stage where you can see royalmail working, then you repeat the steps with google.

I have just noticed that if I follow site checkout rather than the google checkout link. that google checkout no longer becomes an option during the select payment, unlike Cash/P,O , Nochex, and paypal, or even bank transfer when turned on.

Also when you mention looking at everything, is it normal that when adding your postage to the item you have to add it as a minus amount, like -2.95 which works out in the cart as 0.100kg

Although it does not seem to interfere with the other payment methods, maybe the fact google checkout works the way it does, that is why it is seeing zero postage?

Also

Philip

meknownowt:

Have you set up the percentage weight thing correctly in admin > configuration > shipping/ packaging >Package Tare... (I use 10%:0)

**If that is the handling fee available on each shipping selection, if I put it at ten percent it just makes silly postage costs for 0.100kg goes up to about 12.50 - I tend to just add a flat 1.50 rate
**

No that's not it, it's if you follow the menus in admin it means add 10% weight to your items for the weight of the cardboard or envelope.

meknownowt:

I have just noticed that if I follow site checkout rather than the google checkout link. that google checkout no longer becomes an option during the select payment, unlike Cash/P,O , Nochex, and paypal, or even bank transfer when turned on.

Google checkout appears as a button before the main checkout, it's weird but that's the way it does it.

meknownowt:

Also when you mention looking at everything, is it normal that when adding your postage to the item you have to add it as a minus amount, like -2.95 which works out in the cart as 0.100kg

run that by me again because that's plain strange.

meknownowt:

Although it does not seem to interfere with the other payment methods, maybe the fact google checkout works the way it does, that is why it is seeing zero postage?

That seems like a possibility. Are you saying that your postage subtracts from your totals, or that you have to put it in as a negative to get a positive result ? It really works better if I can see a thing.

Are you also working on an accessible website ? This is not for me, but for google's sake, there is a lot of communication that goes on between google and your shop. where google takes the weight, sends it back, gets a postage rate and then totals it up. "The eating my own words" comment above was when I couldn't get google to work because I was working on a private server and it was only when I looked at the error logs that I noticed google had been trying to talk.

The original
Philip

No that's not it, it's if you follow the menus in admin it means add 10% weight to your items for the weight of the cardboard or envelope.

That just messes up my postage, I have the small packet at 0:3 and the other at 10:0. When I moved it up it just makes silly postage again

Google checkout appears as a button before the main checkout, it's weird but that's the way it does it.

Yeah I was reading through the google wish list pages, and making it easier to use and allowing it to work like a normal checkout seems to be the biggest request.

run that by me again because that's plain strange.

No I think the way it is working is it is going in as pounds and coming out as kg, if that makes sense.
Just took me a while to work it out but once I sorted out the results it never became a problem until trying to use google checkout.

That seems like a possibility. Are you saying that your postage subtracts from your totals, or that you have to put it in as a negative to get a positive result ? It really works better if I can see a thing.

So the way I put it in when adding an item is -2.95 and the postage it comes out with is 0.050kg, or -2.90 comes out as 0.100kg

Never had to worry about going much above 2k or I would have had to fix it.

Are you also working on an accessible website ? This is not for me, but for google's sake, there is a lot of communication that goes on between google and your shop. where google takes the weight, sends it back, gets a postage rate and then totals it up. "The eating my own words" comment above was when I couldn't get google to work because I was working on a private server and it was only when I looked at the error logs that I noticed google had been trying to talk.

I am getting a full page back of what info they are getting back that includes the item and the postage options but not sure if any of it is the sort of info that you should not show as there is a lot of info, and it just keeps going on about line 14, which is

** <item-weight unit="LB" value="-2.9" />**

Bingo,

it is taking the lb value, so I see a long night ahead after working out how to switch zen to kg changing all the postages

It really does work this looking at it all step by step, when you have a someone to guide you.

Thanks for the help I'll try and change it to kg and see what happens, once I work out how I do that.

cheers

The original
Philip

I've installed an entirely fresh version of google checkout on a live site tonight to see if I could replicate your problem.

OK. STOP STOP STOP

As I guessed earlier the problem is that you don't have a working set up, and what you have is a "normal" mistake that normally gets picked up a few days into the first UK installation.

Go to that place with the Tare and put 10%:0 please. What you have with 0:3 is you have it adding 3 lbs or kilos to every order for the packaging weight ! that's why you are going backwards in weight. You do not need to change royal mail for kilos etc, somewhere you must have changed the text to Kg's already, so all you have to do is fix the Tare with whatever you feel comfortable with and then re-install royalmail and things should start working correctly. Then google should work.

Oh yes, when correctly installed Google does disappear in the checkout and re-appears as that button, and if you get an error saying wrong country, you've got the google calculated shipping rates set to True, as that's a USA only version.

Trying it now.

Thanks for that

Worked a treat and all is well, it is 3:50 am and I am off to bed after spending the night changing the postage on all the items.

Thanks for all your help again.

Now we just need someone to create a way to make the postage item dependent, so that you can prevent some items being bulked with others. for those of us with some stock in hand and other stock direct from the supplier.

Hint Hint I can still smile at this time in the morning

Thanks again

meknownowt:

Worked a treat and all is well, it is 3:50 am and I am off to bed after spending the night changing the postage on all the items.

Thanks for all your help again.

Now we just need someone to create a way to make the postage item dependent, so that you can prevent some items being bulked with others. for those of us with some stock in hand and other stock direct from the supplier.

Hint Hint I can still smile at this time in the morning

Thanks again
Glad you got that sorted, that "bug" should be filed under, setting up a shop and making sure kilos is used with the Royal Mail modules from the beginning of an installation. (Have to mention it so that it gets cross-referenced and indexed for the searching).

As for splitting out shipping, I had a look in the downloads, nothing there that was obvious one would be looking for a "multiple warehouse location module". I think that as I gear up for the next postal rates change that I may put the option to increase the postage by a percentage for the handling fee. The theory being that if one in every 4 items is shipped from another location, one adds a handling fee of 20% not a flat rate and that covers it as a business plan.

I also noted that the module has 9910 downloads. Donations should go to [email protected]

After all the messing round with google checkout, it still just keeps using flat rate, which is no use for this site. I hope they sort that out soon.

I am surprised someone has not made a request payment method for google checkout, as looking at google they do not seem to be in any hurry to make the needed changes.

So it would show up as a payment email request in zencart, like a cheque or cash payment, that would also mark the items as sold out the same way

I'm not sure if the postal mod would be able to make all the required changes, as the variety is in the item selection, so if it has no way to mark them apart, it would always struggle.
Unless there was a way it could read the categories, and separate the items, then sellers would just have to make sure that items from different suppliers were placed in the right categories.

I'm off to search for something else on here, that I have never seen, used and new options. Should be fun

meknownowt:

After all the messing round with google checkout, it still just keeps using flat rate, which is no use for this site. I hope they sort that out soon.

I still think you should let me have a look, last night I did have a problem configuring the test site, and initially it did use a flat rate, but google does work albeit in it's rather strange way.

I actually do think that there is also a need to make a traditional payment module like with paypal, and it should not be any problem because at the end of the day, all you are doing is posting the information "I'm this seller, I want you to bung money for these items with this postage, into my account, when the credit card has cleared". I run the worldpay module too, it's not rocket science. The current google checkout is a tremendous piece of programming, in that it goes to google, and then google talks back to the zen-cart shop and pulls through the postage, but that's if there are no server time outs, if the google request is not blocked by firewalls or configuration errors, but the current complexity of the google module really is not "necessary".

The current google checkout method is like going to a supermarket and not going to the till, instead you go to a guy with a walkie talkie who weighs your frozen fish, talks to the cashier who totals it up, and then the walkie talkie guy takes your payment when you are standing at the fish counter. It's not any more "secure" as the walkie talkie guy is still using the same creidt card processor as the cashier, and there's always the possibility that the radio runs out of batteries and then the guy then has a really good guess at the total"end sarcasm", when there's still a perfectly good cashier going down the aisle, but you've started talking to the walkie talkie guy so you're not allowed to visit the till.

An exceptionally complex metaphor, but pretty analogous to the current module.

Spot on with the Analogy.

But the problem I have with it is that, I assume most people are like me and are finding time limited at the moment, so spending so much time trying to work out a way to pay someone else money, by using a system they don't seem to want to make easier to use or to work the way their customers want it to work just seems stupid.

I may try again at a later date but at this time I have more pressing things to get on with, especially as I have other options to use as payment methods.

I'm just happy the RM mod is working the way I want it.

Thanks again for that.

I just reread my last message and it sounds, as if I could be talking about the postage MOD supplied by philip_clarke, but I think I must add that my frustration was with google checkout not the great RM mod, that I would be struggling with out.

Just thought I would clear that up.

As I've said, I have a little time to do programming for the new prices, and I will get it done, what I do not have is the time to go and look for new price information on the royalmail website. But If someone sends me direct links I will sort out a new moudle before the price change and then no-one will have a problem

Hello Philip ,

As far as the updated prices go I have no problem Updating all the prices come April .. Truth is I have to anyway as all our customers use the add on .. so once I add them I will upload the update same as last year or send it to you

Nice to see you back and trying to get the mod to work with Google Checkout .. Is this working now ?

I can see there has been a few issues . I was working on this a bit on my site but not working as of yet

Thanks

Robert

greatness_183:

Hello Philip ,

As far as the updated prices go I have no problem Updating all the prices come April .. Truth is I have to anyway as all our customers use the add on .. so once I add them I will upload the update same as last year or send it to you

Nice to see you back and trying to get the mod to work with Google Checkout .. Is this working now ?

I can see there has been a few issues . I was working on this a bit on my site but not working as of yet

Thanks

Robert
Hello,

RE: Google checkout, yes it works perfectly with the royal mail modules, but it is "different" to the normal checkout system. The instructions were also lacking in details for the UK but they have been written (by me) fully above. The main issues are that some people (and not just on this thread) don't feel comfortable with the google way of checking out.

RE: The modules, I have two things to say really, firstly, the entire 17 modules need rewriting for zencart version 2.0 which is going to be a lot of work. Also I am shocked and quite bitter that after 9000+ downloads, I have never received a donation.

Philip

RE: Google checkout, yes it works perfectly with the royal mail modules, but it is "different" to the normal checkout system. The instructions were also lacking in details for the UK but they have been written (by me) fully above. The main issues are that some people (and not just on this thread) don't feel comfortable with the google way of checking out.

I am not the biggest fan of the whole way google went about google checkout .. My bigest complanit is the SSL needed for checkout to intagrate . Thanks for the help though

firstly, the entire 17 modules need rewriting for zencart version 2.0 which is going to be a lot of work

I agree but I will not be using any future versions of zencart . But if you need a hand I will be glad to help where I can

Also I am shocked and quite bitter that after 9000+ downloads, I have never received a donation.

well truth be known when I downloaded it . It looked like the author was Chuck Redman and the add-on was just left . I do agree you should be reimbursed for your hard work so I shall sort something out from me can't speak for everyone else though . It is a great mod

greatness_183:

I agree but I will not be using any future versions of zencart . But if you need a hand I will be glad to help where I can

Out of curiosity, what are you switching to then ?

philip_clarke:

Hello,

RE: Google checkout, yes it works perfectly with the royal mail modules, but it is "different" to the normal checkout system. The instructions were also lacking in details for the UK but they have been written (by me) fully above. The main issues are that some people (and not just on this thread) don't feel comfortable with the google way of checking out.

RE: The modules, I have two things to say really, firstly, the entire 17 modules need rewriting for zencart version 2.0 which is going to be a lot of work. Also I am shocked and quite bitter that after 9000+ downloads, I have never received a donation.

Philip

I know you feel miffed about not making much from this Mod, but as far as I know this has been out for around a year, and over the last year a lot of people have been struggling not just with their website, but also trying to keep themselves afloat, as over the last year things have got a lot harder for most people.

A lot of them have floated over from ebay, after ebay basically cut them off without a pot to use, I would not judge your Mod or the people using it at the moment.

And I know some will say it would take nothing, but unlike last year where most were planning a year or more ahead, this year a lot of them are having to look at their income on a month to month basis, and any extra if there is any is going toward next month in a hope just to survive.

Just hope that offers another perspective, and allows you to see that I'm sure most still hope you have the heart to make the changes needed for 2.0 but would also totally understand if your own overheads made that impossible.

Depends on either me finding a good enough reason to convert this to 2.0 or zen-cart offering something, or the lead team member "Wilt" (I thought it was DrByte), who is English doing it himself. http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?main_page=infopages&pages_id=9 Ian C Wilson, lives in Newcastle-upon-tyne. He could concert the whole lot as an "example" of version 2.0 shipping modules for all I know.

Philip.

Hi there all,

I need to find a way of converting this module to be in gramms rather than KGs.

For instance, all products sold are weighed in Gramms, so it can be say .50 of a gramm or 1.5 gramms, the cart is doing that aok (basically working), but when it gets to checkout_shipping it is taking the total sum of cart weight to be KILOS rather than KILOGRAMMS... Any thoughts of a simple workaround, I thought where it gets cart weight total value just divide by a 1000, but cant seem to find it :(

Second question, and I think someone asked this above, special delivery from recollection goes to a max of £5k insured (could be 10k), I need to work out a way that if total cart price exceeds that amount, then we need to actually set delivery containers to more than 1, for instance >

Cart is under 5K = 1 charge for delivery
Cart is under 10K but over 5K = 2 charges
Cart is under 15K but over 10K = 3 charges
You see the general idea.

Any thoughts, I dont mind paying someone beer money if it helps.

Thanks

a) You should have kept it in Kg as it means more work. It may be possible to fix this by multiplying everything at somewhere near te final checkout.
b) I thought it was only £500 for special delivery
c) I will look at it this evening.