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Home » Forums » Ubercart » Ideas and Suggestions
Better shipping cost module
Submitted by zmove on Wed, 05/30/2007 - 08:37
zmove
Posts: 32
Joined: 03/23/2007
Brain Stormer

Hi all,

I continu my testing on Ubercart and I'm more and more impressed by the quality of the work accomplished and the easy way yo configure store. Lots of stuff are well thinked.

However, the flatrate module confuse me so much that I didn't understood how to use it and what is his utility.

My aim is to define an amount for shipping cost depending on total package weight (addition of all products weight) and the country of destination (so the same package will not cost the same price if I expect it to India or to Congo).

I don't know if it's possible with flatrate module, but I think no.

A great generic module could be inspired of the osCommerce module.

In this module, you can add a country or a group of country and for each country/group you can specify the amount of shipping cost lika that :
-------------------------
FRA, US
1:7.5; 3:9; 5:13;
-------------------------
BE, CA
1:9; 3:12; 5:15;
-------------------------

The first part concern France and USA, it say that for package with a weight under 1kg, it cost 7.5$. For package between 1kg and 3kg, it cost 9$. And for package between 3kg and 5kg, it cost 13$.

It's the same for BE and CA, I redefined shipping cost.

you can add as many fields as you want.

I think this system is excellent for all generic shipping calculation because many transporters gives shipping tables depending on weight and destination country, so you only have to report this table in your ecommerce shipping module.

What do you think about a module like that, I think It could be more generic and apply in more case that the flatrate module that seems confusing (for me).

So if what I explain is makable with flatrate module, please, explain me because I didn't understood how to use it.

thanks

zmove

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permalinkWed, 05/30/2007 - 09:18
Ryan

Posts: 1659
Joined: 09/26/2006
AdministratorCode Monkey Head - I eat bugs.

I think you're right, something like that would be very beneficial. I'm not sure of the current status of the flatrate module, but it probably does need some work. I like the osC system you pointed out but would just go one step further in just creating an easier sort of user interface for the store default flatrate values.

We may have to lend Lyle a hand before his to-do list gets too long. Sticking out tongue

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permalinkWed, 05/30/2007 - 09:25
zmove
Posts: 32
Joined: 03/23/2007
Brain Stormer

If ubercart could have a module powerfull as one I quoted for ubercart, it could be really great. So if you think it could be better with a better user interface so it's wonderfull !

I add one little thing about the osCommerce shipping module. It is based on weight and countries. Sometimes the shipping cost is different for different regions of one country, I think it could be great to add this possibility.

the best example I have is for france (we begin this discussion on france internationalization topic).

In france there are regions named DOM-TOM that at several thousant of kilimeter of the metropolitan france and the shipping cost is often different.

That's why I suggest to add the possibility to define different shipping cost for different regions of one country.

PS : I would like to help you but my developper skill is just too low to launch a project like that, so I help you by posting bug report, suggestions, work on french internationalization forum Eye-wink

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permalinkWed, 05/30/2007 - 09:29
Ryan

Posts: 1659
Joined: 09/26/2006
AdministratorCode Monkey Head - I eat bugs.

hehe Yeah, any help you can offer, even brainstorming, is great. Smiling I'd like to see something ultimately like the taxes setup for flatrate shipping. It would let you specify a set of conditions for a shipping rule and check the order/products and apply the appropriate shipping rule @ checkout.

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permalinkWed, 05/30/2007 - 09:30
Lyle

Posts: 560
Joined: 09/26/2006
AdministratoreLiTe!

The flatrate module is basically a fallback method to get an amount for shipping when all other methods have failed. There are two methods included in the flatrate module.

The first is "flat rate by order". This just means that every order that comes through will have the amount you specify added to it, regardless of the amount or kind of products on it. That's all.

The other is "flat rate by product". This assigns a shipping amount to each product in the catalog. For each product that is ordered, this shipping price is added to the order. If there is more than one of the same product, the shipping rate is added that many times. It is possible to set a default rate for all products in the store in the Flatrate Settings. This default can be overridden by individual products.

What you're talking about is referred to as a table rate system. Because you're differentiating between shipping to different countries, it's beyond the scope of the flatrate module. I know that a lot of people use something like it, so it's definitely something that should be done. I think it could use some of the techniques in the taxes module for setting up different areas to apply the different shipping rates to.

If I may make a suggestion, I'd set up the rates so that they apply to orders that are more than a certain amount, rather than less. This way, the table can start at weight 0, and the last one can take care of all the products that weigh more than that number.

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permalinkWed, 05/30/2007 - 10:28
zmove
Posts: 32
Joined: 03/23/2007
Brain Stormer

The flatrate module is perfect for people that don't sell goods outside their countries, but most (to not say all) store that sell internationnaly have different shipping price depending the destination country.

For Ryan

Yeah an user interface like tax would be wonderfull for an "osCommerce like" table shipping cost calculating.

I'm learning drupal (thanks official drupal book, but even if I know PHP a little, I'm not a big roxor on it and I'm not a big roxor in english too so my skill in drupal progress slowly Eye-wink

When I think I could help coding something, I will tell you ^^

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permalinkThu, 07/19/2007 - 04:14
megg
Posts: 18
Joined: 06/08/2007

any updates on this? if not (i know everyone is busy) would it be an interim option to have a link next to shipping calculation that says "for orders outside France please contact us for the shipping price"? then could the administrator calculate the approximate cost of shipping to the customer in Guam, for example, and then edit the order before the customer pays?

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permalinkTue, 07/31/2007 - 06:44
zmove
Posts: 32
Joined: 03/23/2007
Brain Stormer

It could be a temporary solution but If you sell 500 items by day, the administrator will be crazy.

No, I think we have to wait this functionnality. I will try to adapt the flatrate module to do that but my developper skills are not so high to create a bugless versatile shipping module.

So... wait..

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