AusPost Shipping Module

[Richard Lee]

Hi guys and girls,

 

We've been using the osCommerce AusPost Shipping module (version 2.0.2) and it's been working fine. It wasn't till we started testing with large shipping orders (in the thousands) that we started seeing incorrect shipping calculataions.

 

So anyway, I've started looking at the source and there's a few sections that I was hoping someone could elaborate on.

 

 

Firstly the request sent to the Aus Post Delivery Raten Calcualtor (DRC)

"http://drc.edeliver.com.au/ratecalc.asp?Pickup_Postcode=$frompcode&Destination_Postcode=$topcode&Country=AU&Weight=$sweight&Service_Type=EXPRESS&Height=$sheight&Width=$swidth&Length=$slength&Quantity=$shipping_num_boxes";
...
...
...
$shipping_auspost_cost = (($charge/1.1)* $shipping_num_boxes);

Why are we sending total boxes in the request THEN later multiplying the charge (Sent back from the drc) by the total number of boxes again???

 

Secondly, whats the arbitrary 1.1 we devide the charge by?

 

 

Thanks in advance!

Edited October 14, 2005 by Richard Lee

[Richard Lee]

Hi guys,

 

I think I may have figured out the reasoning behind the

$charge/1.1

. This is to get the shipping cost ex GST to account for the GST osCommerce will add to the shipping cost if the taxzone has been set. Obviously if your not setting the taxzone you'll get a shipping cost which has doubled up on the GST.

 

Furthermore, the

* $shipping_num_boxes

is also incorrect as the AusPost DRC has already done this!

 

Grrr, ill release and *update* for this contribution in the coming weeks. Feel free to correct my above statements and please note as always, backup and test and changes you make.

[Snowman]

I know this post is a couple of monthsold now but it does raise a couple of good points

 

$charge/1.1

 

The DRC returns a Tax inclusive price so it needs to have this removed inorder to allow for osCommerce's tax system. If your using the module on an Australian store selling to Australians you should by be displaying or accounting for GST in the store, regardless of whether your goods are Tax inclusive or exclusive or GST exempt...

 

If your not using a Taxzone in your store i fail to see how you can be doubling up on the GST??? the price returned to the checkout would be the tax exclusive price

 

* $shipping_num_boxes

 

* shipping_num_boxes allows for orders where the total shipping weight would be over 20kgs say for example you have an order total of 30kgs, the theory would be that this would be split over 2 boxes so the theory would be the rate is returned for 1 box and then multiplied by the number of boxes.

 

The logic is correct but of cause flawed...

 

Personally i think the whole shipping process and method in osCommerce is restrictive and limited...

 

how does oscommerce know that there will be 5 boxes to send on an order and that 4 of those boxes are 10Kg each and one is 5kg???

 

It Doesnt its just not that clever...

 

I personally think that the product listing should allow for the entry of cubic weights and physical weights, it should have the ability to specify specific shipping methods on a per product basis (if needed) which in turn would allow multiple shipping methods to be chosen or selected if needed'

 

While im sure this could be done it would require a massive re-write of the shipping logic, and the whole checkout process for that matter

 

Id certainly be interested to know what people think about the whole process, and if its not already being discussed in depth with the core team perhaps it should be?

[Guest]

The DRC returns a Tax inclusive price so it needs to have this removed inorder to allow for osCommerce's tax system. If your using the module on an Australian store selling to Australians you should by be displaying or accounting for GST in the store, regardless of whether your goods are Tax inclusive or exclusive or GST exempt...

You can setup the tax class for the shipping module to none if that's the case.

 

* shipping_num_boxes allows for orders where the total shipping weight would be over 20kgs say for example you have an order total of 30kgs, the theory would be that this would be split over 2 boxes so the theory would be the rate is returned for 1 box and then multiplied by the number of boxes.

And you can customize the shipping module to automatically take into account the weight or dimensions of the package.

 

Personally i think the whole shipping process and method in osCommerce is restrictive and limited...

I've seen the osc working in every case and with very little effort. The checkout process it deploys is extremely flexible even for the average merchant.

[Richard Lee]

* $shipping_num_boxes

 

* shipping_num_boxes allows for orders where the total shipping weight would be over 20kgs say for example you have an order total of 30kgs, the theory would be that this would be split over 2 boxes so the theory would be the rate is returned for 1 box and then multiplied by the number of boxes.

 

The logic is correct but of cause flawed...

 

Hi Snowman,

 

the logic in the contribution is flawed and the documentation and support for AusPost's DRC webservice is poor. I've even gone as far as contacting AusPost to talk to someone about their DRC webservice, but alas there doesnt seem to be one person in that organisation that knows the webservice even exists!

 

Re-reading the documentation for the 50th time, my "best guess" is that you loop through your cart and send the webservice product N width, height and weight and occurence (in your cart), ultimately you total all quotes and get an overall quote for the entire shipment!

 

Anyway, like i said thats my best guess..

[Snowman]

The only way to get the system to work for everyone under every setup would be a complete re-write of the whole osC shipping and products setup.

 

If you could pass the dimensions for the cubic weight or individual package weights thru to the checkout, and had a way of specifiying that each product is individually shipped in its own box then you could pass each priduct thru the DRC and return the total weight, btu this would only suit some people and some products.

 

There is no one wy of doing it that can please everyone... i can think of 100's of different combinations and logics that could work for some users and not others...

 

Ive implemented about a dozen different ways of doing it for different clients sites ive done.

 

The DRC is merely a service that runs as a part of AusPOST's eparcel services. You need to obtain an account to get right into their information

[lordofcb]

You are right there, as it is now this Auspost module just doesn't work right for me at all. Case in point, today someone bought two identical size boxes, postage for each is $17, I use the cubic weight for product weight, for one box it works fine. But, when they bought two 4kg cubic weight boxes, the calculation returns results for 1 8kg cubic weight box with a rate of $21. In reality, even if i tape the two boxes together to post them it would cost me around $30, not the $21 returned, so I am out $9 and this is just a mild case. For this system to work correctly, dimensions per product would be nice to have, but passing at least the number of boxes correctly is a must. My problem is worsened since I send many different sized boxes and the way it works now, the more I sell per order, the more I would lose out on shipping costs, can't afford it.