Shipping Rule Useability

[pbxcom]

After looking through these forums I though a poll on the usability of the shipping rules might be good.

Tell us where you stand in regards to how you are using the shipping rules:

Very useful, use them a lot
Somewhat useful
Use them but would like something better
Use them but dislike them
Trying to survive without them
Cannot figure them out
Made my on solution
Praying that God keeps RTR working

I've been trying to figure out how the shipping rules are configured. At best I am finding them to be useless.

There is no instance in the shipping of an item that only one variable would apply. At the very minimum you have 2 basic variables, if product weight is <= X and is shipped to X then charge X.

I think most of us use at least two and quite often more than 2 varibles.

Examples:
if # of products < X and shipped to X charge X
if # of products > X and shipped to X charge X
if weight < X and shipped to X and cost < X charge X
if weight < X and shipped to X and cost > X charge X
if weight > X and shipped to X and cost < X charge X
if weight > X and shipped to X and cost > X charge X
if shipping charge > X and products > X charge X
if shipping charge < X and products > X charge X
if shipping charge > X and products < X charge X
if shipping charge < X and products < X charge X
if rule X and rule X and product cost < X charge X
if rule X and rule X and product cost > X charge X

Of course these are just some rough examples I could go on indefinitely.

Take the poll and leave your comments, examples, thoughts, and most definitely your solutions and work arounds.

[Jamie]

Hi Everyone,

Just a comment here...the shipping rules will be redesigned after the release of v2.0. There are many situations in which a single condition is not sufficient. We are aware of this, and there are many posts in the forums regarding it. So, for the sake of saving everyone some time, please do not post requests for improvements to the shipping rules that have already been requested. There are some already in the requests forums which you can find by searching for "shipping".

We will be adding a condition feature, which will be independant of shipping, discounts, etc. There are too many things in the cart that rely (or will rely) on order/customer/store based conditions for it to make sense to create these conditions on the same record as the shipping rules (or discounts). You will be able to create conditions, link them together as rules, and then use them for anything in the cart that needs to alter its behavior based on conditions. These parameters will include everything you currently see on the conditions that appear on the discount records, plus anything else we can think of, such as information from past orders, etc...You will be able to add as many conditions as you like to a single rule. We will then be taking the condition feature and adding it to everything under the sun.

Examples:
- Create a rule that will apply when you add a user to a given group. Then, you could use that condition to send an email to the customer when that rule applies.

- Create a rule that applies when a customer has ordered X amount of item A, and is a repeat customer. Then, use that one rule to offer the customer a discount, AND to control their shipping rates.

The redesign will also support conditionally offering certain RTR rates, which you cannot currently do. We will also be eliminating the priority and using other means to determine which rules take precedence.

The amount of code that has been rewritten in v2.0 is staggering. Some of the code originated in 2001, and a lot of it needed rethinking. v2.0 is mainly a reworking to improve performance and browser compatibility. While I'd love to rewrite the shipping rule code, it is definitely not going to happen for v2.0. It will however, be a priority after v2.0 is released. One new shipping feature that will make it into 2.0 is support for real time rates, tracking, and shipping via FedEx. This will include the ability to submit package info to FedEx, obtaining and storing the tracking number, emailing it the customer, and generating a label for printing. This additional functionality is also planned for UPS and USPS, post v2.0.

Feel free to discuss the rules here, but please keep in mind that we are already aware of most of the problems that apply to them, and will be adding improvements to address them. :squirrel:

THE END

[pbxcom]

The more I hear of this version 2.0 the more I want get a hold of it. I would have to say that if version 2.0 is as good as it sound your going to make alot of people happy.

[Jamie]

:squirrel: Hope so!

[Oteil]

So I gather from your post here that the response to my post is the same and the items I asked about will not be possible until sometime after the release of 2.0?

See post here: http://www.ldev.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1850

[Jamie]

Hi Oteil,

I just reponded to your post.

[pbxcom]

The one feature that helped with the shipping varriables, that is nice, that you recently added, is the warehouse option. I do have one suggestion on it though. I think most people find it easier to remember names than numbers. That is why we name people, companies, and website, over using SSN, tax id's, and TCP/IP addresses. How about in the product editing and addition page you have the company or location name come up in the ship from instead of the address.

I think someone may have already suggested this but I though I would through my two cents.

[Jamie]

Sure, that makes sense. You might want to create a post for it in requests, just so we don't forget.