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I put in a ticket on this item, but I wanted to throw it out to the group -- I've been hitting on this problem with Fedex Ground -- if you have small items in your store and a customer orders a number of them, apparently BV adds all the lengths of all the items into one long dimension, and if it is over the Length+Girth restriction, FedEx Ground will not return a rate.
Example: I sell beads that are 1-inch. I have found that adding about 120 or more of these to your cart will not return a Ground rate -- all others -- Priority Mail, FedEx 2-day, Saver, etc., all return rates as they don't have the same restriction.
I've tried to use Andy's Shipping add-on to figure out a way around this, but simply cannot -- and I'm sure this is a bug that BV will work on - but in the meantime I'm wondering if anyone can tell me exactly how the dimensions are arrived at and perhaps I could get on the phone wiht Fedex tech support and figure out how to do work around it.
Thanks. |
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If there is 1 of 1 item in the order, then the package dimensions are set equal to the item dimensions. Otherwise the dimensions are calculated like this:
Total Volume = sum of (item quantity * item width * item length * item height)
Longest Dimension = greatest of item length, item width, or item height * quantity
Final dimensions:
Length = Longest Dimension
Width = Height = Square Root of (Total Volume / Longest Dimension)
[If Width or Height are less than 1 then, they are set to 1]
Example:
500 x 1/2" x 1/2" x 1/2" beads.
Total Volume = 500 x .5 x .5 x .5 = 62.5
Longest Dimension = 500 x .5 = 250
Length = 250
Width = 1
Height = 1
If you have my Shipping Rate Rule Providers installed, then you can override the calculated dimensions by setting the box dimensions in the package rules. |
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Rank: Member
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Thanks Andy -- and if I am following, I can set the box dimensions to an actual box that would go -- but it still seems to me that if you have a "finished product" that is 250 inches long -- where the "actual" product would fit in a 9x9x9 box -- it's still going to throw rates off.
And I tried to "override" by setting box dimensions -- I'm not even sure what dimensions I should use, and I played with it, and for 150 1-inch beads, when I set the dimensions, I get rates like $1248 for shipping. |
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Rank: Member
Joined: 3/3/2006(UTC)
Posts: 1,737
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Joe,
You could make modifiers (choices) that sell groups of 50, 100, etc. Set an add'l shipping fee into the modifier, and set the product to a reasonable starting box size, say 8 x 8 x 2. You need at least this size to send the shipping label.
I make picture frames this way. As the inches go up, so does the shipping. Picture frames start out as a 24 x 24 x 4" box. Any frame size selected that won't fit into this box gets an ever increasing fee til I get to the cost to ship 36 x 48 x 4 to the opposite coast.
Unfortunately, I do have to manually feed the size to Fed Ex Ship Mgr., but I've found (after 11 years), I'm within 10% of the quoted rate.
I hope we will someday be able to edit the shipping cost before capture.
>>>I can't wait til we start dealing with kitting and shipping. WOW! How about kitting a 60" fishing pole and a large tackle box. Ship separately, huh?... 'cept, I've also got an order for a pole and 5 assorted lures. Still mark the poles and lures to ship separately, or will 'kitted' items have thier own shipping dims.? Good luck to us all. |
Optimists invent airplanes,
Pessimists buy parachutes. |
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Rank: Member
Joined: 2/21/2007(UTC)
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Mitch -- if I set the box size to 8x8x2 that will create multiple boxes for just about every FedEx Ground order and nobody would choose that method -- they would choose Priority Mail, or when that is too high they would simply not complete the sale. Actually I'm not sure what you mean by setting a "box size" -- the only place I know of that you can do that is in Andy's ShipRate provider by using a Package Rule -- and that doesn't work anyway -- it just creates a FedEx Ground rate of about $600 to ship 150 wood beads!
You can't make "modifiers" for products because that doesn't do anything to the dimensions. The only workaround I have at this point is to not sell any of these smaller items individually, but in packs of 10 or 25 and then set the dimensions to a small "bag size." |
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Rank: Member
Joined: 11/5/2003(UTC)
Posts: 1,786
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Andy,
I didn't realize we were multiplying quantity times the longest dimension. That could lead to some strange results like Joe is seeing. Any suggestions on a better "guessing" algorithm for box size?
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Rank: Member
Joined: 2/21/2007(UTC)
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Is there any way -- either through BV or through Andy's ShipRate Provider -- that we can tell FedEx -- the box size is "X X X" and set the dimension so that Fedex puts everything in one box. I realize that leaves me open to a "real" oversize order, but those are much more rare for me.
Thanks for being around Marcus! |
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@Joe - I don't know why you are getting such strange results. I just tried creating the packaging rule shown below, and ordered 150 - 1" x 3/4" x 1/2" beads. Since they all fit within the volume limit, the Package Rule Provider only used one box and sent the box dimensions (8" x 8" x 2") to FedEx for a total cost of $6.59. Out of curiousity, I also displayed the "raw" FedEx rate from BV. BV also sent one "box", but it's dimensions were 1" x 1" x 75" and the FedEx cost was $12.59. @Marcus - I don't have a better suggestion for a default algorithm. The algorithm in BVC2004 is quite different and caused a different set of problems. I think anything single algorithm you choose will have issues. When I started writing my shipping rate providers, I was actually aiming for one algorithm that would work for everyone. I was encouraged by the packing algorithm used by Canada Post (in addition to sending back rate quotes, Canada Post will also try to find the best packing arrangement for your order and will even generate a GIF image of the arrangement!). I did some research on the web into packing algorithems. There is some interesting work being done for the large containers used in freight shipping, but very little for "small" boxes. Even research papers are pretty thin, and mostly deal with just one size item (which seem to be geared at manufacturing rather than fulfillment). So I shifted my goal to building something that would let each merchant create their own algorithm. And that it what the Shipping Rate Rule Providers do...you can create custom rules without custom programming. Andy Miller attached the following image(s):  SmallBoxRule.png (114kb) downloaded 51 time(s).You cannot view/download attachments. Try to login or register. |
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Rank: Member
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Originally Posted by: "birdsafe" 
Is there any way -- either through BV or through Andy's ShipRate Provider -- that we can tell FedEx -- the box size is "X X X" and set the dimension so that Fedex puts everything in one box. I realize that leaves me open to a "real" oversize order, but those are much more rare for me.
Thanks for being around Marcus!
Joe, That is exactly what my Shipping Rate Rule Providers do. If you enter the box dimensions in the packaging rule, then those dimensions will be passed on to FedEx. I just posted an image of what I mean in a previous post. To avoid using a box that is too big, you can create multiple packaging rules...one for each size box that you typically use. Each packaging rule should include both the lower and upper volume limits so that the items are put into the most appropriate boxes. |
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Rank: Member
Joined: 2/21/2007(UTC)
Posts: 1,113
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Andy,
I just duplicated your package rule and gives me a rate of $1228.61 for 300 beads. As I said, My Shipping Rate Provider screen does not look like yours, so maybe I have a bug in an earlier version? |
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Rank: Member
Joined: 11/5/2003(UTC)
Posts: 2,136
Was thanked: 1 time(s) in 1 post(s)
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Originally Posted by: "birdsafe"
As I said, My Shipping Rate Provider screen does not look like yours, so maybe I have a bug in an earlier version?
That would be my guess. |
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