Link between product and transport mode.

[stonda]

On my site, transport cost is calculated from the basket value. I proposed 2 ways of shipping, a normal one and a quickest one and let the client choose between these 2 possiblities. Some products are sent free of charge with a carrier and I would like to prevent the client from choosing a shipping mode, as shipping mode is pre-defined. And for some other products (heavy and expensive) we used a furniture carrier and add an shipping supplement of 150 euros.
I do not find an easy way to set this in Actinic : the simple way would be to give the possiblity to link a product with a shipping mode. So for each product we would have the possibility to tick a zone to link the product to a specific shipping mode and when we tick the zone it opens a drop down selection to choose the link.
Would it be possible ?
Thanks

[James M SellerDeck]

Hi there

In version 8, you can assign a product to a catagory, these catagories can be assigned to certain shipping classes to them.

Thats the only way I can think of acheiving this, I will add your request to the wishlist.

[stonda]

If I can do this, it can be the solution. How can I assign a product to a category ? Is category and product group the same ? Then how can I assign a category to a a shiiping class ?
Thanks

[Duncan Rounding]

Have a look in the Actinic program help for Category - it explains how to use categories and shipping etc.

[stonda]

Thanks Duncan, I will try.

[stonda]

Is there a way to know if the wish will become a reality ? I really need this possibility on my site, and will have to find another way to get this (but don't know how !) if i cannot directly from Actinic.
Thanks

[cdicken]

Hi Didier

I don't know whether we'll be able to fulfil your wish in it's current form, simply because it's so specific to how you do business, rather than being a general solution that can be used in a variety of ways.

Did you try creating a shipping category called 'Free Carrier' and adding products to that, and then having a weight-based shipping class for everything else. The shipping is pretty flexible, and you can usually get close to most requirements with it.

[Darren B]

Hi Chris

this follows along similar lines to what others and myself are asking for and have been for a while.

The shipping is flexible(ish) but you need the option to decided if a product can be shipped by a particular method, i dont know the exact format that would be best but maybe the shipping options are listed at product level and you tick the box(es) that apply to that product. so if you dont want to or can not send a product by that method you cant select it in the checkout

D

[wjcampbe]

Only problem with that is what happens in a mixed basket, when there is no shipping options left - i.e. one product or another has excluded all the existing options?

[Darren B]

Bill

I understand what your saying but it is highly unlikey that a product can not be sent via the furniture carrier method for example

The problem is small items can be sent most cost effectively by say 1st class post, but large items can not so they need to be sent via a carrier, so what you do is tell the larger product it can only be sent via carrier and the smaller option that it can be sent via 1st class and carrier. so when you checkout the only option avaliable is carrier. so you put the small item in the box with the big item.

I know i made it sound simple and to be honest it is, but actually making the changes i understand are not that simple or it would have been done already

D

[leehack]

Darren, i'm going to take on the task of solving your shipping woes using standard actinic, it will be the challenge of the year, but i reckon i can crack it. If you are interested i need a full breakdown of what you have and what you want and i will try for you. Be sure to give all details though, don't be adding stuff at the end after i have cracked it.

[Darren B]

Be sure to give all details though, don't be adding stuff at the end after i have cracked it.

Adding stuff, PMSL me nooo

Actually Lee thank you and you welcome to try, there is a way around it, well i think it will work, that is to lie about the weights, so make all the stuff that cant go via post a high weight and keep all the small stuff at the correct weight. then if the customer selects all the small stuff it will have the option of both post and carrier, if they select a large item then it can only go via carrier so the small item can go in with it. The only problem is if someone selects say 30 of the small items then the post will be high but the carrier option will be cheap, maybe too cheap because the weight is wrong.

Does that all make sense. probably not

so what info would you like from me then

D

[leehack]

I'm thinking the opposite way round to you, but we shall see. Your initial mindset should be this:

If you have a large heavy product that weighs 10kg and they are £10 each to send, then traditionally you would have:

0kg - £0.00
10kg - £10
20kg - £20
etc.

This (IMO) is where people go wrong a lot of the time on complicated shipping. You need to be a bit more creative with those tiers. If for example we had:

0kg - £0.00
19.99kg - £10
29.99kg - £20
etc.

They would still get charged £10 per heavy item to send BUT, you have suddenly just added 9.99kg of extra weight and therefore extra flexibility into those bandings. I could therefore order one heavy item plus 25 little items that weigh 0.25kg for example, put the 25 little products in the big box (logical) and still only charge the customer the £10 i want to.

[Darren B]

Ah OK i see were you comming from, i do have a reasonable complex set up with various shipping options and weight bands, then zones

i have a standard delivery set like this

0.02 = £0
0.18 = £2.00
0.25 = £2.95
0.50 = £3.95
0.75 = £4.95
1.00 = £5.95
1.50 = £6.95
2.05 = £7.95
3.00 = £8.95

Carrier
1.00 = £7.95
2.00 = £9.95
3.00 = £12.95
5.00 = £19.95

I have it set this way so that some items i lose some i gain. maybe i have tomany various options, i could get rid of some of the carrier options, as i have more than one, to be honest i have not looked at this for a while and really need to. maybe combining it as a standard delivery and then setting a next day as a completely different option.

OK im building a new site for Air Surfing at the mo so maybe i will experiment on there.

D

[leehack]

If you can't get it setup and struggling, we can do it as a case study in the shipping forum and it may help others in the future if you like? Explain the setup and the problems and i will solve it or at least attempt to.

If i am honest - with shipping you either get it or you don't. On difficult setups, it's the ability to think outside the box that is the difference IMO. That simple detail i provided below is a classic example of this, but it's something often overlooked as 10kg is perceived as having to go in that box etc.