Can shipping costs be based on weights provided in product permutations?

[Dean_B]

Hi everyone,
I've looked through all the usual places for an answer to this but nothing is quite putting me on the right track, so here goes...

Many of the products on our site are available in different weights each with a differing price associated with it, e.g

http://www.dmd51.pinbrookdedicated.c..._Products.html

I have added the different weights and prices using the component permutations tab. However the shipping price for all permutations is currently calculated using the single weight I have supplied in the product details (shipping details area). So with my example product even if you choose the 200kg option at £1003.00 the resulting shipping price is £80 where as it should be £90 for products up to 200kg.

My question is can the weights I have specified in the permutations tab somehow be used to override the single weight field available in the product details tab. Or is there another way of specifying different product weight choices without having to list the same product several times with different weight options in order for the shipping banding to work?

I have attached some screen shots which might help.
Thanks in advance
Dean

[leehack]

There is nothing to attach weights to unless you setup products. You therefore have 3 options:

1. Setup products for each option
2. Add the shipping charges to the costs of the products
3. Average out your shipping, you will win on some lose on others, but be even overall

Option 3 is your best bet, so quick easy and hassle free.

[Dean_B]

Thanks for your quick response Lee, having read all the other similar threads I was kind of suspecting this might be the case. Unless anyone else has any ideas I'll have to discuss this with client.

Many thanks.
Dean

[cbarling]

Dean, expanding on Lee's first option. Setting up products for each option enables stock control on each option, and also enables a weight for shipping to be specified as you want, and also allows a different tax tretament, if that was relevent.

It really depends on the number of products involved, whether they are built to order from parts (in which case a product per combinmation won't mnake sense) and what your clients long term aims are.

Chris

[Dean_B]

Chris thanks for your input. In this particular instance stock control isn't an issue since 95% of items are mixed to order (resin floor compounds) but I'll bear this in mind for the next job. However the tax treatment side of things is very relevant and this may help me sway the client down the 'product for each option' route.
Kind Regards
Dean

[Darren B]

Dean, expanding on Lee's first option. Setting up products for each option enables stock control on each option, and also enables a weight for shipping to be specified as you want, and also allows a different tax tretament, if that was relevent.

Your a brave man Chris, personally i would never refer to it as stock control, monitoring maybe but it certainly dont control stock

Dean from experience, dont trust stock monitoring in actinic, it does not work properly espcially on associated products.

Oh and the shipping is still incomplete, you can not exclude products from various shipping methods, what ever different shipping methods you might use these will be shown to every product, if it is avalible, for example you might have a a product that does not weigh much but is to big to go via roylamail so you have to send it via a carrier, but your customer has the option to choose royalmail becasue other products that a small a dont weigh much can be sent via this method need this option

Before someone from actinic shoots me down in flames and asks me for an example it is well documents on the forum

I am not meaning to poor water on this but i notice you are new around here and i thought it ould be helpfull to know

D

[gabrielcrowe]

In Soviet Russia, stock controls YOU!

[Dean_B]

Hi Darren - yep pretty new, managed to solve most of my problems by having a good rummage round the forum and help files in the past...I'll try and contribute where I can in the future.

I appreciate your extra input, glad I won't be using the stock monitoring on this occasion. With regards to shipping I've encountered the very issue you describe and wondered how you would get around this - with this job I've dropped lucky since my client only uses a single private delivery firm as many of the products are hazardous.

Many Thanks
Dean

[Darren B]

Well Dean I hope Chris Is Listening

This is on the wish list, has been emntion a 100 times so keep you fingers crossed it may make it into V9

Unfortunately i dont hold much hope, actinic are great at adding features but they never quite finish it off and the bad news, shipping got a big overhaul in V8 which IMHO means that it is unlikely to be visited again. Unless people keep badgering them for it.

Work around, well the only way is to lie about weights and set all the stuff that can go by carrier to fictisious high weights and small stuff low weights then the big stuff cant get shipped by the small post size but the small stuff can by the big stuff size. Its a pain in the arse and i have not got around to changing mine as i will have to change 10 different zones shipping calculations and over 300 products will need to be checked.

oh and welcome Dean

D

[leehack]

Put the rope down Dazza, you having a bad day?
Join the club, i've been sitting here for 8 hours and have totalled 3 email replies and about 10 minutes work. Software schmoftware, i blame Duncan for it all.

[Darren B]

Afternoon Mr Hack

Duncan, you know i recon you could be right. Yep lets blame Duncan

D

[TraceyHand]

i blame Duncan for it all.

see, see, Duncan, I told you it'd be all your fault!!

[Dean_B]

Thanks everyone for your input and humour...

Just to wrap things up with the original question I have managed to steer the client into having a single average delivery charge for UK orders regardless of total weight, Lees 3rd suggestion (thanks Lee!) They will monitor the situation as to whether they win or lose on delivery costs and whether this puts people off buying in the first place.
Cheers
Dean