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Shipping Method Restrictions
Needed; The ability to filter out parts by size that will fit a given shipping method.
Looked good going to set up some custom methods when I saw the dimension limits.
Setting the height restriction at 18 mm did not catch parts that were too large for this limit at checkout. I needed to disable the "envelope" type methods I had set up.
Am I attempting to use this as it was intended and missed something or does this filter some other information rather than parts themselves?
How is the volume calculated that you would enter in the given field?
Can I presently accomplish what I am attempting to do by having the system judge if a part can fit within defined restrictions on a custom shipping method, and how many.
Thanks
Looked good going to set up some custom methods when I saw the dimension limits.
Setting the height restriction at 18 mm did not catch parts that were too large for this limit at checkout. I needed to disable the "envelope" type methods I had set up.
Am I attempting to use this as it was intended and missed something or does this filter some other information rather than parts themselves?
How is the volume calculated that you would enter in the given field?
Can I presently accomplish what I am attempting to do by having the system judge if a part can fit within defined restrictions on a custom shipping method, and how many.
Thanks
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I went and set the size restrictions to 6" x 6" x 6". This DID effectively prevent me from trying to ship a baseplate via First Class.
I think that all three dimensions are required for it to work. This is NOT ideal, as it will eliminate some parts that would otherwise fit. In my case, 8" long rigid hoses can ship First Class, but would presumably be restricted by my dimensional limits.
What is probably needed is the ability to enter ONE dimension and have that restrict parts in which ANY of their measurements exceed that dimension.
Thinking of what I am trying to accomplish; If the catalog dimensions in mm are used for these calculations, I figure all parts would need to have the height as the smallest dimension of the part. Or have the shipping calculator use the smallest dimension as the height/specific dimension.
Is that along the same lines as what you are saying?
Brian
I do not have a specific limit like you do though, other than what I think can be safely shipped in a bubble mailer.
Your baseplate won't fit in a bubble mailer but a LEGO Games box can still go first class if it's under 13oz. Weight's a bit higher obviously.
It appears this thread may be approaching the one here: http://brickowl.com/forum#/discussion/12/another-shipping-settings-question
Brian
No matter how exact we get the system, it will never be as exact as packing before invoicing. I think the benefits of instant checkout outweigh the less accurate shipping charges though. We will just have to get used to the new system.
I also sell on Amazon, and the shipping over there is fixed by amazon. It quite often does not cover the actual shipping paid. Sellers there have adapted by pricing their items higher to account for this.
The problem that remains, and I figure led to my confusion, is parts that have no measurements are showing up as "fitting" in the envelope rather than not fitting.
With that changed I can open up the envelope service.
I guess one side of the default or another someone is being required to add the dimensions for things to work. Probably more on the other side of this one as I am guessing it then would not show up in any shipping method.
So I will have to check every part I want to enter that may be near a size restriction limit has it's dimensions before it is safe to list with a size restricted shipping option. Not easy to load 2000 lots at once.
This is what you would recommend for now?
I would recommend you set your size restrictions very tight, so were they will allow a few minifigures and not much else to avoid the chance that you will ever under charge for now. You can then fine tune that depending on how it goes.
A focus that would help me at least is any part over ~18mm , anything smaller than that the default to be included is a non issue.
Brian
Basically all bricks, plates and tiles don't exceed this. A 18 long liftarm is fine but a differential is too big. A crocodile fits but an elephant does not.
I have half of them memorized from dealing with it all the time, regardless I like the dimensions in mil aspect of things and any time put in would benefit everybody.
I'll continue to pound away for a while. If there are specific parts that you are interested in having done, PM me.
Brian
Think of cereal or potato chips you buy in the supermarket. When first packed in the factory, the cereal or chips fills the box or bag. But by the time you get it home, the cereal or chips have settled down and the top quarter of the box or bag is just air.
Now think of a PaB cup in a LEGO Store. Let's say you want to buy 10-20 different parts off the PaB wall. We all know that snapping those parts together will decrease the volume and allow us to get more parts in the cup. But that is not the way sellers pack their LEGO orders. So if a formula is devised that only takes into account the dimensions of the parts and not the airspace in bags of loosely packed parts and packaging materials a seller uses, the estimated volume is going to much too small.
Thor
Item dimensions should follow the following guidelines:
"This is the actual dimensions of the item, not the stud dimensions. Measure the entire footprint of the item, so if the item includes any protruding bits, include that in the dimensions. The dimensions should essentially be the smallest box that the item could fit into. Minifigures/parts should be measured standing up, most other items should be measured laying down."
If the dimensions are added correctly there would be no need to snap the items together but in rare cases it could require the seller to nicely pack all the items to be able to fit. The calculations most likely assume that all items are rectangular prisms so when there are items that are shaped differently (for example slopes) there would typically be extra space and the items would fit in a smaller package than is calculated.
Each seller can set the volume of lego parts that fit within each of their shipping methods so they could reduce that volume to allow for the air gaps and packaging.
You are right, it will never be perfect and might lead to wasted space if a lot of your shipping rates are based on the volume of the package.
Gerrit