free shipping calculation not working

[gourmetdelights]

Looking at http://gourmet-delights.com

it should give people free shipping if their subtotal is $50 or more.

BUT for some reason, over the last several days, it does not.

I had an order with a subtotal of $138.70 but he got charged $22 shipping (which I gladly refunded).

Trying to duplicate the issue myself I've found the following:

1. IF I add ONE item which costs more than $50 YES the free shipping is automatically done. You can try this with the big Cluizel Chocolate Tasting Box at $69.95

BUT

2. if I build a cart of $50 from several smaller items, say the Marino Novello Extra Virgin Olive Oil ($32.95) and 2 chocolate bars ($17.90) I have a subtotal of $50.85 but still have $16 in shipping charges added.

YES at the bottom there is the "Free shipping" radio button a customer can choose but customers are generally "not readers" and don't do that.

ALSO

3. on the rare chance that the free shipping calculation works, and then I use a coupon which drops the subtotal below $50, and I delete the coupon or add another product to get back over $50, the free shipping is not automatically applies.

Try Marino Novello Extra Virgin Olive Oil ($32.95) and 2 chocolate bars ($17.90) then use coupon: chocolatebar. Then either delete the coupon, or add another chocolate bar to get back over $50.

And hitting "recalculate" does not resolve either #2 or #3.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Jim]

Once a shipping option is chosen by the shopper ShopSite will not modify that selection. You can set it so that the first time that they qualify for the free shipping it can be selected and the message will be displayed to let them know that it was selected. But once that initial selection is made if they choose some other shipping option free shipping will not automatically be selected again if the contents of the cart changes.

[loren_d_c]

One thing you can do to minimize this is to set the 'Default Selected Shipping Option' in Commerce Setup -> Shipping to 'None' (I believe that is also the default), that way shoppers are less likely to already have a different shipping option selected when they qualify for free shipping and it will get selected for them.

-Loren

[gourmetdelights]

Thanks Jim and Lauren!

Let me ask a simple question first.... how can we get "FREE SHIPPING" to be the "First Displayed Option" when the free shipping thresh hold is met? (right now it is last)

It seems that would work based on my testing (longer post below)

[gourmetdelights]

I'm sure you may be asking WHY I want to get "FREE SHIPPING" to be the "First Displayed Option".... I did some testing.....

FIRST it makes sense that once a shipping option has been chosen, by the user or by the program, it will not default to something else later because the cart has no way of knowing if the customer _purposely_ chose a different shipping option (overnight vs ground for instance).

HOWEVER,
There is an instance where this is _not_ true. If the customer did not qualify for free shipping when they first visit the cart, but they add items until they do hit the free shipping thresh hold, then it does _automatically_ select again. This is a GOOD thing.

The issue seems to be if FREE shipping WAS auto selected, and then is _lost_ via deleting an item or using a coupon, that free shipping will not be auto selected the 2nd time even if the customer adds more products to the cart to re-qualify.

SECOND, my settings had the 'Default Selected Shipping Option' in Commerce Setup -> Shipping set to "First Displayed Option"

Here is what happens:

Note that $50 is my free shipping "magic number". It does not matter if you stay in the cart and manipulate the subtotal, or leave the cart so I'll just provide examples of staying in the cart as that is fewer testing steps.

***
SCENARIO #1 (not quite $50 first time to the cart, don't leave the cart)

Add artichokes >> view cart [Defaults to standard shipping. PERFECT]

Add items from the cross sell in the shopping cart until I'm over $50 subtotal. Qualified for free shipping. PERFECT


***
SCENARIO #2 ($50+ with first item, drop below $50, Don't leave the cart)

Add Belazu Balsamic Vinegar >> View Cart [Qualified for free shipping. PERFECT]

add a cross-sell product while still in the shopping cart Trampetti Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Still free shipping. PERFECT

Remove the Belazu Balsamic Vinegar. Drops below the $50 free shipping cutoff. Defaults to standard shipping. PERFECT

Add a Red Tea Towel from the cross-sell in the shopping cart. STANDARD shipping even though we are over $50 now.

The cart does not recalculate to see if free shipping applies. Even hitting "recalculate" doesn't do it. I need to manually select the radio button.

**

Are we trying to figure out customer intent? Did the customer purposely select one of the other shipping options and thus it should never be changed once it is first selected? If so then scenario #1 is wrong. But if we allow it to be changed, as happens currently in scenario #1 , why doesn't it do it in #2 when we REqualify for free shipping?

This appears inconsistent.

***************************************************

OK now to take Lauren's suggestion of setting the 'Default Selected Shipping Option' in Commerce Setup -> Shipping to 'None'.

Scenario #1 remains the same. It does auto select the correct shipping options! Perfect!

Scenario #2 however auto selects FREE shipping with the Belazu, stays with FREE shipping with the Trampetti addition, BUT once the Belazu is deleted no shipping option is selected. And even after adding the Belazu back again no shipping option is selected. This is GOOD I think as it forces the customer to look for, and select, a shipping option. But it isn't ideal as it is one additional step for the customer.

************************
Right now Lauren's suggestion appears, to me, to be the best solution. It forces the customer to make a choice. But it also slows down the check-out process and customers like fewer steps.

Thus my question/suggestion, how can we get "FREE SHIPPING" to be the "First Displayed Option" when the thresh hold is met? (right now it is last) It seems that would work based on my above scenarios/tests.

I'm guessing this isn't easy as we are adding the FREE shipping only in certain circumstances so keeping the "standard shipping" as options 1-6 and then tacking on FREE as #7 is quite simple. Asking for options 1-6 to be the default, but reorder to 2-7 so FREE shipping can be the "new #1" when certain criteria are met is harder.

[Jim]

Have you tried setting these settings on Commerce Setup > Shipping

Code: Select all

Shipping Option Sort Order  : Ascending by cost
Default Selected Shipping Option: None
Shipping Service Display Order:  All service options together


Those settings should cause ALL shipping options to be sorted by price with the lowest price first (therefore Free is first). No shipping option will be selected by default but the Free option will be selected if they reach the threshold. The All service options together will make it so all of the options (FedEx, UPS, USPS, ShopSite etc) will be intermingled) allowing them to be sorted by price with the lowest price first.

[gourmetdelights]

The problem with "lowest price first" is that I also offer a "free local pickup" as an option.

So yes if they qualify for FREE shipping it is all fine. Or if they select free local pickup, and are local, that is fine too.

BUT when they don't qualify for free shipping, the default becomes "free local pickup" with the "lowest price first" algorithm.

If their shipping address is all the way across the country this is a problem. Customers will not select the paid shipping options, either because they like the idea of free, or they simply aren't paying that close attention.

So to have the system automatically give them FREE shipping when they qualify, but give them "standard shipping for a fee", when they don't qualify is important.

Being able to order the shipping options myself, not based on a "lowest first" or any other algorithm, but based on the order I choose, would be useful.

Right now I'm using Loren's suggestion 'Default Selected Shipping Option' in Commerce Setup -> Shipping set to 'None' and that is a good solution for now.