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Calculating shipping charges automatically

For eCommerce site

         

KimmoA

8:53 pm on Sep 22, 2005 (gmt 0)



I have been working hard on my Web shop based on a drop shipping company, which seems (or seemed) to be the only serious one on the Web. I've based my entire store around it (categories, code for fetching/updating, etc...) and finally got down to one last problem -- calculating the shipping cost via FedEx.

For this, you need some kind of FedEx code, and I have now sent around 200 e-mails to this company, asking for how they do this on their own Web site, how they think I should do it, and/or if they can give me their account number, since they are the ones who are going to be shipping the actual goods, and so that I can sign up for an account at FedEx's Web site and take part of the script which you can send arguments and get back an integer which represents the USD of the shipping cost.

200 e-mails, and they keep copying and pasting the same three phrases, saying absolutely nothing. They tell me to go to FedEx's Web site, and I keep telling them that I know that it's there, but that you need some kind of account to access the info, which requires a code, which I must get from them.

Their "online support" feature on their Web site was active for the first time ever today, so I asked there too, many, many times, and got one single reply saying the same as in the e-mails.

Either these people are <snip>, scammers (who don't have a FedEx account number) or robots.

Even not replying at all is better than these stupid, not-having-read-the-contents-of-your-letter replies. These people have wasted a week worth of getting my store up in the search engines thanks to them being unable to answer simple questions. <snip>

PS: This isn't the only company ignoring my questions and replying with BS, and this despite of me always being professional and friendly (in the first letters).

<snip> Also, if you have any good alternatives (preferarly run by people who know how to answer an e-mail), let me know!

[edited by: trillianjedi at 9:14 pm (utc) on Sep. 22, 2005]
[edit reason] See sticky [/edit]

jessejump

1:17 pm on Sep 23, 2005 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



I don't know the answer to the FedEx problem, but I would stop sending emails after 3 times - not 200 times. What a waste of time.

KimmoA

3:16 pm on Sep 23, 2005 (gmt 0)



jessejump: So you give up all your work just because of some stupid support guy?

DoppyNL

4:00 pm on Sep 23, 2005 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



call UPS.

stajer

4:31 pm on Sep 23, 2005 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



The Fedex XML API is very extensive. You do need a Fedex account number and an approval code to use the API, but both are free. Just search for "XML API" on fedex.com.

You can do a rate check with just the shipper's zipcode - you do not need their account number. They probably don't want to give out their fedex account number because then you would see their discounted ship rates and realize how much they are making from shipping mark up alone.

HRoth

5:39 pm on Sep 23, 2005 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Try calling them instead. I have dealt with them often by phone, and they are okay that way.

KimmoA

6:28 pm on Sep 23, 2005 (gmt 0)



stajer: I've been hearing bad stuff about this company, but finding the "source" is next to impossible. At least I've searched for ages. Search engines are useless for this -- they are full of scams and BS. I need somebody to give me a personal advice, but I doubt he or she will, as that would potentially lower his/her income.

HRoth: If by "them", you mean the dropshipper, they don't have a telphone number listed (good sign, eh?). However, that doesn't bother me. It's the fact that they are so ignorant even when they do reply...

If you mean FedEx, I just don't see the point. I still need their account number. Really.

While typing this, I got an e-mail from the dropshipper: "Unfortunately, we customer service do not have the FeDex number."

Oookay... I wonder what they expect me to do. Make up the delivery cost? I guess that must be what they want me to do.

BradleyT

7:57 pm on Sep 23, 2005 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Why can't you sign up for fedex yourself and use your dropshippers zipcode for the calculations?

That's what we do.

KimmoA

8:36 pm on Sep 23, 2005 (gmt 0)



BradleyT: I guess I got scared when they REQUIRED me to input credit card information. As if there are fees.

What do you have to say about that?

mcavic

9:00 pm on Sep 23, 2005 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



I guess I got scared when they REQUIRED me to input credit card information

I signed up for a Fedex account a couple of weeks ago just to get the inbound delivery notifications, gave my card #, and haven't been charged.

They probably just require it because they assume you're going to be sending shipments.

So you give up all your work just because of some stupid support guy?

No, but when one thing doesn't work, we try something else.

KimmoA

9:46 pm on Sep 23, 2005 (gmt 0)



Okay, so I just decided to do the signup with the credit card and all, when I realized that it only had USA and Canada listed among countries. I tried anyway, and then it nags me for using an "incorrect" address. Okay, so I can't use FedEx because I live in Sweden?

What is this?

mcavic

10:01 pm on Sep 23, 2005 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Manage My Account -> Go to My Fedex -> Sign Up Now

And I get Sweden and lots of other choices.

KimmoA

10:11 pm on Sep 23, 2005 (gmt 0)



There are two different accounts. One is the FedEx.com account, and then there's another one inside that. For some reason.