Shipping module service and invalid rates

[ids]

Not sure where this topic should go.

Occasionally, a client has orders with $0.00 in the shipping charge when the client has no scenario for this. I am unable to reproduce the problem, and I can't consider this bug without more information. The scenario happened again just recently with slightly more information available where two orders used the same shipping service within a two-hour window. Again, I couldn't reproduce the issue. I've concluded that for some reason the Fedex Web Services module wasn't able to return the valid rates for these orders at the time the order was being placed.

Is this a bug or feature failure of some sort? In this store, these orders didn't qualify for Free Shipping, but $0.00 was returned for the most expensive shipping services. It's possible that the module couldn't connect to the Fedex server (in this case) and the shipping cost resorted to Zero at that moment. I think this scenario needs to be flagged somehow in the module.

If not a module solution, what page/section in checkout would be the best place to check for invalid rates being returned from the shipping module. My thought here is to do a real-time check that shipping rates work for the order.

Scott

[wmgilligan]

We had this happen years ago. If I recall correctly - there was no fallback shipping method.
I also seem to recall having to look all over to find out why - maybe one item had a shipping method required that failed? Or... been a long time... hopefully this helps give you some ideas.
Bill

[ids]

Thanks, Bill. I'd gone through every scenario I could test for the same product items. Couldn't repro. But, I just looked and there isn't a fallback scenario enabled. I could turn that on and set a price for sure. But the question is, what will be the shipping method description when it falls back? I'm not sure what the sequence is. When a customer starts checkout, reaches OSEL, is this where the fallback option is offered? If the Fedex server returns invalid rates, I wouldn't want the Next Day option in the list so the customer could choose it.

Scott

[delcorsets]

ids Scott, we just had an almost identical situation. On the 18th we had two different orders, both FedEx, where the shipping charge came in at $0.00. One was a FedEx Express Saver and the other was a FedEx Standard Overnight. Expensive shipping options that were charged as $0 to the customer for no apparent reason. One order came in around 5:30pm and the other around 7:55 both on Sunday 7/18/21.

[ids]

Thanks, Psydde. Yep, the two orders were from the 18th also. One order was 2-Day, the other was Standard Overnight. These orders are listed in Order Processing at a time between 7 am - 9 am Pacific. Looks like there was an issue with the Fedex Server returning valid rates.

Do you have a Fallback configured in this store?

Scott

[delcorsets]

Yes, we do have fallback shipping configured but it didn't kick in.. maybe I have it set up wrong?


Screen Shot 2021-07-20 at 8.08.22 PM.png

[ids]

You don't have the Fallback Shipping Options checkbox filled.

Scott

[s1b]

Hi,
I had the same thing happen on Sunday. I believe the FedEx Server that retrieves the rates/labels was down. It is happening again today within the last hour or so. I have a fallback method setup and whenever it is assigned as the ship to method I have a general idea that something is happening on the FedEx site. If a shopper is checking out when the FedEx system is down/not communicating with Miva the only option that shows up for the customer is the fallback method.
I have also found that if I am in Miva Admin while the FedEx system is down, I also do not get any rates when editing the order and using "recalculate shipping."

As I am writing this, Miva and Quickbooks are not communicating with FedEx so I am creating shipping labels manually at fedex.com. Also, new orders are coming in with the fall back method only.

[ids]

Wow. Thanks for that detailed info s1b!

Scott