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1. snackd
   Member
   Posted 1 year ago #

   This is a general question. I'm a user of both WP an WP E-Commerce, but haven't settled on a particular platform for this project. I'm still looking for the best platform for this unusual challenge:

   I am trying to set up a web store for a business that sells used music equipment. Much of what they sell is large and fragile (it's really more like an antique store than guitar center). For this reason, it's very hard to estimate shipping cost before the item is packed. And since this is a brick-and-mortar store, these items are on the floor -- they can't be packed up before they're sold.

   So my problem is that I need to be able to calculate shipping after the item sells, and then add it into the total and re-invoice.

   Anyone found a way to do this using wp e-commerce or anything at all???

2. elfin
   Moderator
   Posted 1 year ago #

   Well if sell via Paypal, for example, you can raise an invoice via Paypal.

3. snackd
   Member
   Posted 1 year ago #

   sure but if you do that, your cms is going to get out of sync. at that point, why even sell things on your site? why not just have a static catalog & say "email me a payment if you want to buy something...." ;)

4. elfin
   Moderator
   Posted 1 year ago #

   To which I could answer, why not work out the shipping before hand ;)

   I don't know of any system where additional charges can be raised, but I've only used a few carts myself.

   You are already telling people that shipping is extra, so another option would be a generic item where a customer can enter an amount, or you specify one and send them a link.

5. snackd
   Member
   Posted 1 year ago #

   I know it's a ridiculous problem and horrible way to interact with one's customers. But that's just how it has to be this time. :( It's just not possible to calculate shipping for all products. Whenever it's at all even close to possible, I'll make sure it happens and all this can be avoided.

   So. What I'm really looking for is a system that allows for an conditional (ie, for some but not all products) extra step or state between the customer making up his mind, and actually paying. I'd like to take the order total, add a new line to it with an arbitrary charge, then re-send an invoice, which has a link back to the same invoice on our webportal.

6. elfin
   Moderator
   Posted 1 year ago #

   Your best bet is to try each and every plugin until you find one that can do it, I'll save you some time and tell you eShop can't.

7. snackd
   Member
   Posted 1 year ago #

   well, i can confidently say that wp e-commerce won't do it either out of the box. The truth is, I don't think there's ANY e-commerce platform on the net that is built to do this out of the box. My situation, quite simply, does not map to the dominant e-commerce narative/metaphor.

   But I know that other folks have dealt with similar problems. someone somewhere has a solution.

8. elfin
   Moderator
   Posted 1 year ago #

   Yes most people don't, the only time I have come across it, they utilised a separate product with varying amounts specifically to allow people to pay in instalments - however even that was not tied to the existing primary order.

9. snackd
   Member
   Posted 1 year ago #

   WOW. it's looking bleak. it doesn't seem like it would be so very hard to make a plugin for WP E-commerce that changed the interaction like that..... basically, just check for the following at the point of "checkout confirmation":

   1. Are any of the items marked as "calculate shipping later"?
   2. Is the buyer international?
   3. Has the buyer specified special shipping requirements of their own?

   If the answer is NO to ALL of these, then complete the transaction normally.
   If the answer is YES to ANY of these, then do this:

   1. mark the transaction as pending.
   2. At this point, we calculate shipping and handling costs, add this amount to the total, and re-invoice.
   3. An email is sent to the buyer with a new total & a link back to our site, where the buyer can finalize the transaction & pay.

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