bobshop has released new shipping functionality that has been developed after consultation with a number of sellers.  In a nutshell, the new shipping system enables sellers to configure their shipping charges so that the system will automatically calculate the shipping charges for buyers during the order process (rather than relying on buyers to enter the shipping charge based on a text description provided by the seller).

Sellers can now set up multiple customised shipping methods and multiple customised product classes, with corresponding shipping rates.

Once shipping rates have been set up, when a buyer places an order with the seller, the buyer is given an option to select a shipping method from all the shipping methods offered. The system will then attempt to calculate the total shipping charge based on the information provided by the seller. However,  the buyer is still given an option to edit the total shipping charge. The system will alert the seller if the amount entered by the buyer is different to the amount calculated by the system.

When creating / editing shipping methods a seller can also optionally set insurance based on a percentage of the total order value. If a fixed rate for insurance is desired then the seller would need to include this in the base shipping rate and indicate that insurance is included in the shipping method name and/or the product class descriptions. The seller can also optionally set a minimum amount for free shipping e.g. if the total order value is over R1,000 then shipping is free (even if you have to set this relatively high it has been proven to be a great marketing tool to increase your average basket size).

When creating / editing shipping product classes, a particular product class can be set as the default such that if no product class is associated with an item during item creation then that product class will be used by default. As with the old system sellers can include a text description on each product class (make sure that what you say in this text description does not conflict with the rest of your settings).

Where possible we strongly recommend simplifying shipping information and rates as much as possible (if necessary increasing them slightly in one case and reducing them in another). For example if you normally charged R30 to courier to major locations and R45 for remote locations, consider charging a flat rate of R35 or R40 for anywhere in South Africa depending on where you ship to most based on your historical information.  The easier it is for buyers to understand the better and ultimately the less admin there will be involved for you. Also, to make the conversion to the new shipping system easier for you, before setting rates we recommend first deleting all shipping product classes that you don't need (remember you can set a default so even if you delete a product class that is being used it will revert to using the default).

Some additional shipping functionality for more advanced use allow sellers to prevent certain shipping methods from being available for certain product classes. By default all shipping methods are enabled for all shipping product classes however certain shipping methods can be disabled for specific product classes. A seller may want do this where for example they have an international shipping method and a product class for really big bulky items (which cannot be shipped internationally), the international shipping method can then be disabled for items of that particular product class such that if a buyer has any items classified as big bulky items in their order they will not be offered the international shipping method.

If you have Buy Now items listed you can also now test exactly what your buyers will see whilst you are still logged in as yourself (the system now allows you to proceed through the order process for your own items except for the final confirmation step). As far as possible we recommended that you review your shipping settings as if you were a buyer and make sure it is as clear and simple as possible.

This new shipping functionality is available to all sellers. Note that your shipping will work exactly how it worked on the old system until you make changes to your shipping methods, product classes and shipping rates using the new system.