Shipping rules.

[KiaKat]

I'm setting up the shipping rules for several e-commerce sites. Some of them are insanely complex. i.e. "well, if it's THIS combination of items, then THIS is what needs to happen," and "standard rates? No, we use THESE rates! Negotiated, because we're a research company!"

But the thing that's killing me? They have dimensional weights. NO ONE uses dimensional weights anymore, unless it's involving freight! DAFUQ, PEOPLE.

My head is trying to burrow through my desk.

Honestly, it's not so much the dimensional weights as it is them not TELLING us this until THIS WEEK. The project has been going on for SIX MONTHS and is supposed to launch in a week.

AUGH!

[AmbrosiaWriter]

Well... actually dimensional weights are still in use for things other than freight . They're really common. When I worked at a shipping company we basically had to calculate dimensional weights vs actual weights to figure out which price to give to the client.

But... yeah all the rest of that just sounds like unnecessary fustercluck.

[ADeMartino]

Yeah, DimWeights are still pretty common for 'expedited' shipments (anything involving a plane), and even on some ground shipments, and where I used to work, you had to use DimWeight if any single measurement of a box exceeded a certain length - REGARDLESS of whether expedited or ground. DimWeights were calculated at a hideous premium, often doubling or even tripling the 'actual weight' shipping costs. It's just another way to stick it to the customer.

[Krivak]

Lucky I dont deal with the business end of the dimensional weights, but i still deal with the boxes. There are some really large boxes that come through that i tell people "Well, here's someone else shipping a bunch of air." Namely, boxes that i i can pick it up with a pinky because nearly 100% of the weight is the box itself, and not the item. With those items, you cannot place them at the bottom, nor have any weight on top of them, due to the other items (And damn, some boxes weigh tons) that could crush it. Wastes space on the container that goes on the airplane for a next day delivery.

Any more last minute changes? It's nearly 2 days left to launch, so usually that means they have a whole list of changes to lunge at you with last minute.