Help Please

[BrayerRidgeSoap]

I have been trying to change my shop to calculated shipping and I have entered the size to have it ship by Priority Flat Rate boxes but it is not figuring them in , for example something that would ship in a small flat rate box is showing it would be 18.87 to California. What am I doing wrong? thank you for your help

[vintageNCtreasures]

Have you selected the small flat rate box from Package preference section?

Just entering the flat rate box size in your custom box size list won't work.
You have to add the small flat rate box in the package preference section.

CS also shows the buyer the cheapest Priority option.
Depending on the buyer's zip, regular Priority might be less than the small flat rate Priority box.

The buyer will not have the option to pick between a small flat rate box or regular Priority. They'll "only" see Priority.

On your order page, you will see which type of Priority.

Listing info:
Dimensions are item + any packing, no box.
If you fold the item to mail, use that measurement.

Weight is total weight of everything.

You also have to have the item's measurements small enough for CS to fit it in that small flat rate box.

If you don't, then CS will not use that option in calculating shipping.

If you can get more than 2 items in it, then your dimensions of the item need to be small enough so CS will fit 2 in it.

[BrayerRidgeSoap]

Thank you so much for answering my question. I have added the flat rate boxes to preferences . I think my issue may be that I used the box size instead of the item size. I will try that and keep my fingers crossed. thanks again for your help

[vintageNCtreasures]

You're welcome.
What are you wanting to fit in the small flat rate box?

Can you get several in it?

[BrayerRidgeSoap]

In the small flat rate box I can fit 4 soaps and a few lip balms. and then I can fit up to 20 soaps in a flat rate padded envelope. so trying to get it worked out. I am frustrated.

[vintageNCtreasures]

Kathy might be of more help with this.
I don't use the flat rate boxes/envelopes in either shop too many different types of items and I don't want CS putting something breakable or something that won't fit in a small flat rate box or envelope based on my dimensions.

You'll probably have to tweak your item sizes to get that many to fit especially the 20 soaps and even the 4 soaps in the small FR box.

As small as the lip balms are you could probably put 1x1x1 on them.
You can put less than 1" but CS will read as 1", doesn't read fractions less than 1" (over an inch it does).

CS uses a 3-D program to fit items in a box, might stack them, put them side by side or end to end.

On the padded envelope, you'll probably have to make the height more than 1" to get CS to fit that many soaps in it.
Whatever height the soaps measure when packed in the PFRE, is the height you probably need to put on it.

It will take some trial and error to get it to work.

[BrayerRidgeSoap]

I just tried with one of my listings and it isnt working. it is showng 9.87 to ship instead of 5.25 uggh. I think I will just go back to what I was doing before.

[vintageNCtreasures]

If CS is not putting multiples in the box or envelope it has to do with your item dimensions and/or the envelope only having a 1" height.

Do you have any custom box sizes listed?

Do you have etsy's common box sizes enabled or disabled?

If CS is figuring on a regular Priority box it tells me that your item size is way to big for CS to fit multiples in the padded envelope or small flat rate box.

I convo'd Kathy to see if she could help but she might be off line by now.
I won't be back online tonight either. I'll check back tomorrow morning.

Don't give up, if you can get it set up it will work great.
Kathy has really great results with the med/lge FR boxes and regional rate boxes on huge multiple item orders.

[Former_Member]

Lisa it is all about dimensions. If you can fit 4 soaps in a small flat rate box then the dimensions of each bar can only add up to the dimensions of the box.

Off hand I think the box is something like 8x5x1.5. To get 4 in that size each item would need to be 3x2x1. That is just a rough estimate.

It would fit 2 of them end to end or 3 plus 3 which would fit in the 8 inch length. Then another row of that which would add 2 plus 2 for the width which would fit in the 5 inch width. Then of course the 1 inch height would fit the 1.5 inch height of the box.

Just an example of how things work.

[BrayerRidgeSoap]

Thank you Kathy , I will try again to get it figured out. I appreciate your help. Happy Holidays

[Former_Member]

Lisa, I wanted to add something this morning.

it took me a long time to get the exact right dimensions for my votive candle sets to fit into the flat rate boxes.

I knew I could fit perfectly fit 8 sets in the medium flat rate box. I tried and tried and finally Mike from the Etsy shipping team helped me and gave me the exact measurements I needed for this to work. It does work now.

But, of course, that is not always the cheapest way to ship. I also have regional A, regional B, large flat rate and priority 12x12x8 as box sizes so the calculated can pick out the cheapest method.

Now that being said, about the 8 fitting perfectly in the medium FR, the calculator still won't put 12 sets in a large FR. They fit in actuality but the calculator just won't do it.

I've been in contact with the Etsy shipping team about it. They are aware it is a problem and say they are trying to fix it. But my point is, sometimes it just can't work for larger numbers of items. You have to do the best you can and get as close as you can.

So far I've only had to refund once because the calculator didn't fit enough into a box. Since I've been using CS since last March, I'd say that's pretty good. I use to refund on most multiple orders.

Keep trying.

[BrayerRidgeSoap]

thank you for all the helpful information. I took your suggestion for measurments and had quite a few orders today and looks like they all came out right. :)

[vintageNCtreasures]

Glad you got the flat rate working now.

It does take some tweaking at times on the dimensions to get the calculator to fit things in a box/envelope.

Happy Thanksgiving!