Postage rate not working, adds cost regardless of weight

[MServitus]

Shopsite USPS shipping module yields improper postage amount.
Initial charge with one item of weight = .0125 ten/lbs gives .42 charge for first class (FC), regardless if its letter, flat or parcel.
It should be .42 for Letter, .83 for Flat, and 1.17 for parcel.
Then, when a second item of .0125 tenth/pounds is added, the .42 starting charge is added again.
There should be NO increase in postage until weight reachs .0625. ( 5 items at .0125)
Even when a second postage step is crossed, the increase should be .17 for FCM-letter, not .42
Lastly, postage amount of .42 for all container types. ( letter, flat, & parcel)

Where is the "use proper shipping calculations" check box that I suspect I missed.??

I am including several relevent settings here:
--------------
commerce Setup, US Postal Service Shipping
checks in First Class Mail, Priority, FC International
and Priority International.
Max weight per package - blank
Minimim order weight .03
Missing product Min. weight .03
Missing Prod. Max weights blank

handling charge enable. checked
Handling charge base = zero ( for testing only, fails the same with higher value here)
On the specific product that I am using to test with,
Weight 0.01 lb
ship by weight only - checked
LxWxH blank
check for NO shipping charges. not checked
Shipping Container = first class Flat

[Jim]

When a container is selected for a product, the shipping calculation assumes that that product will be in its own container by itself. The weight is not taken into consideration for adding multiple items to come up to some weight level. The only time multiple items will be combined is if no container type is specified.

[MServitus]

This is interesting. The Shop site USPS module requires you to specify a package type ( just like the post office does) before it will offer First Class shipping as an option.
Once you specify a package TYPE, then each ITEM requires its own package.??
So if I want to sell ONE widget, it takes the minimum postage of 42 cents and one envelope.
If they want 100 widgets, ( total weigth of 10 ounces) Shopsite will charge them 100 x .42 for 42 dollars in postage for the 10 ounce shipment.

Assuming I can talk my customers into that ( very unlikely), what should I do with the extra 99 envelopes.

My real questions. 1. Is my understanding of SS process here correct.?
2. Is there any way to get current Shopsite software to put more than one item in a package for postage computations.
3. Is it likely that Shopsite might consider a software "enhancement" that better mates up to reality.?

thanks.

[Jim]

Answers to your question by number.
1. Yes that is the way it currently works and the way it has worked for other shipping package types since the UPS integration was added in version 6.0 back in 2002.

2. If you don't specify the USPS Shipping Container: and leave the Shipping Dimensions: set to Ship by weight only, then the products will all be placed in a single container up to the Maximum Package Weight you configure on the USPS shipping screen.

3. I have entered an enhancement request to allow multiple products to be shipped in a single package for First Class shipping as long as the weight doesn't exceed the First Class rate.

[MServitus]

thanks for your reply. One of the great things I have enjoyed about working with Shopsite for almost 15 years now is the quality of support available from this forum and elsewhere.
Jim's answer to question 2..
2. If you don't specify the USPS Shipping Container: and leave the Shipping Dimensions: set to Ship by weight only, then the products will all be placed in a single container up to the Maximum Package Weight you configure on the USPS shipping screen.

I understand that without a specified container, Shopsite's USPS module will not offer the customer First Class shipping. The first type of shipping offered is USPS Priority. Is that correct.?? no container, no first class shipping option?

[Jim]

Yes that is the way it currently works. First class is designated only for a single item per shipping package.

[circlekstrings]

I just posted a similar problem with FedEx calcualtions
http://support.shopsite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6616

is there something similar for this?

thanks in advance