Question about setting up 2 merchants

[everchanging]

Hi guys (this is the second topic that I have open)... unfortunately...

In this case I am asking more about a drop of wisdom rather than a programming problem...

Let us assume that I have the following case:

Merchant 1, has 2 products:
--------------------------------
Product A
Product B

Merchant 2, has 1 product:
-------------------------------
Product C


And let us assume that the two merchants are located in 2 different cities.

Now, a customer decides to buy Product A, B and C...
Which means that 2 different parcels will be shipped to the customer...
One from merchant A and one from merchant B...

How do I set up the shipping costs?

If I set them, ship product individually... than the customer would have to pay 3 shipping rates...
I believe that Flat shipping rate, will not work in this case either...

I mean how do I combine the shipping rates in this case?
Is there a way to group items A and B or something?

I have no idea how to do that, so any insights are more than welcomed...

[llegrand]

This is a an extension in the MarketPlace that may help you out

https://marketplace.abantecart.com/supplier

Note the AbanteCart versions that are currently supported  only go thur 1.2.10.   I have asked him a couple of times if he is going to update a couple of months ago he indicated he was,  but so far the are not there.  So if you have interest make a comment and ask him for a verison for your AbanteCart installation.

[everchanging]

Hi llegrand and thanks for the quick reply...

apparently it may be the one...

but besides a payed extension... does the core/default abantecart have such options available?

[llegrand]

There is nothing that works quite right IMO.   Here's the issue,  each of your drop shippers may use a different carrier -  and the distances may be different zones ,  that seems to be what that extension overcomes. 

There is  a default shipping extension included in your AbanteCart called weight based shipping -  that could perhaps give you a solution. Although it will require you to do some great estimating work  to try and get close to a correct shipping cost.   Here is some info in the manual:

https://abantecart.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/AD/pages/17203397/Weight+Based

[everchanging]

Hi llegrand,

currently I am trying to combine weight-based and item shipping but...

as you said, I cannot find a clear solution as stated in the above example...

is there a way to group products coming from a wholesaler...

like in the above example...

if the customer buys the two products from wholesaler A, to group these items in one shipment and the Product C, coming from the other Wholesaler, in the second package... total of 2 packages based on weightbased shipments... or something like that

[llegrand]

No -  that would require some type of flag at the product page level to channel it into "bucket" for each wholesaler.   And that requires coding to make that happen.

[everchanging]

I believe you just described it correctly of what I want to do...

So, abantecart does not have something like that correct?

Meaning that it would require an extension? I believe the one that you provided me with?

I am asking because I have no idea> 

[llegrand]

No there is nothing in the default cart that accomplishes this.

Please look at the screen shots on that extension -  there is one that shows how the shipping from various suppliers is displayed -  it is quite clear to the customer and it appears that EACH supplier can offer different shipper extensions.

Just be sure the extension is available for your AbanteCart version .

This is not an extension we have used,  I have been waiting for a version that works on 1.2.11 or 1.2.12 for our use. 

[everchanging]

Hi,

Currently I am using AbanteCart Version 1.2.12...

As an extension it "most probably" (not 100% sure though) it appears that it could provide me with that option...

Apparently, a work around is currently not available I guess... 

Finally, I would like to thank you llegrand for all your insights and time you did spend to help me out... thank you