Loaded Commerce Community

Hello,
New to the forum community so I hope I am posting in the right place. I am using B2B Ver. 4x.. I have a several products that I would like the customer to view, but when they try to add it to the shopping cart I would like to display "Please call for shipping" and then handle the transaction over the phone. Certain Items we ship requires packaging and handling that varies shipping cost.
I have done the obvious things, like adding text to product info like please call for shipping rates but customers still add to the card and follow through with the processing anyway. I then have to call them back and explain the additional cost. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Steve

Hi Steve,

(Does B2B Ver. 4x = Cre B2B version 4 ?! Wow.)

Retailers I've worked with who can't get a shipping module that hooks into a shipper database that can calculate it for them have generally avoided all this 'cost specific' shipping - time on the phone costs money basically. And getting people to phone is a barrier so costs online customers, esp if another site has it all sorted online. Convenience, bottom line.

Many have gone with a flat rate plus additional per item charge, and this is easy to setup on the cart too and people understand the idea that 3 items generally cost more to ship than 1.

If this doesn't work and yer talkin only 'several products' in particular, why not just build the shipping into the product price (take the hit on sales to Hawaii) and advertise free shipping!? All depends on what yer sellin I suppose.

Shipping / handling is a hassle - customers don't wanna pay it; retailers battle with the complexity of distance and options.

My 5c,
Simon

Hi Simon,
Thanks for the suggestion. After reading your post I went into multi-vendor shipping and added a new vendor labeled Call. I then set it up as a Store Pickup. I was able to add from text that states "Pickup during location hours or call for shipping rates." Now when the customer adds this to their cart and checks out they will know they have to either pick it up or call for a rate.
These items, according to my client have so many variables that he said it would be easier just to call. This works out great for now until we can figure out some other way to do this. Again, thanks for the suggestion.
Steve

Wow, Cre version 4 and mvs? I'm thinking perhaps a few more details mighta helped in the OP ...
good result though!

Simon