FedEx provider needs update - move to GitHub?

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Katie
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Re: FedEx provider needs update - move to GitHub?

Post by Katie » Wed Mar 14, 2018 1:45 pm

If your shipping application is intended for resale, you must be a member of FedEx® Compatible to integrate FedEx functionality into your solution.
You have to understand that we had a really great relationship with FedEx at one time, but that was a long time ago when there were only a few shopping cart solutions integrated with their services. Everything changed some years ago when they made some new requirements, and when we were not able to comply with their terms, the integration was forced out of AbleCommerce.

I'm going to try and submit the application again. There is a place on the form to add 1 reference, and I would need to provide Fedex some details on that. Does anyone want to 'speak out' on our behalf? Assuming it gets that far. I'll submit the application every week if I have to!
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Re: FedEx provider needs update - move to GitHub?

Post by bugman » Thu Mar 15, 2018 2:36 am

Katie - does FX give you any reaqson as to WHY your application is being denied?? (pretty hard to correct something if you don't know what's wrong, isn't it... (and I know FX can be this way sometimes!))

I think assigning some resources to the unsupported connector is a good move. In actuality, it gets the job done just fine (my experience overall so far), but it is definitely long in the tooth. When I had the issue a few months ago of the FX mothership only returning LIST rates rather than my discounts, I spoke with FX tech support multiple times, got them to look at the xml rate requests my site was sending, they noted that the requests were structured according to pretty old versions of the FX Web Services Developers Guide, they strongly suggested the code be updated if we want the confidence that it will continue to work going forward. (So, YES - please do that!)

And while your guys are in there, might I suggest that you modify the code so that we could select either Use List Rates, or Use Contract Rates. And also make it so it will accept a NEGATIVE handling charge for each service (so if we choose Use List Rates we can apply a discount off list (rather than having to ADD a handling charge to our negotiated rates). I had my site developer modify my copy to accept negative handling charge, and it worked great. (He did NOT modify so we could CHOOSE list or contract rates, so as it is, if the FX mothership hiccups on me again, I would have to catch it and change to negative hdl fee, and then watch it to see when the mothership corrects and go back in & change back to positive hdl fee (royal PITA but at least a workaround). If you like, I'd be happy to share the negative hdl fee code he did do with you, at least that's half of the mod that's needed?

THANKS for your willingness to pursue this!

(And I'm still willing to hep in any way I can if you want to continue to press for the full supported integration.)
Thanks!

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Re: FedEx provider needs update - move to GitHub?

Post by bugman » Thu Mar 15, 2018 2:53 am

KATIE - just saw your last post after I submitted my one above.

YES - I would absolutely be happy to be listed as a reference, speak on your behalf, whatever I could do to help in this. I'm sure I'm not a huge fish in the big scheme of things, but between the two companies I own that use FedEx, I do spend a few dollars with them (gross charges of between $1.5M - $2M annually).
Thanks!

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Re: FedEx provider needs update - move to GitHub?

Post by bugman » Sun Aug 25, 2019 1:26 pm

KATIE -

I'm perusing the forum this weekend looking for help on another issue I'm having, I came across this thread from last year.

Any movement on this?

You had said you were going to assign some developer resources tho this... any results?

I suspect there are still a lot of us out there who'd like to have a reliable chunk of code to just get rate quotes using our FedEx credentials...
Thanks!

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Re: FedEx provider needs update - move to GitHub?

Post by Katie » Thu Aug 29, 2019 11:31 am

I gave it my best shot and decided to take a different path to certification. Instead, I took a chance and had our dev team develop a full Fedex integration using their current version. We have rating, tracking, the ability to print shipping labels, and address validation services. The integration was completed for our new version 9 and we submitted our application (again). This time I was quite hopeful because I received a human response! We were actually assigned to a rep who I could talk with about our app. Days, weeks, and then months started going by and he kept telling me that it was being reviewed by the higher-ups. Then I received a notification indicating that our application was denied. It was an auto-cancellation notice, the same ones I received for the prior two years of trying to get this done. I did reach out one last time to the person who was assigned to our case, but he never replied.
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Re: FedEx provider needs update - move to GitHub?

Post by bugman » Thu Aug 29, 2019 11:59 am

You have GOT to be frickin' kidding me!!

I just can't understand that... I cannot imagine why FX would not want to approve something you developed that could potentially bring them a LOT of revenue... just doesn't make sense.

Would you mind if I stirred the pot a little with the regional guy I know in Atlanta (Errol Randolph, District Sales Manager)?

I also now have a line of communication with HIS boss, Becca (Rebecca) Schumaker, Managing Director of the Southern Region (I think she is only a few layers below Fred Smith (Founder & CEO)).
Thanks!

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Re: FedEx provider needs update - move to GitHub?

Post by Katie » Thu Aug 29, 2019 5:07 pm

Yea...almost hard to believe. It's very disappointing since we were one of the very first shopping systems to integrate with them many years ago.

You are welcome to get involved. If you need any details, just let me know.

Thanks
Katie
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