USPS Server down?

[BestFriends General Store]

Re: USPS Server down?

Oh dear...after we received only handling charges on more orders today I looked in the forum. I had no idea that there were error pages showing up on my site. I wondered why all of the sudden orders dropped off. They keep coming in groups.
I wonder if there is anyway MIVA could notify us when a BIG problem like this happens. Then we would figure out how we need to handle it.

[wcw]

Re: USPS Server down?

You can install a module, Restock Shelves, that will delete your expired baskets at whatever frequency you set, e.g. every two hours. It can also send you an email telling you the status of those deleted baskets. For example, it can tell you how many were abandoned that actually had products in them. A jump in that number would be a red flag that there was something wrong. You can also look at the report and see trends and expected abandoned rates. It also has a sales saver feature that tells you the customer info and what they had in the basket. You might be able to salvage some of those lost sales that were due to a shipping server down. More info and screen shots of this $20 module are at http://www.emporiumplus.com/go/wcw/PROD/1AA/1AA00067

[BestFriends General Store]

Re: USPS Server down?

I purchased this module a year ago and just found out that I never installed it. I just installed it. Thanks Bill for waking me up.

[Tom Young]

Re: USPS Server down?

For what it's worth I just received this message from USPS:

Message to Click-N-Ship® Users

The Postal Service website, usps.com, is working with minor interruptions and we continue to make progress resolving any remaining issues that may exist. We apologize again for the inconvenience this has caused our valued customers and business partners, we thank you for your patience, and we look forward to being able to provide the quality level of service you can expect from the U.S. Postal Service.
While some customers still may experience difficulties, the majority of transactions should process without incident. Customers who may not be able to complete a final transaction on Click-N-Ship should remember that no credit card will be billed unless a label is printed.
Should any problems arise, customers still are able to use Endicia.com and Stamps.com for their online shipping needs. Please visit usps.com for regular progress updates or call 1-800-ASK-USPS if you have any questions.
Again, we thank you for your patience as we work toward the solution.

[Bobdawebmaster]

Re: USPS Server down?

I reverted back to U.S.P.S. 4.2401 from 4.2406 and the runtime error goes away. However, the previous problem with MIVA charging only the Base Handing Charge recurs. After the customer enters the shipper and buyer info and clicks [CONTINUE] they see U.S.P.S. priority mail $5.45. THey select that and their payment method and click [CONTINUE]. On this page they can see U.S.P.S. Priority Mail $0.65 (my handling fee) instead of keep the amount returned by U.S.P.S. rate server on the previous page. This make me suspect there is a problem with the MIVA USPS shipping module. MIVA released 4.2406 around 11/20/2008 to fix this problem and additionally, the problem of not having USPS show up as an option at all for domestic (USA) shipments. It does not affect International Shipments in either module so the idea of creating a Flat Rate file for USPS Priority Mail USA is a good one but the others should not be necessary.

As for U.S.P.S. working to resolve the problem. The aren't. Calling their customer Care gets you a prerecorded message which is repeated several times while you wait for a representative. The message basically says they (USPS) are aware of the server issues (and specifically mentions APIs) and are working to resolve the problems. The representative answers and tells you their servers are down. You mention MIVA and get, "I can't help you with MIVA issues. The problem is with their software. They issued a fix but we're still getting calls. They (MIVA) are the only ones having problems."

Also, kind of peculiar, MIVA USPS Shipping 4.2401 gives you a place to enter your USPS password. 4.2406 does not.

Since my posting above, there were several comments on the return of a zero fee or just the handling fee. I want to make sure we were on the same sheet of music as far as symptoms.

An important point: When I ran test orders, I entered the shipper and buyer info and clicked [CONTINUE] I COULD see U.S.P.S. priority mail $5.45 I selected that and my payment method and clicked [CONTINUE]. On this page I saw U.S.P.S. Priority Mail $0.65 (my handling fee) instead of the amount returned by U.S.P.S. rate server on the previous page.

The USPS server WAS returning rates (in this case the correct rate of $4.80 for my Prioirity Mail Shipment).

Another: Originally, I was having the problem with Domestic Orders only. International Orders were going through. After updating to the patch/fix USPS Module ver. 4.2406, International would not work when Domestic wasn't working. IE, I couldn't get any shipping options at all. Also, testing with this module (during the server fiasco), I would be missing shipping options some shipping options and the Pay With drop down menu was missing.

Finally, the error: Runtime error in /Merchant2/4.23/modules/shipping/mvusps.mvc @ [00000062:000000de]: mvusps.mv: Line 1677: MvCALL: Read Error: Connection reset by peer

was only occuring with USPS Module ver. 4.2406

Searching posts in the forums here, for 'Line 1677' and you find similar occurances in Apr and May of 2007.

Hope that gives some of you Brains (envy on my part, not sarcasm) some ideas....

BobDaWebmaster

[Barrett]

Re: USPS Server down?

We are using the Viking USPS Advanced.
I have not had any reports of anomalies pulling rates or when I have tested it at random.
No phone calls for shipping rate failure.
Haven't noticed any abandoned baskets although we haven't kept totally on top of that.

We also run UPS rates so I suppose that is how we have gotten away with it still active,

[adam2003w]

Re: USPS Server down?

any word on the progress on this?

I see USPS is still showing the problem is not resolved:
http://www.usps.com/homearea/onlines...erruptions.htm

[Tom Young]

Re: USPS Server down?

This morning they say at usps.com:

"All online systems have been restored. Thank you for your patience."

Tom

[CybrHost]

Re: USPS Server down?

Where does it say that at?

http://www.usps.com/homearea/onlines...erruptions.htm

Online System Interruptions:Updates as of December 14, 2008 7:00p.m. ET

The Postal Service has experienced intermittent system interruptions on usps.com. We apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused. We are hopeful that full service, across the country, will be restored as soon as possible. We thank you again for your patience.

--
Thank you,
Gary Hodder
Support
--
CybrHost Corp. - http://www.cybrhost.com/ - [email protected]
+1-866-300-MIVA - Professional Miva & E-Commerce web hosting services.

[CybrHost]

Re: USPS Server down?

Can anyone confirm that the USPS servers are working 100% now?

--
Thank you,
Gary Hodder
Support
--
CybrHost Corp. - http://www.cybrhost.com/ - [email protected]
+1-866-300-MIVA - Professional Miva & E-Commerce web hosting services.

[Meander]

Re: USPS Server down?

I've had to ship a couple of packages today and Endicia worked fine. Orders that came in yesterday also showed no problems.

[klassic]

Re: USPS Server down?

USPS Servers are never working 100%. I can say that they are working at about 95-99% according to my estimates. We still have issues accessing the rate servers occasionally. Sometimes it is any server, sometimes just Express Mail, sometimes International, sometimes Delivery Confirmation. All seem to be having intermittent issues.

[Red Flare]

Re: USPS Server down?

So it looks like this is finally resolved. Anyone still having issues with USPS?