A recent Shopify update has been nothing short of disastrous. Shopify now automatically selects the cheapest shipping method at checkout, completely ignoring the shipping method order. This means that even if I reorder shipping methods using a third-party app, customers will still find the cheapest option automatically selected from the shipping method list. But the key question is: Is the cheapest option always the most suitable? What strange and foolish logic is this from Shopify’s product managers?
In reality, we offer customers diverse shipping options. Yet the cheapest choice isn’t always the best fit. For instance, tracked letters cost more than untracked letters. While some budget-conscious customers might opt for untracked shipping, we typically prioritize tracked letters as the first option to ensure better service. Recently, however, countless customers have been defaulted to the cheapest shipping method—often not what they intended. In reality, many customers don’t carefully read the descriptions under shipping options; they often choose based solely on price. This significantly increases the cost of subsequent customer communication.
Moreover, this product manager’s logic is clearly flawed. An open technical architecture inherently allows third-party apps to support more options. Some customers want to customize their shipping list, while others prioritize the cheapest option. Both needs could be accommodated. Why must Shopify so simplistically and rigidly define “the optimal solution”? Is the cheapest option truly optimal? In reality, our free shipping service is a consolidated order service. This has led to a recent surge of customers mistakenly placing orders under the “consolidated order” shipping category. Does Shopify’s misguided product manager really expect customers to carefully read the fine print under shipping options???
I believe Shopify’s product manager should be fired. I’ve never seen such an arbitrary, heavy-handed, and simplistic design approach. This has caused a massive disaster.
Hi @Kanjess These are the peer to peer forums.
For formal complains, or possible bugs, contact shopify DIRECTLY: http://help.shopify.com/
lulul “open”.., do you even know how many PM"s there are in a company that big.
Your the guest in the sandbox of a billion dollar companies it will always be like this.
The type of logic that has to serve BILLIONS for higher conversion, not just your personal needs or misconfigurations.
When enough customers always look for the lowest shipping skipping that friction increases conversion.
And that means $$$$$ for a platform with 5+ MILLION merchants.
So without hundreds of thousands merchants complaining changes don’t get rolled back.
With 5million/1 as a ratio is 5Mil to 1.
Your venting into a sewer drain.
Reread your post, alot of the problems are pre-existing conditions that are just being exacerbated.
Build better internal defense against systemic changes.
Treat such changes as fact, barring bugs, then move on and create processes resilient enough that it doesn’t matter; or use a different ecom stack.
Otherwise your entire process it built on the whims of a publicly traded company.
Your explanation, or “defense,” doesn’t make me feel any better. In fact, that’s not the core issue. The real question is: why did Shopify compress an open logic into a single, flat logic?
You could argue that large corporations simply prefer quick, easy solutions and the cheapest shipping options. That’s perfectly fine. But the key point is: Shopify’s shipping method logic was previously open-ended. You could find numerous apps in the Shopify App Store offering various sorting and selection rules. That was excellent.
So why, suddenly one day, did they decide to neuter all that logic? In fact, the third-party app I use explicitly told me that due to Shopify’s recent changes, they’re now powerless to help. They only confirmed Shopify’s modifications and their own helplessness today. What’s the justification for turning an open architecture into something that leaves so many dissatisfied? It’s like overturning the dining table and telling everyone they can only eat one dish—what’s the reason for that? The point is, previously there were many chefs offering diverse ingredients. Did this affect Shopify in any way?
Finally, Shopify is huge and has many product managers. But so what? Shopify is big—so what? Tencent is even bigger than Shopify. Does that mean I, as a Tencent product manager, can justifiably berate Shopify’s product managers?
A few hours ago, Shopify staff responded to this post. As far as we can tell, the issue has been resolved. Yes, Shopify itself recognized that its modification contained an error.
Currently, when the shipping method list is reordered, the cheapest shipping method will no longer be selected by default.
By the way, what kind of logic is it to immediately bring up Shopify’s defense before clarifying, figuring things out, and facing the real problem?
These are the peer to peer forums.