HEADS UP FedEx doubled dimensions + cost on Smart Post April 9 to 19

[jingram22]

Has anyone else out there had their FedEx charges for the Smart Post ONLY  doubled during the April 9 to April 20 time period?  I had 6 shipments that I printed the label through the ebay system that had the dimensions doubled and the costs doubled. It was only my FedEx smart post, not Home delivery or Ground. All the items were different sizes, weights and zip codes delivered to, the only thing in common was it was sent smart post. Packages I sent Smart Post after those dates and before those dates are fine. EBAY has contacted FedEx but FedEx keeps denying ebay stating that it was over 60 days ago. I had to explain to both the rep and the supervisor, that it was some type of computer glitch, most likely on FedEx end because they determine the "actual cost" when it is delivered, and that cost does not show up on the shipping label pages for at least 2 to 3 weeks after it is shipped and that it does not show up on my invoice for almost 60 days. So ebay not standing up for me to FedEx is **bleep**. If the shipping account was in my name, I would have already had it fixed and I am a small mom and pop, not a huge account like Ebay. I asked the supervisor to talk to a person. But I believe if it happened to me, then there must be a lot of other sellers it has happened to that might not be aware. For my six shipments, the overcharge came to almost $90.  PLEASE look at your shipping charges for that time period. You can go into your shipping labels, go back 90 days and click on the dollar amount charged and it will show you what the estimated charge was and then what they actually charged you. The actual charge DOES NOT show up on the dollar amount you see on the shipping labels page, you have to click on it to see. Thank you. jingram22

[waterbed_bigfoot]

I know the dimensions cost is 12.00 each one on the soft package over 6 inches high that we were sending.  So we quit shipping Fed EX on soft goods and went to USPS priority mail.  Of course yours might be different but if it was 24.00 per package that would be messed up for sure.   I've been seeing complaints on Fed EX here for months since the beginning of the year.   I also compare now and if it is more for Fed EX than it goes priority mail.  I should knock on wood but I've never had a person complain yet about getting it faster. 

Changes to dimensional weight from FedEx & UPS

Dimensional weight can be confusing and generally means you’re paying more for postage than you expected. For these reasons, it’s understandable that e-commerce sellers don’t want to deal with it. If you’re not familiar with how dimensional weight works, once your box gets over 1 cubic foot (length x width x height = over 1728), you’re essentially charged for the size of the box regardless of the weight. This means that you pay a higher rate than if you were allowed to calculate the cost by the actual weight of the contents alone. Confusing, huh? For example, a 10” x 10” x 10” box has a minimum dimensional weight of 8 lbs, and even if your shipment is 3 lbs, you’ll be charged a 8 lb rate based on the package size.

FedEx Ground will be maintaining their formula for calculating dimensional weight from 2017. The divisor for this calculation is 139. This applies to domestic shipments as well as as international shipments. Referring back to our 10”x10”x10” box example, you can see how we get a dimensional weight of 8 lbs (10x10x10 = 1000, 1000/139 = 7.19, rounded up to 8).

UPS also maintained their formula for dimensional weight, and it’s the same as FedEx. Domestic services packages that are greater than 1,728 cubic inches will use a 139 divisor across the board, including UPS Standard from Canada import shipments.

Dimensional weight emphasizes why it is important to package your products properly. Added size and filling could end up costing you much more than you may have anticipated if you’re estimating your costs based on weight.

[flyerfandan999]

There is a way to open your own FedEx account under your (or your business's) name, yet still get the pricing level that FedEx gives to eBay.

Search the forum for "link FedEx account to eBay" for further reading.

The advantage is that YOU are now the shipper of record so you can deal directly with FedEx to address any problems that come up, such as the price doubling glitch you experienced.

I think I remember one of our more experienced FedEx shippers post that SmartPost is not automatically offered on your own FedEx account, though, so after you do the link, contact FedEx and request that it be added to your account.

[carlmarxx]

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@flyerfandan999 wrote:

There is a way to open your own FedEx account under your (or your business's) name, yet still get the pricing level that FedEx gives to eBay.

Search the forum for "link FedEx account to eBay" for further reading.

The advantage is that YOU are now the shipper of record so you can deal directly with FedEx to address any problems that come up, such as the price doubling glitch you experienced.

I think I remember one of our more experienced FedEx shippers post that SmartPost is not automatically offered on your own FedEx account, though, so after you do the link, contact FedEx and request that it be added to your account.

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No you will not  get same  deal  as ebay  opening your own account  . Ebay has commercial +   rate with FedEx . 

[berserkerplanet]

>>No you will not get same deal as ebay opening your own account

I get the same rates through my FedEx account as through eBay within a few pennies. My accounts were linked years ago through that FedEx Advantage Savings eBay program. My understanding is that that is still possible.

[berserkerplanet]

>>I know the dimensions cost is 12.00 each one on the soft package over 6 inches high...

The $12.00 charge is an Additional Handling Surcharge, is a result of your not shipping in a box, and has nothing to do with OP's claims/issues (based on what was posted)

7)  is encased in a soft-sided pack (e.g., courier packs, poly bags and bubble mailers)  that exceeds 18 inches along its longest side or 13 inches along its second-longest side or 5 inches in height;

>>If you’re not familiar with how dimensional weight works, once your box gets over 1 cubic foot

No. The 1 cu-ft exemption only applies to USPS dimensional weight calculations. ALL* FedEx shipments are subject to dimensional weight considerations. Even a 6x6x5 box which has a FedEx dim weight of 2lbs (6x6x5/166=1.08lb=2lb  or 6x6x5/139=1.29=2lb)

The 1728 cu-in threshold also does not apply to UPS - ALL* UPS shipments are subject to Dim Weight.

*All shipments except those in FedEx or UPS provided packaging (FedEx One Rate, Padpaks, Envelopes, FedEx and UPS boxes, etc). But most FedEx provided boxes have a 2lb minimum shipping weight.

>>The divisor for this calculation is 139

That is the standard FedEx Dimensional Weight Divisor (DWD) and is applicable to shipments through FedEx.com, FedEx retail, or via eBay labels for FedEx Express Services.

The ebay FedEx DWD is 166 for FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery, and is 250 for Smartpost.

UPS DWD is 139 for everything but domestic retail which is 166.

[berserkerplanet]

I had no Smartpost shipments during that period, so problems here (don't use Smartpost much since Dim Weight became a dealbreaker Jan of this year)

Please post the details for one of the overcharged Smartpost shipments:
Actual package Weight
Actual accurate package Dimensions
Origin zip code
Destination zip code
Date of the shipment? (to select correct fuel surcharge)
Amounts of any other addons like Signature Reqd, insurance, handling fee, etc
Anything non-standard about the package? Not boxed, is a long cylinder, in a crate, etc.
What was estimated shipping amount at label creation time?
What was the exact charge and the charged weight and dimensions on the eBay invoice?
Were there additional charges on the eBay invoice? If so, what and how much?

I would like to see what I can see from the numbers.