eBay shipping label wasn’t enough to cover the cost
I received a message from a buyer letting me know that the USPS will not deliver the package because there is postage due. It was a larger package, but falls under their max. All measurements were correct and weight was rounded up. I purchased the label through eBay and the PO scanned the QR code and took the package without measuring it. I clearly don’t want either myself or the buyer to have to pay for eBay’s mistake. What do I do? eBay customer service is worse than it’s ever been!!!
38 comments
shado-x
·4 months agoI don't know what "falls under their max" means. Did you ship it Media Rate, when it was supposed to be USPS Ground AAdvantage? That would ding the buyer for more dough because of an incorrect shipping method. Unless the weight was really off with the correct method, by accident or not, could be another way.
jdbelt1960
·4 months agoI have gotten better now but at the beginning had a few postal cost discrepancies. They delivered the package and apparently charged/refunded the amount to Ebay. Ebay then rectified the issue through my account. The process was smooth.
winb03
·4 months agoRunning into the same problem. Items weight is about 10 pounds and had to be shipped in a 4 foot long by 8 inches wide. The only label ebay made me by was only good for a small box weighing 13 ounces not 10 pounds. And when you expect the offer ebay gives you the label to pay for and print. But what are you suppose to do if it is completely wrong? I already took less for the item and now I am having to pay 30 more dollars for shipping. I wouldn't have taken the offer if I knew this
krazzykats
·4 months agoI just calculated a 10lb 48x8x8 package from Oregon to Ohio and got:
You listed the snowblower as only weighing 10oz in a small box size it could never fit into, so it will cost at least $30 more than the eBay label that was printed.
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fm2000
·4 months agoIf this was an "adjustment" for incorrect weight/measurements, why didn't the APV system catch it before it made its way to the destination post office? Odd it was send on postage due, instead of the APV system just billing you for the difference and sending it on to the recipient.
Purely a guess, but it sounds like the "adjustment" was done manually at the destination post office for some reason. Perhaps someone there made a mistake (or is just making up their own rules...), and they were doing CYA when you called them?
I can see them doing this at the destination post office if it was a Media Mail package and the item didn't (or they think it doesn't) qualify for media mail. Maybe a first class letter/flat that was a fraction of an ounce over and there were not enough in stamps on it... maybe. Very odd it is a weight/dimensions adjustment that they caught but the APV system didn't.
eBay is a third party provider of postage, like a store that sells stamps (not an exact analogy but the basic just of it.) They won't help, they can't, they didn't mess up. It sounds like the USPS did, specifically the destination post office. Tell the buyer you will reimburse them for the postage due, and then call USPS customer service and argue you case. I don't envy you having to do that. Mention the APV did not catch any such alleged error on your part.
ryry-jj
·4 months agoFrom what i can take away, we still dont know the entire weight, size and ship to/from and shipping service selected. I would want to see the "sell similar" as well on the item to know how it was listed. So none of us know anything other than guesses.
But ebay does have a link to dispute charges with carriers.
I know you are upset with ebay, but even USPS sounds like they are giving you many stories as well. All we really know is the truth is in their somewhere we just need a better road mop toget there
1artcritic
OP4 months agoUpdate: after 30 mins on the phone with USPS Customer Service they told me as far as they could tell, it wasn’t delivered due to a lack of a “secure drop off location” and that there was no postage due. They gave me the # for the buyer’s local PO and after initially telling me the same thing and putting me on hold they changed their story to reflect postage due. The whole thing is messed up. I’m hoping the buyer will pay the postage due and accept my offer of a refund to cover that plus a bit additional for her inconvenience. My local post office flat out told me that it’s an error on eBay’s part, but since eBay no longer takes any accountability when it comes to sellers this one transaction (after getting a negative review 2 weeks ago by scammer—1st negative review in almost 30 years of doing this) I’m ready to tell eBay where they can stick it. Going to focus on other platforms at this point. Thanks to those who provided suggestions and to those who were less helpful with their uppity responses—maybe you should do a better job of disguising that your corporate eBay plants.
bdmh-enterprises
·4 months ago"since eBay no longer takes any accountability when it comes to sellers"
It has ALWAYS been the seller's full responsibility to handle ALL shipping issues. eBay merely provides some tools to help. And quite frankly that's how it should be. Being forced to ship a particular way is what keeps me from using several other venues.
As for that neg, did you report the buyer and use the removal tool? If the buyer did not contact you about a return OR you accepted a return and refunded, that FB should get removed.
1artcritic
OP4 months agoThe buyer opened a fraudulent refund claim stating the item was missing a component when it was never meant to have it. Even though I don’t accept refunds, I accepted hers. She had until April 3 to return the item and never did, so eBay canceled the return and I didn’t have to refund the purchase price. Clearly the buyer was hoping I’d issue a refund prior to receiving the returned item. Never heard from her again after the refund process started.
lakefor94
·4 months ago@1artcritic wrote: "My local post office flat out told me that it’s an error on eBay’s part"
You were being patronized. Ebay does not ship anything, sellers do all the shipping. EOS.
chapeau-noir
·4 months agoOr the local USPS was trying to slip the responsibility. As above, ^^ eBay has nothing to do with this - all they provide is a portal, a link with Pitney-Bowes, that makes it easy to deal with the post office in obtaining postage. That's it. It's a convenience that they could easily just drop if they wanted, and it would make zero difference to how much you pay for shipping, or how the package is handled.
1artcritic
OP4 months agoI really can’t comprehend why/how any of you think it has nothing to do with eBay?!? It’s all done through the eBay app…not USPS, not “Pitney Bowes”. If they can’t do it properly, they shouldn’t do it at all.
gone.c-33
·4 months agoBecause eBay doesn’t do any of that, they just link up with the USPS through an API to allow you to purchase without leaving the site.
That would be like saying Google is to blame for a underpaid postage because you purchased postage by logging into the USPS through Chrome…
1artcritic
OP4 months agoSellers clearly do the shipping, eBay calculates the shipping cost based on measurements and weight entered (which in my case were accurate). Further research points to the fact that eBay DOES NOT consistently figure in additional costs associated with oversized package or volume fees charged by USPS. With that new info I now know that I’m no longer going to bother listing anything large w eBay and they’re a knife’s edge from losing me altogether.
stainlessenginecovers
·4 months ago@1artcritic That is NOT accurate. I ship oversized all the time. Anything over 1 Cubic Foot, over 31" gets the 'added $15' to the package. Anything over 22" gets the $4 upcharge. I've tested in everytime by inputting 'smaller' and then watching that same weight go up by $4 or $15.
So, it was 100% USPS fault/deal and whomever you spoke to at USPS is doing nothing by CYA.
By the way, you best not try shipping ANYTHING from ANY site if your attitude is 'blame the selling entity' because CL, Posh, AZ etc. does NOT want to hear it.
Late is Late (and if it's 'held up' because of a Carrier issue- it's still YOUR fault)
....and it's even worse if you use Fedex or UPS as sometimes they 'upcharge' a $70 shipping label adding $395 later. Happens ALL the time.
ryry-jj
·4 months agoFirst and foremost let you buyer know if they choose to refuse the item as a result of postage due they are still protected with ebays MBG. If they receive it and pay or know the amount owed, send them the money via PayPal or some other service asap.
ryry-jj
·4 months agoShouldn't the oversize have been calculated? This is a part i have never been clear on when we see surcharges to shipping bills. What accounts for the over size or extended length not beig calculated correctly with Usps, fedex or ups?
slati_2013
·4 months ago"I clearly don’t want either myself or the buyer to have to pay for eBay’s mistake. "
As others have pointed out, this is not eBay's mistake. eBay simply generates a label based on the dimensions and weight you put in. Anything that went wrong was either you or the USPS. And no, you can debate how to solve this issue. You have to pay to enable the buyer to get what they paid for, and you take it up with the USPS. If not, you will get a negative and the buyer would be justified in giving you one. Stuff like this is the cost of doing business.
chapeau-noir
·4 months ago@1artcritic I suspect this is a USPS scanning error - its happened to me a number of times. When the packages roll along the conveyor belt, they're scanned for size/weight. Once in a while two will be scanned at once, or some other hiccup (millions of packages are flowing through). I contest this with the USPS and in every case, the charge has been reversed and I get my funds back. It's usually something nutty like my 4 x 4 x 6" package being weighed at 18 lb, etc.
I'm just charged the overage so my customer never sees it, but in this case it's important to go ahead and reimburse your customer - you can explain that looks like this is a scanning error and apologize - then go ahead and contest it with the USPS.
ETA: Check the tracking number actually on the USPS site (or eBay if they have the info - I don't use eBay labels so not sure) for any other information.
squinkercat59
·4 months agoYes, I had a small, 6" x 4" padded envelope with something flat in it, weighed two ounces, that the USPS sent me a notice with a charge for a seven-pound package. I disputed it, scanned and sent the receipt when dropped off, and they reversed the charge. I didn't think they did postage due any more, since they can just charge the seller, unless it was a non-media mail package sent media mail. But this is on the USPS, not Ebay.
albertabrightalberta
·4 months agoWas it this listing described as 38" x 26" ?
1artcritic
OP4 months agoYes, that is the item.
albertabrightalberta
·4 months agoI wonder if the upcharge is for an oversized package.
@wastingtime101 - is this why the package was postage due?
suzysemporium
·4 months agoI wonder if the post office considered it an irregular package. I list on the PC. There is a check mark box under package weight you can click on for irregular packages. It's harder to find in the app on the phone. Could be a possibility.
lakefor94
·4 months agoThere are some shipments that need a legit freight carrier or at least UPS. The USPS specializes in the small stuff. The difference in the average size of the delivery vehicles punctuates that.
1artcritic
OP4 months agoThanks. I’ll check that out.
albertabrightalberta
·4 months ago@1artcritic
onefootflipper
·4 months agoAsk the buyer what the postage due is, assure them it is a mistake that you will work out later and ask them to please go ahead and pay it and you should immediately refund that amount of money.
Otherwise it is eventually going to come back to you, postage STILL DUE.
broto_64
·4 months agoMight even get charged for the return trip.
thriftyfiftyfifty
·4 months agoStill trying to wrap my head around the fact that you think it is eBays mistake when you yourself generated the Label (Weight and Dimensions and all) and the Carrier USPS does the Up Charge?
1artcritic
OP4 months agoeBay generated the label with the dimensions and weight I entered. It was completed via the eBay app, NOT via the USPS.
krazzykats
·4 months agoHow much postage is due to complete the delivery?
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thriftyfiftyfifty
·4 months ago"with the dimensions and weight I entered."...I think you just proved my point in my original Comment. Now can't wrap my head around how you possibly think eBay could verify that you have (or not have) inserted the correct Weight and Dimensions of your own packaging?
lakefor94
·4 months agoEBays mistake... funny @1artcritic
This deal is between you and USPS.
Most of the time, USPS just bills the seller what is owed, thru eBay. You are responsible for getting the shipment to the buyer, not Ebay, regardless of where you purchased the shipping label.
1artcritic
OP4 months agoThat makes no sense when all of the package details listed were correct and eBay is providing the label. How is that an issue between the seller & the post office and not an issue between eBay & the PO? I’ve been selling with eBay off an on since 1997/98 and have NEVER had this issue before.
chapeau-noir
·4 months ago@1artcritic It's because eBay is simply the portal through which you purchase the label - they are not the vendor, it's intended to be a convenience. It's the USPS who actually issues the label and it's through the USPS that the package is handled. Thus, it's the USPS that you need to deal with.
broto_64
·4 months agoIt's because everything is the seller's fault, even things sellers have no control over.
krazzykats
·4 months agoWhat were the weight and dimensions? Was it sent via Ground Advantage service?
Need a few more details.
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