EBay undercharged shipping SmartPost

[dtexley3]

Buyer was undercharged on an order where they selected Smartpost.  It was only $.50 in this case, but this should not happen.  Listing was for 14x12x10 box with a weight of 6lbs.  Buyer should have paid 15.59 for 97404 to 44301.  They were only charged 15.09 (plus $3 handling fee).

Ran it through both the old and new label flows and the shipping charge in both cases was 15.59.

brian@ebay 

[dtexley3]

And on the very next item the buyer is undercharged by $.70.  12x12x10 box, 6lbs, 97404 to 77586.  Buyer should be charged $18.09 (including $3 handling) was only charged $17.39.

Luckily for me this one fits in a 12x10x8 so I don't lose money on the shipping AGAIN.

[berserkerplanet]

eBay estimating calc    https://www.ebay.com/shp/Calculator

shows $15.09, and would be the same amount in the listing and at checkout.

It looks like it may be an issue with the DWD (dimensional weight divisor) in the label flows.

Conventional wisdom (trial and error, reverse engineering dozens of Smartpost quotes, and finally confirmation by eBay last? year) tells us the DWD for SmartPost is 250.

Your 14x12 x 10 package should have an eBay FedEx SmartPost dim weight = 14x12x10/250 = 6.72 = 7 pounds
7 pounds to Zone 8 should result in a base rate = $15.18

The classic* label flow shows a base rate of $15.69 for that pkg, which is the base rate for 8 pounds to zone 8 (not 7 pounds)

That would imply that the label flows are now using a DWD between  14x12x10/8 = 210   and   14x12x10/7.01 = 239

*again my gripe about the new label flow. It lumps the variable discounts in with the base rate in the breakdown on the page and makes it useless for determining things like we are doing here. Removes the ability to reverse engineer the DWD out of things or otherwise figure out why the FedEx numbers the flow is producing are what they are. Transparency eBay. Transparency.

Your second pkg is similar but smaller and Zone 7
DW should be 12x12x10/250 = 6lb (should ship at actual weight since actual same as dim weight with 250 DWD)

Estimating calc shows $14.39 (and what you say buyer was charged minus you $3 handling fee)

Classic label flow shows $14.09 label cost (not $15.09 as you indicate) and a base rate of $14.18 which is for 7 pounds to zone 7

12x12x10/210 = 6.86 = 7lb   and   12x12x10/239 = 6.03 = 7lb   so again, DWD used appears to be somewhere between 210 and 239.

Except for you mentioning "Buyer should be charged $18.09 (including $3 handling)" when I think you meant $17.09, all the numbers reconcile if we assume that the label flows are not using a DWD of 250 any more for some reason (bug or intentional change) and that the new DWD might be between 210 and 239

(probably would be some nice easy round number like 220 but impossible to divine without more label flow numbers to reverse engineer and bracket down)

• Has the FedEx SmartPost Dimensional Weight Divisor changed from the old 250 value?
• If so, why hasn't the estimating/listing/checkout calculator been updated to show and charge buyers the new correct amounts?
• If FXSP DWD has not changed, label flow bug need to be fixed, and sellers credited for the shortfalls.

[dtexley3]

@berserkerplanet 

Hi,  On the second package I ran it through both the new label flow and the old label flow at the dimensions and weight on the listing, 12x12x10 and 6lbs.  On both it showed at label cost of $15.09.  The buyer was charged $14.39 (deducting my $3 handling fee).  I double checked both at the time before posting the second message to confirm the amounts.

With the smaller box (single wall instead of double) the actual label cost was a little less than what the buyer was charged, so it worked out.  

I would like to know, just as you would if the SmartPost divisor was changed.

[dtexley3]

Old Label FlowNew Label Flow

[berserkerplanet]

We are talking about the second shipment here right?

The "12x12x10 box, 6lbs, 97404 to 77586" one. That is a zone 7 shipment, which is the basis for the numbers I generated using the estimating calc and the classic label flow.

Your screenshot of it in the next message shows a base rate of $15.18 - that is the precise amount for a ZONE 8 shipment with the same incorrect dimensional weight of 7 pounds.

In other words, what I posted in post#3 is still correct based on the dims, weight, and zipcodes you posted in post#2 , but your screenshot in post 5 shows a label for a zone 8 destination.

Something isn't right here.

Wait a minute. I think I know what the problem is. I used USPS zone tools to check that 97404 to 77586 is zone 7, and used the assumption of zone 7 for base rate lookup in the charts, but this may be one of the fringe cases where FedEx and USPS zones mis-align. Working....

Yep. Google Earth Pro, some measuring and guessing. 97404 to 77586 is approximate, but rough distance of 1844 miles which is just over the 1800 mile zone 7/zone8 Smartpost break (looks like Smartpost may use the actual concentric circles zone distances, not the concentric circles modified to align with zipcode boundaries like other FedEx and USPS services do).

In any case, it looks like that zipcode pair is just barely zone 8 for Smartpost purposes, not zone 7 as I determined using the (incorrect) USPS tool, which I then used to pull the base rate from the tables and assumed was correct when I used my California zip as an orign zip in the classic flow.

Doesn't change anything though, your numbers are correct, and my analysis was correct except for the Z7 to Z8 shift, but it is still the same DWD issue.

It is still using a 7lb dim weight for that second pkg (produces the Smartpost $15.18 base rate for 7lb to zone 😎 when it should be using 6lb weight if DWD is still 250.

This is a change in the DWD being used in the label flows - intentional or glitch.

[brian@ebay]

---

@dtexley3 wrote:

Buyer was undercharged on an order where they selected Smartpost.  It was only $.50 in this case, but this should not happen.  Listing was for 14x12x10 box with a weight of 6lbs.  Buyer should have paid 15.59 for 97404 to 44301.  They were only charged 15.09 (plus $3 handling fee).

Ran it through both the old and new label flows and the shipping charge in both cases was 15.59.

brian@ebay 

---

Hi @dtexley3, it does look like the label page is estimating the price incorrectly. Keep an eye on your pending charges to see what the cost is FedEx approves the charge (it's only an estimate at this point). Keep me updated on what you find here. I'll be sure to get this reported as well! 

[berserkerplanet]

Played with the label flow a bit more, trying a few sets of dims to see when it switched from 7lb to 6lb dim weight (by watching to see when the base rate changed), finally saw the pattern, and nailed the DWD divisor down to 225 exactly.

That number is too perfect for this to be some random bug.

[dtexley3]

brian@ebay see berserkerplanet's post above.  Looks like the divisor has been changed in some places and not others.

[dtexley3]

brian@ebay 

This is still wrong, buyer was charged 14.39 + $3 handling, 97404 to 77084, 4lb 12x12x10.  Label cost for FedEx is $15.09, $0.70 undercharge this time.  As berserkerplanet stated the FedEx divisor has been changed in some calcs but NOT all!

[dtexley3]

---

brian@ebay wrote:

---

@dtexley3 wrote:

Buyer was undercharged on an order where they selected Smartpost.  It was only $.50 in this case, but this should not happen.  Listing was for 14x12x10 box with a weight of 6lbs.  Buyer should have paid 15.59 for 97404 to 44301.  They were only charged 15.09 (plus $3 handling fee).

Ran it through both the old and new label flows and the shipping charge in both cases was 15.59.

brian@ebay 

---

Hi @dtexley3, it does look like the label page is estimating the price incorrectly. Keep an eye on your pending charges to see what the cost is FedEx approves the charge (it's only an estimate at this point). Keep me updated on what you find here. I'll be sure to get this reported as well! 

---

I reviewed the final FedEx on the first two shipments and it was EXACTLY what I was shown by the calculator on the label page.  Buyers are being undercharged when ordering.  

[berserkerplanet]

>>Buyers are being undercharged when ordering.

Or sellers are being overcharged when creating labels. Unknown which divisor is wrong.

The estimating/listing/checkout calculator is still using what was the correct 250 divisor, and the label flows are using a new 225 divisor.

Someone needs to tell us if the eBay/FedEx contract was renegotiated and the 225 divisor is now the correct new one, and then fix whichever calculator (estimating/listing/checkout or label flow) is not using whatever the correct divisor.

It might be assumed that the label divisor is the correct one now since FedEx didn't make an adjustment, but we don't know how that works between eBay and FedEx, and if FedEx billing just goes with what eBay generates. (we know that sort of thing might be the case with eBay labels and USPS when eBay gives an off the books 3% ish discount to TRS on Priority - those rates are not in standard USPS price structures)