eBay

engehausen · ‎04-01-2021

I have received about 3 recent postage upcharges through eBay and solicited by USPS (I think) indicating that a package I sent out did not have enough postage attached. In the last instance the upcharge was over $10 additional for a padded envelope that they claimed was bigger than the dimensions I put in. I was off by 2 inches on the length and width but USPS is claiming that the depth was over 10 inches when it was 3 inches at most.

I have requested help from USPS but I was curious if this is common. I have been doing this for 10 years and I am very careful with my measurements on weight and size.

Anyone else experiencing an uptick ith postage upcharges?

bargainnation · ‎04-01-2021

Sellers need to be extra careful when shipping by USPS. I don't know why USPS appears to be making more mistakes than usual (usually in their favor where they claim you as the sender/seller) owe them more money for postage.

Many sellers use pre-paid labels so when you go to the post office they scan the labels but they also weigh your packages and apparently looking at the dimensions of the package also. Make sure to look at the receipt that the USPS clerk gives you to make sure your receipt does not show that your package weigh 10 pounds when it only weighs 10 ounces (or something along those lines). Most people just routinely accept the receipt from the clerk without checking it for accuracy.

By the time you find out several days later that USPS is claiming you underpaid for shipping cost you can't prove otherwise because the wrong information is right there on the receipt which you are just now reviewing.

I make it a practice to look at my receipt before I leave the post office to make sure that somehow a package that weighs 8 ounces is not showing it weighs 8 pounds.

duncanvr · ‎04-01-2021

I have heard this happened to many sellers some are fed up with USPS doing this and getting additional charges added in MP for incorrect postage. Quiet a lot of sellers are now moving towards using couriers and finding it cheaper. USPS is going to raise prices over the next 10 years in an effort to get them out of debt. They also stated they will slow the mail services at the same time. I suspect that this postage up-charging is going to continue even if your packages are correct as they need to get money any way they can! You definitely should fight this as far as I can see its going to continue to happen on many packages.

jayjaspersgarage · ‎04-01-2021

No issues here since I print labels in my dedicated ebay office. I use one of three bubble envelope sizes and always enter the next ounce up for the weight unless it jumps me to a higher price.

bargainnation · ‎04-01-2021

The problem the OP is referring to is when your weight/package dimensions are within the guidelines for USPS for a particular price and days later USPS want more money because they claim you did not pay enough for your package.

Two reseller I know recently had this problem and when they looked at their postal receipt it actually had the wrong information on the receipt such as showing a package that only weighed 10 ounces weighed 10 pounds. Of course there was no way for the resellers to dispute this since the receipt they had showed the wrong weight on it. A receipt they did not examine until after USPS said they owed more money.

tdrake · ‎04-01-2021

In the last year or so I had 3 adjustments made by USPS.

2 were in my favor and one I owed them. I can deal with that.

violetsource · ‎04-01-2021

I sure wish USPS would refund me when Priority Mail packages take two weeks to get to the buyer. I sell live plants. Extra time in transit=dead plants and a full refund. They do not insure live material, at least I could get my shipping refunded. They have cost me sooo much money this month.

toysaver · ‎04-01-2021

If you use old USPS supplies that do not have a scan code this can happen. I had over half a dozen instances but all were corrected if you follow the links in the email. Mine were all for small flat rate boxes that had no qr codes so I was charged for Medium Flat Rate.

buyselljack2016 · ‎04-01-2021

Your issue seems that it may be a case of the APV system checks making an error. Not sure how that system does the dimensional scans, but there is the possibility that your item had a hitch hiker (stacked two items high) when it was checked resulting in the up charge.

It would not be the 1st time that it happened.

USPS will be able to determine if that was the cause when they go back to review it.

As an aside, these 2 statements do not support one another:

I was off by 2 inches on the length and width

I am very careful with my measurements on weight and size.

shag182 · ‎04-01-2021

@bargainnation wrote:
Sellers need to be extra careful when shipping by USPS. I don't know why USPS appears to be making more mistakes than usual (usually in their favor where they claim you as the sender/seller) owe them more money for postage.

Many sellers use pre-paid labels so when you go to the post office they scan the labels but they also weigh your packages and apparently looking at the dimensions of the package also. Make sure to look at the receipt that the USPS clerk gives you to make sure your receipt does not show that your package weigh 10 pounds when it only weighs 10 ounces (or something along those lines). Most people just routinely accept the receipt from the clerk without checking it for accuracy.

By the time you find out several days later that USPS is claiming you underpaid for shipping cost you can't prove otherwise because the wrong information is right there on the receipt which you are just now reviewing.

I make it a practice to look at my receipt before I leave the post office to make sure that somehow a package that weighs 8 ounces is not showing it weighs 8 pounds.

Just like going from the Seller CLASSIC View page to the DISASTER and Horrific NEW seller page. USPS was doing a great job, until this VILE and Horrific creature of a Postmaster General came along:

bangordiscount · ‎04-01-2021

How are sellers notified that they are facing a postage adjustment? Do you get an e-mail about it? Or are you having to carefully check your invoices/seller accounts?

dottie1986 · ‎04-01-2021

I have also had the same problem very recently with UPS. I take my packages to my local UPS store (not owned by UPS) but you sure couldn't tell by the store~~everywhere you look it says UPS. Anyway apparently the shipping charge is actually what it is at the time of delivery. I don't even bother to get upset because it makes me even more upset. All too often it's a no-win situation.

bargainnation · ‎04-01-2021

It depends on the platform you are selling from. The two resellers I know are on another platform so they essentially got a message from the platform to let them know that an adjustment had to be made to their expected payment. USPS apparently notified the platform that the resellers owed more money for postage.

I don't know how it works on eBay because I've never been told that informed that I underpaid for postage on any packages I shipped.

gwens*4saleitems* · ‎04-01-2021

You get a message through eBay messages AND email.

Something to the effect "we have tried to BLAH, BLAH, BLAH" when they actually DID blah, blah, blah

My last one was a refund $1.15 for a 2 ounce discrepancy

tdrake · ‎04-01-2021

@bangordiscount wrote:
How are sellers notified that they are facing a postage adjustment? Do you get an e-mail about it? Or are you having to carefully check your invoices/seller accounts?

I get an email from eBay with a link to the actual adjustment and what was wrong