Are Fedex Smartpost Shiping Prices way out of whack for others??

[notrub325]

We are getting very unusual prices when trying to print shipping today with Fed Ex Smart Post. I know the new pricing went into effect for USPS, but has that made Smart Post really out of whack? Just seeing if other have same issues.

Thanks

[tsom7221]

Hi

I got on here to try and find a way to notify e-bay

that a bunch of the listings are showing a

huge shipping cost at first, and then when

you click on the item it shows you the real

shipping cost. The thing is who is going to

click on something trying to charge you

30-64$ shipping? Not me, that's why I

didn't notice that it's a mistake for like

at least 2 wks . So they have no way to

send them an email or call or at least

if they do, I couldn't find it after trying

and trying.  People should get on the

site as if they are searching for the item

they are selling to see if their listing shows

an inflated shipping charge cos most do

and I would think this would impact sales

quite a bit. Have a great evening.

Regards,

T. Somers

[berserkerplanet]

There is a glitch in progress, but it isn't what you think

FedEx Smartpost dimensional weight considerations kicked in starting last night and rates for large pkgs went sky high - those horrible label prices are correct.

Problem is eBay didn't adjust all the calculators, and listings and search results (and checkout according to one seller) are still showing the old, much lower rates (your post makes it sound like some search results are using the new correct rates while the listings are still showing the old.)

Hopefully today buyers that purchase will be charged the correct higher rates.

See here: https://community.ebay.com/t5/Shipping-Returns/FedEx-Smartpost-Pricing-More-than-Doubled/m-p/2801881...

[frugie88]

In addition to Fed Ex Smartpost not charging correctly yesterday with ebay calculated shipping (I was charged $14 instead of the $6.37 that the buyer paid for), one of my Fed Ex Ground packages last week was charged $25 instead of the $20 that the buyer paid.

Hopefully, the Fed Ex Ground prices will sync soon on ebay calculated shipping, but I'm going to change all my Fed Ex Smartpost to usps today.   I'm surprised there's so few complaints about this problem.

[dtexley3]

@berserkerplanet

It's not just the dimensional weights.  I printed labels for 3 items last night 2 were 14x8x8 at 3 and 4lbs, one 12x10x8 for 5lbs and all the labels priced out on SmartPost at under $15.  On eBay today those same packages come up at $25 and higher.    Logged into my FedEx account and the SmartPost price for those three are all just over $20, which is still high.

The price jump appears to be much more than 5%

I'm also surprised that the eBay label cost is now much higher than my cost to purchase the same label on FedEx.com.  It was more common for the label to be cheaper in eBay with the discounts.

I'm wondering if the TRS discounts are also broken.

[dtexley3]

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@dtexley3 wrote:

@berserkerplanet

It's not just the dimensional weights.  I printed labels for 3 items last night 2 were 14x8x8 at 3 and 4lbs, one 12x10x8 for 5lbs and all the labels priced out on SmartPost at under $15.  On eBay today those same packages come up at $25 and higher.    Logged into my FedEx account and the SmartPost price for those three are all just over $20, which is still high.

The price jump appears to be much more than 5%

I'm also surprised that the eBay label cost is now much higher than my cost to purchase the same label on FedEx.com.  It was more common for the label to be cheaper in eBay with the discounts.

I'm wondering if the TRS discounts are also broken.

---

Just checked the rates on the 14x8x8 at 4lbs again and this time it came up just over $16. Hmmmmm.

Tried 12x12x10 for 4lbs and it's over $26.... (just over $20 on FedEx.com for the same criteria).

@Anonymous

[d-k_treasures]

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@dtexley3 wrote:

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@dtexley3 wrote:

@berserkerplanet

It's not just the dimensional weights.  I printed labels for 3 items last night 2 were 14x8x8 at 3 and 4lbs, one 12x10x8 for 5lbs and all the labels priced out on SmartPost at under $15.  On eBay today those same packages come up at $25 and higher.    Logged into my FedEx account and the SmartPost price for those three are all just over $20, which is still high.

The price jump appears to be much more than 5%

I'm also surprised that the eBay label cost is now much higher than my cost to purchase the same label on FedEx.com.  It was more common for the label to be cheaper in eBay with the discounts.

I'm wondering if the TRS discounts are also broken.

---

Just checked the rates on the 14x8x8 at 4lbs again and this time it came up just over $16. Hmmmmm.

Tried 12x12x10 for 4lbs and it's over $26.... (just over $20 on FedEx.com for the same criteria).

@Anonymous

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Everything is dimmed out now for Fed Ex regardless of where it's going.

[lintbrush*]

@dtexley3

While the weight pricing only went up about 5%, that 14x8x8 box will now be charged at the 7 lb rate even if it weighs 3 or 4 lbs.  

FedEx has now applied DimWeight to Smartpost

And... they've changed their divisor to 139 for Smartpost.

14 x 8 x 8 = 896 / 139 = 6.446

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

I'm not sorry to hear this. Fedex Smartpost as well as the UPS alternative both suck. They're horrible. They take forever and God help you if something gets damaged or goes missing.

[lookng2015]

As Fedex Smart Post and UPS Innovations both use USPS for the final leg of the journey, I wonder if the new rates also reflect new USPS pricing for those 2 services as well.

[d-k_treasures]

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@lookng2015 wrote:

As Fedex Smart Post and UPS Innovations both use USPS for the final leg of the journey, I wonder if the new rates also reflect new USPS pricing for those 2 services as well.

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Probably - the last leg of USPS is always parcel select.

[nowthatsjustducky]

That would explain why the shipping for a SmartPost package across the country was a dime more than the buyer paid.  I knew they were changing the system soon, I just didn't know when.

But no biggie.  I'm not like a certain someone who would cancel the order (taking the 30 cent PayPal loss) to save a measly 10 cents.)  😄

[berserkerplanet]

Not directly.

USPS is a subcontractor (although I'm sure they prefer to be called a partner) to FedEx and UPS for those services, so USPS costs and cost increases are dealt with in their contracts with FedEx and UPS. I'm sure FedEx and UPS made the numbers work to their advantage.

(many of the Smartpost physical constraints are what they are to conform with the Parcel Select last mile service - 70lb max, L+G<130, non-machinable criteria, etc)

Don't know the details (and don't really care), but Smartpost and SurePost 2018 increases may be a bit more than the negotiated deal increases for the USPS leg, so they still come out ahead, and USPS keeps their volume up to keep the infrastructure rolling (I assume that's why USPS does it - same as I understand the reasoning behind USPS wanting to deliver junkmail - volume is good for infrastructure)

Plus, FedEx now gets the big bump from adding dimensional weight constraints (although they could actually to some degree be making up for past losses in that regard - once again don't know)

[berserkerplanet]

Not sure how to address those points.

All your packages you mentioned are subject to dimensional weight (there is NO 1 cu-ft threshold) and ship at a higher weight than the actual weights you listed. All 3 of those pkgs ship at 7lb.

All FedEx prices jumped a rough AVERAGE of 5% on 1/1/18 according to FedEx. On 1/22/18 Smartpost also started using dimensional weight and jumped a lot more in addition, particularly for bigger boxes like my 16x13x10 ones.

No idea what's going on with your FedEx prices vs eBay's at this point except that IT LOOKS like the eBay discounts are low on the few I looked at - don't know if that is a new reality or another temporary bug during the rate transition.

Not sure what you mean by TRS discounts. Has nothing at all to do with FedEx and looks fine for USPS that I've seen so far.

[dtexley3]

Hi @berserkerplanet

There are significant differences between the eBay SmartPost and the FedEx.com SmartPost at the current time.  eBay is much higher on the bigger dim weights than FedEx.

The comment on TRS discounts was regarding USPS Commercial vs Commercial Plus.