FedEx Discounted Rates and eBay Labels Oddity

[berserkerplanet]

[Ther's a request for input at the end of this post]

In the course of doing due diligence for my posts in the other recent FedEx thread in this forum, I ran numbers through the eBay calculators using 3 eBay accounts, and noted something that made me go "Say What?"

The 3 accounts show different amounts for USPS Priority Mail as expected since only this one is a seller acccont and is TRS (gets commercial plus), but all 3 accounts show exactly the same amount for FedEx Ground shipping. Same 50% discount.

That shouldn't be unless one of three things is happening:

• eBay has linked all 3 of my accounts behind the scenes and has extended the FedEx Discounts to all my accounts (even though the other 2 are not seller accounts)
• everyone now gets the FedEx eBay discounts w/o the FedEx eBay discount program (if the program even still exists)
• it's a bug?

This account was specifically enrolled in that discount program years ago (and my FedEx account was linked to extend the eBay discounts back to that FedEx account too). The other accounts were not enrolled in the discount program. (the discounts were significant and noticable).

(Can't try to compare by attempting to create actual FedEx Ground test shipments with the other 2 accounts since they are buyer accounts and also have no solds to use for testing/mockup.)

The question is:

what do the rest of you see for FedEx online amounts when you plug the following numbers into the eBay online calculator http://www.ebay.com/shp/Calculator

• Package/Thick Envelope or Large Package (doesn't matter)
• 24 pounds
• 18" x 16" x 13" (triggers dimensional weight)
• No Handling Fee
• Origin Zip: 95825
• Destination Zip: 10012

This is what I get for FedEx shipping on ALL 3 accounts:

All 3 of my accounts get the same 50% discount for this shipment and an amount of $28.36

(Smartpost numbers don't matter I believe - everyone gets the 3-4% discount on that, but were also all the same. FedEx Express services numbers to be looked at later maybe)

Not sure if it's due to one of the first 2 possible reasons I mentioned at the top of this post, or if it might be a bug*.

*Hypothetical bug being that everyone - buyers and sellers - is seeing discounted rates, but not everyone actually gets them (and still only those enrolled do), and then Fedex charges the correct higher amounts later? I don't think so based on what few numbers I've seen (painstakingly extracted) from posters with issues here.

All theory, and just noticed this afternoon. Need moar data.

• What do older seller acounts enrolled in the FedEx discount program get for an amount?
• What do seller accounts that aren't in the discount program get for an amount?
• What do pure buyer accounts get for an amount?

Does everyone see $28.36 discounted FedEx Ground rate for those pkg specs in the calculator?

[moo*cow*corner]

One long time store account, one new account with no sales yet. Both show exactly the same as the screenshots you posted. One logged into IE and one logged in to Chrome.

I don't think I'm signed up for any ebay FedEx discount program. I do have my own FedEx account, but I don't think I ever hooked it up to ebay. I rarely use them because I don't like their billing procedures.

Hope this helps!

[berserkerplanet]

Yes Moo, it helps. Thanks.

Shows that everyone so far (huge dataset based on 2 users and 5 accounts) is seeing the full FedEx discounts.

I'm still trying to figure out what that means if it turns out that's what everyone sees. 

There will still be no way to know if eBay started giving the discounts to everyone some unknown time ago and the discount program is now irrelevant (which is good), or if it is a new oddball bug with unknown consequences. That will likely require input from eBay to put to bed.

Another thought occurred to me. What if I'm assuming this seller account is STILL enrolled in the discount program and is not any longer for some reason, and so sees the same intermediate discounts everyone else gets? That could be eliminated as a possibility if someone shows up with better than a 50% discount for that sample shipment. Unlikely. Going to stick with the idea that my seller account is still a special snowflake 🙂

But for now, moar data please.

[berserkerplanet]

A friend who is an eBay buyer checked and he saw the same $28.36 discounted amount for FedEx Ground.

That makes 2 sellers and 1 buyer with 6 accounts total all seeing the same discounted FedEx ground amounts in the online calculator.

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@Anonymous

1.   Do all eBay accounts automatically get the same FedEx discounts now?

2.  If the answer to #1 is "Yes", when did that happen?

3.  Does the "FedEx Advantage Savings Program for eBay Sellers" even exist any more?
http://www.fedex.com/us/oadr/en/discounts/bs13184011/benefits.html
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/New-FedEx-Savings-Program-for-eBay-Sellers/ba-p/26163018

(current discounts seem to be way better than those ever were)

[dhbookds]

I get the same as you and never used Fed ex at all........

[berserkerplanet]

Thank you for the input.

Youv'e seen the pitiful sum total of feedback on this gathered so far, but your addition makes 7 accounts all seeing the same and none different.

I stumbled on this and just want to get it clarified.

In 2011 sellers had to enroll in the above mentioned eBay/FedEx discount program to get the good rates (better than the standard base FedEx list rates) through eBay labels.

It APPEARS that somewhere along the way that progam may have faded away, and every ebay member now gets the same, even more deeply discounted rates.

I want confirmation just to know what the lay of the land is. (and don't seem to be getting any input from eBay, so.......)

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

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@berserkerplanet wrote:

A friend who is an eBay buyer checked and he saw the same $28.36 discounted amount for FedEx Ground.

That makes 2 sellers and 1 buyer with 6 accounts total all seeing the same discounted FedEx ground amounts in the online calculator.

---------------------------------------------------------

@Anonymous

1.   Do all eBay accounts automatically get the same FedEx discounts now?

2.  If the answer to #1 is "Yes", when did that happen?

3.  Does the "FedEx Advantage Savings Program for eBay Sellers" even exist any more?
http://www.fedex.com/us/oadr/en/discounts/bs13184011/benefits.html
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/New-FedEx-Savings-Program-for-eBay-Sellers/ba-p/26163018

(current discounts seem to be way better than those ever were)

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Hey everyone, 

I can confirm that all sellers now receive a discounted rate on FedEx labels, though I cannot say if this is always the same discount as the FedEx Advantage Savings Program or when automatic discounts began. Sellers who have already signed up for this service may continue to use it, and existing users of this program should contact FedEx directly with questions.

[berserkerplanet]

Thank you for the confirmation.

FedEx discounts for everyone!

I think it's safe to say that everyone now gets the same big eBay FedEx discounts based on the little data I gathered above. This account has been in the Advantage program for quite a few years, my FedEx account still gets the eBay discounts, and this account now get the same discount here via eBay labels as everyone else that responded including my buyer only friend.