eBay

mangorunner · ‎01-24-2018

I'm an old eBayer but a rather new *seller* and I'm reading everything I can about shipping. I have several large and heavy things to ship and am considering using FedEx. A few questions:

1) If shipping via FedEx, is creating a shipping label DIRECTLY from your FedEx account (rather than through eBay) still the prevailing advice from experienced eBay sellers?

2) If the seller has FedEx Home Delivery as the listed method for shipping an item, does ebay charge the buyer for the residential surcharge if they have a residential delivery address?

3) Will I experience crazy-expensive FedEx rates if I use my own packaging materials?

4) Does FedEx have any standardized size limits or ranges for the Home Delivery category that will keep self-packaging from incurring surcharges? The best I can tell from this page: https://pages.ebay.com/help/pay/fedex-services.html

is that the maximum size limit for Home Delivery is 108 inches/165 inches which, if you follow the asterisk, stands for Length / length plus girth (L+2W+2H). So how do I calculate that? If my box is 20" x 15" x 12", does that mean that it is 20 / 74 and within limits? 20 + 2(15) + 2(12) = 74. However, when I use eBay's shipping calculator and calculate a Fedex rate, if I put in the weight only (and no "optional" dimensions) it is much lower than when I add the box dimensions. I don't get it. Please see print screens below for shipping a 8 lb box (20" x 15" x 12") from 32224 to 60609 and with the two different rate calculations.

Thanks in advance for your help!

mangorunner · ‎01-25-2018

Answering myself. This document explains the calculation of DIM weight (Dimensional Weight) and how it plays into the shipping rate calculation.

Ship Smarter: Know Your Dimensional Weight

mangorunner · ‎01-25-2018

Answering myself again.

Here's a document specifically for calculating FedEx DIM weight for FedEx Ground Packages:

Dimensional Weight Rate Calculation for FedEx Ground ® Packages

mangorunner · ‎01-25-2018

So, the dimensional weight of my package is calculated as follows:

20 x 15 x 12 = 3,600 cubic inches.

3,600 / 166 = 21.68675 lbs. Round up.

DIM weight is 22 lbs.

So actual weight is 8 lbs.

DIM weight is 22 lbs.

Billable weight is 22 lbs.

Yuck. But at least I now understand the calculation... Or do I?

This FedEx calculator says that the DIM weight for the same dimensions is 26 lb!

FedEx Dimensional Weight Calculator

And this FedEx pages says that the divisor is 139 (not 166).

FedEx Packaging FAQs

Well that makes a huge difference! - so is 139 correct? It would indeed push my calculation above from 22 lbs to 26 lbs. But that contradicts eBay's DIM-Weight PDF document that says the divisor is 166 for both FedEx and UPS.

It sure is hard to find definitive information! 😞

dtexley3 · ‎01-25-2018

As of 1/22 the divisor is now 139 not 166, so the 26lb dim weight is correct.

Member of the Grumpy Old Man crew

mangorunner · ‎01-25-2018

@dtexley3, thanks for the confirmation. And that makes the information in this document obsolete (and it is dated Nov 2016 at the bottom).

Ship Smarter: Know Your Dimensional Weight

mangorunner · ‎01-25-2018

It also makes this document obsolete (dated 2009 - so not unexpected):

Dimensional Weight Rate Calculation for FedEx Ground ® Packages

mangorunner · ‎01-25-2018

So one of my entire replies including calculations and links disappeared from this thread. Ugh.

lintbrush* · ‎01-25-2018

Psst.. don't forget that eBay and PayPal are going to get their cut of shipping charged.

I'm guessing In-Store rates would be the same as Retail. That's what I'd use for my listing... and the rest covers handling/expenses.

Also, there seems to be a SmartPost glitch right now where it's showing the buyers the old rates in the listing while charge the new rates at the time of label purchase. Lots of posts complaining about that and the overall super high increase on SmartPost as FedEx is now applying DimWeight charges to SmartPost shipments (a week ago they weren't)

mg152 · ‎01-25-2018

FedEx is too confusing for me & unreliable when they deliver my own purchases all over the neighborhood

Patricia
eBay member for 25 years

hioctane62 · ‎01-25-2018

mg152 wrote:
FedEx is too confusing for me & unreliable when they deliver my own purchases all over the neighborhood

I agree they are too confusing. The price you are shown when purchasing your label and the price you end up paying are usually different. They are good about adding fees (such as residential delivery) after the fact. I always purchased my labels through ebay, though, so not sure when you get it at fedex site.

I used to use fedex some, but I prefer UPS. They are usually cheaper, and for me, their nearest drop off is about 25 miles closer. And I've never had them add charges after the fact.

berserkerplanet · ‎01-25-2018

>>As of 1/22 the divisor is now 139 not 166, so the 26lb dim weight is correct.

The divisor change actually occurred on 1/1/18 when all the FedEx rate and fee increases occurred.

1/22/18 was Judgment Day when dimensional weigh began to apply to Smartpost shipments (actual Smartpost base rates went up on 1/1/18 along with Ground and Express)

dtexley3 · ‎01-26-2018

wrote:
@dtexley3, thanks for the confirmation. And that makes the information in this document obsolete (and it is dated Nov 2016 at the bottom).
Ship Smarter: Know Your Dimensional Weight

@Anonymous

Here's some more items for the fix list, outdated instructions for FedEx shipping.

Member of the Grumpy Old Man crew

berserkerplanet · ‎01-27-2018

As I noted in another thread, it looks like eBay just started using the 166 divisor again for FedEx Ground/Home Delivery.

Check by looking at the expanded transportation cost on an eBay FedEx Ground or Home Delivery label page calculation, comparing the base rate shown for that label to the published rate tables and finding the weight it corresponds to in the table for the proper zone, and seeing whether that dim weight is a result of a 139 or a 166 divisor used on the dimensions.

12x12x10 pkg to Zone 8. Label base rate $15.73 Chart says 15.73 is for 8.01-9 lb to zone 8

Dim Wt Divisor = (12in)(12in)(10in) / 9 lb = 160 in³/lb

Dim Wt Divisor = (12in)(12in)(10in) / 8.01 lb = 180 in³/lb

Actual divisor lies in between the 2 calculated pseudo values -> 166 is a real divisor we know of.

Dim weight = 12x12x10/166 = 8.67 lb which rounds up to 9 lb for lookup. Check √

(if eBay was using a 139 divisor the Dim weight would be 11 pounds and base rate would be $17.89 - not what label is showing)

I don't know if it's another glitch or not, but waiting for Trinton to verify that maybe eBay got us a good divisor again.

(everything FedEx is such a mess right now it isn't funny)

dtexley3 · ‎01-28-2018

wrote:
As I noted in another thread, it looks like eBay just started using the 166 divisor again for FedEx Ground/Home Delivery.

12x12x10 pkg to Zone 8. Label base rate $15.73 Chart says 15.73 is for 8.01-9 lb to zone 8
Dim Wt Divisor = (12in)(12in)(10in) / 9 lb = 160 in³/lb
Dim Wt Divisor = (12in)(12in)(10in) / 8.01 lb = 180 in³/lb
Actual divisor lies in between the 2 calculated pseudo values -> 166 is a real divisor we know of.
Dim weight = 12x12x10/166 = 8.67 lb which rounds up to 9 lb for lookup. Check √

(if eBay was using a 139 divisor the Dim weight would be 11 pounds and base rate would be $17.89 - not what label is showing)

I don't know if it's another glitch or not, but waiting for Trinton to verify that maybe eBay got us a good divisor again.

(everything FedEx is such a mess right now it isn't funny)

If this is true, it's good news. Right now if I continue to stock the same number of 4-7lb items I was estimating a 40% loss in overall sales. If FedEx Home rates above are accurate, I would see a 20% increase in shipping costs to zone 8 instead of 100%. I'll still see some losses in sales, but not nearly as dramatic.

However, until it's PROVEN that eBay has fixed ALL the calculators I will not be including any FedEx shipping method on my listings.

I think it's unconsionable that eBay has NOT made site wide announcements or pushed out messages to sellers using FedEx services notifying them of the issue. Instead we have seller after seller either cancelling sales or taking it on the chin and absorbing the huge differences between what the buyer pays and the seller pays for FedEx shipping.

@Anonymous the grumpy old man wants to know how eBay justifies not sending out proactive notices to sellers using FedEx about the errors in what the buyer is being charged. Rate increases are not on eBay. The incorrect calculations that result in buyers underpaying by up to 400% ARE on Ebay.

Member of the Grumpy Old Man crew