Problems with Postage fees

[wilso3483.x35qg4]

Hello,

First off, I am a very small eBay seller but sell a lot online on different websites, so I am very familiar with shipping items in regards to size and weight.

Just recently, I sold a skirt here on eBay - packaged it, weight it (it was approximately 8 oz), paid and printed the shipping directly from eBay. The charge was $7.43 for first class USPS with signature confirmation.

About a week later, I get an email from eBay for "cost adjustments for shipping" and they charged me an extra $7.62 and listed the cause as "service on label did match service used."

I have no idea why this was - but I called eBay customer support and inquired because this felt like a double charge for shipping as the item is not heavy and it was domestic shipping.

The eBay customer service agent said this was due to a weight issue and then stated I should have been refunded for the first payment - and that's what they did. 

I was fine with that, I figured it was probably a scale issue - for roughly 20 cents I wasn't going to stress over it.

Then today I get an unhappy email from the buyer stating she had to pay $4.50 due to underpaid postage. She sent me proof of the payment as well.

I, of course, refunded her the $4.50 and contacted eBay customer support. The agent stated that should not have happen especially since there was already an adjustment for shipping. She said I need to address it with the local post master to get a credit for the $4.50.

This is a head scratcher for me. Has anyone ever experienced anything similar? For starters, I've never know the post office to be petty over an ounce or two (which is what I was told was the difference), plus the additional fee the buyer had to paid made the total shipping over $12 for an item that didn't weigh a pound and that wasn't express shipped. I'm confused how this happened.

Any insight would be much appreciated. I'm strongly considering to stop shipping via USPS on eBay or maybe I should just stop buying shipping directly from eBay.

[missjen831]

This has little to do with eBay. Last fall USPS rolled out a postage verification system. So you no matter where you are going to buy your label from, you need to enter the correct weight & purchase the correct label. Otherwise you will be back charged. I am a bit surprised that the first shipping cost was refunded. Don’t count on eBay to today that again because it shouldn’t have happened. 

[couldabeenworse]

Did it get upgraded to Priority Mail?  Did you use any Priority Mail boxes , envelopes or other products in the package?

This can happen with any online postage service, so the important part is figuring out what the alleged adjustment was for.

[sam9876]

Why did you use Signature Confirmation?

[sam9876]

It might have been too thin to qualify as a First Class package.

[partial*eclipse]

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wrote:

It might have been too thin to qualify as a First Class package.

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That's often a logical guess in this sort of situation, but the item in question was a skirt, so it's nearly impossible that it was packed as a flat. 

[sam9876]

It might have been a very thin chiffon skirt.

[partial*eclipse]

Or it might have been this knit one that she sold on Jan. 20.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NWT-295-Rag-Bone-Elaine-Chevron-Inset-Knit-Skirt-XXS/192414639919?

[buyselljack2016]

Sounds like maybe it got mailed in a Priority envelope.

Then Postage Verification got it.

Then the delivering office got it again.

[sam9876]

That skirt should be thicker than 3/4" when packaged up, but you never know how a USPS employee will interpret the rules.

[wilso3483.x35qg4]

I generally add this when the purchase is over a certain dollar amount. I've experienced the "oh, I didn't get it" and usually tracking alone isn't enough.

[sam9876]

Did you turn a Priority Mail tyvek envelope inside out and use it for First Class?

[wilso3483.x35qg4]

No, not upgraded and I didn't use a priority box. It was in one of those bubble envelope mailers.

[wilso3483.x35qg4]

Umm, maybe. It was in a bubble envelope mailers, and was a folded article of clothing. I didn't think it was thin, but maybe that was the issue.

[partial*eclipse]

Regular tracking with delivery confirmation should have been plenty for a $50 item.   I've never heard of a seller losing  an "Item not received" case when the tracking showed delivery confirmation.