The option to ship something FedEx ground is missing?

[the_brongo]

I went to ship something that weighs I believe 9 pounds (I'll be checking it before I ship it, I just can't remember what the weight of the item is off of the top of my head), and I am unable to choose FedEx ground to ship it, despite it going to a major city in Florida (Tampa). Does anyone have this issue? Is there a fix to choose this option?

Note: I don't need to ship this item out until tomorrow.

[newview]

Are you being dumped into the new Shipping Label screen?

Have you looked at using PayPal to ship?

[the_brongo]

I went to the classic printing label. And unfortunately, PayPal won't allow me to choose FedEx as a shipping option, only UPS or USPS. 

[sharingtheland]

Lately when I've printed a label (through ebay) there has been a message about "FedEx changes coming soon!" or something like that.   I don't use FedEx via ebay so paid no attention.

Is FedEx less if purchased through ebay?  I've used UPS but I don't think ever FedEx for an ebay label.

Perhaps/most likely, as newview said, you've been dumped into a test/glitch of some sort.

[sharingtheland]

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@the_brongo wrote:

I went to the classic printing label. And unfortunately, PayPal won't allow me to choose FedEx as a shipping option, only UPS or USPS. 

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You can always purchase the label through FedEx* and enter the tracking number in the ebay transaction; that meets ebay shipping requirements.

*Again, I don't know if there is a slight discount for buying the label through ebay but it looks like you have no choice.

Maybe someone who uses FedEx regularly should answer, not me, lol.

[the_brongo]

There actually is a discount. Compared to SmartPost, I'd be saving well over a dollar by choosing ground. I had no issue when I shipped this same item to Florida a few weeks ago, but I have no idea as to why it's messing up today.

[berserkerplanet]

>>Is FedEx less if purchased through ebay?

Yes. Can be a lot less. eBay negotiated the use of a 166 dimensional weight divisor instead of the standard FedEx 139 divisor for Ground and Home Delivery services which reduces the dimensional weight used in rate calculations (and therefore the shipping cost). And eBay also negotiated further discounts (often 25% or more) off the FedEx published base rates that reduce final costs even more.

eBay also provides access to FedEx Smartpost which you can not get at the counter retail, or at FedEx .com (unless you can convince them to add it to your account). And negotiated a 250 dimensional weight divisor (maybe to help mitigate the hurt that began 1/22/18 when FedEx started considering dimensional weight in Smartpost rate calculations)

All eBay sellers get these discounted FedEx rates when printing FedEx labels through eBay label flow. Some of us also get those discounts through our FedEx accounts due to linking with our eBay accounts years ago (don't know if that is still possible to do)

I happen to like FedEx and have had no issues with them. Used to use UPS, but over a decade ago found FedEx cheaper, and when UPS closed my 2 UPS accounts after 6 months inactivity I never bothered with them again.


No idea what the "changes coming soon are" but maybe that FedEx Ground services will be delivering 6 days a week on a permanent basis starting this holiday season?
http://investors.fedex.com/news-and-events/investor-news/news-release-details/2018/FedEx-Ground-Expa...

[berserkerplanet]

>> Compared to SmartPost, I'd be saving well over a dollar by choosing ground

Your package is either large (dimensional weight) or over 9 lbs actual weight. Smartpost rates increase much faster than Ground rates over 9lbs, and take an immediate $4-7 jump between 9 and 10 lbs.

Smartpost and Ground base rates are EXACTLY the same up to 9 lbs, but Smartpost is always cheaper than Home Delivery (to a residential location) under 10lbs because of the $3.60 Residential Delivery surcharge added to ground base rates. At 10 lbs, because of that Smartpost $4-7 base rate jump, they are about equal, and above that, the Smartpost base rates increase much faster than Ground base rates and Ground is the winner.

FedEx Ground/Home Delivery turns out to often be less than Smartpost these days (starting Jan of this year because of size/dimensional weight being used in Smartpost rate calculations - it was not in prior years)

It isn't as no-brainer as it was in 2017 and before when Smartpost was always cheaper.