FedEx Smartpost Pricing - More than Doubled?

[turbofreckles]

I ship via FedEx Smartpost very often on my seller account for cheap, but larger packages, especially across the country. I went to print some labels today and the prices have more than doubled. They are more expensive than FedEx Ground which is a quicker and better service. I usually can send a 5lb package to the West coast from the East coast for $10-14, but now the price shows as $27.00 (FedEx Ground is $20). Even within a few hundred miles, the price usually is between $5-9.00, the price quoted now is $14.00. Does this have to do with the updated USPS pricing or is it some other error with eBay? 

[pressurewasheroutlet]

Bracket Stand Design Dual Layer Protective Phone Case Cover for iphone 7 8 X RA

Item 173006842046

Just an example . 

China sells items delivered with tracking from USPS for 80 cents with free returns.

Thousands of listings.

Our minimum (Americans)charge $2.66

Not including the eBay commision of close to .80 cents,  and Paypal Commision.

How is this fair?

What is eBay charging China for commision along with Paypal?

We pay approx. $3.46 not including the item  versus China delivery of .80 cents.

Wow  !!!!!!     Unfair Advantage for Americans.

[danieset]

I'm having the same issue.  My packages are typically the same size and I ship them to California for $12, now it's $27.75. 

[lintbrush*]

FedEx Smartpost is now using dimensional weight pricing - and the non-machinable surcharge changed.

[lintbrush*]

And the divisor is 139

[danieset]

Yep, You're right.  The packages I'm shipping are not very dense.  I mostly shipped in 16X13X13 boxes and weighed around 5lbs.  They were charging a minimum weight charge of 20lbs for that size box.  Hopefully they'll make some adjustments. Just about every scenario I ran with my shipments put smartpost more expensive than ground.  Kind of defeats of purpose of economy shipping. 

[turbofreckles]

When was this enacted? Is there a posting update about this?

[turbofreckles]

I just googled and found this info:

"Potentially one of the most impactful changes for 2018 comes with the announcement that FedEx will begin applying a dimensional weight (DIM) factor of 139 to all SmartPost packages. This change will become effective on January 22. The change will align SmartPost dimensional weight pricing with that of FedEx Express and FedEx Ground. It also more closely aligns FedEx SmartPost dimensional weight pricing with that of UPS SurePost, although UPS still has a higher DIM factor for packages measuring less than one cubic foot. (As of this writing, UPS has not announced their 2018 rate changes.)"

[mcjbob]

I ship SmartPost using ebay 16 x 12 x 8 boxes, usually 4 or 5 pounds. Monday rates doubled. I tried UPS, Parcel Select and Priority Mail.  All, a huge increase from the old Smart Post rates.  I was able to cut down my ebay boxes to  16 x 8 x 8 and while still more than prior to 1/22, was closer to the pre 1/22 rates.

Fortunatly. almost all of my larger items are 1/18 diecast and will fit in a 16 x 8 x 8 box. 

Now  higher cost and lots of cutting boxes to size until I run out an switch to 16 x 8 x 8 boxes. 

I use fixed shipping, so now I will need to revise shipping as they come up in their 30 day cycles.

eBay wins on this one, higher shipping, more profit for ebay. The fun never stops. 

[frugie88]

I use ebay calculated shipping and fedex smartpost was calculated as to be $6.37 for the buyer.  However, when I went to print the shipping label, the price was over $14 for fedex smartpost!  And the cost for Fedex ground was less at around $10.

I hope ebay fixes this discrepancy soon.  I think I'll need to change my shipping to usps until this problem with Fedex rates gets straightened out.

[berserkerplanet]

There is a serious problem with eBay SmartPost shipping rates at the moment.

The 5% overall FedEx rate increase along with the loss of the favorable 2017 dimensional rate divisor kicked in on 1/1/18.

On 1/22/18, the FedEx Smartpost dimensional weight criterion kicks in and that is what is causing the current discrepancy.

The eBay FedEx Smartpost label creation flow has already inserted that rate increase parameter, but the search/listing/estimating/checkout calculator is using the old rates.

Example:
16" x 13" x 12" 4 pound box shipped/ships via Smartpost for following amounts (zone1 to zone8 price ranges):
$5.67 to $10.59 in December (before the 1/1/18 increase - good times 🙂
$5.89 to $11.18 currently (incorrectly) in search and listing (increase due to the price bump on 1/1/18)
but actual label costs that will be charged starting now (due to dimensional weight applying from now on) will be
$16.71 to $35.47!

That's about triple, and may spell the end of that item (and others)being viable to sell on eBay any more - at least using Smartpost. Have to re-evaluate and see if FedEx Home Delivery ($12 to $23)and USPS Parcel Select ($7 to 18) may be viable options.

(I and others warned about this months ago, but mostly nobody seemed to care)

Hopefully the mismatch between search/listing/estimating/checkout calculator Smartpost rates and the actual label creation calculator is just a rate change transitional glitch that will work out tomorrow.

Those seemingly super high Smartpost rates the label flow is charging are the correct rates. The new reality. (unless there is some sort of discount structure that isn't kicking in yet - really doubt it though.)

[thallidguy]

There always seems to be some kind of confusion with eBay Shipping when the rates change. It gets sorted out in the end, but it's a mess in the short term.

SNAFU, as the old expression goes.

[berserkerplanet]

You Sir, are correct!

The worrying part is that eBay has so many persistent and recurring glitches with FedEx shipping (see other thread about FedEx Ground bugaboos), that I'm not confident it will shake out tomorrow. I may just end any listings with any FedEx services until 1) things settle down 2) I figure out what to do about the Smartpost major increase.

[dptedora]

I would say it does have something to do with USPS pricing since Smart post packages are delivered by the Post office not FedEx

[andrea7668]

Just compared Priority mail to Smartpost with a package going to CA and priority was cheaper. Package weight 1.4, 12x8x8 from Ct to CA.

Thanks for everyones feedback.

I also noticed that the discounts have dropped off.