eBay

bestpricedeals247 · ‎07-22-2022

I noticed that I shipped a package through FedEx and the estimate for shipping was around $10 but when the package was delivered I was charged over $30. The weight and dimensions I put in on eBay to buy the label were the exact same as FedEx weighed it at (under 3 lbs) and dimensions were the same. I called eBay a couple of weeks ago and they confirmed that it was valid dispute and said they would reimburse in 7-10 days, but it never went through. So I went on the automated assistant today to check the progress, and after an hour at least they told me that since I had this issue before (same scenario, overcharged about $20) I can only get one shipping credit back. So basically FedEx can hit you with a $30 shipping on a $10 estimate as much as they want and there's nothing that can be done about it apparently. They told me to call FedEx which I humored them and did which of course went nowhere. I can understand an estimate and actual charge to be a couple of dollars off on a package under 3 lbs, but charging $20 or more is ridiculous and a total rip-off. I haven't been through this lately with UPS just FedEx, so I would advise not to ship through them of the estimated cost is anywhere near the other 2 services.

rfmtm · ‎07-22-2022

FedEx has been going downhill for some time now to the point of not worth the problems. This is one reason to use your own account, then you can deal with the carrier directly to fix problems. Otherwise you will have to hammer on ebay until it is resolved.

UPS is a better choice, but either use your own account or get a free PirateShip account that has better prices than ebay does.

caseypl · ‎07-22-2022

Does Pirateship have better prices than Ebay? I always log in to check rates on Ebay and then go to PS, but the rates have been the same to me.

rfmtm · ‎07-22-2022

Ebay and PS USPS rates are the same, unless you happen to be grandfathered in on the original ebay plus rates, which are a bit lower.

Originally the ebay and PS UPS rates were about the same, some higher some lower. However, PS just announced a further UPS rate discount, that appears to be lower so far.

Also PS offers cubic rates for USPS and a similar flat rate for UPS, which ebay does not offer, that can provide even lower rates in certain cases.

The biggest reason to use PS is there quotes are accurate and you rarely if ever have an additional or back charge if you supplied the correct information in the first place. And although they are still a third party shipper they are responsive with a straight forward protocol for handling problems that ebay totally lacks.

**selling**stuff** · ‎07-22-2022

i had that exact thing happen, and it was the last time i ever used fedex.. I find that this has not ever happened with ups, so i exclusively use them now.. Fedex is a crooked company, and nobody in the office would help fix the situation, so i gave up on them.

bestpricedeals247 · ‎07-22-2022

I have had a shippo account for a long time now which when I compared to Pirate Ship seemed to be about the same prices. But I always thought it could cause issues using a different service to ship through, and hadn't noticed the overcharges as much as recently. I might give it a try, can you integrate it with your eBay orders to upload tracking automatically?

mandisattictoyz · ‎07-22-2022

Yes

kmcangel2012 · ‎07-22-2022

Call Ebay and demand to speak to a shipping department rep. Do not take NO for an answer...Do not hang up before they process a credit (not in 7-10 days...that is just what they tell you to get you to hang up....they have NO INTENTION of giving you a credit) or provide proof as to why there is a reason for the upcharge. Do NOT let them tell you to call FedEx and remind them that THEY are the account holder and FedEx will only speak to them. EBAY is the processor and is responsible for the accuracy of THEIR system. This has been happening for several years now. Some on here will say it is "dimensional weight" but that is total **bleep** since we put in the weight and dimensions. The bottom line is there is a bug in their program that causes this and every now and then, bites. ALWAYS get a drop off receipt from FedEx that shows the weight. You have to specifically ask for the weight on the receipt which is total **bleep** and shows that they are scammers. This issue DOES happen with UPS, just not as often.

bestpricedeals247 · ‎07-22-2022

Thanks for the advice. I know this doesn't seem right and half the time I get some eBay rep who barely speaks English and after waiting a half hour on the line transfers me to someone else. Only for that person to read over the details for 20 minutes to mistake me for being the buyer or something. I can tell they're just giving me a runaround, but I will try this In a couple of days, thanks.

Anonymous · ‎07-25-2022

@caseypl wrote:
Does Pirateship have better prices than Ebay? I always log in to check rates on Ebay and then go to PS, but the rates have been the same to me.

@caseypl

Often times, yes. The real advantage to pirate ship when shipping fedex and ups is that you pay UPFRONT and eliminate the funny business on the back end.

rfmtm · ‎07-25-2022

Note that PirateShip currently only supports USPS and UPS, but not FedEx.

I was a long time loyal FedEx user, but too many errors kept occurring and when my personal rep (which you don't even get assigned to one anymore) retired I gave up trying to keep up with all the problems.

Anonymous · ‎07-25-2022

@rfmtm wrote:
Note that PirateShip currently only supports USPS and UPS, but not FedEx.

Thank you for the clarification. Just logged in and noticed that.

gundy · ‎07-31-2022

If you are using eBay's shipping label system to purchase your labels, you need to be aware of some things. Even though I have been a member almost since the beginning of eBay, I have just recently started shipping larger items (I do this as a "hobby", not to make a living thank God) so have started using UPS and FedEx more often. When you enter your package information into eBay's shipping label program and you select "compare all services" to see which is the most economical, the weights and dimensions shown for that specific service are MAXIMUMS. What it doesn't show is the multiple "tiers" within the maximum weight and dimensions when surcharges apply....only finding out later when your account is charged 2-3x more than what you thought it would be.

I've only shipped a handful of items via UPS but have been overcharged twice even though the weights and dimensions I entered met the criteria for the "shipping tier" I paid for (I would recommend obtaining the specifics regarding the USPS/UPS/FedEx "tier pricing" and surcharges relative to each type of service so there are no "surprises" and you have PROOF of what the actual charge should be). But they will still use every trick in their books to fraudulently bilk sellers out of additional $$$.

Don't even get me started on this so-called "dimensional weight" concept which is TOTAL CRAP. If anyone could determine the weight of an object based solely on it's dimensions, you'd have to be freakin' Stephen Hawking and Houdini rolled into one. I believe the proper way to determine weight is with a good, calibrated scale (I'm betting all the shipping companies have at least one of those....). If a price is provided for a specific service and the dimensions and weight are accurate, that's all you should have to pay.

And contacting eBay support regarding these types of issues is generally a waste of time since the vast majority of the reps do not have the training, knowledge or information available to deal with these situations. They will just blow smoke up your butt and hope you forget about it. So GOOD LUCK!

estatesalegems · ‎12-18-2022

I was having the same problem with things like poster tubes until I asked my local FedEx shipper (at Kinkos) and he told me that anytime you ship with FedEx a package that is not have square or rectangular sides and right angle corners, such that it lays flat on the belts, it has to be hand carried through part of the shipping process and they slap a big surcharge on it. Now I put poster tubes and anything that is irregular in shape into a rectangular or square (cube) box always. The double boxes adds weight and hence cost but it's much less than getting the exorbitant hand-carry fee FedEx is not shy about imposing. Hope it helps some of you out there.

kh-vince · ‎12-20-2022

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.