eBay

robert30096 · ‎12-08-2017

The shipping calculator that Ebay provides its sellers is severly incorrect when it comes to shipping FedEx SmartPost. This month I have been overcharged $33.76 on 4 items shipped, and Ebay is of no help. The shipping calculator does NOT tell you that dimensional weight will be used when you put your box dimensions in. It still provides you a price based on actual weight even though it should know that dimensional weight will be used because it has you package dimensions. So while it showed me as saving a few dollars by using SmartPost, it actually was much more expensive than what I would have paid by using other shipping options . Ebay is of NO HELP because all they do is repeat that those are the prices FedEx charges them, even though it is Ebays shipping calculator that is causing the misquoted pricing. They say they will file a claim withe FedEx , but the reply from FedEx is that they deny ALL claims made by Ebay. Instead of paying for these overcharges, I am simply going to stop selling on Ebay. To save $33.76, it is going to cost Ebay ALL of my seller fees which are well over $1000 a year. Another great business decision by Ebay that backs up their sellers who keep them in business. On a side note, it would actually be nice to be able to speak to someone in the USA where I do business, instead of being sent to India every time I call. May e Ebay will get the messgae eventually, but until then, I am done.

flyerfandan999 · ‎12-08-2017

I acknowledge that the shipment below I am using as an example is FedEx Ground/Home and not SmartPost, but I don't see why the eBay shipping calc would do one correctly and not the other.

This was a heavy coast to coast (Philadelphia area to San Diego area) shipment. Note that the FedEx system raised the weight from the scale weight of 26.875 lbs to a dimensional weight of 43 lbs, but since the external package dimension were accurate to begin with, there was no change between the estimate at the top and the overall price charged by FedEx at the bottom.

The above is available on the eBay summary page under shipping labels.

On your shipment, does it show that FedEx measured the packages and got different numbers than you input when you were making up the shipments? That is the usual reason for FedEx upcharges, the shippers under-measure their packages.

And here's a case where FedEx measured a package, found it an inch shorter than I input (I always round up) and reduced the actual price accordingly.

Yes, Virginia, FedEx does sometimes downcharge 🙂

berserkerplanet · ‎12-09-2017

The shipping calculator that Ebay provides its sellers is severly incorrect when it comes to shipping FedEx SmartPost. This month I have been overcharged $33.76 on 4 items shipped, and Ebay is of no help. The shipping calculator does NOT tell you that dimensional weight will be used when you put your box dimensions in. It still provides you a price based on actual weight even though it should know that dimensional weight will be used because it has you package dimensions.

FedEx Smartpost DOES NOT consider dimensional weight - it Isn't even a thing (it will be starting 1/22/18, but not now). @robert30096

So whatever the issue is that isn't it. (and I don't care what eBay CS told you - it was wrong or you misinterpreted it.)

Smartpost DOES incur a $2.75 non-machinable surcharge for certain conditions (long, big, over 35#), but it is ALWAYS included in the label cost estimates.

I assume the "overcharges" showed up on your eBay invoice?

If you really want to try to understand what went wrong and maybe try to get it fixed and get a credit, post the weight, dimensions, from zipcode, to zipcode, the original estimated charge, and the eBay invoice information about the charge (amount, weight, dimensions, surcharges) for one of the packages and we'll see what's up.

(Also note if Smartpost was originally listed as one of the shipping options in the eBay listing, or if it wasn't and you just switched to it when you went to create the label - that may be important.)