1 BEST ANSWER
Accepted Solutions
Hey @sweetheart_357 . Let's tackle your issues one at a time to see if we can identify a cause (or a carrier error) and whether you have grounds to appeal.
First: FedEx
Go to the label page and click on the service, or go to the email about the cost adjustment and click for more info. Once you're taken to the page with label charges, expand the cost breakdown lower right to see the reason for the charge. What does it say? Can you post a screenshot (black out personal info)?
Second: UPS
You said the charge is for additional handling. There are numerous reasons an additional handling charge can be applied, and there are work-arounds for a few of those situations. First we need to figure out the cause. Can you provide:
Package dimensions and weight
Type of packaging (box, tube, polymailer, etc)
Did the package use an abundance of tape?
To answer your broader questions: yes, a lot of sellers are getting hit with cost adjustments from UPS and FedEx. Some are legit charges, some are not and need to be appealed. Some are the nature of the beast and some would be avoidable if eBay updated their system to account for irregular packages. We can go into more details once we know exactly what's going on with your 2 cost adjustments.
Hey @sweetheart_357 . Let's tackle your issues one at a time to see if we can identify a cause (or a carrier error) and whether you have grounds to appeal.
First: FedEx
Go to the label page and click on the service, or go to the email about the cost adjustment and click for more info. Once you're taken to the page with label charges, expand the cost breakdown lower right to see the reason for the charge. What does it say? Can you post a screenshot (black out personal info)?
Second: UPS
You said the charge is for additional handling. There are numerous reasons an additional handling charge can be applied, and there are work-arounds for a few of those situations. First we need to figure out the cause. Can you provide:
Package dimensions and weight
Type of packaging (box, tube, polymailer, etc)
Did the package use an abundance of tape?
To answer your broader questions: yes, a lot of sellers are getting hit with cost adjustments from UPS and FedEx. Some are legit charges, some are not and need to be appealed. Some are the nature of the beast and some would be avoidable if eBay updated their system to account for irregular packages. We can go into more details once we know exactly what's going on with your 2 cost adjustments.
thank you so much @wastingtime101 for your feedback. eBay committed they tried to charge as the price when it is printed, so they should stick with the initial charge if the weight and dimension are correct. But anyways, i accept if it is $15.37 as what new postage is. But any unknown additional $28.45 of handling fee seems unreasonable to me. And you can tell from the carrier message that they measure it is 1.5 lb instead of 2 lb.
For UPS
@sweetheart_357 wrote:For UPS, it is polybag wrap with card board. How does having extra tape or material of package influence the cost of my UPS or FedEx shipping in this case? I sincerely want to learn more from your experience. Thanks!
It sounds like irregular packaging. Here's more info on UPS surcharges for irregular packaging. Too much tape is often cited by UPS/FedEx as it falls under their definition of encased in plastic.
The weight is not the issue on your UPS cost adjustment (you rounded up). It looks like the issue is the packaging itself.
Go here to view eBay's guide on packing, measuring, and preventing shipping label cost adjustments:
Click the UPS link.
https://www.ups.com/assets/resources/webcontent/en_US/retail_rates.pdf
See page 126 - additional handling.
Packaging:
- Any article that is not fully encased in a corrugated cardboard shipping container, including tires.
- Any package with an outer shipping container not made of corrugated cardboard, including but not limited to canvas, leather, metal, wood, hard plastic, soft plastic (e.g., plastic bag) or expanded polystyrene foam (e.g., styrofoam).
- Any article that is encased in a soft-sided pack (e.g., poly bags and bubble mailers) that exceeds 18 inches along its longest side or 14 inches along its second-longest side or 6 inches in height.
- Any package with an outer shipping container covered in shrink wrap or stretch wrap.
- Any package bound with metal, plastic or cloth banding, or that has wheels, casters, handles or straps (including packages where the outer surface area is loosely wrapped or where the contents protrude outside the container surface).
- Any cylindrical-like item, including but not limited to barrels, buckets, cans, drums, mailing tubes or pails.
- Any package routed through UPS’s irregular package sortation process, including but not limited to packages 1 inch or less in height.
- Any other package that requires special handling, as determined by UPS in its sole discretion.
Regarding additional handling charges for size:
• Length plus girth: Any package with its length (longest side of the package)
plus girth [(2 x width) + (2 x height)] combined exceeding 105 inches.
• Length: Any package with the longest side exceeding 48 inches.
• Width: Any package with its second-longest side exceeding 30 inches
Fellow eBay sellers,
Be aware of FedEx. I recently received numerous cost adjustments from them, totaling over $100. I believe they are intentionally doing this to take advantage of eBay sellers, or possibly other online sellers, to increase their profits.
I am switching to UPS. If you continue to use FedEx, don't just drop off your packages and leave. Always ask the FedEx clerk for a receipt of your packages with the weight and dimensions for your records, even with prepaid shipping labels.
I have attached some images. FedEx's reported weights of my packages are inaccurate. I believe there is potential for a class-action lawsuit against FedEx. I hope it happens!
