02-17-2024 05:31 AM
I’ve been selling over 20 years, basically the same merchandise. Over the past 2 months I’ve been hit with 7 label cost adjustments of $11.75 from UPS and FedEx. This is killing my business. My weights and measurements are spot on. No specific reason for the adjustment given. I’ve read the articles on shipping. I cannot get a specific reason for the charges!
02-17-2024 09:56 AM
$11.75 is the surcharge for a "tube". Are you shipping in a "tube" ?
02-17-2024 11:57 AM
No . Rectangular shape or square. Usually 2” or less height
02-17-2024 01:27 PM
I often find that boxes with the size printed on them are usually a bit larger than marked. Usually rounded down in size
02-17-2024 01:36 PM
I had that happen to me.
It was at my local PO location.
I took a big bag of packages in and stood at the counter for fifteen minutes while the clerk checked the weight on all.
She asked me why I didn't just put it in the box, and I told her that it was too expensive. She looked confused so I said "About a third that I post myself, with my own label, gets bumped up in postage. When I bring it to the counter ... they don't. All pass the weight test."
She went and got a supervisor. Supervisor said that it was taking too much time to do it my way. I said "it's too expensive to be accommodating to you, so I'll bring them up to the counter from now on."
And I did, a couple more times. Line out the door ... IDGAF.
Finally after two or three of these the supervisor waddled out of her office and said that she found out who was doing it and it won't happen any more.
And it didn't.
02-17-2024 02:04 PM
@ed-boo-2u wrote:I’ve been selling over 20 years, basically the same merchandise. Over the past 2 months I’ve been hit with 7 label cost adjustments of $11.75 from UPS and FedEx. This is killing my business. My weights and measurements are spot on. No specific reason for the adjustment given. I’ve read the articles on shipping. I cannot get a specific reason for the charges!
I suspect you are getting hit with an extra handling charge @ed-boo-2u . The question is why?
When you view the label charges you have to expand the cost breakdown lower right to see the reason for the charge. Does yours say additional handling?
Go here to view eBay's guide on packing, measuring, and preventing shipping label cost adjustments:
Click the UPS link and see if any of these additional handling scenarios apply to your packages. By the way, these carriers are infamous for saying "too much tape" is a problem as they consider those package to be wrapped in plastic and they tack on the additional handling surcharge.
https://www.ups.com/assets/resources/webcontent/en_US/retail_rates.pdf
See page 126 - additional handling.
Packaging:
02-17-2024 02:12 PM - edited 02-17-2024 02:14 PM
@wastingtime101 wrote:https://www.ups.com/assets/resources/webcontent/en_US/retail_rates.pdf
See page 126 - additional handling
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
We can offer more specific help if you tell us the dimensions and weight of affected shipments, along with the type of packaging used (and how much tape).
Some of the items you've recently sold appear very large and/or heavy.
02-18-2024 05:15 AM
Thank you! The box is 23” wide and 30” tall. The thickness is 2” and the weight is 12 pounds. I use glue and a fair amount of reinforcement tape.
02-18-2024 12:11 PM
Most likely it's the tape that's the issue for reasons mentioned in my above post.
If you need to use all that tape, expect the surcharge from UPS and FedEx - add it as a handling fee to your shipping if you need to. On Feb 4 UPS rates went up so that $11.75 is now higher.
Otherwise, ship USPS as they don't surcharge for excess tape.
02-18-2024 01:44 PM
Why wouldn’t they shipping calculator do all this if my measurements and weight are correct?
02-18-2024 02:07 PM - edited 02-18-2024 02:08 PM
@ed-boo-2u wrote:Why wouldn’t they shipping calculator do all this if my measurements and weight are correct?
eBay shipping calculator for UPS/FedEx lacks extremely in the application of "surcharges"
It is an ongoing issue that eBay either cannot resolve or does not care to resolve.
02-18-2024 02:25 PM
@ed-boo-2u wrote:Why wouldn’t they shipping calculator do all this if my measurements and weight are correct?
Because "too much tape" is a surcharge to which the calculator has no visibility.
Even if eBay were to improve the calculator in the future to account for irregular packaging such as tubes and polymailers and apply the surcharge upfront, it's unclear whether a "too much tape" situation could be accounted for.
As I said above, either add a handling fee and account for the cost in what you charge buyers, knowing that surcharge will come after the fact, or switch to USPS as they do not apply a surcharge for excess tape.
I can't fix eBay's calculator; all I can do is tell you how to work with the tools we sellers have at our disposal.
Even if I shipped using a third party like PirateShip that does have the ability to account for irregular package UPS surcharges upfront, I do not think that would account for excess tape and I'd still get hit with an after the fact cost adjustment using that third party.
02-22-2024 06:22 PM
I've had 4 UPS shipping adjustments in the last 3 weeks. I ALWAYS overestimate all 3 dimensions by 1" (and 2" if it is close to the next size). I ALWAYS add 1 LB for every 10 lbs of package weight after rounding up after weighing so even a 1 lb 1 oz package is 3 lbs when entering the info and I'm at a loss for why I've suddenly gotten all these adjustments. The adjustments have averaged between 9 and 20 cents per lb. of the packages weight and have only happened in the last 5 weeks of shipping time (mid january was the 1st package I sent that had a shipping price adjustment about 12 days later. I've had adjustments on the following weights, sizes and the last number is my additional charge:
23 lbs 10x13x6 $2.42
26 lbs 22x24x7 $5.03
11 lbs 12x12x5 $1.06
9 lbs 22x6x6 $1.26
I can only see 1 package possibly qualifying for the special handling charge. A 12x12x5 package is in no way a special handing charge size. I checked my original info on that box and it measured at 11x10x4 and 9 lbs 5 oz. The 12x12x5 info I entered was confirmed when I viewed the adjusting details.
I'm at the point where I am changing everything I can from UPS to USPS and also will be adding a .25 per lb handling fee for any items I will need to send by UPS to cover all these "adjustments" I seem to have every week.
I'm glad I'm not the only one experiencing these charges and if I get other adjustments on the other 4 or 5 UPS packages I've sent recently I will definitely be stopping UPS for any shipments under 50+ lbs.
2023 - 150+ UPS packages shipped , no adjustments.
2024 - 22 UPS shipments in 45 days and 4 adjustments so far...
Seems fishy to me....
02-22-2024 07:25 PM
Thanks for the info
02-22-2024 08:12 PM
@palosrecycler wrote:I've had 4 UPS shipping adjustments in the last 3 weeks. I ALWAYS overestimate all 3 dimensions by 1" (and 2" if it is close to the next size). I ALWAYS add 1 LB for every 10 lbs of package weight after rounding up after weighing so even a 1 lb 1 oz package is 3 lbs when entering the info and I'm at a loss for why I've suddenly gotten all these adjustments. I've had adjustments on the following weights, sizes and the last number is my additional charge:
23 lbs 10x13x6 $2.42
26 lbs 22x24x7 $5.03
11 lbs 12x12x5 $1.06
9 lbs 22x6x6 $1.26
Hey @palosrecycler . Go to this page:
https://www.ebay.com/ship/labels/seller-hub
On the labels with adjustments, in the Shipment details / Cost column, click on the service name. On the popup that appears, expand the cost breakdown section highlighted below in green.
That should tell you the reason UPS is claiming for the cost adjustment. If the charges are erroneous you can appeal but, unfortunately, you have to go through eBay CS to do so.
02-23-2024 07:06 AM
Sadly every one of my adjustments does not list an additional handling charge. This is the most recent one:
I do appreciate the info but I'm led to believe these are just charges that eBay will blame the carrier for and the carrier will blame eBay for with no one able to actually explain why it was adjusted and figure people will not spend the time to get an answer. At some point there will be enough people voicing concerns that these mysterious charges will disappear to appease the masses.
All I will do is drop UPS as an option on all the listings I can then add a "potential adjustment fee" handling charge to all UPS shipments I need to. All this does is cause me, and likely others, to not offer UPS and Fed-Ex as options so now they will lose that potential business. I did over $4000 of UPS shipping last year and it may seem like a drop in the bucket in the overall amounts UPS does, but if even .01% of others shy away from UPS & Fed-Ex as an option on eBay then that will make a noticeable difference. Short-term gain will harm long-term results.
Thanks again for everything and I hope this info will be seen by others so they may also question why their shipments are getting adjusted and take steps to fix it.