eBay

teenytrinkets · ‎02-07-2024

Be VERY VERY careful when you buy an expedited lite label if your package size or weight is close to the limits.

I recently bought an expedited lite label for $8.49. Then 2 days later was charged $12.48 shipping for the same order. No notification. No details.

After a VERY painful series of agent conversations where no one had any idea why, and started nitpicking my shipping methods and charges in my listings (sighhhhh) I finally got my query escalated to a supervisor and found out that the extra charge was from Canada Post. No details other than it was because of "volumetric weight".

This has happened to me before with Canada Post small biz, and I'm able to see the details in my account. Here however, I got nothing. This is what the supervisor said:

"Reach out to your carrier to deal with the discrepancy. We have to take what they say"

I said, "okay, but how do I do this? I don't have a receipt with Canada Post showing details. My transaction is with ebay. And you haven't given me any details to work with. I can't see my package details anymore. It says "5x5x5" dimensions on my label. How can I possibly dispute this?"

Response: "We cannot dispute their fees".

devon@ebay

How can I dispute this with Canada Post? Is there some way for sellers to obtain the details of the shipment?

Is there possibly an issue with Ebay's shipping calculator that's producing an Expedited Lite label, when in fact the package was too large?

I'm trying to pinpoint if this is an ebay label calculator error, or if this was a one time error in sizing the package at the Canada Post warehouse.

It's very clear to me that ebay customer service is NOT equipped to handle queries about these labels. I spent nearly 2 hours on this issue this morning. PAINFUL!

tanzarian · ‎02-10-2024

It 100% has to do with size wether eBay has the incorrect max size information or Canada Post is rounding up dimensions who knows but every time I use one of my 16x14x13 boxes I get up charged I have brought it up to eBay and got no where other then to file a dispute with the Canada Post ombudsman. Which one or two times I wouldn't mind doing but I have been overcharged atleast 10 times in the last month. I feel your pain, It's extremely frustrating.

pjcdn2005 · ‎02-11-2024

Are you measuring each box are or you using the dimensions on the box? Those measurements are inside dimensions so the outside dimensions are usually larger.

yoneath · ‎02-16-2024

I was told by CanPost that the dispute has to go through EBay as that's how I purchased the label. I was charged and additional $5.65 for a parcel after it had already made it to its destination. When I spoke directly to an eBay rep, they informed me that Canada Post had re-evaluated the weight of my parcel as being 0.563kg (over the limit of Ex Lite) and there i s no way that was possible. Either Canada Post made a mistake.....for the second time now in 1 wk, OR there is being some misrepresentation done on their end. The weight and dementions of the parcel i sent were small. Under the 200g limit. I'm getting frustrated with Canada Post, they have zero answers for you inregards to Expedited Lite shipping, but they are aware of the additional charges somehow? Strange. Ebay is going to credit my account the additional fees that were taken out recently.

teenytrinkets · ‎02-19-2024

@tanzarian

Yeah, I have had the same issues with boxes that are close to 3000 cubic cm (even though the limit is 3220 cubic cm). I'm convinced Canada Post has a limit set smaller - someone there probably made a boo boo and set the volumetric weight limit to 2220. Argh!

It's only a matter of time before it gets resolved. I'm sure ebay is being bombarded with surcharge calls.

For now, it's safer if you stay under 2000 cubic cm. I've started using poly mailers and bubble wrap so I can stay under 2000.

teenytrinkets · ‎02-19-2024

@pjcdn2005

It's not a measuring issue. It's happening to too many people to be simple mistakes by sellers. It's consistently happening to box sizes that are well under the volumetric weight. Someone at CP has made a mistake setting the volumetric weight limitations. My theory based on my packages: it's happening when you go over 2200 cubic cm (not the allowable 3220 cubic cm). I betcha someone punched in a "2" instead of a "3"... sigh

At this point I feel like I'm User Acceptance Testing this bloody software. I should have some pretty solid data points after a couple more weeks to send them my results.. lol

teenytrinkets · ‎02-19-2024

I just keep insisting ebay refund me because Canada Post can't refund me since I didn't pay them directly. Takes about an hour for Ebay to escalate and agree to refund. Don't even bother wasting your time with CP.

Until Ebay and Canada Post gets their sht together on this one, Ebay needs to take one for the team and refund the erroneous surcharges.

flipistics · ‎02-19-2024

@teenytrinkets wrote:
@pjcdn2005
My theory based on my packages: it's happening when you go over 2200 cubic cm (not the allowable 3220 cubic cm). I betcha someone punched in a "2" instead of a "3"... sigh

I don't think so. I regularly send items out in the eBay branded 6x4.75x4.75 boxes, and the actual packed, rounded measurements of those are about 16x13x14 cm. That works out to 2912. I haven't had any additional charges (yet). I'm not sure what is causing the issues people are having, but I don't think it's a programming error.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎02-20-2024

@teenytrinkets wrote:
I just keep insisting ebay refund me because Canada Post can't refund me since I didn't pay them directly. Takes about an hour for Ebay to escalate and agree to refund. Don't even bother wasting your time with CP.

Until Ebay and Canada Post gets their sht together on this one, Ebay needs to take one for the team and refund the erroneous surcharges.

@teenytrinkets

devon@ebay

@dinomitesales

Is it possible the charges after the fact are being caused by eBay applying the incorrect girth limits to parcels where/when applicable?

According to a recent display on a tracked parcel, dimensions on error message show as 101 cm (length 35 cm + girth 66 cm). You are close to carrier limits. 101 is nowhere close to 300 cms or 30 Kg. Parcel weight was 600 grams. Bumped to 630 grams to cover paperwork.

According to CP

maximum girth is 118 inches (300 cm)

Priority, Xpresspost, Expedited Parcel, Regular Parcel

Length + girth 1

Exceeds the maximum dimension or weight of a packet

3 m

Shopify link mirrors this.

https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/shipping/shopify-shipping/shipping-carriers/canada-post

maximum weight is 66 lb (30 kg)
maximum girth is 118 inches (300 cm)
maximum any dimension is 78.7 inches (200 cm)

-Lotz

teenytrinkets · ‎02-20-2024

@flipistics

It's possible that branded boxes might not be size checked (just another theory). I'd be curious to know if unbranded boxes of the same size are not being surcharged?

I'm still not convinced it's not a size limit error of some sort on the Canada Post side...

teenytrinkets · ‎02-20-2024

@lotzofuniquegoodies

I'm not familiar with girth maximums, but definitely looks like another possibility. There's something entered wrong either on the eBay side or the CP side causing packages closer to the volumetric weight limits to be surcharged.

I've had a couple more of my larger ones (greater than 2000 cubic cm, but less than 2500 cubic cm) go out recently, so I'll see if those get surcharged.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎02-20-2024

@teenytrinkets wrote:
@lotzofuniquegoodies

I'm not familiar with girth maximums, but definitely looks like another possibility. There's something entered wrong either on the eBay side or the CP side causing packages closer to the volumetric weight limits to be surcharged.

I've had a couple more of my larger ones (greater than 2000 cubic cm, but less than 2500 cubic cm) go out recently, so I'll see if those get surcharged.

I understand how girth would apply to anything extremely bulky but on smaller items it would make no sense. I have seen the error message show up on oversized bubble envelopes. (long and wide). In speaking to a CP explaining exactly the error messages I was seeing. He said it could be reweight and measured but for this particular order the rates on his system matched the eBay's CP rate exactly for that service. And I included extra cm's just to be safe. He also stated that because eBay owns the account number charges would have to be corrected via eBay. Very difficult when CP has the parcel and eBay has the original measurements. Unless the seller writes them down with EVERY order they ship.

-Lotz

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎02-20-2024

@teenytrinkets wrote:
@msau4301

It was definitely the box size because the weight was 169g (and I usually over estimate by about 10g). But it's hard to say what Canada Post did, because I have no details about the surcharge.

This is the first time I've ever shipped where surcharges result in such a significant increase in shipping charge. That's what makes it especially problematic not to be able to formally dispute it, because we're not dealing with a 10-20% increase in charges - but 150% increase in charges.

I have photos of the package, and I have the label with the weight - but that's all the information I have access to, besides the charges from ebay with no details and no paper trail. I can't even dispute these charges with my credit card, because they come directly from my ebay earnings or my bank account.

This all makes ebay labels very risky business. Especially when they take a hands off approach and tell you it's Canada Post's problem, and not theirs!

@teenytrinkets

Hopefully you don't start getting mega charges like this for postage. Found it on dot com. Too funny!!! They charged his CC.

-Lotz