eBay Sellers Charged for Voided USPS Shipping Labels

by: COVID-19

The geniuses at USPS are known to reuse / recycle Tracking Numbers. That might be why voided labels are suddenly showing as active again.

by: Shanna

Why would anyone buy postage through eBay? Their prices are no different that anyone else, but other companies like Pirateship and Stamps.com do not screw their customers on a regular basis like eBay does.

by: Geetar

DO NOT USE EBAY for POSTAGE. Nothing is transparent. Why is it I use shipstation, and everything is documented, and there are NO VARIANCES. Ebay you cant tell whats what. There is NO WHERE you can find what is included in what report and where to look for what. And whats more none of it makes any sense. I would gladly use ebay for postage.....FIX YOUR REPORTS,  

by: my2cents

For some Ebay labels have worked fine for them others such as yourself prefer to use a different vendor for their shipping label needs.  There is nothing wrong with either choice.  It is up to the seller to decide what is best for them.

With that said, this issue is a USPS issue, created by USPS and acknowledged by USPS.  But of course for some the facts don't matter, it is still Ebay's fault.

by: my2cents

@Geetar

I get what you are saying pertaining to other carriers other than USPS.  Like UPS and Fedex.  It isn't Ebay however that comes up with extra charges at a latter date, it is the carrier.  However this has happened for years and is still going on.  If I used either of those carriers, I would not be using Ebay either.

by: Chicago48

I've never had a problem with Ebay shipping.  My main complaint is with the USPS - lost mail, slow mail, mail not being delivered when there's a valid addy.  OH BOY - headaches!  It's only now and then these blips occur, but it's enough to run your BP up.

by: Bidonmine

Since USPS re-uses shipping labels, this was bound to happen.  

by: NYSteve

nice 'catch' by the seller, with all my adjustments, returns, voided labels, i dont think i would be able to notice something like that.

and i wonder, if not done intentionally, it is certainly low priority of large companies such as Amz, USPS to put customer guard rails in place to prevent double charges.

and lastly, with 22 digits on USPS tracking numbers, i may have to 'second' my own comments above .

by: Casmige

Here’s the new one that I’ve never experienced in the 20 some years of selling on eBay.

I just despatched a parcel to California from Texas using eBay labels printed out from the seller portal using USPS GROUND.

2lbs, 8Oz’s 9”x6”x6” $7.57USD

It was clearly marked GROUND on the shipping label. It was not going to Guam, it was not going to Puerto Rico, north to the Virgin Islands just from Texas to California.

The customer contacted us complaining that they were charged in additional $10.60 on additional postage due.

We told them that was impossible we double checked our figures we did another run on the eBay shipping label portal and confirm that we had weighed and measured everything correctly and that the correct shipping label was produced.

Just to avoid a negative and any viral frustration ahead and refunded the fire $11.00USD

However we asked him to find out from the manager when he picked up the package exactly what it happened and thankfully they reported back that the manager told them that somehow the package was processed as USPS AIR-MAIL instead of GROUND & that was the reason For the additional postage even though the manager could clearly see from the shipping label but it was marked GROUND.

I checked in with our local USPS manager who are very friendly with here in Texas and she just gave me a number to call which is about as worthless as the 1-800 USPS customer service number.

So apparently USPS can make a mistake, completely say they didn’t make the mistake (which is what the manager at my local branch said) and yet we are the ones that have to pay for it or risk getting a negative from the customer because of it.

Unbelievable.

by: NYSteve

@Casmige- btw, fyi, that package is considered 'on time delivery' as far as USPS stats go (as it was marked delivered). I once got my whole street's mail in one bundle, i was so pissed i brought it to the regional postmaster...as an aside, i asked them if this was considered 'on time', as they were all scanned delivered. (the answer was affimative)  (ironically, the mail included trade mail to a carrier who lives on my street)

by: Snapped

If it was a label purchased via eBay that was voided, eBay should have a record of that. And since eBay is the one actually purchasing the label as a ‘service’ to you - using THEIR account and allegedly passing on a discount they get when so you don’t ‘have to’ DIY - it is THEY who are assessed any label fees.   It is eBay who passes it on to the sellers.

Including those generated by some carrier’s ‘fault’.  

So - despite their (prompt?) attention to refunding at the end of the day - why did eBay just pass them on in the first place instead of catching errors they should KNOW about at the gate?  One can only gue$$.

It might have been USPS who started the rumble, but the buyer anxiety for missed scans not subsequently updated by eBay when USPS catches up, and the superfluous accounting - sometimes involving loss of use of cash and not just accounts receivable drills while it’s all ‘sorted out’ - all that was avoidable no matter what USPS did.

Plenty of “blame” to go around here.

by: my2cents

USPS has taken full responsibility for this problem.  But that isn't good enough from some that are diehard about everything being Ebay's fault even it if isn't.  To them it is and they don't let facts get in the way.

"despite their (prompt?) attention to refunding at the end of the day - why did eBay just pass them on in the first place instead of catching errors they should KNOW about at the gate?"

That isn't how it works on ANY site you purchase electronic shipping labels.  At the time the label is created and paid for, the funds move onto the carrier.  So if a seller finds the need to void that label for whatever reason they may have, then the void is recorded but it can't be refunded at the same time because the label exists.  The carrier waits a certain amount of time before refunding to insure that the label did not get used.

"...missed scans not subsequently updated by eBay when USPS catches up,..."
Ebay's tracking info on the site is provided by the carriers.  Ebay does not create their own tracking info.  Ebay tracking is also not on Real Time.  A few times during a 24 hour period Ebay updates the info from the Carrier.

by: COVID-19

Plenty of "cheerleading" to go around here too.

by: my2cents

Has nothing to do with "cheerleading" and everything to do with the facts subject and in Ina's article.  

by: Snapped

The ‘labels’ in question as factual representatives presented in the OP refer to voids that occurred months prior, well beyond the typical 30-day advertised (usually less) the USPS takes to provide refunds.  

The quote referencing eBay “promptness” in refunding the USPS error in recharging for those voided labels - presumably most if not all had already been refunded by then - was not referring to any ‘immediate’ refund that ‘ought to happen’ from a typical void.  Clearly there is no ‘immediacy’ for such typically voided refunds to be expected.  Nor was such implied.

It was referring to the fact that - despite this being ‘caused’ by USPS improper charges and them owing up to it, it is still eBay who controls any refund to the seller once USPS does theirs (to eBay).  Any factors and facts regarding eBay’s ‘promptness’ in doing so (or lack of same to advantage interest collection on accounts payable funds) are a matter of record.  

And the point was - remains - as soon as USPS charged eBay for the voided label, it is eBay that could have - arguably should have - questioned the charge itself, instead of passing it to the seller for THEM  to have to try and reconcile.  The ‘fact’ they are not set up to do so is a matter of personal tolerance for their processes for not doing so.  That includes accepting (or not) all the eBay (only) issues that will, in this case have followed as factually relayed in the OP.  Issues that factually did not need to exist.

As for eBay’s lack of ‘real time’ tracking - sure, that’s always been lagged.  Yet, USPS (and others) make it available.  In fact, one can sign up for alerts to changes to be sent in real time.  Alternately, one can engineer a API call direct to their system, at whatever time interval is desired.  As eBay does.  Only, they only do it when THEY decide it’s needed.  In the past, once a day or so was sufficient.  Expectations and tolerance for shipments was different.  However, that interval hasn’t been ‘updated’ in years.  

Fact is though, until they make it real time - it lacks ‘usefulness’ for those who need it more often to assuage the concerns of their buyers.  Arguably, for the buyers themselves.  eBay claims to put buyer concerns forefront do they not?  Discrepancies in data (this case between USPS and what eBay provides) also induce anxiety and unnecessary need to reconcile.  In case that ‘fact’ matters.

Perhaps eBay can consider at least these to elements as something they should be doing to actually EARN some of that FVF on shipping.

But that, of course, is just an opinion, nevertheless based on fact.  

by: my2cents

Humm....  Maybe you have something there.  IDK that Ebay audits the downloads USPS does to Ebay on a regular basis for each line item they charge to a member account for any reason.  If Ebay were to review / audit each transaction, they would have likely prevented this issue.  I sincerely have no idea if they do this or not.  Seems it would be time consuming and expensive to pull off, but certainly it could be something they do, I simply don't know.  Nor do I necessarily think they are or should be required to do so.  

It is an interesting idea and certainly something to think about.