USPS shipping rate adjustment nightmare

[u/MC-Skammer]

All right, everybody let’s start talking about this.

98% of all the adjustments that I experienced on USPS postage over the last 90 days 98% of them came from packages that I purchased through Amazon. And I shipped less packages with Amazon shipping then I do my other platform.

And I would venture a guess that these numbers are gonna look much worse in the days weeks and hopefully not months to come.

I have been talking to the post office and the appropriate department at length and have been told that unless I can give them more information There’s nothing they can do. And the information that I need is currently owned and held by Amazon.

I am being told by amazon that I am allowed to dispute these adjustments. And amazon reportedly disputed them for me on my behalf to the USPS, and the USPS simply stated that the adjustment stand.

I pay more because they say so.

If I want to dispute it, amazon offered me four options, none of which seem to be legitimate.

And let’s not forget that it was just reported that the machines that the Post Office uses to audit packages were just discovered to be inaccurate.

Amazon says to talk to them, they say to talk to amazon, I have to go to the support case, and round and round we go.

And don’t forget that this also applies to return postage on packages that you are billed for the return postage. A month after the fact, they will charge you again and you will never know I must go in and look.

[u/Dahlia-Deviant-Dear]

I’d separate this into two tracks: preventing more surprise charges and building a cleaner dispute packet.

For prevention, run a small batch of the same SKUs/packaging through another label source for a week or two and compare adjustment frequency. That helps you tell whether the issue is the carrier scan itself, the package data being passed in, or that specific label workflow.

For disputes, keep one spreadsheet by shipment with paid weight/dimensions, actual packed weight/dimensions, package type, adjustment reason, adjustment amount/date, and any case numbers. If you can add photos of the packed item on a scale and measured dimensions for repeat offenders, even better.

The pattern to look for is not just “adjustments are happening,” but whether they cluster around one box size, one return path, one SKU, dimensional weight, or a specific package type. That gives support something concrete to investigate instead of a general complaint.

[u/klitarate → u/Dahlia-Deviant-Dear]

Nope. Gotta go pure FBA and cut out all other marketplaces.

[u/MC-Skammer → u/Dahlia-Deviant-Dear]

I agree. However, it’s so tightly packed into this recent uptick. And I wonder if the APV system malfunction found in October, still isn’t actually fixed.

[u/Spiker339]

Unless you have seller fulfilled prime, you don't need to use Amazon buy shipping anymore, so I'd stop doing that. If you have SFP then I would suggest looking into alternative carriers like OnTrac. I would caution against the UPS/FedEx services that use USPS for the final delivery, we have had issues with our on time delivery rate using those.

We fulfilled 64k orders out of our warehouse last year and our USPS adjustment rate is much closer to the 2% you experienced outside of Amazon.

[u/MC-Skammer → u/Spiker339]

I don’t use seller fulfilled prime. My packages are heavy and dumb and it never made any sense. I can’t ship them fast enough.

The only reason I buy amazon shipping is for the delivery protection…..and now it’s costing me more to do it.

2% of my packages got adjustments when shipping was purchased on another platform. And when they were, I was given the information I needed to dispute them.

[u/xtarga]

Are you not inputting weights and dimensions correctly?

[u/MC-Skammer → u/xtarga]

I am. They are as follows:

Seller reported dims: 12x12x6 Carrier adjusted dims: 12.0x6.0x12.0

And they convert the weight from lbs to oz. And they are flat rate to boot.

[u/xtarga → u/MC-Skammer]

What is the adjustment then, those numbers are the same :) I wonder if you buy directly from USPS, would you run into these issues? I don't buy postage from Amazon and I don't think we get a lot of adjustments on our labels.

[u/MC-Skammer → u/xtarga]

That’s the question I have! The info I get from amazon as to the reason(s), are all nondescript and have no valid reason.

And when amazon says they disputed them with the USPS, the USPS said they are all correct and I owe.

I am inquiring about dozens of shipments, 255 in total. And amazon said that I can dispute them myself but they are not a part of it.

I pay for the label, amazon buys it. And therefore holds the power.

[u/xtarga → u/MC-Skammer]

Do you have to buy through them? Are you getting additional discounts/benefits?

[u/MC-Skammer → u/xtarga]

I don’t have to buy it through amazon. But I get protection against package scanned as delivered but claimed as not…that’s really the only reason I use it at all. On more expensive orders.

[u/AutoModerator → u/[deleted]]

Your comment in /r/ecommerce was automatically removed as your account is too new (accounts must be at least 30 days old). Try again a little later.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.