Label Adjustments That Won't Stop!

[#1]

I've been selling on Etsy for years and have never gotten a Label Adjustment until recently. I've had 4 to date and I know they are all wrong. My post master has verified that the way I'm shipping is accurate. USPS doesn't follow up on my dispute. They change the package size, weight, and charge me more money. I send hundreds of the same size/weight packages that aren't adjusted, but going from it never happening to happening 4 times in the last 8 weeks is extremely time consuming, And I'm still out of the money taken. Loss of income and lost time trying to get it back! 

Is anyone else seeing a ridiculous unjust increase of Ground Advantage weight and even upgrades to Priority (without receiving priority service).

[LynnsLittleShop]

Pirate ship integrates  with Etsy.  If you mail internationally be sure and use the chat to ask for the simple export rate. To Canada is I think $2 or more cheaper than Etsy.

[BarkingRockFarm]

FWIW, this is my system.  It's worked flawlessly for years.

I use Pirate Ship to print out all my labels.  (There's no fees or extra charges for their service.)  It automatically integrates with Etsy or Ebay, so I don't have to cut-n-paste tracking numbers.  I use FC/Ground Adv and Priority.  I almost always buy insurance through Shipsurance.

I take the packages to our local PO, and have the PO employee scan and I get a receipt.  By default, they should be checking that the weight/postage are correct.

On the rare occasions when things have gone awry, I have a PO-generated receipt that proves the weight of the package.  Supplying a copy of this receipt to PirateShip is all I ever have had to do to make the extra charge go away.  And shipsurance has promptly paid for missing packages, unlike the hassle of claiming on USPS insurance.

Unlike etsy, Pirate Ship not only has actual customer service, but they've been readily available and helpful.

[CanningCrafts]

@BarkingRockFarm PirateShip changed their adjustment dispute process a while back. You aren't able to attach a photo when disputing now. You just get to type in a few sentences & then USPS will check their system. I state my package size, weight, & that my envelope is thick/rigid & passes the USPS "bend test", etc. The process for dealing with ShipSurance through PirateShip is also much easier. I have done damage claims a few times. You need to send photos in for damage claims & it takes longer to get approved.

[GreenGypsies]

Yes! I have had many adjusted, “disputed” each but never saw a refund to my account. It seems to go in spurts…several in week, nothing for a month, and starts again! Does Etsy notify us if/when refunded as they do when we are charged?  I, like you, have certain package sizes/weights. Soooo aggravating!

[CanningCrafts]

@GreenGypsies When I used to buy labels on Etsy & get adjustments, I NEVER got notified of a dispute approval. I believe other sellers have had that same experience. It was frustrating because I would send multiple messages to USPS & never hear back, so I assumed I didn't win the adjustment. But then I noticed a credit in my shop payment account one day. So I won the disputes, but never got an email telling me so. You can check your payment account for a credit. It takes several weeks usually. PirateShip usually settles the adjustments in a week, much faster than USPS direct.

[SuebeesMiniatures]

I ship 4 x 4 boxes and some a little larger and have had 2 adjustments in 9 days. They bump it up to priority when its 4 or 7 oz. I’ve had 3 adjustments in 2 months. I called the number Etsy gives us and opened a dispute. If the box was off an oz fine but charge me Ground not Priority. I too am losing money. Ive been selling 12 years and no problem till now. 

[VintageMaineia]

USPS photographs every package in the system at some point, as part of the "USPS Automated Package Verification (APV) system." I have had them claim I used the wrong packaging, and they can verify that by looking at their photo. I have won two disputes in the last two months, both using Pirate Ship.

[PrevntProducts]

Use pirate ship and this issue will be remedied easily as they have a built in dispute section with very clear notices about said adjustments. 

Having to dispute label adjustments for labels bought from Etsy has never been successful for me.

Using Pirate Ship, the rate at which these adjustments happen has been nearly half of what it was before.

I have even been refunded/credited on labels that I overpaid for with Pirate Ship. Never once with Etsy-bought labels. Etsy is already making % off our shipping charge

[MakersMinerals]

What you are describing doesn’t need to happen if you use PirateShip. It’s free, integrates with Etsy, and makes disputing adjustments so easy (less than a minute). I ship in a bubble mailer and they are often under 4 ounces. Adjustments happen and there is no way to avoid them, but there IS a better way to go about disputing them. The problem is that your packages are getting caught up with another package when being scanned. Etsy refuses to give customer service on labels, so don’t use them! Use a service that provides customer service on their labels. If you ship a lot everyday, then PirateShip is the only way to go. The rest is just a waste of time and money. Ask for their simple export rate for international, it beats Etsy’s rates and the service is better. 

[HappyMooseGardenArt]

I have gotten TWO in the past month, and several scattered over the years.  I not only send out the same uniform package/weight, but I actually add on a few 'just in case' ounces to avoid this.  The label adjustments aren't ever slight, but ridiculously different.  My last package length was some bizarre number like 14.17 (what?) and the weight was more than double what it should be.

So...again, I go through the time consuming task of writing out all of the information to attempt to get my money back.  I check on it until I see it come in, and if I don't, I follow up on it. OVER AND OVER because I'm very tired of the slow-drip rip off this is becoming.

Thank you....I really needed to vent about this as it's obviously a system that is not working.  Etsy has nothing to do with the problem, so putting this out here is just a USPS vent   I most definitely appreciate the savings and the convenience of Etsy labels!

[HappyMooseGardenArt]

Actually I'm now reading all of your comments about PirateShip.  I may just make the change.

[SmallDevotionsSupply]

I would get them periodically but in April, I received 10 which seemed excessive! I ship through pirate ship so I was able to easily dispute them on their website and all ten were approved in my favor. On the last 2 that came in I wrote something along the lines of how there seemed to be an uptick in wrongful adjustments... 5 out of the 10 said I used priority flat rate packaging but paid for ground which I most definitely did not do. I send thousands of packages a month and all of a sudden, I don't know how to buy postage?!? Yeah right.

After I mentioned in the last two disputes how many I have received in the last month that were wrong, I haven't received one since and that was on April 20th.

[funkydreamsmosaics]

Those bump ups to Priority often means your packages weren't thick enough.  I know you say you send thousands of packages, but I feel like the thickness issue is getting caught more frequently these days.  At least it is for me.