All couriers weigh and measure parcels while in transit. Any discrepancy found in the weight or dimensions declared on Easyship will be charged by the courier at a premium. Adjustments will reflect on your account within 90 days of shipment creation.
More information on how chargeable weight is determined is here: How Chargeable Weight is Calculated
How Delivery Charges Are Calculated
All couriers’ pricing structures are based on weight classes or tiers.
For instance, if you ship between 0 and 0.99 kg, you pay US$5, if you ship a parcel between 1 and 1.99 kg you pay US$8, and so forth.
In this example, if you ship 1 or 1.8 kg it doesn’t make any difference: you will still have to pay US$8. But if you ship 1 kg instead of 0.99 kg you will pay US$3 more for only 0.01 kg of difference in the weight!
How Discrepancies Are Identified by Couriers
All couriers have different ways of finding discrepancies and adjusting the shipper's account, however, there is a basic process that couriers follow when measuring and weighing parcels in transit, and in this section, they will be outlined.
It is important to note that measurements are not taken manually. Couriers use scanners that measure and weigh parcels automatically when transiting through depots/service points, and typically these scanners can pick up on small discrepancies that may otherwise not be noticed. Scanners are frequently audited by third parties to ensure accuracy within the system, however, mistakes can still occur.
How to Prepare for Potential Adjustment Mistakes
Though extremely rare, it is possible for couriers to mistakenly charge adjustments, whether it be due to a manual issue, or an error with the scanner, it is crucial to take the correct precautions in the rare chance this does occur.
Here are some tips:
- Take a picture - If you typically use the same shipping supplies (box, envelope, polybag), take a picture of the length x width x height and measure the parcel on a scale (with items included). This will help us if disputing an adjustment. As well as this, ensure correct dimensions and weight are being entered on your Easyship dashboard.
- Save shipping box dimensions - By saving your box dimensions in the "Settings > Boxes" section of your dashboard, you limit the chance of adjustments occurring, as the dimensions and deadweight of the box are taken into account when purchasing a shipping label, or syncing an order. Having such information saved will be useful when referring back to the box used for a specific adjustment inquiry. More information on saved boxes can be found here.
- Contact Support with proof of size - When disputing an adjustment, it is essential to attach photo proof of size and weight, so that our support team can contact the courier directly and raise a dispute.
How to Dispute an Adjustment
When our customers log into Easyship and if their most recently delivered shipments have received adjustments, they may see a popup like that illustrated below,
If you wish to dispute an adjustment, contact support with the following information:
- Images showing the Length x Width x Height of the box with a measuring device.
- An Image of the packed box on a scale.
If you do not already have this information, you may recreate the shipment. Note that Easyship support will always attempt a dispute, but cannot guarantee a successful result.
Important Note: Postal solutions, namely HK Post, Sing Post, USPS, and DHL eCommerce do not accept disputes for seemingly incorrect adjustments.
For carriers that do accept disputes, without proper proof or evidence of an error, a claim can be challenging, without this data, very few claims filed are accepted. This means that most of the time, the couriers' measurements are found to be correct and, overall, reliable due to the audited measuring processes.
Explaining Weight and Dimensions Surcharges
If you receive an adjustment for chargeable weight, here's what we suggest:
Identify the item (or the combination of items) for which you were billed adjustments. This can be done directly through the platform as we show the ES shipment ID for which you received the adjustment (Account>Billing>Transactions).
Pick and pack orders with the very same item(s), and once it is labeled and ready to be shipped, weigh and measure it as accurately as possible. If you are in a warehouse, ask your warehouse partner to send you pictures of the weight and dimensions of the parcel.
Update your item dimensions and weight in the Easyship product catalog accordingly. If you upload orders through a CSV file, simply update the weight and dimensions of your items in the orders upload file.
If you did not ship with HK Post, Sing Post, USPS, or DHL eCommerce, and you have found a discrepancy in the chargeable weight, compared to what was billed by the courier, please contact our support team to file a claim.