FedEx earned discounts, and base discounts are the main focus of any contract negotiation. As part of a three-part series, Refund Retriever unveils FedEx agreements and contracts’ black and white details. We are breaking down the general outline of FedEx agreements to make understanding them much easier. In part one, we…
What does the future hold? How does the changing parcel landscape impact your profitability? Looking ahead, it’s becoming increasingly clear how vital shipping data is to a shipper’s business. Many shippers want to know UPS vs. FedEx rates, which is better. You can identify how much you ship when you…
Many sellers ask us Amazon FBA vs. FBM, which is better? The best Amazon model is an answer only achievable by looking at your situation. Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), you store products in Amazon’s fulfillment centers, and Amazon picks, packs, ships, and provides visibility and customer…
What is Prime Day? Prime Day is a significant online shopping event that kicks off in the middle of June or July annually. It started as a one-day event, but Amazon has since expanded that; this year, it will feature 48 hours of pure deal madness. Amazon claims that Prime…
In the final part of a three-part series, Refund Retriever unveils the intricate details of a FedEx transportation services agreement. Our goal is to break down the general outline of FedEx agreements to make understanding them more manageable. Therefore we will cover FedEx surcharge reductions and FedEx minimum charge reductions. Earlier in part one, we reviewed…
What happens if UPS does not deliver on time? All UPS ground and express packages are guaranteed to arrive on time, or it’s free. Once you identify that a package was delivered late, requesting a UPS Guaranteed Service Refund is the next step to get your money back. The request…
UPS vs FedEx is a questions we get every single day. Which is better in terms of price, efficiency, customer support or reliability. This is a difficult question to answer. Therefore, lets look at each and make some comparisons. FedEx vs. UPS Service Names Both UPS vs FedEx run similar…
Amazon FBA returns can eat away at profits and time. Returns can threaten the profitability of your company in the long run. Also, too many returns or defective items can negatively impact your Seller Rating. Amazon’s Buyer Return Policy All customers have the right to open a product, try it…
LTL accessorial fee mistakes are not uncommon. Unexpected accessorial charges for LTL services performed by freight carriers can be costly. You cannot prevent all of these charges, but you can take steps to reduce them. Let’s discuss some commonly charged LTL accessorial fees and how you can avoid them. Limited…
The world as we know it has changed forever. COVID-19 has and will continue to change the way people consume products. This change has caused a disruption in supply chains and logistic principles that we have followed for many years. Until now, FedEx and UPS have experienced surges in shipping…
Retail is shifting from brick and mortar to e-commerce faster than ever. Amazon is the leading online shopping platform, this makes Amazon product reviews very important. Shoppers rely on millions of Amazon reviews for each purchase. As Amazon continues its rapid growth, consumers depend on consumer reviews more than ever…
Amazon Inventory Performance Index (IPI) is a number between 0-1000. This number measures FBA inventory health. Amazon IPI captures low inventory and excess inventory levels of your FBA SKUs. Amazon’s IPI can benefit both you and Amazon. Amazon’s inventory performance index score combines the preceding three months of sales, inventory…
FedEx Saturday delivery and FedEx Saturday pickup are available in most cities across the United States. These fees apply to most express services. Conversely, Home Delivery includes Saturday delivery at no cost to most of the US. FedEx Saturday Delivery Charges For domestic package shipments, Saturday delivery is available with…
Amazon FBA sellers sometimes find themselves in a position of needing to reduce inventory. But, returning or disposing of products from Amazon FBA centers isn’t free. If the merchandise is not selling, it might be beneficial to avoid long-term storage fees. We will discuss why removal could be helpful and…
Every year shipping prices go up and many businesses just absorb the cost without really realizing the impact. What does the 2021 UPS Rate increase really mean? We will look at the 2021 UPS Rate Increase Impact for a single shipment and compare it to that of 2020. UPS rates…
The FedEx unauthorized package charge is a fee rarely seen by shippers, but when it appears, a shipper will take action immediately! FedEx recently announced general changes to surcharges on unauthorized shipments that require additional handling. Generally, FedEx announces these fee increases in September each year, and they go into…
Starting up an Amazon storefront has to be easy, right? You just have to simply sign up and start selling your product… However, the reality is that selling on Amazon is not quite that simple or affordable. Amazon is booming; everyone wants to be part of it. Consequently, there are…
As with all vendors, FedEx and UPS want to be paid in a timely manner. Since 2003, there has been a 6% UPS late fee penalty. Now, there will be a FedEx late fee penalty that matches UPS. When do FedEx late fees apply? Beginning January 2021, FedEx will begin…
What is Amazon Vendor Central? There are only two ways to get your products on Amazon: a seller (third-party or 3P) or a vendor (first-party or 1P). Vendor Central sellers are known as first-party or 1P because when a sale is made to a consumer, it’s sold by Amazon themselves…
Coming on the heels of the 2021 FedEx shipping increases, the 2021 UPS Rate Increase is here! UPS announced increases in the 2021 shipping rates. In short, the rates for UPS ground, air, and international services will increase an average net 4.9% effective December 27, 2020. In addition to daily package rates increasing,…
ASIN and FNSKU are two very important terms all Amazon FBA sells should know. Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN) is a unique set of ten-digit letters and/or numbers that identify items. No two products will ever have the same ASIN. ASIN’s are meant to keep everything in order. The FNSKU…
UPS announced the 2021 rate increase that is going into effect on December 27, 2020. Incidentally, the 2021 UPS accessorial fees and charges make up for a large portion of every shipper’s weekly costs. At the same time, the rates for UPS Ground and Air will all see an increase…
As an online seller, there is nothing more frustrating than fraudulent returns. On Amazon specifically, a buyer has exactly 30 days to return a product, but sometimes the buyer will get a refund before sending it back. This leaves the seller out of a sale and inventory. It’s no secret…
The 2021 FedEx Price Increase that will go into effect on January 4th, 2021. FedEx Express shipping rates will increase by an average of 4.9% for Domestic, Export, and Import services just as they did in 2020. In addition, FedEx Ground and Home Delivery rates will increase by an average…
Many FBA sellers might not be aware of stranded inventory within seller central. But, it is an issue that all sellers must address on a regular basis. Stranded inventory prevents your products from being sold and affects your IPI. Therefore, let’s dive into this issue. What is stranded inventory? Stranded…
COVID-19 has stimulated an increase in residential deliveries across the U.S. As a result, FedEx is experiencing extremely high demand and increased operating costs. Therefore, you will see a rate increase on FedEx One Rate pricing effective November 2, 2020. The new FedEx One Rate 2020 price increase base rates will…
Effective January 4, 2021, all FedEx shippers will experience shipping rate changes. It is important to note that FedEx Express, Ground, and Home Delivery shipping rates will increase by an average of 4.9%. Also, beginning January 2021, FedEx will charge a 6% late fee. This late fee will apply to…
What is a FedEx Priority Alert? Every minute counts when you have to deliver time and temperature-sensitive shipments in perfect condition. FedEx offers peace of mind for global customers that require the highest level of reliable monitoring for these types of shipments with FedEx Priority Alert. FedEx Priority Alert packages…
COVID-19 changed the way the world interacts. The pandemic has changed shipping and the parcel delivery landscape. Naturally, more people are having packages delivered. Brick and mortar stores have limited hours, declaring bankruptcy, or just halting operations altogether. Therefore, here is some data to show how this shift has affected one…
When it comes to shipping a package, typically you think of the big guys. FedEx, UPS, and USPS. If you haven’t considered or implemented regional parcel carriers, you might be leaving money on the table. A regional parcel carrier is a package delivery company usually cheaper, more flexible, and responsive…
FedEx defines a residential surcharge as a shipment addressed to a home or private residence, including locations where a business is operated from the home, and/or a shipment in which the shipper has designated the delivery address as residential. FedEx Residential Surcharge: A residential delivery charge applies to shipments addressed…
UPS defines a residential surcharge as a residential delivery made to a home, including a business operating out of a home. Furthermore, for each residential delivery, an additional charge per shipment will apply. However, this fee applies in two cases. If either the delivery address entered or the actual delivery address…
There are shipping terms the carriers use that often cause the most experienced shipper to pause and think. One of these terms that I regularly forget is girth. So today, we are going to explain the girth of a package and why it is crucial. Girth is essentially the circumference…
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to reshape shipping all across the world. UPS recently announced a rise in rates due to peak shipping activity due to the pandemic. FedEx has come behind and has mimicked the UPS with 2020 FedEx Peak Surcharge. As FedEx copes with these changes, they are continuing…
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to reshape shipping all across the world. As UPS copes with these changes, they continue to modify their pricing accordingly and increase UPS peak surcharges. On May 26, 2020, UPS announced expansions to their Peak Surcharges for international US domestic packages. These modifications are significant and…
Last-minute changes and mistakes happen when shipping and shopping online. At some point, a package will go out with an incorrect address, or you may need to stop the parcel from being delivered. This is why UPS offers delivery changes and intercepts. Therefore, what are these options, and how do…
Previously, we learned that the last mile or final delivery of packages, regardless of actual distance, is truly where costs add up. Coincidentally, that last-mile varies from a few blocks to 100’s of miles, this is where UPS SurePost and FedEx SmartPost (also known as FedEx Ground Economy) can help….
The last mile or final delivery of a UPS packages voyage is truly where costs add up regardless of actual distance. That last mile varies from a few blocks to 100’s of miles. This is where UPS SurePost can help. Consequently, reducing shipping bills and realizing viable cost savings start…
A successful FedEx or UPS parcel rate negotiation is essential to substantially lower your shipping costs. Preparation is key to how well a company can negotiate lower small parcel rate agreements. Therefore, let us look at a few key points that all businesses, big and small, need to follow. 1….
Online shippers face many obstacles in today’s complicated multi-channel world. Properly knowing how to handle shipping delays will turn customer service issues into a competitive advantage. Shipping delays before and during transit are two of the most frequent problems that online business owners experience. Buyers do not like shipping delays;…
How can a company save money even with a bad UPS agreement? There are many reasons that shippers cannot get the best in class pricing for UPS or FedEx. They could not have significant volume, less than desirable package characteristics, or they are located in a remote area. Let us…
On March 20, 2020, UPS announced new peak surcharges that will affect all UPS shippers doing business in China and Hong Kong. UPS will continue service into and out of China Mainland and Hong Kong SAR. Even with the continuing Coronavirus outbreak, UPS is venturing to support the demands and…
Is your UPS spend higher than it should be? Have you noticed that the increase in shipping volume and overall shipping costs seem to be increasing at different rates? If so, we will go over some strategies to help reverse this trend and make shipping a competitive advantage. Improper prepare…
Accessorial fees and surcharges are a considerable part of any shipper’s yearly shipping costs. Many shippers see these as a part of doing business, but there are many fees that you, as a shipper, can stop. The FedEx address correction fee is our topic of discussion here. Address corrections happen…
Many FedEx shippers see an additional handling charge on their FedEx invoice and wonder what it is and why it is so expensive. Additional handling charges are an added fee basically because the package did not conform to the characteristics that FedEx wants. They have to treat the package differently…
Finally, FedEx Sunday delivery is here. Today’s customers want to receive their purchases every day. In the light of this, Saturday and Sunday delivery are standard for Home Delivery residential shipments at no additional cost. Correspondingly, Amazon and USPS have been delivering seven days a week for a long time….
Here at Refund Retriever, we audit FedEx and UPS invoices for late deliveries and billing mistakes, we know data. Especially data relating to FedEx and UPS peak season deliveries. So how late were FedEx and UPS this holiday season? Many shippers were even removed from Amazon because of the delays…
Shipping is a fundamental part of all e-commerce companies and most other industries. As a result, what would happen if your UPS account was hacked? A UPS security breach could be disastrous for any company. Let’s examine some best practices to limit unapproved UPS access by hackers that are attempting…
USPS has some of the lowest postage rates and offers a great value in shipping. Just as FedEx and UPS, the USPS price increase can be expected each year. Here at Refund Retriever, we audit FedEx and UPS shipments for late deliveries and other billing mistakes. As a result, the…
Shipping is an essential part of all e-commerce companies and most other industries. As a result, what would happen if your FedEx account was hacked? A FedEx security breach could be disastrous for any company. Let’s examine some best practices to prevent unauthorized FedEx access by hackers that are attempting…
Shipping Firearms with UPS might appear like a daunting task, but it truly is not that difficult as long as you know some essential rules. It is easy to ship firearms through UPS; just be sure one of the parties in the transaction has an FFL license. A Federal Firearms…
FedEx surcharge fees can account for a large portion of a company’s shipping costs each year. These other charges are also called accessorial fees and consequently increases each year. Thus, we have decided to keep a running tab on the surcharge price history. As a rule, the cost of all…
Coming on the heels of the 2020 FedEx shipping increases, the 2020 UPS Rate Increase is here! UPS announced increases in the 2020 shipping rates. In short, the rates for UPS ground, air, and international services will increase an average net 4.9% effective December 29, 2019. In addition to daily package rates increasing,…
UPS announced the 2020 rate increase that is going into effect on December 29, 2019. Incidentally, the 2020 UPS accessorial fees and charges are a large part of every shipper’s weekly billing. Subsequently, the rates for UPS ground and air will all increase an average of 4.9%. Below you will…
Many shippers open their weekly UPS invoices to find a few surprises in the form of a UPS large package surcharge. Therefore we are going to examine this surcharge in more detail. What is a large package surcharge? What is the cost? How can we negate the charge to lower…
UPS value-added services, these are UPS other charges also called surcharge fees, increases each year. Thus, we have decided to keep a running tab on the surcharge price history. As a rule, the cost of all UPS shipping services rises each year. The cost of doing business seems to grow…
In June of 2018, UPS increased a few surcharges and, additionally, announced a new shipping charge correction audit fee. A UPS audit fee will be charged when the average shipping charge correction during a week is greater than $2.00 per package subject to a shipping charge correction. This Shipping Charge…
In light of FedEx One Rate and USPS Flat Rate Priority Mail, UPS has introduced UPS Simple Rate. UPS Simple Rate is the new UPS flat rate service offering. Now shippers can use their boxes up to 1,728 cubic inches at one low cost. Whereas, the maximum actual weight per UPS Simple…
In 2011, United Parcel Service begin charging more to handle oversized packages. Over maximum limit packages are heavier or larger than normal, therefore cost UPS more internally to process. They are passing on the cost to the shippers, along with making more profit. How much is the UPS over maximum…
The 2020 FedEx Price Increase that will go into effect on January 6th, 2020. Express will increase rates by an average of 4.9% for domestic and international services. Ground and Home Delivery shipping rates will increase by an average of 4.9%. FedEx Freight shipping rates will increase even more by…
Holidays for the most part are the busiest time of the year for small parcel shippers. Even with a large staff, it is easy for a company to overlook shipping costs while keeping customers happy. Therfore, FedEx holiday shipping deadlines should be accessible for all customer service and shipping staff. …
Effective January 6, 2020, businesses need to expect FedEx shipping rate changes. Furthermore, it has been announced that prices will be going up again in the new year. It is important to note that FedEx Express, Ground, and Home Delivery shipping rates will increase by an average of 4.9%. In…
Whenever your business ship with UPS, ground and express packages have a guaranteed delivery date and time. Particularly, if your late UPS package arrives even one minute after the guarantee, you are entitled to a full refund. UPS calls this a guaranteed service refunds or GSR for short. According to…
The UPS damaged package claim process is much easier to navigate than shippers believe. Recently, a valued customer of Refund Retriever contacted us with a question about damaged packages. UPS notified the shipper that they damaged a package during transit and discarded it. UPS never delivered the item to the…
Whenever your company ship with FedEx express or ground, you have a guaranteed delivery date and time. If the package is delivered even one minute late, you are entitled to a full refund. To emphasize, FedEx will NOT notify you of the late package. FedEx will not voluntarily give money…
In a previous blog post, we discussed the UPS CWT services, and now we will go over UPS Hundredweight surcharge fees. Hundredweight CWT is a cost-effective delivery for non-palletized, multiple-package shipments that weigh 100 to 500 pounds. As a rule, UPS Hundredweight CWT has a 150-pound maximum weight per package….
We get many calls and chats each month when a FedEx shipper sees this charge on a FedEx invoice. Often, they see “NDOC P/U” yet, have no clue what this is. To summarize, these charges are non-document pickup charges. This is a charge when someone contacts FedEx to have the…
Accessorial fees and surcharges are a huge part of any shipper’s weekly shipping costs. Many shippers see these as a part of doing business, but there are many fees that you as a shipper can prevent. Address corrections happen to be a huge profit center for UPS and FedEx. When…
In our previous blog, we covered the basic outline of a UPS agreement and the discount incentives on the published shipping rates. In part two, we will outline a few more essential points that you will need to understand to begin a fair and balanced UPS shipper contract negotiation. Accessorial…
IRCE 2019 @ RetailX is right around the corner and we’re so ready to be back. This time, Refund will be in attendance at the Refund Retriever booth (2052). Refund is so excited to see his friends at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition! Therefore, here is a list of…
When was the last time you took a look at your UPS agreement? When is the last time you compared the agreement discount rates to an actual invoice charge? How can you approach a UPS shipper agreement negotiation with confidence? Most shippers find agreements too complex or structured in a…
With the demand for fast shipping rising, shippers and e-commerce businesses need to look at more options for speedy delivery. UPS offers three different next day or UPS overnight services. As a result, companies can ensure delivery to compete with services like Amazon Prime. UPS Next Day Air Early Next…
Since 2006, Refund Retriever has been in the late delivery refund business, and we are proud to announce a new service offering. Refund Retriever will now be auditing Amazon seller accounts to help identify and recover refunds for Amazon sellers. Refund Retriever customers can add now FBA refund service in…
As most shippers are aware, UPS provides additional delivery confirmation services as a value-added service. Of course, an additional charge applies for each service. A shipper can confirm delivery of their packages in more detail with the following UPS value-added services. So then, let’s take a look at some options…
UPS provides all packages automatically with $100 worth of liability for loss or damage. A shipper can choose to declare a higher value for the shipment with an additional charge. With this in mind, UPS specifically states that UPS declared value is not insurance. What does UPS declared value cost?…
Many shippers contact us with questions about shipping insurance. To start, FedEx does not offer shipping insurance. FedEx offers additional declared value. So let’s get a better idea of the rules for FedEx declared value. Declared Value is NOT shipping insurance FedEx specifically states in the service guide that FedEx…
Third-party shipping and drop shipping is a huge part of today’s e-commerce landscape. As a result, it is vital to understand this fee and know how it is affecting your daily shipping costs. The FedEx third party billing charge applies to express and ground services. Currently, the FedEx 3rd party…
Third-party shipping is a huge part of today’s e-commerce landscape. Therefore it is vital to understand this fee and know how it is affecting your daily shipping costs. Beginning in 2016, UPS began charging a third-party billing fee, 2.5% of the total shipping charge billed to the Third Party. However,…
If your company ships to remote or rural destinations, you have seen additional fees tacked on the shipments charges called UPS delivery area surcharges (DAS) and extended delivery area surcharges (EDAS). UPS applies these additional charges to packages either picked up or delivered to certain ZIP codes that are predetermined….
What are FedEx Fuel Surcharges? Does your company ship with FedEx? You know FedEx fuel surcharges and understand these additional costs of transportation impact profitability. Accordingly, fuel surcharge is an extra fee by FedEx to cover the fluctuating cost of fuel. The calculation is a percentage of the base rate and…
FedEx One Rate is a flat rate shipping pricing option that more large-volume shippers are exploring. The service was introduced in 2013 and available for qualifying FedEx Express U.S. shipments in FedEx Express packaging. One Rate pricing is an alternative to FedEx Standard List Rates, account-specific rates, or FedEx Retail…
Many shippers do not realize there are two sets of package rates for all UPS services. The amount you pay for shipping is dependent on a few factors. Therefore it is important to ensure you are using the correct designation. Additionally, retail shipping rates might be completely different from the…
What are UPS Fuel Surcharges Did you know that each UPS package you send has a published rate and an additional fuel surcharge not included in the published rate? This applies to all ground, and express packages yet does not apply to UPS Simple Rate shipments. Also, fuel surcharges apply to all…
The FedEx oversize charge for many shippers is a shipping expense that cannot be avoided. Many shippers do not know what these are until the charge is on a FedEx invoice. Let’s look at the definition of the FedEx oversize charge, the price of FedEx oversize charge and FedEx peak season oversize…
TaxJar is the leading technology solution for busy eCommerce sellers to manage sales tax, and is trusted by more than 15,000 businesses. They are proud to help businesses and developers spend less time on sales tax and more time growing the businesses they love. We have seen so much made of SD…
FedEx Ship Manager FedEx Ship Manager is the shipping software that can be used to automate and make your shipping more straightforward. It ultimately helps high-volume e-commerce companies to access forms, prepare and arrange shipping labels and documents using databases of addresses and commodities, monitor the status of the shipments…
The SHOT Show is an annual tradeshow current held every January in the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. SHOT represents: Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Tradeshow. Attendance is restricted to members of the shooting, hunting, and outdoor trade industry that includes commercial buyers, military and law enforcement. The show is not…
Who lost your package: UPS DHL FedEx USPS Amazon Most packages make it to their destinations intact and on time. But, what do you do during those times when a package is lost in transit? Your lost packages could be sitting…
UPS announced the 2019 rate increases went into effect on the 26th of December, 2018. Incidentally, the 2019 UPS accessorial fees and charges are a large part of every shipper’s weekly billing. Subsequently, the rates for UPS ground and air will all increase an average of 4.9%. Below you will…
FedEx Service Guide – page 135 Billing – Express “G. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS THAT ARE GIVEN TO FEDEX, THE SENDER IS ULTIMATELY LIABLE FOR, WILL BE BILLED FOR AND AGREES TO PAY ALL CHARGES AND FEES, INCLUDING ANY SPECIAL HANDLING FEES, IF THE RECIPIENT OR THIRD PARTY FAILS OR REFUSES…
So it’s that time of year again, time to embrace UPS My Choice. Millions of shoppers are adding gifts into electronic shopping carts and having everything conveniently delivered to their doorstep. Let’s face it, and it is so much more convenient to have items delivered. Who has time to battle…
FedEx agreements’ black and white details can often look like a foreign language even to the savviest of shippers and business-minded leaders. From surcharges and money-back guarantees to termination fees and more, there is a lot to digest when it comes to reviewing, understanding, and ultimately feeling confident about the…
Many shippers really have no clue on how the carrier package minimum charge from FedEx and UPS minimum affect their overall shipping spend. Most companies do not realize carrier package minimums basically override a large percentage of the negotiated discount rates. Shippers need to know the contractual UPS minimum net charge…
Last year we published a blog on where exactly to find specific zone charts for your location. FedEx zones are very critical to know for all FedEx shippers in an everyday application as well as each time you negotiate a new agreement with the carrier. Here is a list of all…
Many times customers come across FedEx invoice abbreviations and agreements yet have no clue as to the meaning of them. Here is a list of common FedEx invoice abbreviations that might come in handy. OB: Outbound prepaid packages picked up at your facility IB: Packages received by and billed to…
