Model Railroading > What's the Incentive to Cheat the Customer?

I recently sent two Ebay shipments via FedEx, same item, same weight, same dimensions but one to PA two weeks ago and one to TN today. The TN one today was about $5.00 more. When I queried the clerk, he mentioned the $4 or so Covid surchage, which he said has been in effect for about a month. Of course, my PA  shipment went out within that time period.  I suppose it's possbile, that though TN is closer than PA, it's charged a different rate according to their rate structure.

Edit:
I looked closer at my receipt and the clerk added 3 inches to the length and an inch to the diameter of the 36 in. tube. I used the FedEx calculator online and sure enough the extra dimensions the clerk added accounted for most of the difference. So what would be the incentive to cheat the customer? This wasn't the same clerk I had last time and may have been a manager. Perhaps nickel and diming the customers will add to the year-end bonus? Other than weight, length, width, destination, delivery point, etc. the receipt doesn't itemize anything (nothing about a Covid Surchage.) It just says "Standard Rate".

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/06/20 16:51 by wabash2800.

Hard to find anything railroad related. Maybe Yelp might be a better place?

Both items were sold on Ebay, we discuss these kinds of things here all the time.

SCUfoamer Wrote:
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> Hard to find anything railroad related. Maybe Yelp
> might be a better place?

If the place is close go back. The amount is not much, to me he screwed you. Make a fuss and report him. I'm sure nothing will come of it, but you expressed your view.
Then I'd go else where. Again it's not the money, he lied...

Steve H...

I recall a few years ago shipping an item through UPS. It was a UPS storefront, not terminal dropoff point. It cost a small amount more than what I thought that I had calculated. The box had dimensions printed on it which I thought were the exterior dimensions. Those actually were the interior dimensions which meant that outside was larger. Given that plus the rounding up of the dimension meant that I was wrong. The clerk mentioned to me that if they miscalculate the size, UPS does a charge back to them.

Like I asked: What is the incentive? Does the clerk get a commission? Is an annual bonus based on profit? Does this person get pleasure out of cheating people? It wasn't just a rounding thing. Someone else said they experienced the same thing at UPS and the explanation was: "We don't really measure, we just estimate things".

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/06/20 19:55 by wabash2800.

It's a great way to lose business in the long run. FedEx doesn't pick up here anymore although they do deliver. UPS and USPS both have offices and good service.
When I have problems like this I write the company's CEO and usually have a good response. I also find that being polite rather than "yelling" works best. It really
works well with AT&T.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/06/20 21:12 by MojaveBill.

wabash2800 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Like I asked: What is the incentive? Does the
> clerk get a commission? Is an annual bonus based
> on profit? Does this person get pleasure out of
> cheating people? It wasn't just a rounding thing.
> Someone else said they experienced the same thing
> at UPS and the explanation was: "We don't really
> measure, we just estimate things".
>
> Victor A. Baird
> http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

The "incentive" might be if employees continually undercharged customers, they get fired? See comments made above by tramfan.

I seriously doubt retail-level employees at FedEx and UPS work on bonus incentives based on "overcharging" customers. Unless he recognized you as a repeat customer, I don't see how he'd have the motivation to get the "pleasure out of cheating people" especially if there was a line behind you where he had to hurry up. Negligence (getting the "wrong" dimension on the box) might be the more likely reason. His blurting out a quick excuse ("COVID surcharge") reinforces his negligence/incompetence. Making stuff up to move the line?

Your title implies a conspiracy ("out to get me") but that's unlikely, even if that idea might bring some sort of justice in your mind. I can only give you sympathy for what happened. If you choose to go back and complain (be sure to have the receipt from your first shipment also), make sure you get the manager involved.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/06/20 23:51 by cchan006.

wabash2800 Wrote:

> So what would be the incentive to cheat the customer? 

To paraphase H.L.Menchen: "No one ever lost a buck underestimating the American Public." That' the incentive.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/07/20 00:28 by RRBaron.

I agree. This is a Model Railroad board.  Bruce

SCUfoamer Wrote:
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> Hard to find anything railroad related. Maybe Yelp
> might be a better place?

brfriedm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I agree. This is a Model Railroad board.  Bruce
>
> SCUfoamer Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Hard to find anything railroad related. Maybe
> Yelp
> > might be a better place?

Agreed

       Directly to FedEx is the first place to go. Then bring the entire story here, otherwise it does no one any good.

I have no problem discussing this here.  TONS of MR equipment are sold on eBay EVERY day.  More, I'm quite sure, than anywhere else on earth and shipping charges are a HUGE deal.

Question for the OP:  Why did you not purchase & print your shipping labels through the eBay system?  Then you would have entered the measurements yourself and would have seen the charges, before you pulled the trigger.  In addition, both FedEx and USPS discount their charges through the eBay system.  No waiting in lines, just drop them off at a designated pick-up spot.  I have done this with literally thousands of parcels over the past several years.

Streamliner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have no problem discussing this here.  TONS of
> MR equipment are sold on eBay EVERY day.  More,
> I'm quite sure, than anywhere else on earth and
> shipping charges are a HUGE deal.
>
> Question for the OP:  Why did you not purchase &
> print your shipping labels through the eBay
> system?  Then you would have entered the
> measurements yourself and would have seen the
> charges, before you pulled the trigger.  In
> addition, both FedEx and USPS discount their
> charges through the eBay system.  No waiting in
> lines, just drop them off at a designated pick-up
> spot.  I have done this with literally thousands
> of parcels over the past several years.

This x 2.  I do this for both FedEx and USPS for all my eBay sales. Easy Peasy!

I'm British, When in the USA I quite often buy too many(!) books. Rather than pay excess baggage on the flight home I send them home using the USPS. Some years ago I found something called an "M-Bag" on the USPS website.

Wonderful, I thought.

Trying to find a post office that could actually handle it was a nightmare. Several simply told me it didn't exist. Others knew of it but didn't have the tags or bags. In one case I found someone who knew (in Tehachapi CA). She gave me the bag, tag and customs forms and I went back to the hotel and prepared everything. By the time I got back she was off duty and her replacement had no idea what to do; luckily she was still ther and kindly came out and helped me. On another occasion I got so frustrated I raised a complaint on the USPS website and they arranged an appointment for me at an office in San Mateo.

I'm afraid I've come to the conclusion that the USPS simply faisl to properly train and equip their staff and I think that may be a better explanation than any form of corruption.

Hartington Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm British, When in the USA

I've never heard of tha one.  Something that may have generally fallen out of use may be a vestige you discovered.

That said, my wife is British (now an ex-pat), born and raised in England and immigrated here in 2011 and she has had mostly good experiences with the USPS and generally been impressed vs. the UK postal service.  The only thing that tarnished it is we've had a couple of parcels go missing in the past couple years where we live now; thankfully Amazon and another vendor we able to make it right.  Of course during the pandemic, the USPS service in some cases been slow, but mostly good.

Cheers, Jim

tramfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I recall a few years ago shipping an item through
> UPS. It was a UPS storefront, not terminal dropoff
> point. It cost a small amount more than what I
> thought that I had calculated. The box had
> dimensions printed on it which I thought were the
> exterior dimensions. Those actually were the
> interior dimensions which meant that outside was
> larger. Given that plus the rounding up of the
> dimension meant that I was wrong. The clerk
> mentioned to me that if they miscalculate the
> size, UPS does a charge back to them.

"Those actually were the interior dimensions which meant that outside was larger." If this is true, the outside dimensions would only be larger by say a 1/4 inch on each side if that.
 

wabash2800 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I recently sent two Ebay shipments via FedEx, same
> item, same weight, same dimensions but one to PA
> two weeks ago and one to TN today. The TN one
> today was about $5.00 more. When I queried the
> clerk, he mentioned the $4 or so Covid surchage,
> which he said has been in effect for about a
> month. Of course, my PA  shipment went out within
> that time period.  I suppose it's possbile, that
> though TN is closer than PA, it's charged a
> different rate according to their rate structure.
>
> Edit:
> I looked closer at my receipt and the clerk added
> 3 inches to the length and an inch to the diameter
> of the 36 in. tube. I used the FedEx calculator
> online and sure enough the extra dimensions the
> clerk added accounted for most of the difference.
> So what would be the incentive to cheat the
> customer? This wasn't the same clerk I had last
> time and may have been a manager. Perhaps nickel
> and diming the customers will add to the year-end
> bonus? Other than weight, length, width,
> destination, delivery point, etc. the receipt
> doesn't itemize anything (nothing about a Covid
> Surchage.) It just says "Standard Rate".
>
> Victor A. Baird
> http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

I do know that UPS uses "dimensional weight" for shipping packages, meaning, they use a formula to calculate the weight vs. size of the package. If you have a light large package you are charged more because the package takes up space in their truck vs. a heaver package may be more in line for the same size package weight wise that would be charged a more "normal" rate. The issue your clerk had maybe he, by mistake, fat fingered the entered data that caused your higher rate, just a thought. I have never heard anything about a "Covid Surcharge" since I have shipped many items since this Covid crap started.

Thanks for the input. I will look into that. Perhaps more than one of us learned something.

I don't sell or buy too often but have a 100% rating with a purple start (846) since 1998. My books ship out media mail and am told that I can't drop off or have media mail picked up.

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com


Streamliner Wrote:
>
> Question for the OP:  Why did you not purchase &
> print your shipping labels through the eBay
> system?  Then you would have entered the
> measurements yourself and would have seen the
> charges, before you pulled the trigger.  In
> addition, both FedEx and USPS discount their
> charges through the eBay system.  No waiting in
> lines, just drop them off at a designated pick-up
> spot.  I have done this with literally thousands
> of parcels over the past several years.

wabash2800 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for the input. I will look into that.
> Perhaps more than one of us learned something.
>
> I don't sell or buy too often but have a 100%
> rating with a purple start (846) since 1998. My
> books ship out media mail and am told that I can't
> drop off or have media mail picked up.
>
> Victor A. Baird
> http://www.erstwhilepublications.com
>
>
> Streamliner Wrote:
> >
> > Question for the OP:  Why did you not purchase
> &
> > print your shipping labels through the eBay
> > system?  Then you would have entered the
> > measurements yourself and would have seen the
> > charges, before you pulled the trigger.  In
> > addition, both FedEx and USPS discount their
> > charges through the eBay system.  No waiting
> in
> > lines, just drop them off at a designated
> pick-up
> > spot.  I have done this with literally
> thousands
> > of parcels over the past several years.

I have sold many books on eBay, shipped with Media Mail.  Our post office has a large hamper in the area next to the clerk windows, where anyone can drop off any parcels with pre-paid labels affixed.  I mostly use Priority Mail and First Class, but dropping Media Mail items in the same hamper has never been a problem.