Experiencing unusual USPS label price adjustments?

[Darkruler]

Did anyone else encounter this yesterday? I can, on occasion get a couple a month for the odd cents or even a dollar. However, yesterday on the 4th, around 730PM I received over 30 adjustments.

Thing is when you look at the adjustment reason it states that the weight was not correct or the dimensions were not correct. Regarding the weight, it was always overweighed in my favor because I rounded up. For instance, a 6.5oz package I rounded up to 8oz since it honestly does not matter when you're within that 1-4oz, 5-8oz etc so I round up. Quite a few packages came back with the same total weight of (0.16)oz which is less than the weight of an empty box I use. This applied to a 12oz package and yet they STILL charged me an adjustment. That should have resulted in a credit even though the weight they corrected it to is obviously wrong

Then they stated the dimensions were off but only by fractions of an inch which still wouldn't change the postal price of said package. All packages were shipped through USPS first class mail which does not use dimensional weight. Even if they corrected it, the price of postage is still the same. 

An order going from one city in my state to another city in the same state about 40 miles away was adjusted as well. They stated the weight as (0.16)oz when the label said 4oz. The dimensions were listed as being off by fractions of an inch. They charged me $22.00 and thats on top of the original shipping of $4. That's $26 and nothing I have found explains this charge or any of the others like it.

So on all of these packages, every single one was at least a $20 adjustment fee they charged me with at least 25 of them all being the exact same adjustment amount of $22.00USD. That doesn't even make sense as the packages were going all over the United States with different weights and dimensions.

In all they charged $700 in adjustments yesterday and no one can explain why. Shopify tells me to contact the post office. The post office tells me I need to file claims. Because Shopify is the authorized postal merchant they have all the information and adjustment ID numbers I need to file claims. Even if I file the claims and win, the amount goes back to shopify's merchant shipping account. Who knows if it would then go back to me. 

I filed these adjustments on my own shipping account in the past when I had an endicia account. So I know how it works and it is shopify that must dispute it. Yet they throw their hands in the air.

Today when I contacted shopify again, they said that other sellers are experiencing this same issue. Called it a problem with the "order timeline." I have my doubts as he did not provide much detail and offered no timeframe on a refund or anything. I only have 60 days from the date of the adjustment to get my money back. I have read this same issue going back to at least 2020 with no resolution according to the threads I read on here. I asked for the adjustment ID numbers that I need and he ignored the question and didn't offer them. 

[retrogradeco]

When did you get this email? That’s more information than I’ve been given in the 48 hours since this all started. However, it doesn’t address that these adjustments don’t align with USPS policies. As well as the coincidental nature that hundreds, potentially thousands of customers are receiving the same adjustments all of the sudden. My best guess is that there is a serious disconnect in the top-down communication at Shopify. There’s also potential that this is a major USPS glitch that Shopify is having to rectify as the merchant middleman. 

[STG87]

That email is honestly terrifying. I cannot believe this is happening!! Is that really the response we are all going to get....

Photographic evidence. Unbelievable. 

[Chondrite]

I've done these disputes on PirateShip and eBay.  You make a few clicks, type in an explanation, a few weeks later its resolved.  I dont know why shopify is saying I need photo proof of something.  No one does what they're asking from me.

[STG87]

Were your ebay and pirateship disputes for something outrageous like a $22 charge (that all or most of us seem to have) or something reasonable that makes sense? 

Even if my packages were upgraded to priority mail for some reason or were off by an ounce or two with the weight they would not have cost $22 it's just insane 

[KateW]

This is what makes absolutely no sense. The $22 charges. My packages were
all first class packages, weighing well under 16oz. And each explanation of
the adjustment says something like 'your stated weight was 9oz but the
carrier measured it as 8oz'. So the $22 makes zero sense. No first class
package costs $22 to mail.

[Chondrite]

Yes, you are correct.  The $22 is above normal.

I saw there was a $1 adjustment fee for adjustments under $10, and $2 fee for those over $10.   So I'm assuming the $22 is from a $20 adjustment with a $2 fee.  So that $20 is on top of what we paid.  We all are being charged the same $20 on top of the variable amounts we paid?  Something is definitely off here.  As you mentioned, past adjustments are variable themselves so us all having the same is not logical and makes me assume were on the butt end of a bug on either shopify or USPS.

Its really unfortunate its affecting some more than others.  I just have one (so far) and the whole dispute process here just proves to me that shopify shipping is something I can do without.  

[CommonTraffictm]

I can’t wait for them to say that to me… 

 

[KateW]

I had 9 different charges. All but one were $22. One was like $21.53 or
something.

- Please type your reply above this line -##

[KateW]

This is what they had me do yesterday,  before I realized this was a larger problem.  So I assume this is their standard process for label price adjustments.  But these charges aren't normal.  Surely Shopify can see that. Like lots of others, my labels were all measured under the weight that I stated. So the idea that that results in a $22 is ludicrous. 

[periwinkleplush]

This is unbelievable, I just can’t understand why they are handling this so poorly! 

[Jewele]

I have photo evidence and a post office receipt showing the weight of the packages were 0 lbs 4.7 oz and I paid for labels with a weight of 0 lb 8 oz. 

When they first started the USPS Price adjustments it took forever to get the mistake fixed, since then I take photos of every package and always have them weighed at the post office and get a receipt. Previously, it was things like saying I didn't use a flat rate box and trying to bill me by weight. The photo records the date taken and then the postal clerk confirms the type of service at the time they accept the package.

[blackcat3]

We cannot accept this as an explanation. Photo evidence?! Ridiculous! As a bunch of people have stated on this thread, we're OVERSTATING the weight, or the dimensions, and still getting charged $22. It's a bug/outage/issue, it's so beyond obvious, and also they've said as much to me. Here is a quote from their chat support on July 5th:

"What happened was, yesterday July 4, there has been an outage with USPS where the merchants were charged $20 - $22 out of nowhere. Our technical team is reviewing this issue, and we will follow up with more information as it becomes available."

And this: 

"As of now, Developers are working to clarify and resolve the issue and we note that it is possible that there are 12k-50k adjustments that may be impacted. As of now, there are no instructions provided yet, as they are still investigating the cause of this issue."

And there's also the excerpt from the email I imagine they sent to all of us (mine was in my Promotions folder in Gmail):

"We’ve identified that your shop may have received one or more unexpected USPS shipping label adjustments on July 4. Our technical team is reviewing this issue, and we will follow up with more information as it becomes available. We apologize for any disruption to your business, and appreciate your patience at this time.

So they've admitted that there's an issue, and that it only lasted one day, July 4th. If they're trying to make up some stupid excuse and put the issue ON US when it's definitely ON THEM, we need to stop them.

By the way, 50k adjustments at $22 dollars each = $1,100,000. That's a whole lot of money they stole from us.

[retrogradeco]

This is the most detailed information I have heard about the issue thus far. Thank you for sharing! This is all absolutely ridiculous.

[blackcat3]

Absolutely, we need to get the media on this or something. Anyone know a good journalist?

[Chondrite]

I assumed the email I got about the adjustment, the "We've identified..." one, was more of a standard email when you received due to an adjustment rather than an admittance that there were incorrect ones applied due to an outage.

[STG87]

This is my latest message:

"Thanks for reaching back, so far I guarantee we have a development team looking into this right now. As you have just stated this is something that has affected our merchants, and we will continue to look for. Once we get any other updates as we also need to check in with USPS about this I will continue to provide you updates on this matter

Let me know if you have any other questions and i'll be glad to follow up again!"

Not very reassuring. 

[starchaser888]

I just got out of chat too and zero help. Rest assured they are investigating this.

In the meantime I'm supposed to pay these fraudulent charges since my billing cycle is due and no I can't just pay what I actually owe.

Unbelievable!!!

[Ohalyssa11]

I have 1200 due now because of this, I always keep my card locked so they weren’t able to get it out of my account. But for some reason I’m still able to order shipping labels . 

[blackcat3]

I think we should all issue chargebacks with our credit card or bank if we don't have a refund or a timeline for a refund in a few days. I can't believe almost 24 hours after I talked to their chat support, ZERO has been accomplished. It just seems like they're trying to hold us off and play dumb because they know that they are super liable if we take legal action.

[maddym]

This happened to me as well and Shopify was not helpful at all! Nobody will want to do business if it is going to be like this. I get my measurements were way off because it was my first time sending it out, but if it continues to happen I will need to find somewhere else to sell my products. RIDICULOUS!! I hope this issue is resolved immediately! Seems like it's a scam with all these replies saying it is. Shopify needs to refund everyone.

[blingzbyadi]

even if u input 7.52 which I'm sure was your actual weight, it is still the same postage as 8 oz that you must have paid to begin with. I've been shipping for decades and it's the first time something like this ever happened to me. I always round up, never down. They will refund us (if they don't want a class action lawsuit), the question is when? 

[Jewele]

Received the following Update email at 8:00 pm today from my ticket Support Advisor, it appears their Developer is hard at work trying to find the issue. 

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to provide you with an update regarding the ongoing issue you've been experiencing. I want to assure you that your ticket is being actively addressed by our team. We understand the importance of resolving this matter promptly and are working diligently to find a solution.
 
At this stage, we are still awaiting a response from our Developer who is actively investigating the issue. Please know that we are committed to resolving this matter as quickly as possible. Our team is in constant communication with our Developer, and we will continue to follow up until we receive a resolution.

We anticipate seeing your company flourish! If I missed anything, please let us know so that we could go over them accordingly. Simply reply to this email or contact us 24/7 Support.

Cheers,

[BSchultz]

This is being handled so poorly. I’m very disappointed with Shopify and their total lack of response. We’re talking a huge volume here of money taken from shop owners. Where is their accountability? 

[BSchultz]

Still no solid answers. I am so so so angry over this!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[starchaser888]

Me too! I'm looking at other platforms. The response to this and us just hanging while they "investigate" is ridiculous. It's obvious these are fraud charges and shouldn't be there so remove them. At the least I may never use their shipping again for fear this happens and I'm supposed to pay and then maybe get a CREDIT back.

[retrogradeco]

I am going to be pissed if they try to pull something like giving us all credit. Some of us need this money to have a buffer and keep our businesses financially free'd up. I got hit with almost 500 price adjustments and had so much money taken out it's unbelievable. I'm just angry and scared right now. 

[BSchultz]

I’ve been looking all morning. The thought of having to re do a site and transfer inventory to another platform is terrifying - but I won’t have a company basically steal our money and leave us in the dark. It’s ridiculous. I get mad with every minute that passes. Atleast an email promising refunds would make me happy. But we don’t even know what they plan to do to rectify this. 

[starchaser888]

I agree totally. It will suck to move but it's not just this it's all the things at shopify that shouldn't be. To have things that all businesses need to function you must buy app after app. It seems my admin pages never load well much of the time. They are raising prices but we get nothing more other than them changing how the analytics page looks which didn't need changing. This is just the last straw in them proving what it will look like in the future should we need them.

[JabApparel]

I got charged several hundred dollars and I am just a mom who owns a small handmade kids clothing business. I’m at a loss because today I checked and my account is negative and got charged again. Shopify keeps saying the same thing and giving us the same answers. They should be covering us if it was an issue on their end, which we know it was. I was also charged the same $22 per package and some a little more. Totaling up to several hundred dollars. I called USPS myself who gave me the weights and they said even if my weights were off they wouldn’t cost that much. I got receipts from USPS even about the costs and weights of my packages. I think we need to try and get this in the media more. News or tik tok… I run a mom blog with 7,000 followers I can post and can share it on Facebook. But we need resolution and fast… these are small businesses and peoples lives that are affected.  

[BSchultz]

I agree! I’ve posted on fb and to Twitter. There’s strength in numbers and this has affected a lot of shop owners! 

[periwinkleplush]

This is my latest message exchange with support chat: 

 

 

[retrogradeco]

I didn't get an email regarding an inability to purchase labels. Only the one recognizing the problem on July 5th. 😞

[starchaser888]

I didn't get one either just the first one. Support tells a lot of stuff that isn't true. Nor are they much help anytime I've reached out. Just pretty copy/paste words that mean nothing.

[blackcat3]

Look what I just received:

"Due to a recent issue with the USPS billing process, your store received one or more unexpected shipping label adjustments for First Class Package shipments between July 4 and 5th. This issue is now resolved and is no longer impacting orders on your store.

We are pleased to report that as a convenience given our business relationship, we will apply a refund of $--- USD, which is equivalent to the unexpected USPS adjustment fees incurred. No further action is required. Refunds will be returned to the payment method used to pay for the invoice with the charges within 7-10 days. You can see this reflected in your admin Settings on the Billing page under Recent Bills. By accepting this refund, you agree that Shopify is not responsible or liable for any amounts or claims related to any aspect of this matter.

We apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions, please reach out to our 24/7 support team.

Emphasis added by me. Looks like we scared them into action finally! Glad I'm finally getting my money back, but I feel awful for all the people who have to wait up to 10 days for their $5k or $10k. At least it's a refund and not a credit.

[maddym]

I haven’t gotten my email yet… I hope it comes soon. 

[Darkruler]

I just wanted to update and say I just received an email stating I will receive a refund for the entire amount of overages. Hopefully everyone else receives these emails too

[retrogradeco]

Me as well! The relief I felt just a minute ago was indescribable. Hope everyone has gotten an email!

[starchaser888]

Me too!!

[maddym]

CHECK JUNK MAIL!!!! mine was in there !

[rosuraie]

I got the email that they are refunding the amount that has been billed to me already ($440) but giving me shipping credit for the amount that hasn’t been billed yet ($154) bc it didn’t reach threshold fees yet. They said I should have a shipping credit and see it in my credit section but I don’t yet, hopefully it’s in asap though because I need to ship my orders and don’t want the incurred fees to be billed before I get the credit. Ugh. Also not surprised how they added the “By accepting this credit, you agree that Shopify is not responsible or liable for any amounts or claims related to any aspect of this matter.” Not surprising that they aren’t taking full responsibility 

edit: the credit is now in, but I don’t see the refund processing yet in the billing section like the email says. hopefully soon though

[retrogradeco]

Yeah, that really doesn't hold up under a court of law. "You have to accept our terms in order for us to return your money we took". From working with lawyers with my business over the years, one thing I have learned is that contracts are only as valid as the context which they were held within. A judge could strike those terms down so quickly. 

[blackcat3]

I love how they were very careful not to accept any responsibility whatsoever. They better refund people their overdraft fees as well.

[starchaser888]

Good luck with those overdraft fees. I see you having to get a lawyer for those. They barely wanted to give the fraudulent charges back. If something like this happens again I'm gone. One time is maybe a glitch but if it or something similar with the non help or being left in the dark again and I'm done!

[retrogradeco]

That is what is so disappointing about this whole situation. Shopify had the opportunity to set precedence for what it means to be a company that cares about their customers. They could have kept us informed, made sure business' who lost money were supported, and been honest about the challenges everyone including themselves were facing. Instead, they decided to save face, deflect, and ignore every single customer who had money taken from them. They failed to take responsibility for what happened because they knew they were potentially in massive legal trouble. Like all billion dollar corporations do, they saved themselves from the problem they caused while leaving everyone else in the dust. 

[starchaser888]

I agree. They really showed us the kind of company that we are dealing with. Support was nonexistent and we were left worrying for days. Sad that we found out they don't care about us.

[starchaser888]

Also I'm about to process my packages to go out tomorrow and I find I'm afraid to use their shipping service to get my labels. The whole thing has left me disillusioned and worried now.

[blingzbyadi]

That's why I used pirateship for all my packages today. I have l have lost trust in shopify shipping. Pirateship is even cheaper than them on some packages, I only used to use them for convenience.

[JabApparel]

This is what I sent Shopify legal team today:

What I’m saying is credit for Shopify doesn’t offer me much currently. The funds aren’t coming back for 7-10 days. Since then I’ve had bills supposed to come out and put me more negative. This wouldn’t have happened had the money not been taken by Shopify in the first place. Then today I was charged by Shopify for charges that were correct but charged with you guys knowing you owe me money and I don’t have those funds back again. It’s hurt me beyond belief. Not to mention that I couldn’t have a sale or ship out products now because I’m scared of any other incidents. And I refuse to ship anything until my money is back. It’s just so much added onto my plate and it’s putting my business in the hole. To have overdraft fees, money gone, and limited sales till this is fixed is detrimental to my business. Shopify should’ve protected sellers, we pay quite a bit to use these services, one would think they’d have protections in place. I have a platform to speak out about this, I run a mom blog. I’m just a mother who runs a small business and it hurts my business and in return family. This is really sad and people don’t like small businesses hurting. I’m just asking how they will compensate us these detrimental circumstances we were put in. The after shocks of this detrimental event will continue to hurt small businesses. And Shopify credit isn’t enough.

[retrogradeco]

Yeah, I plan on reaching out to my lawyer on Monday to see if we have recourse. If we do, I will reach out on here and see what everyone thinks. 

[blingzbyadi]

I just wanted to address the issue of shipping until the shopify imbroglio is rectified. I suggest you continue to sell and use Pirateship, you can download the app on your shopify, that way it links the order and you won't have to enter tracking manually. I have since switched to using pirateship 100% since this issue happened. I do not trust shopify shipping any longer. To be honest, pirateship postage is cheaper than shopify if you're shipping anything over 1lb and its the same charge for packages less than 1lb.

We are small businesses, and we need to sell to meet our commitments to our customers and ourselves. So, just something to consider.