Online marketplace Bonanza advised sellers on the new USPS postage verification system that rolled out in the middle of the month. Beginning September 1st, Bonanza will start crediting any extra payments and billing overages back to Bonanza sellers who purchase shipping labels through Stamps.com.
It’s important to note Bonanza’s instructions on what you should do if you wish to dispute a claim of underpayment.
Update 8/27/17: As readers point out, this could be costly for sellers on Bonanza, which calls the USPS adjustment a “postage chargeback.” It states: “If the postage chargeback amount is more than $3, you will be charged a $10 postage adjustment fee in addition to the extra postage charges. If you do not have a shipping fund, or if there are insufficient funds to cover the chargeback amount, this will be charged to the credit card on file.” Read the comments below for reader reaction to Bonanza’s announcement.
Announcement follows:
Shipping Label Payment Updates
Automatic Postage Verification
As of August 2017, USPS is implementing a new Automatic Postage Verification (APV) system. This system automatically verifies whether the correct amount was paid for postage. This change is a mandatory change driven by USPS. You’re not required to purchase postage through Bonanza, but any packages shipped through USPS will be subject to the APV system.
Why did USPS switch to this APV system?
The APV automatically verifies whether postage has been underpaid or overpaid by a sender. In the past, if a seller underpaid for postage, the remaining balance was charged to the recipient upon delivery or the package would be returned to the sender, neither of which is a good customer experience. If a sender overpaid for postage, the extra money would be kept by USPS. With the APV system, packages with insufficient postage will be delivered, and the postage due will be deducted from the sender, resulting in fewer delays for order deliveries. Any overpayment is credited back into the sender, saving you money.
How does it work?
USPS processing centers have new equipment that will automatically check shipments to confirm details like weight, dimensions, and packaging against the postage paid. If an incorrect amount of postage is discovered (either too little or too much), USPS will issue an adjustment, which Bonanza will either deduct or credit to sellers.
How does this affect me?
Starting September 1, Bonanza will start crediting extra payments and billing overages back to Bonanza sellers who purchased shipping labels through Stamps.com.
If you overpaid on your postage:
We will credit your Bonanza shipping fund. If you do not have a shipping fund set up, we will create one for you. This will only contain the amount of your postage credit – we will not auto-fill your shipping fund.
If you underpaid your postage:
– If you have a Bonanza shipping fund with sufficient funds to cover the postage chargebacks, we will deduct the amount due from the fund.
– If you do not have a shipping fund, or if there are insufficient funds to cover the chargeback amount, we will add the chargeback to your bill if the amount is less than $3.
– If the postage chargeback amount is more than $3, you will be charged a $10 postage adjustment fee in addition to the extra postage charges. If you do not have a shipping fund, or if there are insufficient funds to cover the chargeback amount, this will be charged to the credit card on file.
– If a postage chargeback fails, you will not be able to purchase labels in the future until charges are paid and / or a new card has been added.
Please note that you must have a credit card on file (or a running shipping fund balance) in order to be able to purchase shipping labels from Bonanza.
How can I avoid under or overpaying for postage?
You can avoid underpaid and overpaid postage costs by ensuring you’ve entered the correct information when purchasing your shipping label. The USPS will check the following parameters to make sure that the correct postage was charged for the package:
Weight
Dimensions
Mail Class
Packaging
Origin ZIP Code
Destination ZIP code
Postage paid
How long does it take for APV adjustments to be processed by the USPS?
The USPS has up to 30 days after a package is shipped to issue an adjustment. However, their site stays that “we expect the vast majority of adjustments to occur within just a few days of the package being shipped.”
What if I believe an adjustment was made in error?
While the new system is state of the art and catches both underpaid and overpaid packages, there are situations where an error may occur. If this happens to you, please contact Bonanza with the following information:
– Bonanza order number associated with the shipping label
– The reason for the dispute (please provide as much information as possible)
Bonanza will contact the USPS to file a dispute on your behalf. Once a dispute is filed with the USPS, it may take up to 20 business days to receive a response. Please note that the USPS will not be providing partial reversals. A dispute will either be approved or denied. If the dispute is approved, Bonanza will credit the overpayment back to the seller.
Where can I find more information about this?
To read more about the APV system and how it will affect you, check out this help article.
SOURCE: Bonanza Blog Post
Article reads as though Bonanza will be adding a service charge of 10.00 for postage chargebacks. Now thats funny. Can hardly wait until Fleecebay decides to charge a service fee also. How funny.
It’s best to use Stamps, Paypal or USPS site to print your labels (if you get a sale on this site) to get your discounts on postage.
Seller’s Hub got their idea of all that clicking from Bonanza. Bonanza thought it would streamline the older version of itself and made it more difficult. (Remember, this is the next eBay – without the sales)
A lot better to buy postage at a discount on the internet. Better savings using lick and stick than any online postage site. Buy postage at 70%. Figure it out folks.