Startups Stack Exchange Archive

Amazon FBA: Why is this 50lb item’s ‘weight handling’ fee $25, when a different 25b item’s fee is $35?

Here’s is one item, weighing 50lbs with a weight handling fee of $25.46, dimensions 31x22x14

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Now this different item, which weight 25lbs, has a weighthandling fee even more expensive at $35.10, dimensions 24x24x24

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Now I understand the dimensions aren’t itdentical, the bike has about 70% volume compared to the chair. Did Amazon use the volumetic weight to calculate the shipping? I only though volume would be used for large yet lightweight items.

Answer 8853

TL; DR: Other factors affect shipping cost like value, fragility and stack ability.

Other factors in addition to weight and volume must be taken into account when calculating shipping costs.

Among these are the following:

More fragile and more valuable items cost more to ship because the shipper bears the risk of loss or damage during transport.

Items that are more difficult to stack on top of each other (as in the case of the chair, (presumably because of the “fixed leg” geometry) increase an items shipping costs because it limits the amount of goods that can be carried on the truck the item is shipped in. Thus increasing the total cost of the shipment per dollar of revenue. This increased total shipping cost must then be allocated favorably items that are more stackable and less favorably to items that are less stackable.

In this case, when the item is shipped in a 24” cube package, the cost of increased volume of packing materials must also be factored in.

Answer 8857

I have worked within the logistics industry - I cannot recall exactly but costing from what I recall,

height x width x depth x weight

Some items require special handling (i.e. cannot be stacked, require special lifting).

Are your pickup/dropoff points the same? Possibly related: In Europe the FT reported EU law is investigating why some costs can double/triple between points. Thus London to Frankfurt might be double/triple the cost and of Frankfurt to London despite delivery drivers, flights, manpower being relatively the same journey. The concern is that logistic companies are using their weight to keep competition out of some markets with artificially lower price.

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