ShipStation recently rolled out a new API when connecting to FedEx called FAPI2208. It appears that this new API went into effect on Monday, Sept. 14th.
Yesterday, the 15th, I created an international label for a customer of mine in the UK (using my connected carrier account - FedEx Connect Plus). Upon label creation, multiple things stood out as incorrect/wrong. First, the label created was not an ETD label (has been an ETD label to this customer for years). Secondly, the label included ISR, which is an Indirect Signature Requirement for delivery (never happened before). The last and biggest issue is that ShipStation now defaults to bill the duties and taxes to the SHIPPER. For all of the years I have been using ShipStation (and my connected FedEx account), the default setting has always been to bill the duties and taxes to the recipient. In the “other shipping options” section of the order screen, you do have the option to “check” the box to bill the duties and taxes to the payor of shipping… but that is not “checked” by default and was not “checked” in this case.
I ended up speaking with a FedEx Engineer who pointed to the fact that his internal system showed that the default setting (for billing duties and taxes) was set by ShipStation to SENDER. I have attached an image to this community thread.
Since then, I opened a support case with ShipStation to look into these issues and have them corrected. Aside from the label not defaulting to ETD and implementing a “signature required” option (which could add cost to the label), the fact that the duties and taxes could be billed by default to the shipper of the package could result in unforeseen charges to my (and your) FedEx account.
Lets hope for a good outcome and a fix to these new API issues! If you are in the process of creating FedEx International label (using your connected account), be on the lookout for these issues and whether or not you are being billed (by default) for the duties and taxes!
Thanks,
Syd