I sent this to support but thought I’d put it here in case anyone had some answers already to these questions they could share.
Regarding the upcoming USPS non-compliance fee for missing or inaccurate dimensions. I have questions that the email recently sent out does not address.
USPS Priority Flat Rate has both boxes, envelopes, and padded envelopes. For boxes, getting the dimensions is easy as they have standard LxWxH dimensions. For the envelopes, like the Priority Flat Rate Envelope, the packaging is flexible. USPS only gives LxW as dimensions, as height dimensions, as well as the other dimensions, can vary based on what is put into the package. This is also true for Ground Advantage when shipping something in a regular Bubble Mailer envelope, which is also of a flexible material.
1) Are USPS Priority Flat Rate mailers excluded from these requirements to enter dimensions since USPS knows the dimensions of their Flat Rate mailers?
2) Are bubble envelopes included in the requirement for dimensions, whether USPS Flat Rate padded envelopes or regular unbranded bubble envelopes when used for USPS Ground Advantage?
3) If so, can we put in a standard average dimension for envelope-style mailers based on the known LxW and estimating height even if it varies?
4) If Flat Rate mailers are not excluded from the requirements, since other USPS Priority Flat Rate boxes are always the same dimensions as the boxes are provided by USPS, can it be programmed into ShipStation to autofill that information. For example, when selecting a USPS Priority Small Flat Rate box, can it autofill the outside dimensions of the box to what USPS states as 8-11/16" x 5-7/16" x 1-3/4" ?
4) IMPORTANT: Looking back at some of my prior shipments, it appears that even though I have not filled in dimensions for a shipment, sometimes dimensions appear in the Shipment Record at the right of the order viewing screen post shipment, and they do not agree to the Flat Rate box or envelope dimensions for the product used. I checked the product's listing in the Products area of ShipStation to see if the dimensions were coming from the Product's shipping presets, and they are not, as no dimensions are listed there. They seem to be coming from the dimensions of the product itself in the WooCommerce store. (?) This should not be prefilling in as the shipment dimensions in Shipstation, as the product dimensions are for packing info and do not agree to the box or envelope dimensions and are an entirely separate thing.
5) If it is pre-filling in the shipment dimensions from a product's dimensions as listed in the store, will this prevent the safeguards you say will be built in when you say “to help you avoid future fees, starting in late September, you will see an error if package dimensions are missing for USPS shipments.” ?
6) If SmartFill is enabled in ShipStation, but I manually put in package dimensions, which does the system use - my manually entered dimensions or whatever the last similar product orders used? If the latter then I need to turn off SmartFill, as sometimes different packaging is used depending on shipping location and other factors. Should I turn SmartFill off in advance of this non-compliance fee issue to prevent it autofilling incorrect dimensions and preventing the “safeguard” warning above?
7) How much are the fees if something goes out with an incorrect dimension because of these issues, and how will it be collected? Is there tolerance for flexible style bubble mailers? Will the package just get returned?
I hope some of these factors can be addressed before the fees roll out. Thanks for any community help or Shipstation help considering these questions in advance of this new USPS development.
