Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Concerns with ShipStation

[Shtstation]

Dear ShipStation Community,

I am writing this post to alert fellow users about serious concerns I’ve encountered regarding ShipStation’s handling of account security and data privacy. My recent experience has raised red flags that I believe all users should be aware of.

Key Issues:

1. Insecure Password Practices:

   • Without my permission, ShipStation changed my account password and sent the new credentials via email. This is an outdated and unsafe practice that exposes accounts to unauthorized access.
   • When I requested the ability to change the password myself, the process was delayed, and my concerns about compromised credentials were not addressed.

2. Difficulties in Deleting Accounts:

   • I requested to delete my account and all associated data, but the process was unnecessarily complicated. I was told I needed to call a separate phone number to fully remove my data, even after canceling the account.
   • This obstructive process raises concerns about ShipStation’s commitment to respecting user data and privacy.

3. Poor Support and Escalation:

   • Despite multiple follow-ups, ShipStation’s customer support failed to adequately address my concerns, leaving my account in a vulnerable state. The lack of urgency or clear resolution pathways is troubling.

Why This Matters:
Cybersecurity and data privacy are critical for any service provider, especially one handling sensitive customer and shipping data. ShipStation’s practices put users at unnecessary risk and fail to meet modern security standards.

What You Can Do:

• Check your account security and consider changing your password if you haven’t done so recently.
• Be cautious about how your data is handled and demand clear, transparent communication from ShipStation.
• If you’ve faced similar issues, consider reporting them to relevant authorities like the FTC or sharing your experience here to bring attention to these problems.

I’m sharing this post to raise awareness and encourage ShipStation to take these issues seriously. If the company wants to maintain user trust, it must address these concerns and improve its data handling practices.

Let’s work together to ensure our data is secure and that ShipStation listens to its users.

[CaraAdmin]

Hello, @Shtstation!

Thank you for your post in the community! At ShipStation, we truly value customer feedback and appreciate you sharing your concerns and perspective.

We assure you that our dedicated team handles data deletion with the utmost care. We’ve submitted your request to have your data deleted in accordance with our Help Center guidelines. To safeguard your personal information, our systems are equipped with advanced security measures, including daily monitoring and state-of-the-art encryption technology, ensuring all transactions remain secure.

Our top priority is to prevent and block unauthorized postage purchases and printing. We’re continually working to improve and provide the best possible experience. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and thank you for your understanding.

We appreciate your patience while we work to take care of your request!

-Car

[Ficus]

I found this post after waiting nearly 10 hours now for a response from escalated support after about $500 I'd just added to the account balance mysteriously disappeared. I've spent far too much time in awkward back-and-forth over chat support to no avail. Then sent a few nudges via email over the day, still with zero response. I'm surprised this potential account hack/system breach(?) is not being taken more seriously by SS. Between checking for their response I'm looking into moving my shipping integration to another option. I have a large order that was supposed to ship today and I've spent the entire day waiting to hear back from SS while I figure out how to reroute through another comparable platform... Serious lack of support and insight on the issue from their end when needed most!

[CaraAdmin]

Hello @Ficus!

Thank you for your post in the community! I completely understand how seeing that amount could be concerning. Not to worry—we’re having a tenured support agent reach out to you today to assist.

The difference in label pricing compared to what’s shown in Stamps is due to the insurance fee, which isn’t included in the Stamps charge display.

Thanks again for bringing this to our attention—we’re here to help!

Happy Shipping!

-Cara

[Ficus]

This response has nothing to do with my issue. What occurred was a payment of $500 (to stamps.com through my ShipStation account) with an attempt to apply that amount to a shipping charge for a large order. Immediately upon processing the payment of $500, I tried to process the shipment though found most of the $500 I’d just replenished my account with had disappeared. A support person claimed it went to the purchase of shipping labels though clearly not my own. There is no record of a shipping label purchase on my account for that amount (or any at all that day) so where did that money go to? it appears from other posts on the issue of cyber security, there are many others who’ve experienced very similar issues having large amounts of funds suddenly disappear from their account balance. Since reporting the issue and since basic support said they placed the issue on hold, I have heard nothing from ShipStation at all. “Escalated” issues take how many days and how many follow up messages from a compromised customer to be worthy of a response? Has the issue been put on hold indefinitely? I’ve been a loyal user of ShipStation since its inception and I consider security breach for any customer a serious matter, though ShipStation clearly values neither. I can no longer use ShipStation as the next $500 I pay into my account will likely disappear again. No action has been taken by SS to address much less remedy the situation so I must immediately find a replacement ASAP to continue processing orders .

[CaraAdmin]

Hello @Ficus!

Thank you for the correction, and I appreciate your patience.

It looks like our support team has responded to your ticket with the following update:

"I am writing to inform you that a postage credit of $433.55 has been issued to your account. Recently, we experienced an issue that affected a small number of merchants and led to the creation of a 'ghost label.' I’m happy to share that our developers have resolved this issue, and we’re taking proactive steps to prevent it from happening again."

I apologize for not being aware of this specific issue sooner, and I truly appreciate you bringing it to our attention. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions!

Happy Shipping!

-Cara