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Shipping weight slab overcharges: how sellers can check and dispute them
By the TruePayout team · Updated · 4 min read
Quick answer
Marketplaces charge shipping by weight slab, using the higher of the actual and volumetric weight. If an order is charged at a heavier slab than your packed product, compare the charged slab with your measured weight and raise a weight dispute with photos of the packed item on a scale and its dimensions.
Key points
- Shipping is charged by slab (for example 0 to 500 g, 500 g to 1 kg), not by exact weight.
- The billed weight is the higher of actual weight and volumetric weight (length x breadth x height divided by a divisor).
- A single wrong slab repeats on every order of that product, so it adds up quickly.
- Evidence that works: photos of the packed product on a scale and with a measuring tape on each side.
How weight slabs work
Shipping is billed in steps. A product that weighs 480 g packed falls in the 0 to 500 g slab; at 520 g it moves into the next slab and the fee rises for every order. Marketplaces bill the higher of the actual weight and the volumetric weight, so a large, light box can still be billed heavy.
Spotting an overcharge
- The same product is billed at different slabs on different orders.
- The billed slab is higher than your packed weight and volumetric weight.
- Shipping jumped after a listing or packaging change.
Evidence for a dispute
- A clear photo of the packed product on a digital scale showing the weight.
- Photos with a measuring tape on length, breadth and height.
- The order numbers affected and the slab you were billed at.
Find them automatically
Upload your payments report and your rate card to TruePayout: it flags orders whose shipping is above your expected slab, so you dispute every affected order at once.
Frequently asked questions
What is volumetric weight?
A weight worked out from the package size: length x breadth x height in cm, divided by a divisor set by the courier or marketplace. You are billed on the higher of this and the actual weight.
How do I dispute a weight charge?
Raise a weight dispute from your seller panel with photos of the packed product on a scale and with a measuring tape on each side, and list the affected orders.