Quiet Logistics invoice audit

Quiet Logistics (part of Quiet Platforms, acquired by American Eagle Outfitters) is an enterprise fulfillment provider built for apparel, footwear, accessories, and luxury DTC brands. Known for deploying Locus Robotics and automated sortation across its facilities in Massachusetts, California, Pennsylvania, and Texas, Quiet handles brands with demanding packaging standards and high return rates.

Because apparel fulfillment involves high unit counts per order, garment folding, barcoding, and extensive reverse logistics, a Quiet Logistics invoice is far more complex than a standard pick-and-pack bill. Overcharges typically arise from apparel-specific value-added services (VAS), return inspection grading tiers, packaging material markups, and strict contractual monthly minimums.

What Quiet Logistics publishes: high-touch apparel rules and SLA exhibits

Quiet Logistics does not publish a public price sheet; all rates are set in your Master Services Agreement (MSA) and Statement of Work (SOW) exhibits. However, Quiet's standard contracting framework and operating rules follow a consistent structure:

• Pick-and-pack split into order handling and unit picks. An order carries a base order handling fee (which covers packing the box and generating the shipping label) plus an incremental pick fee for the first unit and lower fees for subsequent units. B2B wholesale orders to department stores or retail boutiques follow a separate wholesale rate table priced by case or master carton.
• Garment-specific Value Added Services (VAS). Apparel requires extensive prep. Quiet's rate exhibits itemize specific fees for: polybag replacement ($0.30–$0.60/unit), barcode re-labeling or price-ticket attachment ($0.25–$0.50/unit), garment folding or tissue wrapping ($0.35–$0.75/unit), and hanger removal. When work is uncataloged, it defaults to an hourly VAS labor rate (typically $45–$65/hour).
• Three-tier return inspection grading. Because apparel returns frequently exceed 20–30% of sales volume, Quiet categorizes returned items by inspection condition:
  • Tier 1 (Grade A): Unopened or perfect condition; inspected and returned directly to active pick inventory.
  • Tier 2 (Grade B / Refurbish): Requires refolding, new polybag, lint removal, or fresh barcode before restock (incurring secondary labor fees).
  • Tier 3 (Grade C / Damaged): Soiled, stained, or missing tags; moved to quarantine or return-to-vendor storage.
• Storage priced by location type with peak density multipliers. Storage is billed by small apparel bin, standard shelf, garment-on-hanger (GOH) trolley, or pallet position. In high-density seasons, brands exceeding their allocated footprint incur off-site overflow or peak storage surcharges.
• Substantial monthly account minimums. Quiet contracts typically enforce a monthly minimum fulfillment spend ($3,000 to $10,000+ depending on facility allocation).

Contractual mechanism	Quiet standard MSA terms
Inbound receiving unit	Carton receiving or pallet receiving; non-compliant ASNs incur hourly re-work
Outbound order handling	Base order fee + 1st unit pick + additional unit picks
Return processing	Base return fee per order + per-unit inspection fee by Grade (A/B/C)
Standard VAS labor rate	Hourly rate ($45–$65/hr) billed in 15-minute increments
Shrinkage allowance	Typically 0.5% to 1.0% of annual inventory wholesale value
Invoice dispute window	Written dispute within 30 days of invoice date; unpaid undisputed amounts remain due
Late payment interest	1.5% per month (18% per annum) on overdue undisputed balances

Checks that follow from Quiet Logistics' contract exhibits

1. Verify base order vs unit pick count across multi-item shipments. Apparel orders frequently average 2.5 to 4 units per shipment. Cross-check your Shopify or ERP order line counts against the invoice: verify that each order was charged exactly one base order fee, one "First Item Pick", and the correct count of "Additional Item Picks". If an order with three dresses is billed with three base order fees, the order was incorrectly decomposed into three separate shipments.
2. Audit Return Grade classifications against customer refund logs. Compare the count of Tier 2 (Refurbish) and Tier 3 (Damaged) returns billed on your invoice against your warehouse disposition reports. If Quiet billed 500 returns at Tier 2 refurbish rates ($2.50+ each) but your store records show 90% of items were clean unopened polybags that required zero refolding, the inspection grading has systematically overbilled your reverse logistics spend.
3. Scrutinize uncataloged VAS hourly labor lines. Check every line item citing "Special Projects", "Apparel Rework", or "Hourly Labor". Under Quiet's MSA, all special project labor must be pre-authorized via an approved Work Authorization Form (WAF). If an invoice includes 18 hours of labor for "Inventory Re-labeling" without a signed WAF, timestamp log, or unit count, the charge violates contract procedure.
4. Audit packaging materials against box size matrices. Quiet charges for branded shipping boxes, poly mailers, and custom tissue paper. Verify that items shipped in standard poly mailers ($0.25–$0.40) were not billed at custom corrugated box rates ($1.20–$2.50). Match shipping manifests showing carrier carton types against billed material codes.
5. Reconcile monthly minimum shortfall top-ups. When your order volume dips during off-peak months, calculate the exact difference between your contracted minimum and your qualifying operational spend. Ensure that storage fees, pick fees, and receiving fees are all credited toward the minimum floor before any shortfall top-up is assessed.
6. Check for inbound ASN non-compliance penalties. Quiet enforces strict Advanced Shipping Notice (ASN) compliance. Inbound shipments arriving without pre-scanned carton manifests or with barcode errors trigger hourly carton inspection surcharges. Verify that vendor freight that arrived fully compliant with Quiet's Inbound Routing Guide was not penalized with unwarranted "Non-Compliant Receiving" accessorials.
7. Audit carrier postage pass-throughs for apparel dimensional weight. Apparel shipped in flexible poly mailers should ship at actual scale weight unless packaging expands excessively. Check carrier shipping lines for unjustified Dimensional Weight adjustments where soft garments were measured as rigid boxes with artificial cubic volumes.
8. Check storage location type allocations. If your inventory transitioned from slow-moving seasonal stock to fast-moving core items, verify that inventory was not left billed at high-cost pallet positions when it was physically transferred to standard shelf bins.

Raising a dispute with Quiet Logistics

Under Section 4 of Quiet's standard Master Services Agreement, any disputed charge must be submitted in writing within 30 days of the invoice date. The notice must specify the invoice number, line item IDs, discrepancy amounts, and include supporting order exports or WAF records.

Quiet requires merchants to pay the undisputed portion of the invoice on time while the dispute review is underway. Keep a detailed dispute tracking register to ensure approved credits are reflected on the next statement before closing the matter.

To: Quiet Logistics Billing & Account Management
Subject: Formal Billing Dispute – Invoice #[INVOICE_NUMBER] – [MERCHANT_NAME]
Date: [TODAY_DATE]

Dear Quiet Logistics Billing Department,

Upon line-by-line reconciliation of invoice #[INVOICE_NUMBER] against our executed Master Services Agreement (MSA) and confirmed Rate Schedule dated [CONTRACT_DATE], we have identified [COUNT] billing discrepancies totaling $[TOTAL_OVERCHARGE_AMOUNT].

Summary of audited discrepancies:
1. [Line/Ref ID]: Billed [Rate/Service] at $[BILLED_RATE]. Agreed contract tier is $[CONTRACT_RATE]. Variance: $[OVERCHARGE_AMOUNT]. (Ref: Contract Section [SECTION_NUM])
2. [Line/Ref ID]: Unauthorized accessorial surcharge [NAME] of $[SURCHARGE_AMOUNT] billed without prerequisite contract triggers.
3. [Line/Ref ID]: Dimensional weight (DIM) billed at [BILLED_WEIGHT] lbs vs verified packaging volume of [ACTUAL_WEIGHT] lbs. Variance: $[DIM_OVERCHARGE].

Per our agreement, this dispute notification is formally submitted within the contractual dispute window. 

Please confirm receipt and apply a credit memo of $[TOTAL_OVERCHARGE_AMOUNT] to our account, or provide a revised invoice within 10 business days.

Sincerely,
[YOUR_NAME]
[MERCHANT_NAME]
[ACCOUNT_NUMBER / MERCHANT_ID]