New updates to our on-time delivery policy and shipping settings
Fast and accurate delivery is essential for customers and often determines where they choose to shop. Over time, we've learned that the best way to ensure reliable on-time delivery for customers is to set accurate handling and transit times and to choose reliable shipping services. To help reduce late deliveries and improve delivery speeds, we’re changing our on-time delivery rate (OTDR) policy.
Effective September 25, 2024, you'll need to maintain a minimum 90% OTDR without promise extensions to have seller-fulfilled products listed on Amazon.com. We will start by addressing sellers with the lowest OTDR performance. For a great customer experience, we recommend that you maintain a 95% or greater OTDR for all seller-fulfilled orders. This policy does not apply to offers using the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) service because sellers are not responsible for on-time delivery promises for FBA orders.
Also, we'll make the following changes to shipping settings to help sellers with Professional selling plans set accurate delivery dates:
- Transit time settings: On August 25, 2024, our transit time requirements will be updated to match the delivery capabilities of shipping services. If you're shipping within the contiguous United States (excluding Hawaii, Alaska, and US territories), you can set a maximum transit time of five days for standard shipping and eight days for free economy shipping. To learn more, go to Default transit time.
Note: The 5 day maximum Transit Time applies to all SKUs except media such as Books, Magazines, and DVDs.
- Handling time settings: On September 25, 2024, to help improve the accuracy of handling time, we'll enable automated handling time for sellers that have a manually configured handling time that is two or more days slower than their actual handling time (also known as a handling time gap). To see your handling time gap, review your Fulfillment Insight dashboard.
We understand changes like this are significant and require time to prepare. You can manage your delivery dates using the tools we've provided, or you can manually adjust your transit time and handling time settings. We designed these tools to set accurate delivery dates, reduce late deliveries, and to meet or exceed the minimum OTDR requirement, and because Amazon is making calculations on your behalf that affect OTDR, you will get OTDR protection from late deliveries on items shipped through standard shipping if you use all three tools as follows:
- Shipping Settings Automation (SSA), for Professional selling plans, sets accurate delivery dates through automated transit time calculations of your preferred shipping services. You must choose one of the preferred ship methods in the SSA templates, which will mark the transit time on the shipping template as "Managed by Amazon."
- Automated handling time, for Professional selling plans, sets accurate handling times per SKU based on how long it usually takes you to pass each SKU to carriers. You must ensure that automated handling time is enabled in your shipping settings.
- Amazon Buy Shipping, for both Professional and Individual selling plans, sells shipping labels that use highly-reliable ship methods. You can use Amazon Buy Shipping through Manage Orders, Shipping API, Veeqo, or select multi-channel integrators with access to Amazon Buy Shipping. You must choose shipping labels marked as "OTDR Protected" when using Amazon Buy Shipping or Veeqo.
You'll receive an email with your current OTDR and recommendations on how to improve if you're below the minimum requirement. To learn more, review your OTDR on your Account Health dashboard or go to On-time delivery.
New updates to our on-time delivery policy and shipping settings
Fast and accurate delivery is essential for customers and often determines where they choose to shop. Over time, we've learned that the best way to ensure reliable on-time delivery for customers is to set accurate handling and transit times and to choose reliable shipping services. To help reduce late deliveries and improve delivery speeds, we’re changing our on-time delivery rate (OTDR) policy.
Effective September 25, 2024, you'll need to maintain a minimum 90% OTDR without promise extensions to have seller-fulfilled products listed on Amazon.com. We will start by addressing sellers with the lowest OTDR performance. For a great customer experience, we recommend that you maintain a 95% or greater OTDR for all seller-fulfilled orders. This policy does not apply to offers using the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) service because sellers are not responsible for on-time delivery promises for FBA orders.
Also, we'll make the following changes to shipping settings to help sellers with Professional selling plans set accurate delivery dates:
- Transit time settings: On August 25, 2024, our transit time requirements will be updated to match the delivery capabilities of shipping services. If you're shipping within the contiguous United States (excluding Hawaii, Alaska, and US territories), you can set a maximum transit time of five days for standard shipping and eight days for free economy shipping. To learn more, go to Default transit time.
Note: The 5 day maximum Transit Time applies to all SKUs except media such as Books, Magazines, and DVDs.
- Handling time settings: On September 25, 2024, to help improve the accuracy of handling time, we'll enable automated handling time for sellers that have a manually configured handling time that is two or more days slower than their actual handling time (also known as a handling time gap). To see your handling time gap, review your Fulfillment Insight dashboard.
We understand changes like this are significant and require time to prepare. You can manage your delivery dates using the tools we've provided, or you can manually adjust your transit time and handling time settings. We designed these tools to set accurate delivery dates, reduce late deliveries, and to meet or exceed the minimum OTDR requirement, and because Amazon is making calculations on your behalf that affect OTDR, you will get OTDR protection from late deliveries on items shipped through standard shipping if you use all three tools as follows:
- Shipping Settings Automation (SSA), for Professional selling plans, sets accurate delivery dates through automated transit time calculations of your preferred shipping services. You must choose one of the preferred ship methods in the SSA templates, which will mark the transit time on the shipping template as "Managed by Amazon."
- Automated handling time, for Professional selling plans, sets accurate handling times per SKU based on how long it usually takes you to pass each SKU to carriers. You must ensure that automated handling time is enabled in your shipping settings.
- Amazon Buy Shipping, for both Professional and Individual selling plans, sells shipping labels that use highly-reliable ship methods. You can use Amazon Buy Shipping through Manage Orders, Shipping API, Veeqo, or select multi-channel integrators with access to Amazon Buy Shipping. You must choose shipping labels marked as "OTDR Protected" when using Amazon Buy Shipping or Veeqo.
You'll receive an email with your current OTDR and recommendations on how to improve if you're below the minimum requirement. To learn more, review your OTDR on your Account Health dashboard or go to On-time delivery.
0 replies
Seller_LTNvvFJ2jqJOv
@Jim_Amazon @Micah_Amazon @SEAmod @Seller_mVDGl5FuduOjS @Seller_atssoRYcZuRKb @Seller_w9o9ILl7Bye4P @Seller_xeDdQgRH5VZwO @Seller_YEG7lRFI3Maem @Seller_nRFmxiQg4EGrw @Seller_qbXUWwyag0ELm @Seller_BRvAbP8TbQpJL @Seller_pAqkHLGGFCun1 @Seller_w9o9ILl7Bye4P @Seller_RBhUBoAVfCNRG @Seller_rroWYWFgu113Q @Seller_HN6IMoitIKcW6 @Seller_kWzASERYhgus6 @Seller_3gGPaepIjwtmJ @Seller_dZMpCpY87mFdg @Seller_7kHeDoyCrs2Hc @Seller_4lw6ILteSlST6 @Seller_M2RiNAEPWewxa @Seller_lYu3XZvMfxm0F @Seller_8E2W4sWZI4a7g @Seller_2U6WP5eJxL5Dp @Seller_dZMpCpY87mFdg @Seller_2ocdeVST6pSqj @Seller_z5V2bzL4Y3z3E @Seller_NTtgyr4S9sRAA @Seller_7rNklHYkq1IwY @Seller_pdveCfpLbwIV0 @Seller_w9o9ILl7Bye4P @Seller_HH57ZbA7Hx0Ks @Seller_VVU0Eee63oIYM @Bryce_Amazon
Case ID 15704091201
First line item for example Promised Delivery Date of July 6th
Actual delivery date July 5th
This is why we were so mad when you took away the 2 day default option from shipping settings. WE know that things happen with UPS USPS etc. apparently Amazon does not (or not care)
I don't want to have to change every single listing each time Amazon comes up with another great idea...
Jim I show most of mine delivered on or before the promised delivery date. What is the point of using Amazon Buy Shipping when you are going to hold us responsible for a (USPS) carrier delay which is out of our control, this is ridiculous, I might as well go plant more seeds.
Seller support was clueless twice, no help. I told them it was delivered on time. They said Oh do not worry your account health is still ok.
No, no it's not, I want this taken off please, I did my part, now Amazon needs to do it's part and stop harassing FBM sellers.
Oh and if that isn't bad enough @Jim_Amazon I see this on my Amazon Buy Shipping today.
So last month we were not protected and this month we are????
C'mon already, now that I see this, I want all those OTDRs gone please.
Why would they implement something, hit everyone's OTDR and then the same day show that Amazon Buy Shipping is OTDR protected, you would think that they would implement the OTDR a month before the rest of the fiasco. Then no one would have OTDR problems today.
The problem with automated handling time is that the system sometimes does not allow me to purchase a regular 1st class label, the times are fine, yet it still wants me to ship priority and there is no reason for that. This is why we all complain about the "automated" selection. We have been complaining about it for years now.
Yet you hit me on the day it is implemented.
Seller_w9o9ILl7Bye4P
We are now responsible for carrier delays.....really regrettable
Seller_xeDdQgRH5VZwO
Why must you dictate things we have no control over. If there's delays within USPS, that is out of my control. I have no control over weather delays or shipping delays due to extraordinary circumstances. Stop making this platform worse for sellers.
Seller_YEG7lRFI3Maem
I have 8 orders dinged as being delivered "late". I downloaded the report and for 7 of the 8 "late deliveries" the report itself states the dates they were delivered were on or even before the promised delivery date. Seems like there are just flat our errors occuring.
Seller_nRFmxiQg4EGrw
Thanks for the heads up. So for the next two months, I'll make sure to wait until the last minute to ship most of my orders, so that I don't get this setting changed against my will.
Yeah, Amazon. Way to encourage good customer service.
Seller_qbXUWwyag0ELm
Please STOP doing this. I did NOT ask for this feature. I do NOT want this feature. It does NOT help me. You only cause more work for me since now I have to remember to TURN IT OFF.
Seller_BRvAbP8TbQpJL
Will Amazon be held to the same rules? Just asking because a lot of the items I order from FBA are delivered to me late. More rules for thee but not for me.
Seller_pAqkHLGGFCun1
Will there be exceptions during the holidays? Carrier delays are inevitable and will affect our metrics.
Seller_rroWYWFgu113Q
Please help me understand why we need automated handling time in order to be protected when we already use Buy Shipping and SSA?
We have same day handling until 2PM, and a zero percent late shipment rate. Several months ago when we were automatically switched to AHT, it was putting 1-2 day handling on orders when we essentially NEVER ship late. How is this good for our business or Amazon's customers? How does Amazon know our fulfillment capacity better than we know?
Also, can we please address why the late delivery report wants packages delivered by 7AM GMT? I'm looking at my report right now for a dinged order - Delivered 7/5/24 15:47:00 GMT. Promised delivery date without a promise extension: 7/5/24 06:59:59 GMT. Amazon wanted that package delivered by 7AM GMT?
Seller_HN6IMoitIKcW6
Thanks for the notice this time. Last time you changed our handing time to Automated and removed the 2 day handling time without notifying us. Amazon you need to pay attention to what the 3rd party sellers are saying when we tell you we do NOT want this change. If Amazon keeps forcing 3rd party sellers out with bad policies like these. Amazon will not be looking so great from a buyer point of view, and this will lose Amazon a lot of money.
