Amazon is the most popular online shop for anyone looking to buy electronics, clothes, kitchenware, makeup, home decor and many more. They have the right products for you at an affordable price delivered to your doorstep in no time. You know you can rely on Amazon for your business as well as your personal needs. Causing Amazon shipping delays could be frustrating.
However, Amazon also comes with its fair share of shipping delays from time to time. Sometimes their intricate delivery system can be difficult to manage. There might be several reasons responsible for causing these Amazon shipping delays. Learning about them and knowing what to do if you face such a situation can help you to mitigate your losses due to late deliveries.
Reasons Behind Amazon Shipping Delays
While Amazon does a brilliant job living up to their expectations of delivering packages within a short time, you may still face delays in your shipments. We have listed some of the major causes behind Amazon shipping delays so that you can have a better understanding of what goes on behind the scenes.
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Incorrect Information
It is imperative to check the address provided on the website before ordering. Putting an incorrect address or forgetting to insert the apartment number or unit number in the address section might cause delays in your Amazon shipment.
You can even leave delivery instructions for Amazon to take extra measures against delayed deliveries. Additionally, not updating the address section once you have moved to a new place can also be a major cause behind Amazon shipping delays.
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Mislabeled Products
There is no doubt that efficiency is what makes Amazon such a popular ecommerce site. But even so, the huge number of packages that they have to pack and ship in a single day can become extremely overwhelming to maintain. Adding to the problem, there is the constant introduction of new products to the list.
These increase the chances of mislabeling products by the employees. Often, they might even destroy shipment labels accidentally creating confusion in the shipment process. These result in undelivered products and delayed shipments.
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Unfavorable Weather
Unfavorable weather conditions like storms, tsunamis, tornadoes, snowstorm, heatwaves, etc can invariably cause Amazon shipping delays. Just like any other company, Amazon’s couriers also have trouble shipping their products during such bad weather. You can stay updated on the weather through the local news channels. If they are reporting an inclement weather condition, there is a higher chance of your Amazon delivery being later than usual.
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Massive Quantities of Orders
One of the most common causes behind Amazon shipping delays might be the huge volumes of orders received during peak seasons. Holidays, Amazon Prime Day, worldwide crisis or even a hyped product may incentivize more people to order items from Amazon at a time.
Due to the massive quantities of orders received, Amazon might need more time than usual to process the orders and start shipping. Generally in these cases, the company warns or notifies the customers ahead of time. The websites may also be updated to include the estimated amount of time required to make the deliveries.
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Priorities
Amazon is obligated to prioritize certain items over others while delivering. For instance, during the global pandemic, people who have ordered items related to health and hygiene might have received their products faster than someone who has ordered toys. So certain situations like global disasters might delay the delivery of regular items that are not deemed as an immediate necessity.
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Strikes in Parcel Delivery
Amazon hires package service companies to process and deliver items for most non-Prime members. As such, a strike in the customer’s country might prevent the parcel from being delivered on time. Usually, if there is a strike, all mail is suspended till the strike is over. So there is no other way than to wait for the strike to be lifted for the package to be delivered.
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Issues with Third-Party Vendors
Amazon sells products on its site from third-party vendors. The company’s standards to deliver within a short time generally do not apply when it comes to these products. This is because Amazon does not take responsibility for delays caused by problems faced by its outside partners.
These third-party vendors might encounter issues with the process or their operations causing a significant delay in shipment. Under these circumstances, Amazon can only help by providing you with the seller’s contact so that you can get updated on your shipment.
What to do in case of Amazon Shipping Delays
You might face a delay in your Amazon shipment for any of the reasons mentioned above. So when you do, you should know how to handle these situations. Here is some helpful information to help you with Amazon shipping delays.
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Amazon Shipping Delays Compensation
Although Amazon does not promote it widely, the good news is that there is a refund policy on the shipping fee in case of a delayed Amazon shipment. However, this or any other compensation only applies when the shipment is delayed for something that Amazon takes responsibility for. So, unfortunately, you will not be getting any perks for providing misinformation or buying something from third-party vendors.
Contacting Amazon customer service can not only give you a free month of service but also provide you with other benefits according to many customers. Amazon is willing to go the extra mile to compensate for any late shipments. There are even reports of people receiving gift certificate awards or getting a discount on Amazon Prime membership as compensation for Amazon shipping delays.
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Contacting Amazon
On the Contact Us page, you will find all the necessary information to either message or call Amazon directly. The messaging assistant can answer some basic questions and direct you to the appropriate place to address your issue.
You can also call Amazon Customer Service directly. In this case, you will receive a wait time so that you get a sense of when to hear from them. Amazon prefers the call option as it helps the customers to get quick support. They might be able to address your specific issue and help you with it.
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Track your order
Customers with delivery issues are often curious about their orders. Amazon has its own tracking tool to help these customers out. So if your delivery is delayed, you can check up on your order by yourself.
In order to track your order, follow the steps below.
- Sign in to the Amazon account you have ordered from.
- Go to “Your Orders.”
- Click on “Track Package.”
Conclusion
You are likely to get most of your products on time from Amazon without a shred of doubt. But on the rare occasions of Amazon shipping delays, these are the ways you can track and tackle the situation.
