Upcoming changes in shipment confirmation

#1

UPDATE
May 21, 2021

Hello Sellers,

As highlighted in the message below, you are now required to provide the carrier name when confirming shipments via bulk feeds, APIs, or integrators. Please review the Frequently asked questions to know more about entering the accurate carrier names. A special note when using bulk feeds or APIs - Provide the carrier name in the carrier-code (‘CarrierCode’ for APIs) field during shipment confirmation for each order. If you are using an unlisted carrier, set the carrier code as ‘Other’ and then provide the carrier name in the carrier-name field (‘CarrierName’ for APIs). To learn more about the carrier-code and carrier-name fields, see here.

ORIGINAL ANNOUNCEMENT
February 15, 2021

To improve the delivery experience of seller-fulfilled orders for our customers, we want to ensure customers can see detailed shipment tracking information wherever possible. We have found that this also reduces customer contacts, order-related defects, and lost-shipment costs, while improving seller feedback ratings.

What is the new requirement?

Today, for seller-fulfilled orders, you are required to provide the carrier name when you confirm shipment through the Manage Orders page on Seller Central. We are making the following changes to the shipment confirmation process:

  • Beginning April 5, 2021, you will be required to provide the carrier name (that is, the carrier-code field) when you confirm shipments via bulk feeds, APIs, or integrators. Some of the commonly used carrier names are USPS, UPS, and FedEx.
  • Beginning May 3, 2021, Amazon will validate tracking details (including carrier name and tracking ID) for all seller-fulfilled orders, and show warnings for invalid tracking details.

Frequently asked questions

  1. How do I enter the carrier name?

    In order to provide the carrier name during shipment confirmation, do the following:

    • When using Manage Orders on Seller Central, select the carrier name from the drop-down list. If you don’t see your carrier listed in the drop-down list, select ‘Other’ and input the carrier name in the text field. We will add more carriers over time.
    • When using bulk feeds or APIs, provide the carrier-code (‘CarrierCode’ for APIs) during shipment confirmation for each order. If you are using an unlisted carrier, set the carrier code as ‘Other’ and then provide the carrier name in the carrier-name field (‘CarrierName’ for APIs). To learn more about the carrier-code and carrier-name fields, see here.
      Note: If you are using an integrator, work with your integrator to ensure the carrier details are provided to us when confirming a shipment.
    • When using Buy Shipping, there is no action required. We automatically collect data on carriers and ship methods used through Buy Shipping.
  2. What happens if I provide an incorrect tracking ID during shipment confirmation?

    During the shipment confirmation process, you will receive a warning message “Please enter a valid tracking ID to confirm shipment.” Once you have entered a valid tracking ID, you will be able to confirm your shipment.
  3. Do I need to provide shipping service (or ship method) details during the shipment confirmation process?

    Shipping service (or ship method) details are not required to confirm a shipment, but we highly recommend that you provide these details. This helps Amazon to provide accurate shipment tracking information to customers.
Upcoming changes in shipment confirmation
Can I ship small products without tracking?
Valid Tracking Rate- POA - Toys
'Less than $10 No Tracking Needed Program' Discontinued?
Valid Tracking Rate - toys
Listing Deactivated...VTR Calcuations
VTR tracking still not required items under $10?
Upcoming changes in shipment confirmation
Tracking info now required?
#2

What am I missing, we’re following these exact steps when uploading tracking IDs in bulk already and nothing I read appears to be new or different except possibly this …

Again, this is exactly how the system behaves currently unless in reading between the lines one can derive that what Amazon is really saying is that the order won’t be allowed to get ship confirmed with the warning (it currently does allow the order status to change with that warning) until and unless a verifiable tracking ID is in fact provided, thus keeping the order in an Unshipped status?

If so, why not just specifically spell that out? (rhetorical question).

If this is the case, this update would be a plus for customers of sellers who upload fake or blank tracking IDs to stop the Late Shipment Rate and then subsequently update the tracking ID days later (we have had this happen to my wife and I and is how we know).

#3

This update is not for you or for me or for the countless professional merchants.
This update is to force the slime-balls to not make-sh*t-up.

#4

This MIGHT uncover a bunch of (generally offshore) sellers that have been gaming the system. Of course the theory versus the reality is that AMAZON will actually do something.

#1 – will they REALLY check the numbers.

#2 – will they actually do anything to those caught? Suspensions, kicked to the curb, account balances frozen?

#3 – WHY is this NEW and has not been done for years or decades even?

#4 – I wonder if AMAZON is EVER going to do anything to BUYERS who flagrantly lie about “where’s my stuff.”

#5

For those who have been doing it right all along:

2021-02-15
2021-02-15.png1403×71 9.22 KB

nothing changes. For the Sellers who have been sneaking around putting in garbage for tracking information, you have been warned.

Amazon prepares to ride forth and suspension follows after.

#6

im sure it only applies to united states sellers like everything else amazon does

the counterfeit and black hat sellers will keep on keeping on

#7

How does this affect sellers with tracking exemptions? Most of my items fit in a flat envelope and are under $10. Anything over $10 gets tracking numbers, but under that is shipped First Class Stamped mail… and there is no tracking on those orders.

#8

Naw… LOL!

#9

Wondering the same.

#10

Not sure exactly how it will help but I have experienced fake tracking numbers on Amazon so maybe somehow it will help, although I am not sure because they did actually name a service so who knows.

#11

Is this a joke? I sell really cheap products. Why would someone pay 6 dollars for shipping for a $2.99 product? Why would someone pay 8 dollars for a product they can get on Aliexpress for $1.50, tracked shipping included?

#12

agreed. I guess we can no longer use first class stamped on inexpensive items. I guess we will have to increase the sell price to compensate for the increase shipping cost. Oh well…

#13

That will be impossible for us.

#14

Same here. I sell, really cheap, flat products and ship them in plain envelopes. Why would people pay tracked shipping? Tracked shipping is now 7 times more expensive than a plain envelope.
Sounds like Amazon just murdered my 1 person family business. No more food on the table… :frowning:

How about Amazon changes the whole buying system and tell customers to spend at least 12 dollars? That would save cheap-flat product sellers.

My sales were down from 25/day to like 4/day. It’s going to be zero if I have to double/triple the shipping cost. You want a product for 2.99? You have to pay 6 bucks for shipping! (Makes sense, right? No.)

#15

Are shipments for items under $10 now required to do tracking?

#16

It doesn’t appear clear right now. I have sent in a message to Seller Central and hopefully we hear back soon. This is the type of situation I was fearing. We sell exclusively flat items under 2 ounces in weight priced under $10 and have for 5 years.

#17

I’m not in favor of Guessing on something this important. I am going to need a solid definitive answer from someone regarding this. I have 100% valid tracking rates when required, but if they are going to require tracking on everything that’s going to increase my costs by $3.50 per order ($3 for shipping plus amazons increased fees on that additional $3)… which will lower my sales by a significant amount. No One wants to pay $8.50 for a what yesterday was $5. I’ve done extensive research and most of my customers don’t want to pay for tracking by increased prices or an actual shipping charge. I’ve taken care of EVERY customer in the last 2.5 years selling on here, and have had a grand total of 6 A-Z claims in that period (over 6000 orders), 4 of which I was able to win on appeal.

It would be appropriate to just punish those using fake tracking numbers, but some of us have exemptions, and I need to know if we will still have those exemptions.

#18

about 85% of my items are under 1oz and $10. Please keep us updated if you get a response.

#19

That $3 shipping is now more likely $3.50, plus Amazon taking a cut from the shipping cost too. Not to mention that you have to buy a larger envelope for all sales, use tape, etc. It’s going to be more like 5 dollars. (Right now I charge only $1.99 for shipping. It’s going to be a 2.5x shipping fee increase for the customers. They are not going to pay that much. They are going to the other large online marketplace, or they’ll go straight to the Chinese one. They are going to pay 1.50, instead of 10 bucks, they are going to save 8.50 on their purchase and they just have to wait 30 days more for delivery. Most of them are going to chose that. Of course, I’m only talking about cheap small products.

#20

The change should help me a little bit.

On a small per cent of my orders I type in the tracking # manually.
Sometimes, when I look at my metrics, I see that I have an invalid number or two.
It doesn’t happen often enough to be a real concern, but still, if the automated system alerts me
when I’ve reversed a couple of digits, I can fix it, and add to the list of “satisfied” customers.