Being warned/forced to automated handling time
I just recieved an email warning me that "Your account has a gap of two days or more between your set handling time and your actual handling time. You can choose to close this gap by manually setting an accurate handling time on your account and skus or by enabling automated handling time."
What gives? I have 1 day handling time set everywhere and I always get my item out the next business day? I did recently change it while we were away vs. using vacation mode because I tend to loose traction when I go on vacation time. Is this email warning some kind of glitch or what? They're threatening to put me on automated handling time if they find issues on or around sept 25????
38 replies
Seller_EGrWONQVPP8np
I got the same email, and can't possibly send product faster than 2 days most occasions. Is there an amazon monitor out there who can explain? I am not able to adjust my handling time to more than 2 days, which i would prefer. Now we have some bot that says we should ship faster!
Seller_Lwycr8whwiMNZ
Yep. We are being punished for out performing our handling times. Our handling times are set so we have a little buffer for unforseen circumstances. Talk about manufacturing a problem. Amazons forte.
Seller_0KNcMoJG4OU6A
We got the same email. We sell candles and during Summer months, we only ship on Mondays (and Tuesdays if the address is close enough). The only way to appease the Amazon gods was to set our production/handling time to 5 business days... this ensures that when someone orders, we always have the ability to wait until Monday to ship. We also make it clear to the customer that we ship on Mondays at this time. All of this leads to customers often receiving their order SOONER than expected.
So, Amazon's basically saying that we need to be more accurate because we'll get more orders by disclosing a faster shipping time. You see our dilemma... if we adjust the production time to be more accurate, we'll be left shipping orders with the high risk of disappointing the customer with a candle that melted during transit because it sat somewhere hot over the weekend. I believe sellers of chocolate have similar issues.
We'll be adjusting our production time back to the default before 9/25 but we're wondering what we'll need to do for next Summer.
Seller_DhLF6wXOFYXo4
I have called 10 times to help me with this !! And no one can help . WE put in our template 4 business days as we need time to ship the item. Its still 2 days ! I have late shipments! amazon can't help me.. if anyone figures it out let us know.
BY default it forces us to ship it within 2 days
Seller_TfgX4x5bRBT6k
I got the similar email more than once. But Amazon is playing with small level sellers and finding all the nich areas where Amazon 3rd Party Sellers can be punished and charged. Certainly, they do not want to make it easier for the Sellers, otherwise, they would have made a video and have posted it in a section where all the Sellers could easily watch and follow the directions on how to fix their shipping templates.
Seller_4HsL3GZbyDLea
Amazon creates new problems. Then Amazon blames the seller for the problems Amazon created.
All these shipping policies are all an attempt to terrorize sellers into using FBA.
Dominic_Amazon
Hi @Seller_pTsdbEwy0LpIn
Dominic from Amazon here, want to weigh on in this.
We designed these tools to set accurate delivery dates, reduce late deliveries, and meet or exceed the minimum OTDR requirement when used together, 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.
On top of getting OTDR protection, using Shipping Settings Automation (SSA) sets accurate delivery dates through automated Transit Times calculations of your preferred ship methods, and using Automated Handling Time (AHT) , sets accurate Handling Times per SKU based on how long it usually takes you to pass each SKU to carriers. Plus, if you use AHT you get Late Shipment Rate (LSR) protection.
Please let me know if you have any additional questions.
Dominic
Seller_P68PfqIf99lFA
I got the same email. I need the two day buffer which has been reduced to one day. I tried the automated shipping settings and that eliminated in some instances USPS ground advantage which I need to use to keep my pricing competitive. I can't afford to take the losses on the more costly shipping methods. Why we get penalized for exceeding customer expectation is beyond me.
To prevent this from happening I started printing my labels and scheduling them to ship on the last day required to be on time then I make sure they are scanned that day. The only ones being hurt are Amazon customers because of some metric that does not reflect the real world creating an unnecessary hoop that we have to jump through. Amazon needs to loosen up on the choker they have on us 3P sellers. Being 1.79 Days ahead of schedule is a good thing Amazon not a bad thing and I should not be punished for it.
Seller_HP0CuTSNvJvu9
Under-promise and over-deliver is a valid customer service technique, and rarely works against a seller. It's sad that Amazon would penalize this behavior while themselves over-promising and under-delivering.
Seller_HP0CuTSNvJvu9
Yep, I suspect you are correct.
