Handmade Community
Why Amazon you are killing handmade business with the handling time mess.
Is there anyway around this crazy email I just got:
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.
On September 25, 2024, your handling time gap will be measured, and if it remains above two days as per our policy for on-time delivery, you will be auto-enrolled into having automated handling time enabled and will no longer be able to disable automated handling time. To learn more about how your handling time gap is calculated, go to Fulfillment Insight dashboard.
I am a one woman shop and I have a buffer in place for emergencies or sometimes I simply have to make the item. Amazon is punishing me for shipping early and there are times I just can't.
Mods please tell them to let handmade people have a say in when we ship. We know our business better than they do.
90 replies
Seller_dVMKJ8a3J9Tx5
This morning as i scramble to get orders out before the aftermath of hurricane debby causes power outages I am reminded that once I have no control over handling time my account will not survive. Please tell the powers that be at Amazon some of us are small businesses with one person trying to feed our families and doing everything we can to take care of customers. Let us we will do this without rules that make no sense and only punish us for doing what is right by the customer. Make Amazon Human!
Seller_GWQRx26GOGaK9
I am a handmade seller. All my items are customisable and a lot of customers use that option. I make all my items after an order is placed - “made to order”. The work is made entirely by hand and takes hours for a single item. Sometimes I can make things faster but sometimes I need time - for sick days, for taking care of family, to rest a bit. That’s why it’s really important to me that I say how long it might take me to fulfill an order - automated handling time just won’t work for a trully handmade business.
All handmade sellers should be excluded from that auto handling time madness. Without having to go in circles with seller support.
KJ_Amazon
Hello @Seller_dVMKJ8a3J9Tx5 @Seller_IC4JZRSJBOTAF @Seller_Ggt6s7zXEwLbA and all other Handmade sellers asking about exemptions from the upcoming September 25 enabling of automated handling time.
I have continued to share Handmade / Custom seller feedback about these updates with our partner teams.
Our guidance is still to please contact Selling Partner Support and ask them to create a ticket for you for a handling time exception. Please note that Handling Time exceptions are SKU-based and not account-level. In your requests, please provide the following information:
- List of SKUs you are request exemption for:
- ASINs associated with the SKU
- Your Desired handling time value for the SKU
- Product Category for each SKU
I understand that some sellers have already attempted to request these exemptions. If so, please resubmit your request and share your Case ID here.
KJ_Amazon
Seller_pPyWAn3Voq2jm
Since I saw that email last month, I adjusted all my handling times to 3 days. If I finish my custom item sooner, I just hold shipping it. By the time the change gets implemented my average handling time should reflect the longer wait times to ship. If Amazon wants to play these games with Handmade sellers, then I'll play along in my own way within the allowed framework. I have also added additional price increases on my amazon listings and I'll drop my available inventory counts once they implement the forced AHT. Mainly, I want to encourage customers to shop around and buy from my own online store. If they prefer to shop on amazon, then they will pay a premium price and receive slower service but that's because of these new amazon policies we must abide by. I predict 9/25/2024 will be a huge disaster for this AHT enforcement. bottom line, handmade sellers cannot rely upon amazon sales. We must make sure we also have back up options in place like our own store or other marketplaces. Good luck to everyone next month.
Seller_cuio4Q9868S17
Im in the same boat... Its outrageous they would not think of the implications for handmade I make most of my products to order hence my handle time bakes in the production which varies historically for the same sku ..
Now we are being punished for overdelivering ... guess what with how stringent amazon rule enforcement is how would you not want us to bake buffer in to ensure over compliance in uncertain situations such as made to order items.
From now on I will sit on any and all products I have ready in advance so i dont show any handling gap and can prevent forced automation... the only one affected is the customer
KJ_Amazon
Hello, Handmade Sellers, and any other sellers asking about requesting exceptions from upcoming updates to Automated Handling Time. I have an update on this process:
On July 25, 2024, we announced we will be enabling Automated Handling Time (AHT) on September 25, 2024 for sellers with a manually configured handling time two or more days slower than their actual handling time. You can read more details about these updates and AHT by checking the links below:.
New updates to our on-time delivery policy and shipping settings
Introduction to automated handling time
Sellers of handmade and custom goods, perishable goods, media, and heavy/bulky items have reached out requesting longer handling times for their items.
Please note that if you are using manual handling times, you can self-update SKU level handling time through the Manage your inventory page.
However, if AHT is enabled for your SKUs and you would like to override the recommended handling time, you can submit a support ticket to Create Handling Time Exceptions. Please note:
- Exceptions are granted on a SKU level and not an account level. Your request must include a list or spreadsheet with all SKUs for which you are requesting the exception.
- Exceptions can only be applied to SKUs with AHT enabled.
Please let me know if your request is not successful so I can ask out partner team for a review.
KJ_Amazon
Seller_dVMKJ8a3J9Tx5
I did ask for exemptions and most of the time they had no clue what I was referring to. Can someone please educate seller support on the policy. I sent a list of all of my sku's. It is frustrating when you try to follow the policy but seller support is not even aware of what the policy is. I have wasted a lot of time attempting to get exemptions.
Seller_2azHBWt7FzGTG
@Seller_dVMKJ8a3J9Tx5Seller Support is not referring to this as an exemption. They call it an override on your handling time page. I asked for it and got it. Unfortunately, we were not warned that by asking for this "override" we now have 0 OTDR coverage.
Below is directly from the OTDR info page.
If needed, you can request a manual handling time override for custom-made, media, and heavy and bulky SKUs. Any exempted SKU won’t receive on-time delivery rate (OTDR) protection from late deliveries.
Seller_dVMKJ8a3J9Tx5
Oh my gosh so you loose the OTDR.....I have no words for the way Amazon treats us
Seller_2azHBWt7FzGTG
@Seller_dVMKJ8a3J9Tx5Yes. I didn't know until after mine was approved. Not happy that mods are pushing this "exemption" without telling people that when it is approved and they get it, their OTDR protection is gone.
@Seller_IC4JZRSJBOTAF @Seller_Ggt6s7zXEwLbA@Seller_pPyWAn3Voq2jm@Seller_cuio4Q9868S17@Seller_7Qw8W6M43a2u1@Seller_FxUYVxtgA8Bwf- Read the NEWS link posted below and be informed before requesting the exemption!
August 28, 2024
Changes to handling and transit time settings for orders shipped to the US
Seller_M8DB4ikDs2U5w
So if I understand this correctly:
"Please note that if you are using manual handling times, you can self-update SKU level handling time through the Manage your inventory page."
Does that mean that if I don't enable AHT and I set my handling time at the SKU level, then I won't be forced into the AHT on September 25th? That my listings will stay what I currently have them set at on the SKU level?
Seller_gwzuNYC3ogYNo
Raise your hand if you are now shipping orders AS LATE AS POSSIBLE so that they won't stick you with 1 day turnaround on September 25th.
'i used to ship ASAP, so if I had the item already made, I would ship it out right away. Now I wait until the last day to ship. :(
Seller_yoBaUhzkFJuPI
@KJ_Amazon Wait, so I have to enable this garbage and then pray/hope that Amazon understands the request in a timely manner? 😒😂🤦♀️
- Exceptions can only be applied to SKUs with AHT enabled.
@Seller_2azHBWt7FzGTG I'd rather trust your guidance on this one lol... did you have to enable AHT first before submitting the exemption list?
Seller_Xm9ZXdbDd6NZw
The only answer to meet this new illogical loss of control over our own businesses, is to ship everything the last day or day before. So if you have a 4 day processing time, the ones that used to ship out in 1 day, ship on day 3. You could prep/make them sooner but ship them later. Day 3 still gives you a buffer if you can't make it to the post office or something but is only 1 day early and not 2 so won't get you automated handling time.
Yep, I had 2 orders yesterday I purposefully didn't ship because of this. Way to go amazon.
