Automatic closure policy for FBA shipments will be updated on February 1
January 16, 2024 - This article has been updated for the following reasons: Article content has been changed or edited for clarity
Effective on February 1, 2024, Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) shipments in the Send to Amazon workflow will be automatically closed if they do not arrive within the time specified in the policy.
- Domestic shipments from US addresses that haven’t arrived within 45 days after the shipment creation date
- International shipments that originate from outside the US that haven’t arrived within 75 days after the shipment creation date
Shipments in a multiple-destination shipping plan must arrive within 30 days after the first shipment in that plan has arrived.
Shipments are considered arrived once the shipment status changes to in-transit, checked-in, delivered, or receiving. Shipments with the statuses of working, ready to ship, and shipped are subject to the automatic closure policy.
We’re making this change to increase the reliability of shipment arrivals. We’ll exempt shipments that are delayed due to unforeseen circumstances, such as weather or port congestion, to avoid unnecessary automatic closures of shipments.
We recommend that you send each shipment to Amazon as soon as possible after shipment creation so that we can receive your shipments more efficiently.
To learn more about FBA shipment policies, go to Deleted, misrouted, and incomplete shipments.
Seller_JodrE4UL0vAPs
Here's a scenario, Amazon Global Logistics shipment created on August 22nd, Didn’t arrive into FBA until December 25th because Relay Operations Control deleted the PO by mistake, and therefore lost the shipment. When you say arrive, do you mean into FBA warehouse, what is the recourse for AGL mismanagemed shipments, will AGL and Amazon still honour this shipment and receive it accordingly?
What happens if this occours after February 1, 2024
Seller_RsxUZ4KjM1Cws
So we sent in a shipment Nov 28 via UPS, and it still has not been "delivered". It is likely sitting in a trailer on or near the Amazon warehouse property. We are nearing the 45-day limit. So what happens when 45 days has past? Would this shipment get cancelled?
This is another BS policy from Amazon that they do not put any thought into.
Seller_xBG0KXLt7Knwd
Does this remove the delivery window option?
Seller_eGsjMmuN9igqM
What if about 20% of all packages are delayed over 30 days? So Amazon can make money of these 20%.
Seller_UUCk7T4mlQ7rN
"haven’t arrived 45 days after the shipment creation date"
Define arrived. Like physically arrived meaning the seller and the transport carrier did their job as we always do?
Or arrived as in checked in, which is often late by Amazon, as always?
The former would be fine. The latter is enforcing a performance metric on us, where the metric is applied to us, but the performance was actually Amazon.
Seller_nidLZh9YRAbIX
What point exactly is considered shipment creation? If I delay the final step of the shipment (adding the tracking information), does that delay the shipment creation or does shipment creation start at some other point??
I ship from overseas and mostly use surface as air is around triple the price or more. While it generally takes a little over two months for shipments to arrive at Amazon, in certain periods, for reasons totally out of my control, it can take a few months or so.
This policy baffles me. It is my problem not Amazon if my goods take longer to arrive. If I have to use air for everything, I will have to raise prices and stop selling bigger and heavier products. How does that benefit Amazon and Amazon shoppers??
Regardless, someone please answer my question about at what point exactly does shipment creation start??
Seller_Bdhm9OEPugAeY
Is this update for all Marketplaces ?
Seller_UKfAz1VIAECNG
Seller_j8sob9eidaoN6
Is this applicable for shipments created before February 1st?
Seller_rTBWL2OeoixkP
Yet another policy that allows Amazon to steal from sellers. Terrific. Not sure how Amazon can get away with so much crime consistently
If we send a shipment with an Amazon partnered carrier, and Amazon takes 2 months to send someone to walk over and scan the packages in the shipment, that is not the fault of the seller.
We already have a hard enough time with the bogus "counted and confirmed" missing from inbound situations. Where we have to fight tooth and nail to get reimbursed and aren't even successful a lot of the time. Now this?
Too much inventory, fees.
Now it'll be also too little inventory, fees. With the new 2024 fees.
Lost inventory? Too bad, we don't like your proof of ownership. AND we're going to ding your account and accuse you of not being able to count even though we're the ones that can't seem to be able to count correctly
Shipment wasn't scanned by us within 45 days? Too bad. Say bye bye to your stuff. Closed as zero received.
Listen if you guys no longer want third party sellers, just come out and say so. Instead of causing us so much financial loss and placing so many hurdles in our way on a daily basis
