Amazon Buy Shipping from Royal Mail - Faulty?
I have had several claims for non delivery for items sent last week of October.
They were all posted using Royal Mail 48 and I bought labels directly via Buy Shipping so tracking numbers were given and logged by Amazon.
However, on each of the non-delivered items, when I check tracking, Royal Mail say:
Sorry, we’re currently unable to confirm the status of your item with reference XXXXXXXXXXXXX . Please try again tomorrow
Such a message usually indicates a label purchased but later deleted and not used. You get a different message if the label entered the system but not yet scanned on delivery. Now I know I used the label and sent the item.
For my orders from other marketplaces where I use Click & Drop directly to buy labels I have not had a single non-delivered order for the last several months. It is only a spate of labels bought via Amazon during last week of October that seems to be a problem.
Coincidence? Or is the Buy Shipping integration with Amazon faulty?
Anyone else seeing similar?
26 replies
Seller_Wqg5EgqxuOwDD
Be careful that you are not checking them on the old track and trace link for RM - if you use the old link it tells you your tracking number isn’t valid. Try them on this one instead:
https://www.royalmail.com/track-your-item
Seller_tRuvBEHDedp4q
Hmmmm.
I have just tried tracking items sent yesterday from both Amazon and eBay but not yet delivered
The ebay item gives me the message:
An update will only be provided when we attempt to deliver your item
Which is what I expect to see for a parcel in system but not delivered
But the Amazon parcel gives me:
Sorry, we’re currently unable to confirm the status of your item with reference XXXXXXXXXXXXX . Please try again tomorrow
There seems to be a difference in message when label is bought via Buy Shipping from those bought directly via C&D for some reason.
Seller_e4EZCW4INM1qb
Same problem here. Lots of packages not arriving and all around the end of October.
Sorry, we’re currently unable to confirm the status of your item with reference XXXXXXXXXXXXX . Please try again tomorrow.
I spoke to Royal Mail and the only response i got was “Upgrade your parcels to signed for”
Seller_JFmof2OKqCiGe
I believe in a few areas that the Royal Mail have had some delays and have heard some others saying they didn’t have any post for a week, all around the last week of October. If anyone uses Linnworks, there is a users group on fb where this was discussed
Seller_KL2DNJGuNpMzr
Due to resourcing issues, associated self-isolation and safety measures, deliveries in some areas may be disrupted this week. We aim to deliver at least every other day in these areas, though this may not always be possible in offices temporarily affected by very high levels of absence. These offices are exceptions, and are listed below when appropriate.
- No offices currently listed as exceptions.
We’re sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. We’re working hard to deliver as comprehensive a service as possible with the resource available. And we’re ensuring we prioritise the delivery of Covid-19 vaccination letters and test kits.
Our Customer Service Point hours are changing. If you need to collect an item for which we’ve left a ‘Something for you’ card, please check royalmail.com/services-near-you for details of our revised Customer Service Point opening hours. If we’ve not left a ‘Something for you card’, and you do not have alternative arrangements in place, we’re sorry that your mail will not be available for collection.
Seller_tRuvBEHDedp4q
Yes I am beginning to suspect its some programming logic they have had to do and my missing items from end of Oct are just a coincidence that has highlighted the issue.
For labels bought via Buy Shipping, Amazon knows they are valid but I suspect the manifest scan does not update RM properly so we always get the “Sorry, we are unable…” message.
For labels bought via C&D Amazon says it will verify numbers in the event of no scan on delivery. So they send the number to RM and get the “An update will be provided…” message and therefore know the number is valid and been manifested.
This is probably the central issue when they started VTR and we had several weeks of metrics being low until they eventually slightly amended the policy to say unscanned items would be verified.
Just my theory - but it fits the facts.
