🚚 [CLOSED] OTDR Policy Q&A: Join Our Ask Amazon Event (17-24 Sept)
Hi UK Sellers,
Join our Ask Amazon event to discuss and ask questions about the new OTDR policy that was announced via this News article on September 2nd 2025.
❔ What is OTDR?
On Time Delivery Rate (OTDR): The percentage of tracked seller-fulfilled units delivered to customers by the promised delivery date. Starting September 16, 2025, sellers will need to maintain a minimum 90% OTDR when fulfilling Fulfilled by Merchant orders on Amazon.co.uk.
📅 Key Dates to Remember:
- September 16, 2025: OTDR metric goes live on Account Health dashboard
- October 16, 2025: Informative warnings begin
- February 2, 2026: Policy enforcement starts
🔍 Want to learn more? Check out these resources:
- On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR) Programme Policy
- Shipping Settings Automation
- Use Buy Shipping services
- What is the estimated delivery date (EDD)?
📝 How to Participate to this Ask Amazon event:
- Post your questions and feedback in this thread starting now
- Our Partner Team will aim to respond to all questions by Sept 24th (complex queries may require additional time)
Note: This event is for general questions about the policy. For individual account concerns, please contact Seller Support directly.
💡 Your input matters! The questions and feedback shared here will help improve our seller resources and documentation.
Ange
🚚 [CLOSED] OTDR Policy Q&A: Join Our Ask Amazon Event (17-24 Sept)
Hi UK Sellers,
Join our Ask Amazon event to discuss and ask questions about the new OTDR policy that was announced via this News article on September 2nd 2025.
❔ What is OTDR?
On Time Delivery Rate (OTDR): The percentage of tracked seller-fulfilled units delivered to customers by the promised delivery date. Starting September 16, 2025, sellers will need to maintain a minimum 90% OTDR when fulfilling Fulfilled by Merchant orders on Amazon.co.uk.
📅 Key Dates to Remember:
- September 16, 2025: OTDR metric goes live on Account Health dashboard
- October 16, 2025: Informative warnings begin
- February 2, 2026: Policy enforcement starts
🔍 Want to learn more? Check out these resources:
- On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR) Programme Policy
- Shipping Settings Automation
- Use Buy Shipping services
- What is the estimated delivery date (EDD)?
📝 How to Participate to this Ask Amazon event:
- Post your questions and feedback in this thread starting now
- Our Partner Team will aim to respond to all questions by Sept 24th (complex queries may require additional time)
Note: This event is for general questions about the policy. For individual account concerns, please contact Seller Support directly.
💡 Your input matters! The questions and feedback shared here will help improve our seller resources and documentation.
Ange
86 replies
Seller_7VQiMhCLfHHus
Hello,
How will part-tracked (no delivery scan) services from Whistl or TheDeliveryGroup (who mostly use Royal Mail for UK based final mile) be treated.
These are used by many media (book/dvd/cd) sellers to provide services on low value items (such as large letter sized books for around £3 delivered).
These generally do not have a delivery scan, but have pickup and other scans prior to handover to royal mail.
The question applies to both the domestic and international services provided by these companies as they offer similar services into Europe and elsewhere.
Will they be exempted from consideration in the metric, or will we have to switch to more expensive tracked services and put up our prices accordingly?
If we will have to switch to tracked services from these part tracked services, which are about 50p more expensive, has amazon factored in that prices for these items on their marketplace will be significantly higher than elsewhere (given low value items of £2.79 might have to go up to £3.29 this would be an 18% price rise) and the potential impact this might have on their customer satisfaction.
Seller_ZQyopdiwkUHOZ
For letter post purchased through Buy Shipping, is the inability for them to receive a carrier scan that Amazon can verify going to cause all shipments to be recorded as defects?
Seller_tQCfsb3zoC4AP
this will be the final nail in my Amazon coffin (as if it is not already nailed shut]
I am in Northern Ireland and thanks to Brexit rules all goods shipped from here to England Scotland or Wales has to go through customs so all deliveries to the Uk are very random depending on how quick or slow they get customs clearance in the one post bag I could have goods delivered the next day while others in the same bag could take 16/18 days to arrive.
So my ODR is going to be unworkable under your new system.
The only way it could be achieved would be a massive price increase to send goods special delivery which would lead to massive complaints from customers saying bought a £2.49 product but was charged £8.50 for delivery.
Or use courier services for heavier items that will be double the costs of my other sales channels leading to Amazon saying on the catalogue pages Cheaper elsewhere and give me a pricing violation.
Just for once would love to see just one change that would be a benefit for sellers.
Instead of the constant hostility towards 3rd party sellers
Seller_HetZ8jdM3gAgI
What tools will be made available for sellers to appeal ODTR penalties in the event that the reason for late delivery is beyond their control? IE; customer not available for delivery attempt and package not left by the carrier, serious weather delays carrier vehicles on the way to their national hubs causing a delay or an extreme weather event such as snow, hurricane or flooding that delays packages?
Noor_Amazon_
Hello @Seller_HetZ8jdM3gAgI
To reinstate deactivated listings or selling privileges, you must submit a comprehensive Plan of Action that: Identifies root causes of delivery performance issues Details specific steps being implemented to improve performance Provides a timeline for improvements Demonstrates understanding of OTDR requirements Start by clicking on "Submit appeal" on the banner at the top of your "Account health" page and follow the instructions provided. The appeal will be reviewed within 72 hours and, if accepted, your account will be reinstated and continue to be under observation over the next 30 days to evaluate if you meet the OTDR requirements. If your OTDR is still below 90%, you may get another policy violation notification.
Sellers can alternatively choose to use a combination of Automated Handling Time (or 0–1-day Default handling time), Shipping Settings Automation, and Buy Shipping for at least 180 days to regain selling privileges.
For more information regarding the OTDR policy and how to protect your account, go to "On-time delivery" To learn more about the policy, go to "Changes to program policies" .
Noor
Seller_HetZ8jdM3gAgI
Can Amazon give us an idea of what an acceptable plan of action is for localised flooding 200 miles from the seller that prevents a delivery from taking place on time? For example.
Or what an acceptable plan of action would be if for example the M1 gets shut due to a major incident and Royal Mail's lorry going to the national hub is stuck in traffic and parcels delayed by a day.
Why should sellers be punished and have to take time to do admin for events beyond reasonable control? I understand if we select a slower service or we cause a delay which would impact the ODTR, but events happen beyond the sellers control. If there is heavy snow this winter that delays parcels in a region of the country how can a seller take action when all the couriers stop deliveries in an area. (This has happened in recent years)
@Ange_Amazon@Sakura_Amazon_
Seller_W0UadCH7lVBVG
I give up, I really do.
Why do I bother with Amazon, the Forums, Seller Support and the Mods?
Just another copy/Paste reply from Amazon.
You want a 'comprehensive Plan of Action' which would be what? Saying that we will message all customers to ensure that they must NOT under any circumstance leave the house during the delivery days , they must NOT re-arrange delivery of the parcel for a more convenient day, we will write to Royal Mail and threaten them with legal action if their staff don't scan an item on delivery?
I pay £6k a month in Amzon fees for this!
In all my 20hrs on Amazon I've never been so bitter about them, their greed, constant beating up Sellers. Threats to livelihoods.
I recently spoke to a Seller support operative, and during the conversion she asked if I check my Account health regularly, I sarcastically said 'oh of course, its the first thing and last thing i do 7 days a week, more important to me than kissing my kids goodnight & feeding them in the morning'. She said "Thats very good sir, its what we like to hear". That kinda sums up the way Amazon prefers to treat Sellers (& their families).
Enough is enough Amazon.
Seller_ZJhFeE3tNKzfh
Would Self Delivered shipments, similar to VTR be exempt here (in theory?)
Ange_Amazon
Hi @Seller_HetZ8jdM3gAgI,
My apologies for this very delayed answer. The MFN team shared that:
"Natural disasters and severe weather events like flooding that affect carrier operations are covered under our exemption criteria. In these cases, you don't need to submit a Plan of Action - the affected deliveries should automatically be exempted from your OTDR calculation. If you notice orders affected by flooding are impacting your OTDR, please contact Seller Support"
I hope this helps.
Ange
Ange_Amazon
Hi @Seller_W0UadCH7lVBVG,
Thanks for sharing your feedback, I can confirm that it has been shared to the MFN team.
As per the help page information:
Reactivation request:
To reinstate deactivated listings or selling privileges, sellers must submit a comprehensive plan of action that:
- Identifies root causes of delivery performance issues
- Details specific steps being implemented to improve performance
- Provides a timeline for improvements
- Demonstrates understanding of OTDR requirements
Amazon will review the request within 72 hours. Sellers can alternatively choose to use a combination of Automated Handling Time (or 0–1-day handling time), Shipping Settings Automation, and Buy Shipping for at least 180 days to regain selling privileges.
Again, I want to reinforce that the first delivery attempt will be the one counting towards OTDR. This means that it does not matter whether the first delivery attempt is successful because the buyer is not present at home.
Also, items that are not scanned on delivery will not count in the OTDR calculation either.
I hope this helps.
Ange
Ange_Amazon
Hi @Seller_ZJhFeE3tNKzfh,
Units exempt from OTDR calculations include orders fulfilled using all three automated tools (SSA, AHT or 0-1 day handling time, and Buy Shipping) together and shipments from sellers with fewer than 20 units in the 14-day measurement period. However, orders without valid delivery scans, including self-delivered units will not be part of the OTDR calculations.
Ange
Seller_ZVAz3d5lZuGid
This new OTDR policy is really totally out of the seller's control - none of us can possibly give an accurate delivery date promise, for the reasons given in many of the posts, such as severe weather disruption, floods, accidents on the motorway/roads network etc. etc. Where I live, the roads can be closed for 12/24 hrs in the event of a serious accident which would obviously delay any deliveries, and being in the highlands of Scotland, the weather can have a huge impact - which again it totally outwith seller's control.
Seller_YggczqLpELtNd
Hello everyone,
Recently my OTDR rate has dropped to 7.48%, but the main reason for this is delays caused by the shipping carrier, not by me as a seller. Unfortunately, the system doesn’t differentiate between seller responsibility and courier responsibility, which makes the situation very unfair for sellers who are trying their best to provide excellent service.
I always dispatch my orders on time, but if the carrier delivers late, the penalty still reflects on my account. This not only damages my metrics but also doesn’t reflect the reality of my performance.
I believe Amazon should review this policy and provide better protection for sellers when delays are caused by third-party couriers. Sellers should not be penalized for something completely out of their control.
Has anyone else faced the same issue? How do you manage OTDR when carrier delays happen?
Thanks in advance for your insights.
Seller_6A9BM76EEV5EG
Could you not just get the OTDR rates from the couriers directly then all that leaves is the seller to make sure they are shipped on time. Save a lot of hassle (unless I am missing something)
Seller_EpXPhVLnbs8X3
This is a very very bad idea. We sellers are totally not in control of what our delivery companies do or don't do, especially at Christmas time when there are ALWAYS delays, this puts our businesses at risk at the one time of the year we rely on for the majority of our income. Especially micro handmade businesses like mine. We should only be judged on dispatching our orders within the timeframe given.
Seller_FQHkqHJI5SqTh
I would have thought that all sellers will at some point have their orders delayed by very local and specific problems.
I live in Dover a few times each year there will be major disruption at the port. This causes major traffic problems on the major routes and gridlocks the town. ALL carriers will be delayed collecting even if they can get into or out of town.
As these are events I cannot predict or cater for I would be intrigued by your suggestions as to how I should word my action plan: should I say I will enter into negotiations with French Border Force so they don't go on strike; learn how to fix Eurostar trains that breakdown in the tunnel; develop superpowers to stop gales in the Channel?
Although this doesn't affect me. Yodel's East Kent hub is just outside town. They struggle to get vehicles in and out of the depot when the A2 blocks up.
