How to avoid inbound FBA shipments from being split into multiple warehouse shipments
Hello,
We are still struggling with our inbound pallets shipments being split into multiple warehouse shipments for FBA. We typically pack in full pallet quantities, so the splitting is innefficient and costly. Is there a way to avoid the inbound splitting?
From our understanding, even you if opt out of the Multiple Destination Program, your inbound shipments can still be split. And even if you use FBA Inventory Placement Service, that only guarantees that all items of one SKU aren't split. But a multi-sku pallet shipment can still be split. Can an experienced seller or moderator confirm this for us?
The bigger question is: As a full pallet shipper, is there a way to permanently go to a 1 warehouse shipment destination model?
Thanks,
WT
11 replies
Seller_kIukTwdhvntAp
The simple answer as verified by multiple MODS in the many questions about this is NO.
One of the 'joys' of doing FBA is that THEY decide what they want/need in whatever location and they have you ship it there.
That is so that THEIR customers can get things faster and make THEM look good.
If you ship multiple boxes they can/will make you split shipments. There was one recent thread where the seller had to ship to three locations. They were using the ‘placement service’ and said ‘This dramatically increase cost. For me it cost of sending same shipment went from $300 to $1500. ‘
My solution has been (and until I am in a nursing home and can't ship things any longer) to sell FBM. I don't trust Warehouse Wally and their automated forklifts to not run over my stuff.
I pack and ship things better than they do anyway. My last several shipments came in plastic bags. One was the package of socks as sold in stores with just the shipping label stuck on it. At least the mail man didn't laugh at my choices. I'm considering buying some thongs just to get a chuckle out of him.
Unless you simply HAVE to do FBA you will continue having these issues and they will most likely get worse as they 'fine tune' where your items need to go.
Seller_kRhjniYjYnXo7
My shipment was never split as long as I was sending at least 18 units of a particular item. Since monday Amazon has started splitting ALL my products/shipments even if I'm trying to send 30, 60, 100. They are being split between 3 warehouses. All 3 of them are within 30-45 minutes away from each other so I know it has NOTHING to do with where that product is needed the most. I think Amazon is playing with their system but I refuse to send shipments if they're going to split 3 ways as it increases my shipping cost so much and it's super time consuming. It's eating into my profit. Maybe they're doing it because they're super busy because of Prime Day and Chritmas coming up. But not once Amazon split my inventory if I was sending 18 units of a single SKU. Everything went to the same warehouse. This is MADNESS!
