Just an FYI About Buy Shipping
I’ve been selling on Amazon since 2015, have a Professional acct and have always used Buy Shipping. I’ve been told in the past that one of the advantages of purchasing shipping through Amazon is that we’re ‘protected’.
I just had a shipment stuck with ‘Out for Delivery’ for over a week. And yes it was shipped on time, early in fact, and should have been a one day delivery. So I called Seller Support to find out exactly what I’m covered for since I couldn’t find anything in Help.
After 30+ minutes and explaining my question at least 4 times, I was finally told that Amazon doesn’t offer ‘any protection’ except if the customer files a claim it won’t count against your defect rate and therefore won’t affect your metrics.
Just for reference, Pirate Ship, among others offers $100 at no additional cost for both UPS and USPS with additional insurance available to purchase if you want it.
23 replies
Seller_pBEwo8CxxHc63
Yes, this is correct
Amazon never stated that they included insurance at no additional cost with buy shipping.
Seller_Hi7wbO2Kbo6bl
The protection offered is limited and specific. If tracking shows it was shipped on time, and if it shows delivered, but buyer declares non-receipt – then the buyer opens a claim for non-receipt and Amazon funds the claim with no impact to seller metrics. That is the stated policy. Sometimes they renege and the seller has to appeal. But it usually works that way.
Seller_olet7eVOHxQZd
If it was USPS, file a claim. If it was UPS, then the claim is easier if you used your own UPS account.
But, I would just let the buy file an A2Z claim.
Seller_rGcQW1yb6ZWbC
What other protection do you want/need? You have received or will receive payment for the order you shipped. If the buyer does not receive his/her order, then he/she is protected through the AtoZ claim process. And you are protected from a claim by Amazon because you shipped on time and bought postage through that program.
Seller_YWb9VXvMxIMut
The customer requested a refund due to the order not being delivered. I offered a replacement as an option and they accepted. So yes, I will be paid for the original order, but the replacement is at my expense as well as the additional shipping.
Amazon will not allow me to file a claim, stating I have to work it out with the carrier. But since it’s Amazon’s USPS account, I can’t file a claim because I’m not the account holder.
If Amazon had coverage, I could file a claim through them and at least recover something.
Seller_YWb9VXvMxIMut
Amazon never recognizes replacements from us, customer requested or not because our products are liquid. Due to a change in policy, they were very clear in stating liquids could not be returned ‘if’ they may be considered hazardous which always seems to be the case for our products unless the ‘shipper’ is hazmat certified. Our products are not hazardous, but because of the policy change the customer would have to be certified even with a return label since it would be shipped from them unless they can prove otherwise .
Secondly, I am well aware of scammers, but this customer has ordered several times in the past without issue, so ‘no’ I did not contribute to the on going problem.
Like I stated originally, when I started 7 years ago and seller support was still in the U.S. and helpful. I was told I had coverage using Buy Shipping. Since I rarely have issues and have seen no policy change stating otherwise, I thought I was still covered.
When I purchased the same USPS shipping service from Pirate Ship for the replacement, I was told Priority Mail covers up to $100.00 and backed it up with info directly from from USPS website. Priority Mail Express® and Priority Mail® include up to $100 of insurance in the price of service. For more valuable shipments, additional coverage is usually available.
So for Amazon to say there is no coverage is a lie and to also not help with the claims process, instead wanting to go though A-Z? Ridiculous pure and simple.
Seller_ajHyeBL0zyQLt
If you used Amazon Buy shipping and the item was delivered, but, the customer says they did not get it, you are covered, have the customer submit an A-Z claim.
Otherwise if you did not get Amazon Buy shipping, or the order did not show delivered, then refund, it’s on you.
Write it off at tax time is all you can do.
Seller_YWb9VXvMxIMut
First of all I want to thank everyone for their input and trying to help. None of us has to post anything in the forums, so I appreciate all those that do. However every response has missed my original point. Maybe I wasn’t clear enough, so I’ll explain again in the hope it clears things up and possibly helps someone in the future.
To the person who stated I was incorrect about being able to file a claim because it wasn’t my acct, they were right, you can and I was wrong. My issue was never about A-Z claims or customer refunds, it was about the fact that Amazon seller support told me I had no coverage on a Priority Mail package that’s gone missing.
I’ve posted the info previously, but just to reiterate it clearly states on USPS.com that $100 worth of coverage is automatically added to any Priority Mail package as part of the service. Which is what I was told by seller support 7 years ago and was told again yesterday by a postal employee when I finally got them on the phone. So my original point that Amazon lied is and was still true.
After explaining the situation to the postal employee and verifying coverage, I asked them how Amazon could say there was no coverage when USPS themselves say there is? The employee said that part of Amazon’s agreement with USPS is that they will not process claims, preferring instead to handle everything with their own A-Z claims. They don’t want to go through the claims process and make it very difficult for anyone who does.
USPS dropped the ball and didn’t deliver a Priority Mail package. I have the right to file a claim to recover the cost of the product and shipping up to the $100 coverage provided. All I asked from seller support was guidance about the claims process, to which I was told “you have no coverage” which started this whole thing.
And to all the people who said I was wrong because I went around A-Z and shipped a replacement which is on me… Yes it is on me and I fully accept it, because at the end of the day the customer just wants their order. Asking them to go through the additional steps of filing a claim, getting a refund and then ordering again when they never got the original order is ridiculous. Sending a replacement keeps the customer happy and coming back. Because I’m FBM and not FBA Amazon leaves it up to me to decide how to deal with returns and refunds. Judging by my 4.5-5 star reviews and the fact business has doubled 5 out of the last 7 years, I’d argue customers are happy with replacements.
Seller_ujScHTwvcsrwf
It doesn’t have to show delivery to be protected if you bought shipping through Amazon.
If you’ve been selling here since 2015 I am jealous you didn’t know seller support was pretty much useless, especially when it comes to knowing anything about Amazon policy.
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/G200202220
Amazon often gets their own policy wrong and you have to appeal when that happens…here is advice on how to format your appeal:
Seller_mg5N0syb16ZqJ
I feel your pain. USPS has been absolutely horrid for me lately. It used to be I only had problems with international shipping. Now I’m even having domestic packages completely disappear, or will have a letter-sized package take 2 weeks to get delivered 100 miles away. And now the rates have been jacked up yet again. USPS, the only place I deal with that keeps increasing rates while service quality falls.
