We send 100s of small items a week via 2nd class large letter via our click and drop account due to getting business rates. But as click and drop do not sent this across as 2nd class and just standard it’s killing our VTR.

Is the only way to buy the postage through Amazon and lose out on our business rate? These are all low value items so the pence does count on this wether we end up making a profit or loss on these items

Do I now have to send all overseas postings TRACKED as my VTR has plummeted overnight

We really need an update on this. My VTR rate is now unfairly at 11.11% and I've not yet received a proper response from seller support. Just a couple of generic "we are still looking into this" type of updates. This will hit sellers who abide by Amazon policy and send to Ireland without tracking.

Not sure if this is relevant but we've had two shipments this morning classed as having defects, however these were both going to Republic Of Ireland and should have been exempt (number 4 on the actual VTR page!). If I've got the wrong end of the stick than anyone is free to put me straight, but I'm sure we've done everything correctly, shipped on time, etc.

Both were marked manually as shipped because Amazon don't give us the option for standard Royal Mail international postage (it offers DHL only) hence we use Click & Drop to generate the postage and customs labels. Never had a problem with this before so have contacted the MD after getting nowhere several times with so-called seller support, one of which rudely ended the chat when I asked if he knew Amazon's own policies and referred him to the help page.

I can only guess that the lack of 'valid tracking' flagged them on this occasion; every other standard order from our AmazonUK channel going to somewhere else in the UK is purchased via Buy Shipping - sometimes we use C&D for Tracked but add the correct details to the order and ship manually that way.

Curiously orders in the last few months to the Channel Islands were not flagged despite Amazon wrongly classing them as UK destinations! (side note: we have to use Click & Drop for those because Buy Shipping doesn't generate the required customs labels).

You don't have to send Royal Mail Tracked 48.

You can send Royal Mail 48 if you wish - which provides a delivery scan only. If that scan doesn't occur - then VTR will reduce - however amazon state that they validate unscanned parcels - which for Royal Mail at least, they do definitely confirm. You will still get warning emails, but you won't get your listings blocked.

The only exception is small letter post - this has to be purchased through Amazon Buy Shipping.

hi my VTR is 18% I was using Royal Mail 1st class standard service. how can I improve my VTR or its too late my account will be deactivate ? I am a new seller FBM

Yes, definitely start to use 'Buy Shipping' and all your shipments, whatever size will be validated for VTR.

The problem is, there are many sellers having issues with VTR at the moment, even though thye are doing everything right.

So a lot of it depends on how you are marking as despatched, what method you are using, do you use Buy Shipping, or Click and Drop - all sorts of variables.

Easiest thing might be to share a screen shot of your VTR Defects report.

If you want to use Royal Mail 2nd class 85p you will have buy via Amazon Buy Shipping as any other method is NOT valid for VTR that is you buy it a Post Office then it be killer for your VTR rate Please also note that buying a book of stamps is also not acceptable to Amazon for VTR either,

Also you leave your self open to lots of Fraud with non delivery claims

@Seller_d8YGbIjNqwFxn @Seller_ZVAz3d5lZuGid

@Seller_gAhPNiLrkfTcr

We have just had a quite distressing phone call from Account Health Specialist regarding the VTR Rate (calling from India!).

He insisted that the ROI orders are no longer exempt from the VTR rate because we are not shipping the orders from outside the UK because of clause 3.E:

3. We will not calculate your Valid Tracking Rate for the following shipments (“VTR-exempt shipments”):

e. Your shipments that are ordered on Amazon.co.uk, but dispatched from outside the UK, unless dispatched from China directly to customers (see point 2 b); and

Where as I tried to explain that the valid tracking rate is only for the UK domestic orders as in clause 2.A.

2. maintain 95% Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) for the following Fulfilled by Merchant shipments:

a. Your domestic shipments (that is, shipments from an address in the UK to a delivery address in the UK),

ROI orders are not UK domestic addresses.

So which is correct? It is very ambiguous to say the least.