You will no longer be able to disable automated handling time
Just received yet another auto-enrollment notification for AHT and this time it says I won't be able to opt out anymore:
"Your account has a gap of two days or more between your set handling time and your actual handling time. You can choose to close this gap by manually setting an accurate handling time on your account and SKUs or by enabling automated handling time.
On September 25, 2024, your handling time gap will be measured, and if it remains above two days as per our policy for on-time delivery, you will be auto-enrolled into having automated handling time enabled and will no longer be able to disable automated handling time."
I'm a print-on-demand seller and have to pad my handling times to account for potential supply/production disruptions. This is necessary because Amazon's extremely hostile & destructive policies make late shipments an intolerable risk. If Amazon didn't make late shipments a death sentence, I would be willing to offer faster handling times, but that is not the case.
Since this additional handling time is vital for protecting my business, Amazon is forcing me to take the following desperate measures which will reduce my sales & worsen the customer experience:
- I will have to hold my Amazon orders for 3 or 4 days before shipping in order to retain my handling times (which Amazon has no right to dictate).
- To keep the above measure from putting me at risk of Amazon's hostile new OTDR policy, I will be forced to downgrade my shipping method from "Standard" to "Economy".
I do not WANT to do either of these things, but it's the only way I see left to keep Amazon from cutting my throat.
You will no longer be able to disable automated handling time
Just received yet another auto-enrollment notification for AHT and this time it says I won't be able to opt out anymore:
"Your account has a gap of two days or more between your set handling time and your actual handling time. You can choose to close this gap by manually setting an accurate handling time on your account and SKUs or by enabling automated handling time.
On September 25, 2024, your handling time gap will be measured, and if it remains above two days as per our policy for on-time delivery, you will be auto-enrolled into having automated handling time enabled and will no longer be able to disable automated handling time."
I'm a print-on-demand seller and have to pad my handling times to account for potential supply/production disruptions. This is necessary because Amazon's extremely hostile & destructive policies make late shipments an intolerable risk. If Amazon didn't make late shipments a death sentence, I would be willing to offer faster handling times, but that is not the case.
Since this additional handling time is vital for protecting my business, Amazon is forcing me to take the following desperate measures which will reduce my sales & worsen the customer experience:
- I will have to hold my Amazon orders for 3 or 4 days before shipping in order to retain my handling times (which Amazon has no right to dictate).
- To keep the above measure from putting me at risk of Amazon's hostile new OTDR policy, I will be forced to downgrade my shipping method from "Standard" to "Economy".
I do not WANT to do either of these things, but it's the only way I see left to keep Amazon from cutting my throat.
54 replies
Seller_Hi7wbO2Kbo6bl
If you disregard everything else, it seems that the key is to keep that gap under two days.
Seller_jXFdYBgWYVWp3
I just got this email too and am in a similar situation. Feels like it's hard to really win here. They want to set handling time for us, they insist we ship by the date they set, even when we're saying up front that we can't consistently hit that turn around time, and then they're saying we may lose the ability to sell via MFN if we don't hit the handling time they set. Seems like this makes it hard to do print-on-demand or anything with slightly slower or less consistent turn around times via MFN. Pretty frustrating.
Seller_nRFmxiQg4EGrw
So do what I do; start holding a significant number of your orders until the last day to ship. So far, my number is staying under 2. Of course, this means that customers are getting poorer service, but Amazon is forcing it on me, as there are plenty of times where I cannot ship out same day or even next day on an order that comes in late.
Seller_NxQTyL4zOqAYv
To play devils advocate, and believe me I'm upset about this too as I pad delivery times to protect my account from the Postal services short comings, but if you are ready to ship the product before the last day and your holding it back till the last day, I don't understand why you would do that? Even you admit you are giving poorer service by doing so. If you were padding the delivery times how is waiting till the last day helping?
In my case the products are being custom made to buyers spec's. We have handling at 6 days but if it is an easier order sometimes its done in 2-3 days. Their one size fits all approach is going to make me remove about 60 listings from my catalog
Seller_M94fHI9Bg7LMX
Because handling time (the time between receiving the order and handing it off to a delivery company) is different than delivery time (which is handling time + whatever delivery padding you have). Just because you pad your delivery time doesn't change the amount of time you have between the receipt of an order and when you drop it off for delivery. And if they see that you normally drop off same day or next day that will be your new default. So by holding packages, you are training Amazon that your default handling time should actually be the longer time.
I am also now forced to play this game as well and find it really annoying. Normally I can ship the same day or next day after an order receipt, but for that 5% of orders where that isn't possible, I have to slow delivery of ALL orders to the carrier in order to preserve that longer up front handling time.
Seller_dVMKJ8a3J9Tx5
I am a handmade seller and most of the time I can get them out the next day but not always. I need that buffer just in case I have an emergency or actually have a sick day because I am human unlike what Amazon thinks. This needs to be such an outrage they change the policy. I have never seen a company treat the people that make them money with such disrespect and inhumane ways.
Seller_aWrza8YvWVgM1
I wonder how Amazon will fair without 3rd party sellers selling FBM as it seems they plan to completely phase it out.
Seller_uNOzQqa8ZfEVy
My handling time is .4 days, so I'm ok with orders placed today having to confirm delivery by end of business day tomorrow. I don't want to have orders come through that require same day processing though and I haven't been able to find any documentation stating how it actually works.
Seller_IUhBk4EzVGwV0
may I ask what is your current handling time that you set up?
Seller_nRFmxiQg4EGrw
I do this so that my metrics do not get to the point that Amazon FORCES me to do this 100% of the time.
Most days, I'm able to ship out within a few hours of an order coming in; although depending on the mail carrier we have that day, the mail may be picked up at 11:00am or at 7:00 pm, so it can be unpredictable as to when it actually ships.
But there are other days (such as today) where I'm up early and away from the office, either for a day off, or more often, acquiring more inventory (today was stellar in that regard). With one day handling, there could have been an order come in last night that I would be required to ship out today, even though I was on the road early and got back late; it would have been nearly impossible for me to ship it on time with 1 day handling, unless I got up 5 hours early instead of 4.
So I delay some of the shipments so that I can keep the two day handling that I feel is best for MY business, despite what Amazon feels is best for them.
I'll also point out that all of the numbers Amazon uses to compute whether or not to "reward" you with shorter times are based on AVERAGE times; but the penalties are based on the outliers. And even if you remain completely consistent, hitting 90% shipped in one day will be enough to make them require one day; but hitting the exact same number the next month will get your account dinged for not meeting the promises; promises you never wanted to make in the first place.
Yes, the "One size fits all" approach is the problem. Among those hardest hit are sellers such as yourself doing custom work, and sellers like me who sell items like used books that require being out of the office in order to source; I'm sure there are others who have serious problems with these policies.
