Sold an item FBM to a customer in Florida. The customer ordered Expedited (2-day) delivery. The item was supposed to arrive on or before October 9th. The package is still stuck in Florida, delivery date pending.
If the customer asks or complains, would you refund their expedited shipping fee ($7.99)?
You are not obligated to, but I would. It’s the right thing to do.
Is this order
Shipping Service: Expedited
Or,
Is this order
Shipping Service: SecondDay
Expedited - 1-2 days.
I would only refund if the carrier provides a refund for the label cost. And we could be able to absorb possible feedback negative hit.
We have AHT and SSA enabled and purchase FBM labels via Amazon Buy Shipping.
We have been experiencing Claims Protected and OTDR Protected for Expedited orders shipped 2-Day via Amazon Buy Shipping. Normally shipped FedEx 2Day. Occasionally UPS or Priority.
We have not been experiencing OTDR protected for SecondDay orders. This is why I asked the Shipping Service.
If the order was a SecondDay order, then I would refund the shipping costs.
Since the order is Expedited, then I would reimburse the buyer for the label if the carrier would reimburse us for the label.
If this was a FedEx 2DAY label, then I would reimburse the buyer since FedEx would reimburse us for the label.
If this was a Priority Mail or Ground label, I would not reimburse and take the possible negative feedback since the OTDR and Claims are protected, and our company has not been filing reimbursement requests for late Ground or Priority labels.
We would check the shipping services website for disclaimer about hurricane impacted areas and the ability to deliver packages. Provide the customer with this info, apologize for the shipper’s delay and offer a refund of the shipping fee as a courtesy. Empathy goes a long way in avoiding the customer taking other actions.
OTDR protection is only for Standard Shipping.
Most shippers probably have delivery exceptions for late deliveries in place due to the hurricanes in the areas effected. Lost package claims will be slow because of the backlog of deliveries into those areas. When the label was purchased with delivery expectations, might determine whether or not a shipper will honor a reimbursement.
This is how the policy is currently stated.
I fear we will lose the protection on Expedited eventually.
I wonder how many others are experiencing OTDR protection on Expedited orders (not SecondDay or faster) ?
I’ve wondered about that ever since you wrote that post, and just ran across an intersting NSFE post from KJ:
Another interesting tidbit from KJ, passing on information purportedly provided by the Buy Shipping Team:
I dont like this, “can qualify” but no qualifications are specified?
I mean buy shipping should only show you shipping methods that will be delivered on time and therefore “qualify”
If an order is given a 1 day handle time when it should have been a 2 day handle time (known AHT issue), then if you ship on day 2 you will have a “Late Delivery Risk” on the GA quote and therefore won’t qualify for protection.
Well custom sellers that have AHT on are probably to blame for this as we want to have access to GA even if it shows as a “Late Delivery Risk” as our products don’t normally support the cost of USPS PM or UPS or FedEx. We have shipped with GA and “Late Delivery Risk” a few times now and have had only one order delivered late.
With AHT turned on, Expedited is suppose to have OTDR protection now (it changed).
Also Amazon announced this back on June 30, 2025 for SFP and premium shipping …
A lot of this has been changes after Amazon pushed for SSA and AHT to be turned on to obtain OTDR protection back in September 2024.
Even when Buy Shipping defaults to show only “qualified” methods, you can sometimes select other services. I have on a couple of cases done this to select BPM when Priority was the cheapest that popped up; it comes with a warning that it’s not covered for OTDR, but let me buy it.
Of course, being Amazon, sometimes that option is not available (despite the fact that Amazon complains that my packages arrive 6 days before promised…)
ETA: I do not have any sort of AHT enabled; so may see very different choices from someone who does.