Hello,
We are currently debating listing some items on Amazon that would need to be shipped via freight method. I really have no idea how Amazon handles these or if there any specific policies regarding freight-shipped items. Also, I am sure that we would be walking into a field of landmines when considering returns.
That being said does anybody have experience with this or able to point me in the right direction? Currently, my freight related searches are all relating to fba shipments.
The SHC’s LTL page for that is the recently-retitled Freight-shipping templates for less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments (link, Seller Help Content).
I wouldn’t even consider it.
Returns are going to happen, unless your margins are insane I don’t see how you could make money.
Not only that, the problems that you’d encounter would be endless, e.g. customer isn’t home and carrier has to reschedule requiring you to pay more; customer doesn’t note damage upon receipt and you’re stuck with a return and no way to claim damage; customer expects the driver to move the item into their home and is angry when that doesn’t happen.
Amazon is not the place for high value items or anything that requires freight shipping.
We use the freight template because our items are heavy/bulk-after smoothing out the wrinkles, it runs pretty smoothly. We require a call ahead to schedule (sometimes happens, sometimes it doesn’t). If there is damage, we use the warranty for replacement. The buyer can dispose or donate (which they can use as a tax break) the item (building these costs into your items).
Amazon has a heavy/bulk template that you can request an invitation to use. There is a list of carriers that are integrated and those that are exempt. It has worked out for us.
Our products are small enough that we don’t have to ship LTL for e-comm orders.
That being said, the significant majority of our sales are LTL or TL quantities to local and national B&M retailers. Even dealing with these guys, we run into issues all the time: customer needed a lift gate delivery and didn’t tell us, customer isn’t ready to receive the freight - delays/storage costs from the carrier, customer is unaware how much freight costs and wants to cancel their order after it’s already picked + ready to go.
Returns are a royal pain as well - and with the way Amazon’s customers operate, I would not be excited to deal with LTL returns at all. Good luck!
The manufacture warranty covers shipping damage for an item shipped by you? Or are you drop shipping directly from the manufacturer?
We are an authorized dealer for a manufacturer that we use to drop ship.
Gotcha, makes sense. Sounded like you were doing the shipping and they were still covering the damage.
So unless OP has the same type of program set up they’d still be liable for any damages as any warranty wouldn’t extend to damage caused by a seller shipping the item.
Correct, it all depends on the model they choose and how it will work for them.
Thanks @Dogtamer for that link, very useful.
As a followup to those who said they do this. As far as returns it appears the return policy’s are exactly the same as for non LTL orders. However, my question is in the case of buyer-remorse returns they are paying/arranging for the return shipment?
We have the option to re-consign it to our location (it depends on the cost). Otherwise, the buyer is responsible for returning/paying for it.