On September 14, 2023, all of our outbound shipments were accepted at local post office. Since the initial scan, there has been no more scans through today (8 days) on any of the packages. All sent as Ground Advantage. Normally, these would go through a USPS distribution center 27 miles away. However … on September 12, 2023, all of the packages sent out started going through a sister distribution center that is 90 miles away. This sister distribution center has always had processing issues.
USPS Site Function …
We had to file some inquiries today for some packages that have not had scans since being accepted September 14, 2023. All of these packages were sent Ground Advantage. When completing the inquiries on the USPS site, we noticed that USPS is still processing these inquiries with the tracking numbers as First Class Packages and not as Ground Advantage.
We felt is was worthy of notifying everyone as it may be an issue for those using Ground Advantage and expecting the $100 included insurance for packages under 15.99oz ( originally the First Class Package shipments ).
In a week, we will probably have to file the claims for these packages and will follow up with how USPS handles these Ground Advantage shipments.
The 3 packages never arrived to their destinations. We filed with USPS on the $100 insurance included with Ground Advantage. It took USPS 10 days to process the 3 claims and USPS did cover each claim in the end. This was a little longer than we had experienced with Priority Mail claims but we were pleased with the out come.
Bottom line … USPS Ground Advantage is a value especially when you factor in the included $100 insurance coverage. About 90% of our packages sent USPS Ground Advantage are being delivered in 3 to 4 days. Hopefully, USPS can maintain this delivery speed during the holidays.
Final note … our post office has noted that, since Ground Advantage has started, there has been a notable increase in the number of packages being processed through our little rural post office.
Why is it that ground advantage is only offered for items under 1 lb? Every time I enter anything over 1 lb, only Priority mail is offered. Is this an Amazon glitch?
Amazon Buy Shipping has two selections for Ground Advantage … Ground Advantage (less than 1 pound) and Ground Advantage Cubic. To ship a package over 1 pound, you would select Ground Advantage Cubic.
Then your shipping transit time plus handle time exceed the expected delivery date …
You would have to adjust your shipping templates to allow for a longer transit time …
We have 5 to 8 days shipping transit time and always have both Ground Advantage services …
Note: it doesn’t mean it actually takes that long (most of ours are delivered in 3 to 4 days) … it just allows for the Ground Advantage services to be an option … (sometimes you have to out think Amazon programming) …
The delivery window on this order is Wed, Nov 8, 2023 to Mon, Nov 13, 2023. All of my screen shots came from the same order, just entering different weights.
Ground Advantage (less than 1lb) follows the old First Class Package estimated delivery times of 2 to 5 days.
Amazon has been showing longer estimated delivery times for Ground Advantage Cubic even though USPS has said these packages would follow the same 2 to 5 days used for (less than 1lb).
Saturday November 11, 2023 is Veterans Day which is a holiday for USPS. Ground Advantage going out on Monday November 6, 2023 with an estimated 5 day delivery (typically Zone 7 or Zone 8) would normally be delivered on November 11 but get pushed out to Monday November 13, 2023.
Since Amazon is projecting longer estimated delivery times for Ground Advantage Cubic, your delivery window of Wed Nov 8, 2023 to Mon Nov 13, 2023 will work for Ground Advantage (less than 1lb) but will not work for Ground Advantage Cubic (in the eyes of Amazon). Therefore, Amazon is not showing Ground Advantage Cubic for the order.
We run 2 day Handle Time and 5 to 8 day Shipping Transit Time which gives us a window of 7 to 10 days for a delivery window. We never have a problem with not having Ground Advantage (less than 1lb) or Ground Advantage Cubic.
If you decide to keep your shipping times as they are now, you will probably see this issue from time to time (especially when there is a holiday within the estimated shipping window). Your option would be to buy shipping for these orders on another shipping platform. You would loose A2Z coverage but you would still have the included $100 insurance coverage through USPS.
Amazon’s buy shipping algorithm is treating Ground Advantage (1-70lbs) and Ground Advantage Cubic as slower shipping methods than USPS Ground Advantage (less than 1lb).
The issue has been brought up a couple times on the NSFE, and the mods say that the team is aware of the issue and trying to work on it.
I’ve noticed the same thing. I did have Ground Advantage and now it’s gone for anything over 1 lb. It was available to me as soon as they implemented it, worked fine and now poof, it’s gone.
This seems to be following the Media Mail / Holiday shipping issue of when a holiday is within the week Media Mail option disappeared.
Amazon has a lot to work out with USPS estimated delivery dates and times. Not only is there is disappearing Ground Advantage issue … there are the Priority Mail issues of estimated dates which are 1 to 4 days longer than the Ground Advantage (less than 1lb) option.
There does seem to be new issue involving Ground Advantage’s in transit time as calculated by Amazon’s algorithm. When going to ship orders today, any orders on the East coast (I’m in WA) aren’t showing Ground Advantage as an available shipping option because it thinks it won’t get there in time. I have my handling time set at 2 days and my in transit time at 2-4, so that should be sufficient time for Ground Advantage to have it delivered. This is on orders under a pound, so it isn’t the same as the issue I posted about above.
It seems like KJ might not be fully aware that GA offerings through Buy Shipping are behaving inconsistently, for both under and over 1lbs, which appears to be a glitch on Amazon’s end–not based on actual USPS GA transit times.
It seems KJ has drunk a large dose of the Amazon Kool-Aid.
Amazon is never wrong
Amazon cannot make a mistake.
It must be the 3rd party sellers fault.
Amazon is never wrong
Amazon cannot make a mistake.
It must be the 3rd party sellers fault.
Amazon is never wrong
Amazon cannot make a mistake.
It must be the 3rd party sellers fault…
