In my Amazon head I believe I know the answer but today is “Ask the Experts Friday” so here goes.
A buyer made 9 purchase of TEN of a multi unit item within 2 minutes.
I contacted the buyer to confirm they did in fact make that many purchases which was confirmed by email through Amazon messaging.
I was able to reach supervisory team on Amazon who confirmed buyers account does not have any history of inappropriate buying or return activity.
I will be shipping on time today, using Amazon Buy Shipping.
Can I ship these 9 orders in 2 boxes (2 shipments?) or should each be shipped individually with signatures required (just in case).
Entire purchase was approximately $2000
Thoughts from the experts greatly appreciated.
It is possible that Amazon will reject same tracking for different orders. At one time, the same tracking would be rejected, but if you “insisted” would be accepted. But that may have changed.
Signature is something of a waste of money if combining orders. Would only serve to keep honest people honest.
Amazon supervisor who “confirmed buyers account does not have any history” etc. cannot be trusted. Not even a little bit.
Each order should have its own tracking.
This 
Protect yourself … if you combine orders, then it is possible a combined shipment could get lost and/or reported as INR. If you do a combined shipment, customer could say there was just one item in the box.
It is just safer to ship each order individually on Amazon with Claims Protection badge and OTDR Protection badge when you get a string of orders like this.
so I am now on Amazon buy shipping, showing USPS the fastest (usually never correct) and charging $38. a box.
I go onto Stamps.com, $19.90 a box, says UPS is saying 4 days.
I know if I do not use Amazon I have no protection but is anyone else seeing these huge differences in cost and delivery times?
Similar experiences have been reported by many 3P Sellers, in the NSFE, & the proceeding last-iteration OSFE, and in related biz-discussion venues, long before Amazon first introduced AHT - and the frequency of such complaints has done nothing but increase since the introduction of OTDR Claims Protection.
Amazon’ never-ending pursuit of reducing infrastructure costs (got to keep that P/E Ration as inflated as it has always been in order to keep Wall
Street happily investing) emerges in a wide variety of ways - not the least of which is in employing poorly-parameterized coding.
I cannot imagine USPS delivering a box this size on time, let alone without damage.
I CAN see these boxes sitting in the Philadelphia hub for at least a week - and being delivered late.
UPS has been far more reliable.
So here I am between the rock and the hard place knowing USPS will not perform as Amazon expects, charing double the rate, and UPS being reliable, delivering the box, yet taking a chance that I’ll lose all protections.
Amazon, go figure.
For some of my larger packages I have seen even more of a difference at times with UPS being $25 and the USPS being $75 (give or take).
On your 10# and 15x15x15 I checked and WI to OR was only about a $5 difference today.
I would trust UPS more than USPS and. personally, always get better UPS rates from Stamps/Dazzle/Endicia than what I get when I compare with Amazon BS.
my concern is if I do not use Amazon buy shipping, regardless of signature, I have no protection.
The cost is the cost, but knowing the poor performance of USPS and where these boxes will sit probably until the date they are due for delivery, I always lean towards UPS. Amazon is not giving me that option. Not feeling comfortable shouldering this large of a loss if this buyer files a claim. UPS is showing “late delivery risk” therefore, no protections.
A thought,
I was thinking this might be an order to ship using Veeqo.
Amazon claims that Veeqo will identify orders from the same customer and suggest that you combine them into one shipment, saving you time and potential shipping costs.
Veeqo is supposed to offer the Claims and OTDR protections.
We discontinued Veeqo a long time ago and I do not have access to test if this feature is currently working as intended.
I wonder if any of our forum friends are using Veeqo and can confirm this feature is live and working today.
Veequo. We no longer use that platform but did give it a try today at your suggestion..
Rate and recommended carrier still USPS, same as Amazon.
Congrats on the good sale!
One thing to consider is that UPS (and FedEx and USPS priority) only recognize a replacement value up to $100 if you don’t indicate the value of the parcel at shipping.
If you’re shipping USPS (most unreliable of them all) if you combine packages you definitely need to report the value to USPS to get shipping insurance (increasing the cost)
Even if shipping individual packages, it will be above the replacement value if the package is lost.
In your situation I’d probably do the 9 parcels.
When dealing with lower value items I purchase the shipping through Amazon and use the same tracking for the orders.
thanks to all the expert advice.
We chose to use the Amazon “buy shipping” protection even though the costs to ship were higher and we know these parcels will sit in a bin in Philadelphia until way past their expected delivery date. I shipped each order individually and insured for full value. Called for a special pick up - no way these will fit in our regular carriers’ truck and asked that they be scanned immediately upon reaching the post office.
I will be watching these carefully, once the delivery date Amazon has promised the buyer passes, I will immediately file a claim for lost package with USPS..
USPS continues to be the least reliable of all carriers, with no scans on packages, and overall poor service. Late delivery is the expectation at this point.
For an order of this $ amount I chose to use Amazon’s required carrier knowing the buyer will more than likely file a claim for “something”. I am hoping their protections hold as I’ve followed their program to the letter.
Appreciate all of you for taking time away from your busy Friday.
Wishing all a relaxing and enjoyable weekend,
You are an optimist (or delusional). 
Pretty slow around here…
we have our moments. 
More than likely the latter.
Coming in late but wanted to add.
When it comes to combining shipments Amazon is do as I say not as I do.
They have no problem with them combining shipments.
For 3p sellers they will not allow it.
Had a customer put in 2 orders for the same thing. Verified that it wasn’t a mistake and shipped both in the same envelope.
A-Z customer claimed they only got 1 order.
I lost.
Nail meet hammer !
I learned that lesson VERY early on when I started selling on Amaozn and had that big “Just Launched” target on my account.
Buyer did two orders – a pack of guitar picks for less than $10 back then and a really nice amp for about $150. Packed and shipped in one box that was a bit over 2 pounds as I recall.
Of course they only got the picks despite tracking showing the correct weight all the way through and NO ‘damaged in shipping’ label anywhere to be seen.
And, of course I lost as well.
I will still combine on every other site but NEVER on Amazon. 
Amazon buyers are the worst for ordering multiple items on separate orders. Are they not bright enough to use a shopping cart, or are they planning something nefarious? I know there can be other reasons but I never combine orders on any venue and surely not on Amazon.