Yes, but that shouldn’t matter if Amazon is going by when the first USPS scans are to determine actual handling time.
1 Like
But Amazon is not doing that. Amazon is using the time you purchase Amazon Buy Shipping to determine handling time.
2 Likes
So, the following quote is not true then?
I don’t know what to believe anymore.
1 Like
I didn’t know that they changed it, but when they gave us warning, my actual handling time was 0.1 days, which could only have been true if they based it on when I bought the labels, because I often bought the labels as soon as the order came through, but I would send it the next day.
2 Likes
From what I have seen the answer to that will depend on where you buy the label.
If you use Amazon Buy Shipping they use the time of purchase and notify the buyer the item is on the way.
If you use an off site vendor such as Stamps or Pirate Ship and DO NOT have them integrated with Amazon Amazon has to key off the PO scans since they don’t have access to the time of purchase information.
I do not integrate the sources with Amazon but I suspect that sellers that do link them will be treated the same as if you used Amazon – they will use the time printed since they will have access to that.
I doubt that Amazon wuld do anything different for their new trash policy!
1 Like
But what was the handling time GAP at that point?
Amazon has so many metrics that they use (and abuse) I’m sure having a ‘handling time’ and a ‘handling time gap’ are used in order to totally confuse sellers.
1 Like
The problem with that is they use the first scan to determine if the item is shipped late. That’s why this whole AHT thing won’t work. If the USPS scans are too late, then I’ll lose my OTDR protection anyway. The whole thing is a bunch of BS.
3 Likes
True, and it’s only one of probably a thousand ‘metrics’ that they use to measure sellers and their ability to ‘please’ Amazon customers.
At some point in time it seems that Amazon and the thousands of employees failed to ever hear the term GIGO.
Eventually if you pile on enough GIGO you get this –
2 Likes
4 days. I got it down to 1 day by waiting until the day I ship to purchase Amazon Buy Shipping.
2 Likes
For this reason, I ship on the first day that Amazon allows. So, if they say ship Monday or Tuesday, I ship on Monday. Knock wood, my late shipment rate is 0%.
2 Likes
Agreed …
If you are seeing Actual Handle Time of 0.1 days and are purchasing your label two to three hours after the order comes down, then Amazon is using your label purchase time as the time that ends your Handle Time metric. From what @TheOrangeCrush is reporting, this is still true for him and was true for us prior to 9/17/2024.
If you are seeing Handle Time Gap of 0.1 days and are getting a USPS scan at your local USPS postal counter somewhere between 9am Pacific Time to say 3pm Pacific Time, then Amazon is using a later scan which is the “Arrived at” scan of the local distribution center. This is what we have seen and reported after the 9/17/2024 change to 14 day reporting period and the back to 30 days reporting period on 9/21/2024.
We would also note that after 9/17/2024 we have not had a Promised Handle Time greater than 3.0 days. We have a 2 day handle time so Thursday and Friday orders have a 4+ day Promised Handle Time" and Saturday orders have a 3+ day Promised Handle Time. The only way we could be below 3.0 day Promised Handle Time would be if Amazon was not including Saturday and Sunday into our Promised Handle Time calculation.
From the posts here that we are reading here today, we are pretty sure Amazon is running different ways in calculating Handle Time Gap. The only way to get an Actual Handle Time average like @TheOrangeCrush of 0.1 days is if Amazon is using the time the label is purchased in Amazon Buy Shipping. The only way to get a Handle Time Gap of 0.1 days like ours is if Amazon is using the first “Arrived at” scan thru a USPS distribution center that occurs sometime around 10pm Pacific Time (our scan at the USPS counters are around 8:30am to 9:15am Pacific Time on last ship by date).
Amazon telling us to check the Manage Seller Fulfilled Products page > Handle Time Setting tab to review the suggested handle times at ASIN level is of no value as Amazon has not update these suggestions since putting them out there in August.
We have been using SSA for two months now and have achieved two late deliveries now. Both were to the same area. Both had Amazon calculated 3 day transit times. Both were delivered in 6 days. It will be interesting to see how long it takes the SSA bot to learn that this area from us is 6 days and not 3 days.
Holidays are not a bump for us (actually our slower time). Since it is our slower time, we have AHT and SSA turned on and will be able to give feedback on how it preforms during the holidays (figure better to try it when it is slow than our busier months).
5 Likes
Is this still true if the label purchased through Amazon has a later-date ship date? If the order comes on Tuesday and I print the shipping label on Tuesday but for a Thursday ship, does Amazon still cut off the handling time clock?
1 Like
Look at your Handle Time Gap. If you are shipping on Thursday (as in your example) and are doing this consistently AND if Amazon is using a scan from the shippers on that day, then your Handle Time Gap should be under 1.0 days. If your Handle Time Gap is not under 1.0 days and your Handle Time Actual is less than 1.0 days, then Amazon is using the time you purchased your label on Tuesday.
For us, Amazon is using “Arrived at” scan through the local distribution center as our Handle Time Gap is 0.1 days.
In the posts right above yours, TheOrangeCrush is seeing that Amazon is using when the label is purchased as his Handle Time Actual is 0.1 days.
It seems that Amazon has two different ways of doing calculations.
What is your
Handle Time Promised?
Handle Time Actual?
Handle Time Gap?
And from what you said, you run a 2 day Handle Time … correct?
When do you buy the labels … day of order, first ship by date or last ship by date?
What day are you shipping on … day of order, first ship by date or last ship by date?
Are you consistent with processing your orders with your answers above?
From those answers, you can (or we can) tell what Amazon is using in your Handle Time calculations.
2 Likes
Amazon FBM right now makes my brain hurt.
5 Likes
I just checked and that is still the case.
3 Likes