It was with surprise that some Sellers noticed their LSR (Late Shipment Rate) rising suddenly at the end of July – the culprit being an Amazon update that imposed Automated Handling Times simply unachievable for some Sellers.
The problem was twofold:
- Sellers were unaware that they were affected, with the changes imposed automatically and without warning.
- The default setting for many (if not all) was same-day shipments, made 7 days a week – simply not feasible for some.
Why does it matter?
This is a big problem because of the impact a high Late Shipment Rate has on your Amazon Account Health.
Sellers must maintain an LSR of below 4% to avoid having their Amazon account deactivated – clearly a disastrous result with long-term implications for those brands.
What can Sellers do?
We don’t know if it will happen again or if the issue has been dealt with by Amazon, but right now it pays to stay hyper vigilant and check your Amazon settings at least daily.
Some Sellers told ChannelX that activations happened on their accounts at the end of working hours, affecting their evening and overnight sales and impacting their next few working days.
And if you do discover it’s happened to you?
Turn the feature off urgently – once your LSR has been impacted, even Amazon support can’t update or amend it.
Looking to maximise any of these opportunities for your marketplace business? Click here to speak to our Award-Winning Amazon Team!