Amazon & Royal Mail

DivingDuck

Put through a large order (25 plus items) on Amazon last week which has, to my annoyance, been split into several smaller shipments. Their shipment tracking seems to have declined massively in quality since I've last used it— two packages are coming with "Amazon Shipping", where the only tracking simply shows "on the way" and a date range estimate as opposed to giving an actual location.

Another's coming with one with Royal Mail, and as I was given a tracking number, I put it through their system to see if it would give me more precise info. Instead, I got this:

An update will only be provided when we attempt to deliver your item.

Anyone have any experience with this, or any idea how long it takes from dispatch to delivery to PM in the North these days?

etselbbuns

Delivery to PM is 1-2 days after dispatch.

However direct free delivery to Ireland is 3-5 business days
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=11072981#GUID-4B07A895-53A8-4B77-97A4-D950DC206246__SECTION_CB42873AD3EF4E97A86579208FC49F09

ED E

DivingDuck wrote: »

which has, to my annoyance, been split into several smaller shipments.

This is normal. Amazon have multiple fulfilment centres so one item may come from Fife and another Bristol. If they waited to clump the entire order it would be slow and wasteful.


Amazon Logistics = their own white vans, the RM one will dispatch in Antrim and be delivered probably the same day. Usually only takes a day or two.

DivingDuck

etselbbuns wrote: »

Delivery to PM is 1-2 days after dispatch.

However direct free delivery to Ireland is 3-5 business days
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=11072981#GUID-4B07A895-53A8-4B77-97A4-D950DC206246__SECTION_CB42873AD3EF4E97A86579208FC49F09

Good to know, thank you! Will hopefully have all my bits by the end of the week, so.

ED E wrote: »

This is normal. Amazon have multiple fulfilment centres so one item may come from Fife and another Bristol. If they waited to clump the entire order it would be slow and wasteful.

Amazon Logistics = their own white vans, the RM one will dispatch in Antrim and be delivered probably the same day. Usually only takes a day or two.

Dispatched at 00:01 on the 9th, and not with PM as yet, but hopefully it'll still fall within your estimate— thanks for the info. The timing I don't really mind, but the thing that irks me is actually this "we'll tell you if we try to deliver it and can't" approach to tracking. If I knew it was in the North today, I'd know I could expect it tomorrow, versus taking another day or two if it was still in England. Hardly Amazon's fault, but I've had items come via RM for years with more detailed tracking than that, so I don't understand why they've switched over to this far inferior system.

Understand the point about fulfillment centers, but I wish they'd let people know in advance which center things are coming from. There are bits I could have ordered ages ago but waited to purchase until I had a big order, and there turned out to be no benefit to waiting at all!

I think I'm just too impatient for online shopping.

ED E

DivingDuck wrote: »

so I don't understand why they've switched over to this far inferior system.

It would allow Amazon to hand over a cage full of packets for an area and Royal Mail wouldnt have to put it through sorting and scanning just send it straight to delivery. Less work = cheaper rates. Just a guess.

DivingDuck

An update, should anyone in the future find themselves in the same situation and wondering how it worked out for me:

Shipment #1: ordered 5/10, dispatched 9/10, delivered to PM 11/10. Still showing as in transit on the site!
Shipment #2: ordered 5/10, dispatched 11/10, delivered to PM 12/10. Marked as delivered on arrival.

I can make no sense of this whatsoever, but I have all my stuff now, so that's nice?