Steps for tracking, contacting Amazon, and getting refunds when your delivery is late
Having an Amazon package delayed in transit or stuck with a “delay in transit” status can be incredibly frustrating. You may need the item by a certain date and are wondering where your Amazon order is. Fortunately, there are actions you can take when your shipment gets delayed to help get the issue resolved or request a refund from Amazon. This article will cover reasons for package delays, tracking your Amazon order, contacting Amazon customer service, and how to get refunds or replacements when Amazon delivers late.
Common Reasons Why Your Amazon Order Gets Delayed
Several issues can crop up that lead to your Amazon package being delayed in transit:
- Severe weather conditions like snowstorms, hurricanes, flooding, or extreme heat waves can cause delivery delays across entire regions when it becomes dangerous or impossible for delivery drivers to make their usual rounds.
- High order volumes during peak holiday shopping times can overload Amazon fulfillment centers and shipping carriers, slowing down processing and deliveries.
- Third-party sellers not getting your order to Amazon on time for fulfillment results in delays. This is common if you bought from a sellers other than Amazon directly.
- Damaged packages have to be re-packaged and re-sent, adding extra transit time. Mishandling by carriers can cause damage.
- Incorrect shipping address entered by the customer or seller results in time wasted sending the package to the wrong place before it can be returned and re-shipped to the right destination.
- Customs delays on international shipments hold packages up for days or weeks before releasing them after customs checks, duties, etc.
- Carrier pickup and scan delays happen if the shipping carrier fails to come by and pick up packages from Amazon on time or doesn’t scan them promptly after picking up.
Check Tracking Information on Your Delayed Amazon Order
You can check for the latest updates on your Amazon order status using either your order number or package tracking number:
- Go to Amazon’s website and click on “Returns & Orders”
- Select the order you want to track – you’ll see the estimated delivery date.
- Look for tracking details like “in transit”, “arriving late”, etc. This info comes from the shipping carrier.
Amazon’s tracking will show you the most current information they have on your shipment. If the package tracking shows no updates for several days in a row, your item is likely stuck somewhere or experiencing delays.
Contact Amazon Customer Service About a Delayed Shipment
If your Amazon order tracking still shows no delivery updates beyond the original estimated delivery date, it’s time to contact Amazon’s customer service department:
- Go to Amazon’s website and click “Help” then “Contact Us”
- Select your order from the dropdown menu
- Choose the “Shipping or delivery issue” option
- Pick “My delivery is late” to explain your issue
- Give details like your order number and when your delivery was expected
An Amazon customer service representative will typically respond within a business day. They can investigate what is causing the delay and may offer solutions like:
- Sending a replacement item with upgraded expedited shipping
- Issuing a refund of your original shipping fees
- Providing an Amazon credit if you’re an Amazon Prime member
- Getting in touch with the carrier to find out more on the transit delay
Keep contacting Amazon every few days if your package continues to show as “in transit” or “arriving late” with no delivery updates. Persistence increases your chances of getting help to resolve the stuck package issue. Don’t let Amazon ignore a late delivery – keep reaching out.
Requesting a Refund on Undelivered or Lost Amazon Orders
If an Amazon order ends up delayed for an extended period of time beyond the estimated delivery date, at some point it should be considered lost in transit. Here are steps to take in order to get refunded your money:
- Wait at least 1 full week past the original expected delivery date before assuming the order is permanently lost. Some packages say “in transit” longer than normal before getting delivered.
- Contact Amazon to explain your package has now been delayed for over a week with zero tracking updates, so you consider the order lost. Explicitly request a full refund on the order amount including any shipping fees paid.
- Double check the delivery address you gave is 100% accurate. Amazon will want to confirm no delivery scans happened after a certain shipping date before approving a refund.
- Get confirmation via email that Amazon has processed a full refund for your total original order amount and associated shipping costs.
- Allow 5-7 business days for the refunded amount to show up back in your payment account. Follow up with Amazon if the expected refund doesn’t come through.
For Amazon Prime members, you may also request and get a free one-month extension of your Prime membership on top of the refund to make up for the failed delivery and trouble it caused.
Other Compensation Amazon May Offer for Delayed or Lost Packages
Besides full refunds, Amazon has additional options to compensate customers whose shipments got stuck in transit or lost:
- Free return shipping – If you end up having to ship back an item that finally arrived too late, Amazon will cover the return postage costs.
- $5-$20 account credit – Based on the original order amount, Amazon may offer a small dollar credit towards your next purchase as an apology for the late delivery.
- One-day shipping – If you agreed to accept a replacement item, Amazon may upgrade the new shipment speed to fast one-day delivery free of charge.
- $5-$20 gift card – For high ticket items or Prime subscribers, Amazon may issue a small dollar gift card to say sorry for the delay inconvenience.
- 1-3 months of Prime extension – Amazon Prime members often get their membership extended for free for one to three months to make up for late deliveries.
Don’t be shy about directly asking Amazon customer service about compensation when contacting them regarding delayed or lost packages. Their goal is keeping customers satisfied, even when shipping issues occur.
Key Takeaways for Dealing with Delayed Amazon Orders
Having an Amazon order delayed in transit or lost can be highly aggravating. Keep these tips in mind when handling late shipments:
- Track your package frequently using Amazon’s online tracking tools and look for status updates.
- Contact Amazon customer support as soon as you think your delivery is stuck or excessively late.
- Get any refunds or credits from Amazon in writing via email or your account. Don’t rely on verbal promises alone.
- Have your order number, tracking number, and any other useful details on hand when contacting Amazon about delays.
- Be patient initially but follow-up persistently if your shipment shows no signs of movement or delivery.
- Understand your options if Amazon can’t deliver – you can get refunds, replacements, credits, gift cards, or Prime extensions.
- At some point you need to give up on the original order and get your money back if it is very late with no updates.
Using these steps, you can get delayed or lost packages resolved quickly when ordering from Amazon. Stay organized, document everything in writing, and keep contacting customer support until the issue is fixed to your satisfaction. Don’t let Amazon keep your money for merchandise you never received.
