Foundation · 3 min
What you need to know
Why are my shipping rates too high?
Check the carrier invoices for dimensional weight, surcharges, package sizes, and service choice. Then compare contract terms and packing practices. Lowering the customer-facing rate alone will not reduce what the carrier charges.
Why are customers seeing the wrong shipping rate?
Reproduce the cart, address, and selected service. Check zone priority, origin, product weight and dimensions, free-shipping rules, expired promotions and carrier responses. Compare the displayed charge with the documented rate rule.
Why is no shipping method available at checkout?
The address might match no zone, the item might be ineligible for the service, required product data may be missing, or a carrier rate request may have failed. Identify the exact case and give the buyer a clear path to continue.
Why are delivery estimates inaccurate?
Compare the promised arrival with actual processing, cutoff, carrier pickup and transit. Review weekends, holidays, remote destinations and stock. Recalculate the estimate when the address or shipping method changes.
Why are orders taking too long to fulfil?
Find the oldest order waiting at each stage: payment, stock, picking, packing, label, or pickup. A warehouse backlog needs a different fix from late carrier collection. Inform customers when the promised dispatch time will not be met.
Why are orders shipping from the wrong location?
Check stock by location, eligibility, route priority, and the recorded fulfilment assignment. A stale in-store count or a missed cutoff may cause unexpected routing. Correct both the rule and the reservation, so the same stock is not promised twice.
Why was an order shipped twice?
Compare parcel labels, warehouse actions, and carrier scans for the same order. A repeated dispatch instruction or manual retry may have produced a second package. Contact the carrier if interception is possible and correct the duplicate-action safeguard.
Why is tracking not updating?
Check whether the parcel was handed over, whether the carrier shows a first scan and whether it is between scans. Escalate if the gap exceeds that carrier’s normal pattern. “Label created” alone is not evidence that a parcel is moving.
Why are shipments arriving late?
Separate late packing and handoff from late carrier transit. Review delays by service and destination. Revise customer estimates and carrier choice only after identifying where the promise failed.
Why are packages being returned to sender?
Read the carrier exception for incomplete address, refused delivery, unsuccessful attempts, restriction or customs issue. Verify the address and available remedies, then explain reshipping or refund options under the actual terms and law.
Why are shipping costs hurting conversion?
A high charge at checkout or a surprise fee can lead buyers to leave. Compare the visible total with actual customer feedback and funnel behavior. Fix incorrect calculations first; then test transparent pricing or a sustainable threshold.
Foundation · 2 min
Frequently asked questions
Why are shipping costs hurting profitability?
An order can lose margin if customer shipping charges or product price do not cover carrier, packaging, labor and surcharges. Reconcile invoices by order and examine the costly destinations, products and split shipments before changing a flat fee.
How do I perform an ecommerce shipping audit?
Audit a sample order through checkout quote, stock location, package choice, label, carrier handoff, tracking, delivery or return and final invoice. Record promised and actual dates, costs and exceptions. Fix the first broken step and retest.