Valid Tracking Rate update starting tomorrow, January 15, 2025 🚩
Hello Sellers,
I want to remind you about tomorrow's significant update to the Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) policy and calculation for seller-fulfilled orders.
This update, announced on October 15, 2024, introduces important changes:
- VTR will now include ALL shipping service providers, not just those integrated with Amazon for scan information
- Cross-border shipments between European marketplaces (DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, PT, PL, AT, SE) will be included in VTR calculations. Exception: Orders under €20 (including shipping, excluding VAT) using 'letter' shipping methods.
Updated Resources (Available from January 15):
We are aware that some orders using Amazon's "Buy Shipping" service through Royal Mail are being incorrectly flagged as untracked. The technical team is actively working to resolve this issue.
I'm in direct contact with the responsible team and am here to address any questions or concerns you may have. Please feel free to post them below.
Best regards, Ezra.
Valid Tracking Rate update starting tomorrow, January 15, 2025 🚩
Hello Sellers,
I want to remind you about tomorrow's significant update to the Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) policy and calculation for seller-fulfilled orders.
This update, announced on October 15, 2024, introduces important changes:
- VTR will now include ALL shipping service providers, not just those integrated with Amazon for scan information
- Cross-border shipments between European marketplaces (DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, PT, PL, AT, SE) will be included in VTR calculations. Exception: Orders under €20 (including shipping, excluding VAT) using 'letter' shipping methods.
Updated Resources (Available from January 15):
We are aware that some orders using Amazon's "Buy Shipping" service through Royal Mail are being incorrectly flagged as untracked. The technical team is actively working to resolve this issue.
I'm in direct contact with the responsible team and am here to address any questions or concerns you may have. Please feel free to post them below.
Best regards, Ezra.
124 replies
Seller_d8YGbIjNqwFxn
I didn't realise they removed this from the help page. It is critical to get an answer to this as it will result in category suspensions for many if they no longer validate them.
Perhaps it is a ploy to get more of us to use Buy Shipping. A route I don't want to go down as I tried it last year and I have issues using it which no one at Amazon will acknowledge/fix
@Ezra_Amazoncan you please update on unscanned Royal Mail items please.
as above, saying that they validate unscanned RM LLs and Parcels has now been removed from the policy pages
@Ezra_Amazon Julia has said that you are answering questions on this thread now so please clarify
1. Are unscanned Royal Mail Large Letters and Parcels still validated ?
Seller_T9qNRaWjUhLfS
@Ezra_Amazon
Hi, I sell lots high street makeup which is priced at less then EUR20, accross all of Europe my understanding of this annoucement was :
Exception: Orders under €20 (including shipping, excluding VAT) using 'letter' shipping methods.
My understanding of this rule was that item under Eur20 could still go untracked. Obviously if customer puts in a claim for this then they just get paid out. Luckily most of my stuff goes to Germany, who in my opinion seem to be the most honest customers in Europe, or Deutsche post is very good, or both.
I now send anything over Eur20 tracked. According to Amazon my VTR is now just 7.5% in Germany.
What does Amazon mean by "using 'letter' shipping methods." As I ship alot via Large Letter service.
Why is there is distinction between items size why is it ok to send something via a "letter" for less Eur20, however it is not ok to send a packet for less then Eur20????? What has the size of an item got to do with it????
If this means everything now needs to be tracked regardless of items size, you have just distroyed 92.50% of my business. in DE, FR, NL, BE.
Giving customers less choice and worst prices. I thought Amazon was the most "customer centered company in the world???"
Thanks
Seller_vNGUliyBfm8re
Here's what's going on
- increase seller overheads to buy 'tracked' postage to meet new rules
- > sellers increases prices to cover new overheads
- >> makes low value items dearer on Amazon for buyers
- >>> makes amazon's new platform HAUL look good to buyers and a commercial success
- >>>> marketplace sellers wiped out and dead.
Seller_W0UadCH7lVBVG
Ezra
We're getting no news. Is the Self Deivery VTR issue a glitch?
Seller Support do not understand the issue.
Case reference 10736047632
I have used Self Delivery for several orders.
But these orders are showing in my VTR as invalid.
Amazon policy states : https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk/help/hub/reference/G201817070
VTR exemptions
'We don’t calculate VTR for the following seller-fulfilled shipments:
Self-delivered shipments (that is, shipments that are delivered using your own logistics).
So, I ask again why is it that my VTR is being negatively impacted by items that I have confirmed as Self Delivery? I have been using Self Delivery for my self delivered items for a few years now,
But since the Jan 2025 Update to VTR it is now impacting my VTR.
202-7540737-9589942
206-8235082-2133113
203-3370767-3441163
204-0720863-1530708
205-4799250-5548369
202-9194921-5773938
026-3498722-6165135
203-1619502-3427563
Seller_7VQiMhCLfHHus
VTR on international european is incorrect.
We are sending international letters under euro20 untracked which shouldn't count against VTR according to your policies, but we are getting hit by it. The problem is royal mail untracked IDs don't differentiate letter from parcel, so there is no way for amazon to implement this correctly.
Your customers are going to see a massive increase in delivery charges for low value items. From around 3euros to around 8euros because of this, often doubling the total cost of their order, as tracked shipments from UK into Europe via royal mail so significantly more expensive and make low value items such as books and media unviable.
Customers aren't stupid either and will realise there are other marketplace and website where they can still get their books cheaper, amazon will lose out because of this.
Seller_7jwrjtU66gmxk
So it is a confirmed technical glitch then ?
Ezra_Amazon
Hi everyone,
Thank you for all your questions and feedback about the new VTR policy changes.
I want to clarify that this is separate from the Buy shipping issue that's affecting some sellers' VTR metrics.
If you're still experiencing this problem, please contact Seller Support directly. If you need additional help with that specific issue, it's best to create a new thread. This will help keep discussions organized and make it easier for sellers to find relevant information about each topic.
Thanks for your understanding!
Best regards,
Ezra
Seller_pfmAG3Qx211yJ
@Ezra_Amazon Are unscanned Royal Mail Large Letters and Parcels still validated? It is useless advising sellers to contact Royal Mail to resolve this as they have already stated that they cannot guarantee all large letters will receive delivery scans. Therefore this is not a solution
