Increase in Fraudulent Claims Due to Misleading Amazon Notifications
We’re now seeing 1-2 "Item Not Arrived" refund requests daily, all triggered by Amazon notifying buyers that their order may be lost or delayed. These are low-cost items, and since we ship using Royal Mail 2nd Class, there’s no tracking available so we don't understand why they are sending them.
When a buyer eventually gets a refund, we file a compensation claim with Royal Mail. Most of the time, Royal Mail pays out, but occasionally they state the item was delivered—likely because it was scanned by the postman.
Interestingly, we sell far more items through our own website (thankfully!) and rarely experience these "item not delivered" issues—maybe 1 in 1000.
Below is the message we plan to send to these buyers.
Do you think the tone is appropriate? 😉
Thank you for reaching out.
It seems this message may be in response to Amazon advising that the order could be lost or delayed. Unfortunately, we don’t have control over these notifications, as Amazon does not have direct tracking for our Royal Mail 2nd Class shipments. This can sometimes cause confusion as they cannot confirm whether the item has been delivered.
What it often seems to do is encourage some buyers, especially around the holidays when money might be tight, to file refund claims—even if the item has already arrived. We understand how frustrating this can be for everyone involved.
Rest assured, we will file a compensation claim with Royal Mail (as we use online-generated labels) and will keep you updated. However, Royal Mail requires us to wait until October 30th before proceeding. Once we hear back, we will either resend the order or process a refund, depending on the outcome.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Increase in Fraudulent Claims Due to Misleading Amazon Notifications
We’re now seeing 1-2 "Item Not Arrived" refund requests daily, all triggered by Amazon notifying buyers that their order may be lost or delayed. These are low-cost items, and since we ship using Royal Mail 2nd Class, there’s no tracking available so we don't understand why they are sending them.
When a buyer eventually gets a refund, we file a compensation claim with Royal Mail. Most of the time, Royal Mail pays out, but occasionally they state the item was delivered—likely because it was scanned by the postman.
Interestingly, we sell far more items through our own website (thankfully!) and rarely experience these "item not delivered" issues—maybe 1 in 1000.
Below is the message we plan to send to these buyers.
Do you think the tone is appropriate? 😉
Thank you for reaching out.
It seems this message may be in response to Amazon advising that the order could be lost or delayed. Unfortunately, we don’t have control over these notifications, as Amazon does not have direct tracking for our Royal Mail 2nd Class shipments. This can sometimes cause confusion as they cannot confirm whether the item has been delivered.
What it often seems to do is encourage some buyers, especially around the holidays when money might be tight, to file refund claims—even if the item has already arrived. We understand how frustrating this can be for everyone involved.
Rest assured, we will file a compensation claim with Royal Mail (as we use online-generated labels) and will keep you updated. However, Royal Mail requires us to wait until October 30th before proceeding. Once we hear back, we will either resend the order or process a refund, depending on the outcome.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
0 replies
Seller_mS10UjVYuuGor
Amazon have been sending these emails on untracked deliveries for a good while now, no one knows why but they do. If I was a customer who hadn't received an item past the expected date I wouldn't need an email reminder to chase it up but Amazon seem to think their customers do. Hey ho sellers have to deal with it.
Personally I don't like your proposed email especially paragraph 2 where you passive aggressively accuse the customer being skint and of making false claim. Some customers (especially genuine ones) will push back and if brought to Amazon's attention you'll probably get a suspension at the very least. Plus it'll be highly labour intensive constantly changing the date/seasonal message.
If you must send a message how about:
Thank you for reaching out.
I'm sorry the order isn't in your hands yet, from our side it shows as having been delivered. Please check with other household members and/or neighbours just in case someone has accepted on your behalf. If no joy please come back to me and I will ask Royal Mail for the GPS coordinates and date/time of delivery although this may take a few days. Rest assured if you cannot be reunited with your order you will be refunded in full.
You're unlikely to hear back from most opportunistic people with that, you don't have to edit it for every customer and it is less likely to upset Amazon. Just refund anyone who comes back to you.
Ongoing Amazon aren't likely to stop sending those emails anytime soon so you have to adjust in some way. Your options include moving to tracked 48, passing the cost onto customers and taking whatever hit in sales that means. Or pricing in refunds to those who complain and reply after the message above which maybe cheaper than moving Amazon orders to tracked but will also be more labour intensive.
FWIW I suspect that within a few years almost all mail will be sent tracked especially by those who print their own labels to keep Royal Mail in line if nothing else as the untracked stamped service is appalling. Today we received a first class stamped letter where the envelope was postmarked/franked as being received by Royal Mail 8 days ago which only had to travel 90 miles across middle England so my guess is that a good percentage of customers are probably genuine when they complain.
Seller_UkrOHDI3iEx0N
With RM48 you'll have a tracking number with delivery confirmation. You can check it on RM website and if the postie scanned it, it will show as delivered. I used to explain this to cheaters but now just send the link to them. Once the qr code has been scanned you can see the exact time and location on the tracking page. With the claims, you are so lucky. We have around 90% of them rejected.
Seller_40ozsHlGqPuEL
It seems that the automated systems on Amazon can be quite eager to issue refunds. I always remind customers that a one-day delay doesn’t mean the package is lost forever, and I do so politely.
I always offer to refund or replace the item if needed, but only after checking the tracking status. Most customers, about 99%, are okay with this approach. Sometimes, the package is simply misdelivered and eventually arrives, or the customer might find it in their front porch. Fingers crossed.
Seller_qdOo1zzQy2ySa
it is happend to me also i have to refund lots of money making a loss working for no profit for free. amazon sending emails marking orders at losss or arriving late , i have many customers taking advantage and claiming item arriving late , amazon said item loss and customers saying, amazon tell them item loss i can claim so i am claiming, also i have losts of customers honest sending me messege like this "Hi, just letting you know i have recieved my package, it came through the mailbox a few days ago but i hasnt realised it says “item may be lost” on amazon. I dont know why this has happened but i wanna say the quality and the detail is just amazing, Thank you again :))."
i do not acuse my customers i just i do apologise to them and i give money back . not knowing it is true or not . having this message from customers not just one time but manny saying they got item and not to worried even if amazon saying item loss. others did not get it. itemlost. so make me questioning why is this happening.
1st and 2 class stamps only have a reference number which is the number under bard code of postage label enter only number in truck item in royal mail will only tell you deliver once item is scan by royal mail as deliver item. nothing else. ebut royal mail does not scan and mask as deliver even if item is been scam received by poss office it will not said deliver pronting amazon system as item losss even if post man has deliver item . many customers said they got item but amazon said it los it is a fact. i get amazon system work for othere deliver option with real trucking number location time and photos all that but royal mail first class and second class letters do not work as they do not have trucking number just eferencence number just to said deliver or not or only show deliver if item is been deliver . but royal mail is failing to mark deliver on first and second class letters .
the problem here is amazon does not have comunicatin with royal mail , and royal mail does not mark first class second class letters as dispached or deliver. Reference number in bard code on postage label getting from amazon. but i can not claim item loss by royal mail because amazon doe not give me a reprint postage label for past month . is royal mail foult for not scaning as deliver and is amazon foult for outomatic sending false alert to customers . please amazon fix it . do not send this email to customer who orders has been send wit royal mail first class or second class letters this service doos not have with trucking number is only reference number and not acurated to said it if was deliver or not.
i have claim few 1 an 2 class letter using the bard code from royal mail label postage bard ocde i got 8 pounds for just postage not for item cost. it is time consuming also you have to give them proof of item cost breaking down materias invoices and your time cost too. if you want item cost .
please amazon sort it out!!! you paying programers lots of money and they can not do a good job making also amazon loose millions refunds . knowing this fats about royal mail programers can not trust royal mail system it it not working for us amazon sellers sending first and second class letters.
also have a word with royal mail boses , you using their sevice and they are not providing a good service by no marking deliver items. making your system delivery status at loss item .
Seller_87mKFKKA3Vwkx
Royal Mail won't pay out if the item has been scanned and marked as delivered - so maybe SOME of your customers are telling the truth!
Seller_SiaWrl2VXxnEh
i understand your frustration. we send everything out by Royal Mail tracked and they are usually good at updating their website with photographs dates GPS etc however I am seeing a huge number of claims from customers that despite this they are not receiving their orders. making false claims, however, what i am finding frustrating is that Amazon is believing these false claims and then issuing a full refund to them. every time i appeal against the decision on the basis that the tracking data on Royal Mail is full of proof but in every case which is about 2 -3 per week they refuse my appeals and stand by the customer and i am losing £100's. what can be done about that ?? whats the point in having an appeals process if its going to be ignored every time
Seller_fw9LFwa3Z2sVB
I received one of these recently and advised the buyer to contact Royal Mail as the item was tracked and showed as delivered. The customer then filed an A-Z claim and Amazon gave them a refund I received a strike on my account health
I appealed the claim and Amazon removed the strike but would not cancel the refund.
Seller_9SnkGr1rLS6kU
The following is from a previous post. You should find the following instructions/procedures most effective when dealing with scammers.
1. Amazon clearly prefer all items sold to be sent tracked. As a CD specialist, the extra cost in doing so would make our prices somewhat uncompetitive. Furthermore, Amazon’s standard shipping allowance per CD is a measly £1.26/item, whilst the cheapest (reliable) tracked service costs £2.70/item (Royal Mail Tracked 48). Meanwhile, pro sellers have the option to vary their P&P rates – the last time we tried this in order to cover sending everything 48 tracked, our sales dropped alarmingly.
2. Royal Mail 1st/2nd class postage purchased via Amazon does include a tracking number – you’ll find it just above the QR code – example: 3B-053 893 B8. This can be entered into the Royal Mail tracking site which will confirm delivery but not actual tracking. Sadly, many postal workers can’t be bothered to scan standard items on delivery, resulting in c. 25% of items marked as undelivered. Amazon then sends a message to customers informing that their items may be lost and that a refund is in order – regardless of whether the package(s) have been delivered. As we are all aware, a majority of customers will jump at the chance of a refund whilst keeping the goods.
3. We now use a gentle reminder to Royal Mail delivery staff in the form of a label attached to packages, with the wording – “Dear Postman, please ensure that this package is scanned on delivery. Thanks!” This has increased the percentage of deliveries successfully scanned to over 95%.
4. Nevertheless, Amazon still insist on offering refunds to customers, despite packages having been delivered and scanned. (Gee, thanks, guys!)
5. If a customer asks for a refund in such circumstances i.e. where goods have been delivered as confirmed by the Royal Mail track-and-trace site, a firm-but-friendly email is sent to the customer with scans of the proof of posting and screenshots of the delivery label and the Royal Mail track-and-trace confirmation page.
6. Here is our email template…feel free to adapt and use.
Dear (customer name xxxxxxxxx)
Regarding your enquiry for your order for (item xxxxxxxxx) (order number xxxxxxxxx)
We confirm that your CD was delivered at (time xxxxxxxxx) on (date xxxxxxxxx)
Please refer to the attached tracking document, Royal Mail proof of delivery (date xxxxxxxxx)
Please note that any message that you may have received indicating that your package may be delayed or lost was sent by an automated system from the Amazon website. This system is currently registering a fault, informing customers of missing orders when they have in fact been delivered.
Please read the following carefully, noting the tracking number/barcode for your parcel (bar code xxxxxx)
Your order was placed at (time xxxxxxxxx) on (date xxxxxxxxx).
Your order was despatched at (time xxxxxxxxx) on (date xxxxxxxxx)
Your order was delivered, (time xxxxxxxxx) on (date xxxxxxxxx) to the recipient and address as per your order: -
(name xxxxxxxxx)
(address xxxxxxxxx)
Please see the attached documents: -
proof of posting (date xxxxxxxx)
Royal Mail proof of delivery (date xxxxxxxx)
All relevant information on the attached documents has been highlighted for clarity.
The Royal Mail has also provided a GPS location of the exact position of your postman and the time when the package barcode was scanned at the point of delivery.
Please note that these coordinates are accurate to within less than one square metre.
Thank you for shopping with (name of Amazon store xxxxxxxx)
Yours faithfully
7. Using the strategy as detailed above, we very seldom hear from the customers again, except where one or two may sheepishly admit that they have “found” the missing item(s).
8. We keep PDF copies of all delivery labels purchased from Amazon or Royal Mail. These labels show the tracking/barcode numbers required to disprove fraudulent claims. Hard copies of Post Office proofs of posting are kept also, for the same purpose.
9. And how odd that customers who complain that their packages may be “lost” never, ever ask for a replacement - but immediately request a refund. Very strange!
Good luck. Let’s beat the scammers.
Seller_nIhblL4tc60Uv
If you want to check if 2nd class lable has been scanned reprint lable from amazon order and put number above 3d barcode in royal mail tracking, then screen shot and send to customer
I am now making sure I get all lables scand at post office, as i belive this may stop amazon sending these lost or delayed emails?
