All That You Need to Know About Undelivered Shipments

Have you ever shipped a good only to find out later that it can’t be delivered? The undelivered shipments is a common incident and might happen every once in a while. If your packages often turn out to be “undelivered shipments”, this one is for you. Read on to know what it means and how to tackle the situation!

What is an undelivered shipment?

Any package which cannot be delivered to the desired destination due to different reasons such as incorrect addresses, failed delivery attempts, transportation problems, damage during transit and more is considered undelivered.

How to check if your shipment is undelivered?

With the development of technology, almost every courier company offers the tracking feature. Whenever you need updates regarding your shipment, with the help of your tracking number check the status of your shipment.

The status will show if your package is undelivered. The wording might differ from one courier partner to another but it will be something similar to “parcel undelivered” or “undelivered shipment.”

And, if you see the status as undelivered, you’ll have to turn to the logistics provider for the exact reason why your parcel can’t be sent to the delivery address.

What can be the probable reasons for your shipment getting undelivered?

There can be many reasons due to which a shipment gets undelivered. Some of the most likely reasons are:

The contents of the packaging are damaged

Throughout the shipment process, a package is loaded and unloaded multiple times. They are sorted and grouped both manually and mechanically. And, sometimes the packaging of the shipment is poor. Due to this, the package won’t be resistant enough and soon suffers from damage.

In certain circumstances, the logistics partner might repack the items or place the shipment in a new box. But, in the circumstances, where the products are badly damaged, it becomes impossible for them to repack the damaged contents.

Incorrect address

Often it happens that the address of your customer is incorrect or outdated. In such situations, the package is usually returned to the seller by courier service providers. Moreover, at times the courier driver or delivery boy isn’t able to find the location or it is hard to reach, the shipment in such situation is considered undelivered.

Furthermore, in rare circumstances, it can happen that courier boy delivered the package at a different address than what was printed on the label.              

Failed delivery attempt

Depending upon the different courier companies, the companies try to reach the customer once, twice or even three times before they store packages in their local offices. In case your customer is unreachable after all the attempts, you or your customer needs to reach their local offices to collect the shipment.

Damaged label

In certain situations, it happens that the address label becomes illegible during the shipping and handling process or the information becomes illegible and can’t be scanned.

Pro tip: To avoid such situations, it is important that you stick your label on a flat surface and ensure that the material of the package is affixed to it properly.

Shipment not cleared by customs

In case you forgot to pay the duty and taxes derived from customs then your shipment will not be cleared by customs. Your parcel can get stuck in customs and the time it takes to get released from customs depends upon the case and the country. Custom clearance may vary from one day to one month.

Forbidden items in package

Before your shipment reaches your customers, it is scanned multiple times in different depots. During this process, the logistics providers can find out some items that aren’t allowed for shipping, for instance, lithium batteries, sharp objects, etc.. Sometimes, when the contents of your package appear suspicious, the courier companies might open packages to check thoroughly.

Hence, ensure that you don’t place any item that is forbidden for shipping services.

Customer refuses to receive the parcel or is unavailable

It is considered feasible that the customer or the contact person is informed about the delivery of the shipment. Where the consignee has no information about the delivery, he/she might refuse it (thinking it is misdelivered or misaddressed parcel) or might not be able to accept it due to unavailability. Reminding the person in charge is the easiest way to ensure that shipment will be processed smoothly.

The bottom line

You may wonder why your shipment is taking longer than usual or why did it remain undelivered. There are multiple circumstances that can affect the delivery of shipments. And, undeniably a great shipping strategy is the laying foundation for a successful eCommerce business.

The ideal way to ensure that your shipments are delivered on time is to first understand the requirements of your business and then opt for the courier partner that adheres to your needs.

If you are unsure of which courier partner will be appropriate for your business, then it is recommended that you opt for a courier aggregator like Shiprocket. This courier aggregator helps the sellers to prioritize their requirements and then recommend a courier partner for their various needs with the help of its feature called CORE.

Want to know more about undelivered shipments? Drop your comments in the section below and we will get back to you shortly. Happy Shipping!