By Russ and Tiña De Maris
Wondering if your Amazon deliveries are taking longer than other customers in your area? Here’s the step-by-step process so you can check up on the giant retailer.
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List of items
Here’s a list of five popular items we used for comparison purposes. Not all Amazon items ship out quickly, but these are generally “in stock,” and don’t experience delays in waiting for stock to be received by the company.
| Amazon Basics 100 Pack AAA High-Performance Alkaline Batteries, 10-Year Shelf Life, Easy to Open Value Pack ASIN B01B8R6V2E |
| LIT Water Heater ECO Thermostat Assembly Compatible with Atwood 91447, Replacement Part for Water Heater Repair Parts Fit for RV, RV Thermostat Service ASIN B08P7N7W5M |
| Amazon Basic Care – Aloe Hand Sanitizer 62%, 12 Fluid Ounce (Pack of 6) ASIN B08R15JGNX |
| Camco 41197 TST Ultra-Concentrate Orange Scent RV Toilet Treatment, Formaldehyde Free, Breaks Down Waste And Tissue, Septic Tank Safe, Treats up to 16-40 Gallon Holding Tanks (1 Gal) ASIN B000EDOSP6 |
| Starbucks Medium Roast K-Cup Coffee Pods — Breakfast Blend for Keurig Brewers — 6 boxes (60 pods total),10 Count (Pack of 6) ASIN B00U3ODTTM |
Get your ZIP codes
To compare Amazon deliveries, you’ll first need to obtain ZIP codes for other communities in your area. You might focus on areas within a 50-mile radius. In our area, there are very few towns inside that radius, so we had to expand a bit farther. To get a ZIP code, simply “Google” for the ZIP code. As an example, if you wanted to know the ZIP code for Gallup, New Mexico, you’d put “ZIP code, Gallup, NM” in the Google search box.
Finding Amazon items
Now, find out the delivery time promised for each item on your list. We’ve included the ASIN or Amazon Standard Identification Number for each item on the list. With the Amazon site open on your browser, enter ASIN, then follow up with the ASIN number. For example, if you were searching for the Camco holding tank treatment liquid, you’d enter ASIN B000EDOSP6 in the search box, as shown below.
You may find that the specific item doesn’t appear by itself in the results, but is often the first item on the list of items. Find the item you want to research and click on it to open to the detail page.
Comparing delivery dates
On the right side of the page, below the item’s price, you’ll see the delivery date. Below the delivery date is the ZIP code for the delivery. Initially, the ZIP code should be for your default delivery address. Jot down the delivery date. Now we “check up” on Amazon by changing the delivery ZIP code. Note, in some cases, if you may be given the option to subscribe to multiple deliveries, rather than making a one-time purchase. To see the delivery date and ZIP code, you’ll need to click on “one time purchase,” to view the date and ZIP code.
To check on delivery dates to other ZIP codes, follow this process:
- Click on the line showing “Deliver to . . . [ZIP code]
- In the responding “Choose your location” box, scroll down to “or enter a US ZIP code”
- Click on “change”
- Erase the existing ZIP code (if there is one), then enter the ZIP code you’d like to research
- Click “apply”
- Now click “change”
- Re-click “apply”
- Click “Done” at the bottom of the box
The product page should now be visible on your screen. If necessary, you’ll need to click on “one time purchase” on the right side of the screen. If you still see your original ZIP code displayed, you’ll need to hit your browser’s refresh button. After that, the new ZIP code/city should be displayed, along with the delivery date for that specific area.
To move on to the next item to check on, you’ll need to start over by putting the next ASIN in the Amazon item search box, and repeat the process.
We’d like to hear your results. Please fill out the form below and enter “Amazon deliveries” in the memo line.
Related
Selective Amazon delivery delays pummel some RVers. How about you?
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We pay for Prime two day shipping but Amazon waits five to ten days before they ship it. Now Bezos wants twenty dollars a year more. Amazon doesn’t always have the best prices either. Probably going to cut them loose after this year.
I have NEVER had Amazon wait 5-10 days to ship… NEVER. Probably have a couple of items shipped each month and only once have we had a shipment get lost in the past 4 years. Most times we get our delivery within 2-4 days.
In our rural town, Amazon “2 day delivery”, even for Prime members, went out the window years ago, when they felt they were big enough to not need to “sell” their service anymore. Now they promise “2 day shipping”, which is double-speak for “we’ll get it in the mail in a couple of days. Rarely do they even accomplish that these days. We’re lucky to get our Amazon orders in a week. I’m finding more and more that Ebay sellers often have the exact same items, for the exact same prices (with shipping included) without having to pay an extra yearly fee. What’s more, the shipping times are often identical to Amazon’s.
Anymore, Amazon Prime, for us, is about their streaming entertainment service, rather than for buying things.
I ordered 3oxi clean stain removers in November. I still don’t have any it was regular price $3.44 each. Obviously because of covid 19 it was out of stock. I kept getting messages that delivery would be later and did i want to cancel? Heck no, because I could buy the very same product for $12 each and have delivery tomorrow. Im going to wait it out and hope Amazon does the right thing.
My Amazon deliveries are almost always when they say they will be. I did experience a delay on the last order when the seller did not deliver the item to the USPS on time. Delay was 1 day.
Keep in mind, Amazon is nothing more than a “store” and is not immune to supply chain issues. Amazon does not make any of the items it sells. Many of the items sold by Amazon, are shipped by 3rd party vendors, Amazon only facilitate payment. Many of those manufacturers, importers and 3rd party vendors are struggling to keep up with demand. I’m not trying to defend Amazon, just stating the facts.
Amazon delivery estimates are pretty optimistic. As a Prime member, when I order, it often says it will be delivered “tomorrow.” This rarely happens.
If you have items you want asap, order them separately from the less-essential things. The more items on an order, the more a delay of the entire order is likely.