Delays & Exceptions

Purpose

This guide explains the most common causes of shipping delays or exceptions, how to track them in your Fulfillment Control Panel (FCP), and the steps to resolve or report them.

1. What Are Shipping Delays and Exceptions

A delay occurs when an order does not ship within the expected processing window.

An exception occurs after shipment when a carrier experiences an issue in transit such as an address error, weather delay, or delivery attempt failure.

2. Common Delay Causes Before Shipment

Before an order ships, the most frequent delay causes include:

• Out-of-stock inventory preventing fulfillment.

   

• Invalid shipping address returned by carrier validation.

   

• Hold placed for missing SKU mapping or payment issues.

   

• Integration import failure, preventing order creation in FCP

   

3. Common Carrier Exceptions After Shipment

Once the package leaves the warehouse, delays are usually related to the carrier.
The most common post-shipment exceptions include:

• Weather or natural disaster impacts.

• Address corrections required.

• Refused or undeliverable shipments.

• Customs clearance delays for international orders.

• Package loss or damage during transit.

These updates appear in the tracking record provided by the carrier, not in the FCP itself.

4. How to Identify Delayed Orders

In the FCP:

1. Go to Orders → Search/Edit Orders.

    

2. You can search by the store order number or the customers first and last name by entering it into the perspective field.

    

3.  The FCP will only go back 30 days at a time. Enter the Date Criteria in the date fields.

    

For a larger view, export your Transaction Report to track average processing time and identify repeat delay patterns.

5. Handling Exceptions in Transit

If a shipment shows “Exception” or “Delivery Attempted” on the carrier’s site:

1. Click the tracking number link in the FCP to view the carrier’s update.

    

2. Contact the carrier directly to request redelivery, correction, or investigation.

    

3. If the issue cannot be resolved through the carrier, contact EFS Support with the order number and tracking ID.

    

EFS can assist with filing carrier claims or confirming delivery scans.

6. Filing Claims

Claims can be filed for:

• Lost packages

• Damaged items

• Incorrect delivery

To initiate a claim:

1. Email [email protected].

    

2. Include:

    

• Order number

   

• Tracking number

   

• Description of the issue

   

• Photos of any damaged packaging or products

   

3. EFS will contact the carrier on your behalf and keep you updated during the process.

    

Claims typically take 10–14 business days to resolve depending on the carrier.

7. How to Prevent Delays

You can reduce delays and exceptions by following these best practices:

• Verify SKU accuracy between your store and FCP.

   

• Keep your store’s shipping method names consistent with EFS mappings.

   

• Ensure inventory is received and processed before sending new orders.

   

• Confirm customer addresses are validated through your ecommerce platform.

   

• Avoid scheduling shipments immediately after major weather events or holidays.

   

Routine checks of your Back Orders and Inventory Levels tabs can help you stay proactive.

8. Communication with EFS

If you notice repeated delays or a surge in exceptions, reach out to the Client Care Team for a review of your order processing or carrier routing setup.

They can verify integration settings, carrier mapping, and shipping preferences to identify potential improvements

Next Steps

Continue to the next guide: International / Duties & Customs.

That guide covers how international shipments are processed, what documentation is required, and how customs fees and taxes are handled.