In the U.S., Parcel deliveries get delayed by about 3-5% on average. Not to mention, 51% of the customers want a refund if a package arrives late. As a result, shippers face customer complaints that can affect their business in the long run.
Shipping carriers do not make it easy for shipping companies to receive refunds with complex request procedures. To make the refund process more efficient and convenient for customers, shippers need an easy way to get refunds. In this blog, we will explore the process for receiving refunds from shipping carriers and why partnering with Audintel is an advantage for shippers.
The Refund policy of shipping carriers
Different shipping carriers have different refund policies for late parcel deliveries. Shipping carriers promise to deliver packages on time with a refund policy in place for delayed shipments. The refund policy is also known as a money-back guarantee. The policy states that if there is a delay in parcel delivery by a minute or more, the shippers can get a refund on request.
How to receive a refund for late deliveries
To begin with, shippers must identify the delay in parcel delivery. This is an intensive process where the company needs to track each parcel delivery for any delays. Further, refund requests need to be submitted individually for each delayed delivery. Usually, there are two ways of submitting a refund request.
- Contacting the shipping carrier’s customer service hotline
OR
- Logging on to the carrier’s online Billing Centre for customers with payment accounts
For different services, shippers have to contact separate customer care numbers.
The time frame for filing a request to a refund for late deliveries
A request for a refund should be within 15 calendar days from the invoice date or from the scheduled delivery date. A refund request for USPS’ Priority Express Mail has to be within 30 days from the mailing date. Further, a form needs to be filled manually along with document submission.
Documentation to request for a refund for late deliveries
The documents required to request a refund are:
- Tracking number
- Scheduled delivery date and time
- Origin and destination ZIP codes
The refund does not include taxes and fuel surcharges. Shippers have to pursue the matter with the concerned shipping carrier to make sure the refund deposit is in the correct account. The approval of a refund is subject to exceptions made by shipping carriers.
Delivery exceptions posed by shipping carriers
Some of the delivery exceptions are:
- Shipping carriers providing evidence of timely delivery
- Weather delays and natural disasters
- A wrong or damaged shipping label on packages
- Incomplete addresses
- Recipient not available at the address
- Custom delays due to improper documentation
These exceptions may be issued when there is a delay in a package. Shippers have to take responsibility when these exceptions occur to preserve customer relationships. So, the entire process for a refund is tedious for a shipping company. More so, if the shipper has thousands of packages shipped daily. To manage this mammoth task, shippers need experts to help them in the refund process. An audit company like Audintel will help shippers in the refund process.
Advantage of partnering with Audintel
Audintel saves close to 2-5% of a client’s shipping spend by making the entire refund process transparent and efficient. Shippers are in complete control of their profiles while Audintel’s software automatically monitors the shipments. On top of it, Audintel has a call center where they call on the packages which are denied in the automatic refund process. Audintel’s dashboard is intuitive and tracks all shipments in real-time as Audintel’s team reviews the invoices for each shipping carrier. We submit refund requests on a client’s behalf. The client receives the refund amount in their account. Partnering with Audintel is vital for efficient shipping operations.
Conclusion
Parcel delivery refunds are a time-consuming process for shippers. Claiming refunds for late parcel deliveries from multiple carriers is tedious. Experts like Audintel help shippers in saving time and money. Audintel provides excellent support to a client’s supply chain capabilities. We help in reducing shipping costs by requesting refunds whenever there is a delay. For overall efficiency, contact Audintel to audit shipments for you. For further details, write to us at [email protected] or please visit our Audintel website or contact us at +1 (619) 354 8539.