Shipping Delays: What Causes Them in 2022?

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Shipping delays happen for various reasons and are one of the most annoying things when purchasing products online. They may occur in different stages – before a parcel is shipped and after it’s shipped. So, why do parcels get delayed?

Something Happened in the Warehouse

1.

The workers in the warehouse got COVID-19

COVID-19 affected all industries, including logistics. In 2020, K-Post was not operating for a few days because of a COVID-19 case at their central hub. A vast number of employees had to quarantine, and the premises were disinfected. These days the regulations in Korea are not that severe, but it doesn’t stop a warehouse from operating.

2.

Products are out of stock

Sometimes, logistics companies run out of stock and need to wait until manufacturers send more. Like warehouse workers, factory workers may catch COVID-19 or be absent for other reasons. There may be issues with the equipment, or a manufacturer may be busy producing other products if they get a short notice from a seller.

3.

National holidays

Although many countries share some worldwide-celebrated holidays like Christmas or the New Year, they also have regional or country-specific national holidays. There are 11 national holidays in South Korea – nine have fixed dates, and two are traditional holidays celebrated by the lunar calendar (and for that reason, the dates change every year). Furthermore, election days are also days off.

Something Happened on the Way

4.

Peak season

Peak season falls typically during the period when there are holidays or big sales. For example, in the logistics industry, it is customary to consider the period from the beginning of November to the end of December a peak season due to Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, and New Year celebrations. Delays happen because of the high volume of parcels and the lack of space on airplanes and trucks.

5.

Customs clearance delay

Shipping delays also happen due to customs clearance. A package may be pending at customs if an importer (i.e., a buyer) doesn’t submit all the necessary documents in a timely manner. Some carriers have in-house brokers, while others don’t. If a carrier has no broker, you should use your own broker to proceed with customs clearance. If you don’t know any broker, contact the carrier, and they will advise.

6.

Scarcity of space on the airplane

COVID-19 is stopping many people from traveling. If fewer people travel to other countries on holidays or business trips, there are fewer flights, and even existing flights may get delayed or re-scheduled. All this causes the lack of space on airplanes, which affects the shipping process, particularly when it comes to economy carriers that use commercial flights a lot. Recently, the Korean government has eliminated some restrictions. It gives hope that the situation will change for the better soon.

7.

The tracking log doesn't update promptly

Finally, if you chose an economy carrier, their tracking log may not be fast to update (if updated at all). Thus, sometimes there are cases when a consignee got a parcel, but its tracking shows it is still on the way. If you haven’t got your package and the tracking log doesn’t update for a long time (i.e., one week or more), you should contact the carrier or the seller’s or shipper’s CS team to check where the parcel is.

8.

Acts of God

Acts of God are accidents or events that cannot be prevented by reasonable foresight or care. For example, any flood, earthquake, war, or volcanic eruption is considered the Acts of God.

What can I do to Speed Up the Delivery?

If you have yet to get a tracking number, it’s likely that your parcel hasn’t been shipped yet. Contact the seller’s or shipper’s customer services team.

If you have a tracking log, check when was the last update and what it was.

If it was updated less than a week ago, wait a bit longer.
If the tracking log says something about customs clearance, contact the carrier and your local customs office for more details.
If the tracking log is not updated for more than a week, contact the carrier to check what is happening with the parcel. You may also contact the seller or the shipper on this matter.

You can use Delivered Korea to order and ship worldwide with our reliable partners. Our CS team is happy to help you with any difficulty you meet in a timely and efficient manner. We hope that all your parcels are always delivered in good condition and on time.