Key takeaways
– Most failed deliveries start before the label is bought: a bad postcode, a missing house number, a PO Box the courier can’t reach, or an item you don’t actually have.
– Check four things before you pay for a label: address, stock, duplicate orders from the same buyer and order status.
– After dispatch, watch for parcels that stop moving. A parcel with no scan for three days is a problem you can still fix before the buyer asks.
– Amazon expects a Valid Tracking Rate above 95% on orders you ship yourself, so tracked services and correct tracking uploads matter.
To reduce failed deliveries, catch problems before you buy the label and keep watching after dispatch. Check the address format, confirm you have the stock, combine orders from the same buyer, then track every parcel and act on any that stop moving. Most failures are visible on the order before it ships.
A failed delivery is any parcel that doesn’t reach the buyer first time: returned to sender, stuck in a depot, delivered late, or lost. For a seller of motorcycle gear, that might be a £300 helmet bouncing back from a PO Box, or a jacket sent twice to the same rider because two orders weren’t spotted. Each one costs postage twice, a slower refund, and often a poor review.
What causes failed deliveries?
Failed deliveries mostly come from four causes: an address the courier can’t use, an item that isn’t in stock, a duplicate or cancelled order that shouldn’t have shipped, and a parcel that stalls in the network unnoticed. The first three are visible before you buy the label; the fourth only shows up if you track parcels.
| Cause | When you can catch it | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|
| Bad or incomplete address | Before the label | Return postage, a re-send, a late delivery |
| PO Box with a courier that can’t deliver there | Before the label | Parcel returned, label wasted |
| Item not in stock | Before the label | Cancellation, which counts against you on Amazon |
| Two orders from one buyer shipped separately | Before the label | Two postage costs for one trip |
| Cancelled order shipped anyway | Before packing | Stock gone, refund already paid |
| Parcel stuck with no scans | After dispatch | Late delivery, “item not received” claim |
On Amazon, cancelling because you’re out of stock also hurts your account: Amazon’s policy is that sellers keep the Cancellation Rate on seller-fulfilled orders under 2.5% (Amazon Order Performance policy).
How do you check a UK address before shipping?
Check four things on every UK address: a valid postcode format, a house number or building name, whether it’s a PO Box your courier can’t deliver to, and that no phone number or note has been typed into the address lines. If anything looks wrong, message the buyer before you buy the label.
Royal Mail’s own addressing guidance is a good baseline: the recipient’s name first, then the property number and street, then the town, with the postcode on the last line in capitals (Royal Mail: clear addressing tips). Where a property has both a number and a name, Royal Mail says it’s generally better to use the number. If you’re unsure whether an address exists, look it up in the Royal Mail Postcode Finder.
The common problems on marketplace orders:
- Postcode in the wrong format. UK postcodes have an outward part and an inward part (for example
SW1A 1AA). A missing space, a letter O typed as zero, or a half-finished postcode is easy to spot by eye if something flags it. - No house number or name. “Flat 2” with no building name, or a street with no number, is one of the most common reasons a courier gives up.
- PO Boxes. PO Box services typically accept Royal Mail letters and small packets but not courier parcels – one UK PO Box provider says its PO Box addresses can’t accept deliveries from any courier (UK Postbox). If the buyer gave a PO Box, use a Royal Mail service or ask for a street address.
- Phone numbers and notes in the address lines. Buyers sometimes type “call on arrival 07…” into address line 2. It ends up printed on the label and can confuse sorting.
Selling into Europe? Address formats differ by country – in Germany, for example, the house number comes after the street name and the postcode before the town. Check the destination’s format before you assume something is wrong.
Why check stock before buying a label?
Checking stock before you buy a label stops you paying for postage you can’t use and spotting a shortfall while there’s still time to tell the buyer. A label bought for an item you don’t have becomes a cancellation, a refund and, on Amazon, a mark against your cancellation rate.
Stock problems at dispatch usually come from stock that was right when the order arrived but wrong by the time you pack: another channel sold the last one, a return wasn’t counted, or the supplier delivery hasn’t landed. The best protection is stock that’s synced across your channels – see our guide to avoiding overselling on multiple platforms – plus a quick look at stock on each order before you print.
If you dropship or order from a wholesaler, check what your supplier has at the same time. Knowing the supplier has ten helmets in their warehouse turns “out of stock” into “ships tomorrow”.
Should you combine orders from the same buyer?
Yes, when two or more open orders from the same buyer on the same marketplace go to the same address. Combining them means one parcel, one label and one tracking number instead of two, and the buyer gets everything together. Check each marketplace’s rules for combined postage first.
Riders often buy in two goes: the jacket on Monday, the matching trousers on Tuesday. If both orders are still open, ship them together.
On eBay, buyers can ask for a combined total before paying, and sellers can offer combined postage and send one invoice for several items. eBay notes that some purchases can’t be combined, such as Click & Collect items and items bought with Best Offer (eBay: offering combined postage). When the buyer has already paid for two orders separately, you can still pack them in one parcel – just make sure both orders are marked as dispatched with the same tracking number.
How do you spot a parcel that has stopped moving?
Track every shipped parcel and look for three warning signs: a delivery problem status, no new scan for three days or more, and labels that were bought but never scanned by the courier. Acting on these early – calling the courier, warning the buyer – turns a likely complaint into a good review.
Tracking matters to the marketplaces too. Amazon’s policy is that sellers keep a Valid Tracking Rate above 95% for seller-fulfilled shipments, measured over 30 days; below that, Amazon can restrict non-FBA selling in that category (Amazon Order Performance policy). On eBay, verifiable tracking decides how a late delivery is counted: a carrier scan within your dispatch time keeps a late arrival from counting against you (eBay seller performance standards).
The trouble is volume. Opening each courier’s website for each parcel doesn’t scale past a handful of orders a day. You need the status of every parcel in one list, with the stuck ones flagged.
Catch bad addresses before you pay for a label. Stock Konnect checks UK addresses, stock and same-buyer orders on every order, and shows parcel tracking on the orders list. Start your free 30-day trial.
Fewer failed deliveries with Stock Konnect
Stock Konnect checks each order before you buy the label – UK address, stock and same-buyer orders – and shows parcel tracking on the orders list after dispatch. Problems appear on the order itself and in the needs-attention bar, so you fix them before the label, not after the return.
- Address check before you buy a label. Stock Konnect flags UK postcodes that don’t look right, missing house numbers, PO Boxes your chosen courier can’t deliver to (such as Evri, DPD, DHL, Parcelforce and UPS), phone numbers typed into the address and names too long for a label. The warning shows on the order and at the top of Create shipment. It’s advice only: nothing is changed or blocked, you decide.
- Stock on every order. Each item shows In stock, Low, Out of stock or Not enough for the quantity ordered, plus what your supplier has. You know whether you can ship before you print the label.
- Same-buyer merge suggestions. When two open orders from the same buyer on the same channel are waiting, Stock Konnect spots them. Confirm, and they’re merged so they ship as one parcel with one label.
- Cancelled orders flagged. A cancelled or refunded order gets a red badge under its number, so you don’t pack it by mistake.
- Parcel tracking on the orders page. Shipped orders show Delivered, In transit, Label created, Problem or No movement for a number of days, with a count above the list and a Check tracking now button. Parcels with no movement for three days or more are flagged, so you can act before the buyer complains. A one-click link opens the Royal Mail, Evri or DHL tracking page for the parcel.
Automatic tracking statuses appear for couriers that have given tracking access; other couriers show “Not checked” with the link to their tracking page. Tracking is checked when you open the orders page, not continuously.
All of these feed the needs-attention bar described in our guide to managing eBay and Amazon orders from one screen, and the courier results feed the courier scorecard in Orders Insights. Get the shipping service right in the first place with shipping rules.
Frequently asked questions
What is a failed delivery?
A failed delivery is a parcel that doesn’t reach the buyer on the first attempt or at all – returned to sender, stuck in the courier’s network, delivered late or lost. For sellers it means paying postage twice, slower refunds and more “item not received” claims.
Can couriers deliver to a PO Box in the UK?
Usually not. PO Box services generally accept Royal Mail letters and small packets, but couriers such as Evri, DPD, DHL and UPS can’t deliver parcels to them. Use a Royal Mail service for a PO Box address, or ask the buyer for a street address.
How do I check if a UK address is valid?
Look up the address in the Royal Mail Postcode Finder. Check the postcode is in the right format, the address has a house number or building name, and no phone number or note is in the address lines. If something’s missing, message the buyer before buying the label.
Should I combine two eBay orders from the same buyer?
If both orders are open and going to the same address, yes – one parcel costs less and arrives together. Buyers can request a combined total before paying. If they’ve paid separately, pack together and mark both orders dispatched with the same tracking number.
What should I do if a parcel has stopped moving?
Check the courier’s tracking page, then contact the courier with the tracking number. Tell the buyer before they ask, with an honest update. If the parcel is lost, follow the courier’s claim process and re-send or refund promptly.
Does Stock Konnect check addresses outside the UK?
No. Stock Konnect’s address check is built for UK addresses: postcode format, house numbers, PO Boxes and phone numbers in the address. For orders to other countries, check the destination’s address format yourself.
Sources
- Royal Mail: Help with addresses – clear addressing tips
- Royal Mail: Postcode Finder
- UK Postbox: What can I send to a PO Box address?
- eBay UK: Offering combined postage
- eBay UK: Seller performance standards
- Amazon Seller Central UK: Order Performance program policy (Cancellation Rate under 2.5%; Valid Tracking Rate above 95%)