Amazon "Not Yet Shipped" Status: What It Means and What to Do

If you‘re an avid Amazon shopper, you‘ve likely come across the dreaded "Not yet shipped" status on an order at some point. It can be frustrating and confusing to see this message, especially if you need your item by a certain date. But what exactly does "Not yet shipped" mean, and what should you do if you see this status on one of your Amazon orders?

Content Navigation show

As an ecommerce expert and longtime Amazon customer, I‘m here to provide an in-depth explanation of the "Not yet shipped" status to help clear up any confusion. I‘ll cover what this message means, common reasons it appears, how long you should wait before contacting Amazon, and more. Whether you‘re a first-time Amazon shopper or a Prime member who buys from the site regularly, this guide will help you better understand your order status so you know what to expect.

What Does "Not Yet Shipped" Mean on Amazon?

Put simply, a "Not yet shipped" status means that your Amazon order has been received but has not yet been packaged and sent out for delivery. When you place an order, it goes through several steps before ending up on your doorstep. First the order is received by Amazon, then it is processed, packaged, labeled, and finally handed off to the delivery carrier. "Not yet shipped" indicates the order is still early in this process and hasn‘t been physically shipped out from an Amazon warehouse yet.

There are a few different reasons you might see the "Not yet shipped" status on an Amazon order:

Order processing: After your order is placed, it takes some time for Amazon to process the order and prepare it for shipping. The amount of time varies depending on the item and whether it‘s sold directly by Amazon or by a third-party seller. During this processing time, your order status may show as "Not yet shipped."

Collecting items: If your order contains multiple items, they may need to be collected from different fulfillment centers before being packaged together and sent out for delivery. The "Not yet shipped" status can appear while Amazon gathers the items in your order.

Transferring inventory: Sometimes the item you ordered is not available at the fulfillment center closest to you. In this case, it needs to be transferred from another location before it can ship out. While it‘s making its way to your local fulfillment center, your order will likely show a "Not yet shipped" status.

Backordered or out of stock: If an item is backordered or temporarily out of stock, you may still be able to place an order for it. The "Not yet shipped" status will appear until the item is back in stock and ready to be sent out.

So while seeing "Not yet shipped" might make you think your order is delayed or that there‘s a problem, it really just means Amazon hasn‘t physically shipped out your package yet for one of the reasons above. In most cases, it‘s nothing to worry about, and the status will update once the order makes its way further along in the shipping process.

How Long Do Amazon Orders Take to Ship?

The amount of time it takes for an Amazon order to ship out varies depending on the item, seller, and your location. Generally speaking, most orders fulfilled by Amazon itself ship within 1-2 business days. If you‘re a Prime member, you can expect free 2-day shipping on eligible items. Orders from third-party sellers can take longer to ship, as processing times vary by seller.

Here are some general shipping timelines you can expect:

Items fulfilled by Amazon: 1-2 business days processing, then 2-5 business days for delivery (2 days for Prime)
Items sold and shipped by Amazon: 2-5 business days for delivery (2 days for Prime)
Items fulfilled by third-party seller: Varies by seller, typically 3-7 business days processing before handoff to carrier

Of course, these are just estimates and shipping times can sometimes take longer for reasons like holidays, severe weather, or unexpected delays. Overall, you should see your order move from "Not yet shipped" to "Shipped" within a few business days in most cases.

Why Is My Amazon Order Taking So Long to Ship?

If it seems like your Amazon order is taking longer than usual to ship out, you might be wondering what‘s going on and whether you should be concerned. There are a few common reasons why an order might get stuck in "Not yet shipped" status for longer than a couple business days:

High order volume: During busy shopping periods like the holidays or Amazon Prime Day, the influx of orders can lead to delays in processing times. It may take Amazon longer than usual to package and ship out orders during these high-volume times.

Weather delays: If there are severe weather conditions in the area where your item is shipping from, it can slow things down and lead to a delay in your order being sent out.

Inventory delays: Sometimes an item might show as in stock when you place your order, but then becomes backordered or delayed due to inventory discrepancies. This can cause a hold-up in shipping until the inventory is replenished.

Missing information: If you accidentally entered the wrong shipping address or if your payment information couldn‘t be verified, it can stall your order from moving forward.

The key thing is not to panic if your order takes a couple extra days to ship out. Most of the time, you can rest assured it will be on its way shortly. However, if a week or more has gone by with no change in status, it‘s probably time to contact Amazon for more information.

When to Contact Amazon About an Order That Hasn‘t Shipped

Because Amazon processes such a huge volume of orders each day, a short delay in shipping times is not uncommon. For that reason, I typically give an order 5-7 business days to ship out before becoming concerned that something is off. If a full week has gone by and your order still shows a "Not yet shipped" status, that‘s a good indication that it‘s time to contact Amazon for more details.

You have a few different options for contacting Amazon about an order that hasn‘t shipped yet:

On the website: If you‘re logged into your Amazon account on a desktop, go to Your Orders and locate the order in question. From there you‘ll see a "Problem with order" button that allows you to select a reason like "Where‘s my stuff?" or "Delivery or pickup is late." Follow the prompts and Amazon will provide an updated estimated delivery date or an option to contact them for further help.

On the app: In the Amazon mobile app, select the menu icon and choose "Customer Service" then "Your Orders." Select your order and choose the "Problem with order" option. From there you can select "Where‘s my stuff?" and either use the automated assistant or request to speak with a representative for more details.

By phone: To speak with an Amazon customer service rep by phone, call 888-280-4331. Have your order number ready and they should be able to look up the order details and give you more information about the delay and when you can expect your order to ship out.

When you contact Amazon about an order that hasn‘t shipped, they will do their best to provide an updated timeline for when you can expect the order to be sent out for delivery. In some cases, they may determine that the order cannot be fulfilled for some reason and they will notify you of a cancellation and refund.

The key is to give your order some time before reaching out, as a couple business days is usually not cause for concern. But if a week or more goes by with no movement on the order status, it‘s definitely a good idea to contact Amazon and get some more details about what‘s going on with your shipment.

What Happens If an Amazon Seller Doesn‘t Ship?

If you purchase an item from a third-party seller on Amazon and they fail to ship it out, you‘re not out of luck. Amazon requires all sellers to adhere to certain shipping standards, and they will step in if a seller drops the ball. Here‘s what happens if a seller doesn‘t ship your Amazon order:

After 2 business days with no shipment scan from the seller, Amazon sends them a reminder to confirm shipment and provide a tracking number.
If the seller still doesn‘t confirm shipment or provide tracking after 3 more business days, Amazon will send you a notification giving you the option to cancel the order.
If you choose to cancel, Amazon will automatically issue you a full refund. You don‘t have to do anything additional to request the refund.
If the seller confirms shipment after the 5 business days have passed, it‘s up to you whether you want to keep the order or request a cancellation and refund.

So while a delay in a seller shipping out your order can certainly be inconvenient, you won‘t be stuck with an unshipped order or out any money if a seller fails to send your item. Amazon has protections in place to make sure you only pay for orders that actually make their way to you.

Understanding the "Not Yet Shipped We‘ll Email You When Available" Message

Occasionally when looking at the order status for an item on Amazon, you might see a message that says something like "Not yet shipped. We‘ll email you when available." This can be a confusing message, especially if the item showed as in stock when you placed the order. Here‘s what it actually means:

This status indicates that the item is currently out of stock in Amazon‘s fulfillment centers but is still available for purchase. Essentially, Amazon is waiting on additional inventory from their supplier before they are able to ship out any orders. If you place an order for one of these temporarily out-of-stock items, Amazon will email you to let you know once it‘s back in stock and ready to be shipped out.

This is different from a typical backorder, where Amazon provides an estimated "back in stock" date upfront on the product listing. With the "We‘ll email you when available" message, there is no estimated restock date provided initially. You can go ahead and order the item if you‘re willing to wait for it to come back in stock, and Amazon will notify you when it‘s available and ship it out then.

Tips for Dealing with Amazon Order Delays

While it‘s never fun to see an order get delayed, sometimes it‘s simply unavoidable when shopping online. Here are a few tips to help make dealing with Amazon order delays a little less stressful:

Always check the estimated delivery date before placing your order. This will give you a realistic idea of when to expect your order initially.
Don‘t panic if your order goes a few days past the estimated ship date before moving to "Shipped" status. A 1-2 day delay is usually not cause for concern.
If you have an urgent need for the item by a certain date, it‘s a good idea to filter your search results by "Get it by [date]" to see only items that are guaranteed to arrive in time.
Consider signing up for text alerts on your order shipment. That way you‘ll know as soon as your order ships out and will have tracking information right at your fingertips.
If a week or more goes by with no update on an order that hasn‘t shipped, don‘t hesitate to reach out to Amazon via phone, chat, or email for more details. They may be able to provide an updated timeline or process a refund if something went wrong.

At the end of the day, order delays are sometimes simply part of the territory with online shopping. But by keeping an eye on your order status, giving it an appropriate amount of time before getting concerned, and knowing when and how to contact Amazon when needed, you can navigate shipping delays as smoothly as possible.

The bottom line on Amazon "Not yet shipped" status

As a regular Amazon customer myself, I know how frustrating it can be to see an order stuck on "Not yet shipped" status, especially when you‘re eager to receive your items. But in most cases, it‘s no reason to panic and simply means that Amazon is still processing your order before sending it out.

Most Amazon orders move to "Shipped" status within a few business days, so don‘t be alarmed if it takes 2-5 days for your order status to change. If a week or more goes by, you can contact Amazon for an updated timeline or to sort out any potential issues with the order. Unless the item is temporarily out of stock, Amazon will provide an estimated ship date and you can decide how you‘d like to proceed.

By keeping these key details about Amazon‘s "Not yet shipped" status in mind, you‘ll know exactly what to expect from your order and can shop with confidence knowing that Amazon has customer-friendly policies in place in case anything goes wrong. The next time you see that pesky "Not yet shipped" status on an order, take a deep breath and trust that your items will be headed your way shortly.