What's Happening?
You may have been noticing an increase in sold-out products and delayed deliveries across the United States. It is a pain point for not only consumers but e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retailers as well.
The 2020 Pandemic led to a decrease in production worldwide while there was a considerable increase in demand for products in the US. At the same time, factories, plants, ports, postal sorting centers, and fulfillment centers have shut down periodically, even in 2021, as they experienced viral outbreaks or staffing shortages. These events have added an enormous backlog to the already challenging supply issue. As a result, the repercussions of the 2020 Pandemic are not expected to resolve themselves until well into 2022.
Cargo ships have been waiting for more extended periods before they can dock, and there is a shortage of truck drivers to take goods out of the ports to their destinations. USPS, in particular, has slowed services and changed staffing in some regions of the country. In addition to the national backlog, these changes have impacted all the top shipping companies as well.
For packages being shipped internationally, countries have put into place different COVID protocols and may be experiencing a surge in infection that impacts staffing and can slow shipping. The delays at the ports have also created an accumulation of goods in US customs, often stopping packages for as much as a month.
To read more about this slowdown in shipping times, please visit the following news links:
- https://www.npr.org/2021/10/20/1047705451/why-the-global-supply-chain-is-still-clogged-and-how-to-fix-it
- https://www.npr.org/2021/09/28/1041304836/slower-mail-delivery-higher-prices-holiday-season
Why was my package shipped with this carrier?
Pantastic is a marketplace where brands come together to sell their products. Because of this, Pantastic is not able to dictate which shipper the brands use. However, if the brand offers multiple shipping options for the product/s you are ordering, we display them upon checkout.
Generally, when a brand offers free shipping, the service is provided by the USPS. Brands favor using the USPS because the shipping cost for customers is, in some cases, dramatically cheaper if not altogether free.
What is Pantastic doing about this?
We ask brands in our network to get orders to shipping carriers as quickly as possible, so packages have plenty of time to travel during this difficult time. You can find more information about tracking PANTASTIC orders and what to do if you believe an order is missing in our FAQ.
Once a shipper carrier has your package, only the shipper can provide progress updates or speed up delivery.
Pantastic will ask brands to open investigations with the shipping carrier if a package's movement delay exceeds 14 days for domestic orders and 21 days for international orders. Generally, these are the maximum a shipment will get "stuck" in one place. Usually, the amount of time is much shorter.
What can I do about this?
Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do. Please have patience with us as we work to ensure you have the products you need. If you are placing more orders, place them as quickly as possible. If you have ordered items for specific events or holidays, please have an alternate plan in mind if the products do not arrive in time.
We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your patience during this difficult time.