In an ideal e-commerce world, every order would travel seamlessly from cart to customer. However, the reality of logistics involves occasional hurdles known as order and delivery exceptions. These are any events that temporarily halt or reroute a shipment, requiring action to ensure a successful delivery.

This knowledge base is a comprehensive library for our valued merchants, demystifying the various types of exceptions, explaining how they are flagged, and clarifying the required actions and responsibilities to achieve a swift resolution.

Understanding Exception Categories

Exceptions can be broadly categorized by when they occur and what is needed to resolve them:

Pre-Shipment Exceptions: These issues are identified by our Fulfillment Center (FC) in China before your order is dispatched. They always require action from the merchant to provide missing or corrected information before we can ship the product.
In-Transit Exceptions: These occur after the package has left our FC and is with the carrier. They fall into two types:
- Action Required: Roadblocks that require specific steps from the merchant, Portless, or the end customer to get the shipment moving again.
- Informational: Updates from the carrier that flag a potential delay. While we monitor these, they typically do not require immediate action as the package is often still in transit.

Pre-Shipment Exceptions

(Action Required)

These exceptions are flagged by our Fulfillment Center (FC) prior to international dispatch. The FC communicates the list of affected orders to our Customer Service (CS) Team. The CS Team will then send you an outbound email detailing the issue and requesting the necessary information. Your prompt action is required to proceed with fulfillment.

Resolution Owner: Portless CS Team

Exception	What it means	Next Steps: Merchant Responsibility
Missing Tax/ID Number	Many countries require a consignee's Tax ID or personal identification number for customs clearance.	Contact your customer to obtain the required number and provide it to the Portless CS Team.
Incomplete/Incorrect Address	The address is missing key elements (e.g., apartment number, street name) or contains errors.	Contact your customer to confirm the full, correct address and relay it to the Portless CS Team.
Incorrect City / Zipcode Unserviceable	The city and postal code do not match, or the carrier does not service the specific zip code.	Verify the correct city and zip code with your customer and provide the updated information.
English Name/Address Required	The recipient's name or address is in a non-Latin alphabet, which carriers cannot process for international shipping labels.	Obtain the recipient’s full name and address in English from your customer and provide it to us.
Missing/Incorrect Phone Format	A valid phone number is missing or entered in a format the carrier system rejects. This is often crucial for customs and final delivery.	Get a valid, local phone number from your customer and provide it in the correct international format.
Can’t Ship to PO Box	The destination address is a PO Box, but the selected carrier or service cannot deliver to them.	Request a physical street address from your customer and provide it to the Portless CS Team.
Can’t Ship to a Remote Area	The customer's address is in a location considered remote or "out of delivery area" by our partner carriers.	Request an alternative, serviceable shipping address from your customer.
Restricted Country	The destination country is on a restricted list due to trade sanctions, logistical complexities, or carrier limitations.	Request an alternative shipping address in a non-restricted country.
Need Tax/ID, Name, Address	A general flag for multiple missing pieces of essential information required for shipment.	Review the order details carefully, obtain all missing information from your customer, and provide it.

💡 Note: Once you have obtained the needed information from your customer, you can share it with the Portless Team by replying to the email we sent you. Or you can create a new ticket through the Help Center. You may also send us an email at support@portless.com; or chat us through the Merchant Admin Portal – just click the bottom-right chat bubble!

In-Transit Exceptions

These exceptions occur while the order is on its way to your customer.

Category 1: Action Required In-Transit Exceptions

Exception	What it means	Responsibilities	Resolution Owner
Recipient Not Available	The carrier attempted delivery, often when a signature was required, but no one was present to receive it.	Next Steps: The carrier usually attempts redelivery. The customer can also use the tracking number to schedule pickup. Merchant Role: Inform your customer of the attempt so they can prepare for redelivery or pickup. If multiple attempts fail, the package will be returned.	Merchant (Owner of customer communication)
Delivery Refused	The end customer actively refused to accept the package from the carrier.	Next Steps: The package will be returned to the sender. Merchant Role: Contact your customer to understand the reason for refusal. This will determine if a refund or a new shipment is needed. The original order will be processed as a return.	Merchant (Owner of customer communication)
Delivery Attempted – Access Issues	The carrier could not reach the delivery location (e.g., "No Access to Delivery Location"). This is common with gated communities or secure apartment buildings.	Next Steps: The carrier may re-attempt delivery. Merchant Role: Contact your customer to see if a gate code or special instruction is needed. Provide any new instructions to the Portless CS Team, who can relay them to the carrier.	Merchant (Owner of customer communication)
Held at Pickup Location	The package is being held at a local post office or carrier facility, often at the customer's request ("Held at Post Office at Customer Request") or after a failed delivery attempt.	Next Steps: The customer must pick up the package from the specified location within a set timeframe. Merchant Role: Notify your customer that their package is ready for pickup and inform them of the location and deadline to avoid having it returned.	Merchant (Owner of business decision, e.g., refund/reship)
Customs Delay	The package is held by the destination country's customs agency pending clearance, often due to missing documentation or required duty/tax payments.	Next Steps: Varies by cause. If it's a documentation issue flagged post-shipment, Portless CS will notify you. If duties are owed, the carrier will contact the customer directly. Merchant Role: Be ready to provide information if requested, and advise your customer to look out for communications from the carrier regarding import fees.	Portless CS Team (Owner of investigation and communication)

Category 2: Informational & Carrier-Driven Exceptions

These exceptions signal a delay within the carrier's network. Usually, no immediate action is needed. The tracking should update within 24-48 hours.

Exception

Common Tracking Statuses

Resolution & Responsibilities

Severe Weather or Natural Disasters

"Delivery Exception – Weather Delay"

Status: Informational.

Next Steps: The carrier will resume operations when it is safe. Patience is key. Merchants may wish to proactively notify customers in affected regions.

Resolution Owner: No Owner (Informational only; resolves when conditions permit)

Carrier or Logistics-Driven Exception

"In transit, arriving late"
"Shipment delayed due to operational issues"
"Package delayed – in carrier facility"
"Departed facility – no further scans for several days"

Status: Informational (initially).

Next Steps: Monitor the tracking for 24-48 hours, as these delays often resolve themselves. If there is no movement after 48 hours:

Resolution Owner: Portless CS Team - You can also request assistance from our CS Team. We will consult with our FC, to see the package's whereabouts.

Detailed Resolution Flows for In-Transit Exceptions

Resolution Owner: Merchant - For exceptions like Recipient Not Available, Access Issues, Held at Pickup, or Delivery Refused, the merchant owns the resolution because the next steps depend entirely on communication with the end customer and subsequent business decisions (e.g., providing a gate code, instructing the customer, issuing a refund). While Portless will notify you of the issue, the merchant is responsible for taking the action that resolves the situation.

Resolution Owner: Portless CS Team - For a Customs Delay, our CS team owns the process of investigating the cause with the FC or carrier and providing the merchant with a clear action plan.

For Carrier-Driven Exceptions, the situation is initially informational. However, if tracking does not update after 48 hours, the Portless CS Team takes ownership of the escalation process. Our team will recommend the merchant contact the last-mile carrier and can also escalate to our FC.

A Partnership in Problem-Solving

Resolving delivery exceptions is a collaborative effort. By understanding these common issues and the defined roles for both merchants and Portless, we can work together to address them efficiently. We encourage you to maintain open communication with your customers, as their input is often the key to getting a shipment back on track.

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