CINCINNATI — If you are an Amazon Prime member, you may recall a few years ago when almost everything had one—or two-day shipping.
That's not always the case anymore, with so many items coming from third-party vendors.
Some customers worry that UPS's announced changes for 2026 might slow deliveries even more, as UPS will be cutting its Amazon deliveries by 50 percent to help its bottom line.
Some Prime members have complained about slower delivery times since the pandemic.
Latosha Wright has noticed fewer 2-day shipping options for some third-party Amazon orders in the past two to three years.
"I started noticing that the packages were not coming when they stated they would come," she said
Now, the concern is that Amazon will lose another delivery option next year, which means it will have to rely more and more on its own drivers and contract drivers who often handle deliveries in unmarked cars.
Amazon addresses the UPS cutbacks
An Amazon spokesman confirmed the UPS cutbacks, telling us, "Due to their operational needs, UPS requested a reduction in volume, and we certainly respect their decision. We’ll continue to partner with them and many other carriers to serve our customers."
However, the spokesman said the change would not slow delivery times for most customers anymore, as it has been rapidly expanding its fleet of EVs and other vehicles and using the Postal Service and Flex drivers.
He said, "Amazon delivered at our fastest speeds ever for prime members globally in 2024 and delivered more than 9 billion items the same day or the next day."
Amazon points out that more than two-thirds of its deliveries are now delivered via Amazon's own logistics network in the US, and that its last-mile network is facilitated by both delivery service partners who drive the branded Amazon vans and Amazon Flex delivery partners.
Finally, the spokesman said "Prime members worldwide also saved nearly $95 billion on fast, free delivery. In the U.S., that means Prime members saved on average over $500 on their deliveries last year."
See the concerns over Amazon delivery times and how the company is responding:
How to make sure you get speedy delivery
Want to be sure you get one or two-day delivery?
Look for items that say "get it tomorrow," which typically means they are already in an Amazon warehouse. Check delivery times for third-party vendors carefully, as many of them will not guarantee two-day shipping even to Prime members.
In the meantime, if your order is delayed, the easiest way to contact Amazon is through web chat, not calling.
A chat agent may even rush it out from another seller, so you get it sooner and don't waste your money.
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