# When Amazon says 'On the way, but it's running late' - does it ever turn up? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 23, 2020, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-amazon-says-on-the-way-but-its-running-late-does-it-ever-turn-up/926278 "2020-11-23T16:44:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-amazon-says-on-the-way-but-its-running-late-does-it-ever-turn-up/926278/21 "2020-11-23T22:34:31Z")
Always shows up with that language, UNLESS, in my recent experience, it’s shipping from China. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-amazon-says-on-the-way-but-its-running-late-does-it-ever-turn-up/926278/22 "2020-11-23T23:35:09Z")
One thing I had with the running late, then “may be lost” and wound up being cancelled was just a few weeks ago. I ordered a standing desk frame. It was one of the least expensive that still had decent reviews. I went out and bought a top for it. Then it was marked delayed, etc. By the time that happened, the item was out of stock. When I checked the detailed tracking, I saw that all that had happened was that a label had been printed. (But apparently that is what triggers Amazon to send the “your item has shipped” message.) It was pretty clear that it wasn’t sent because they oversold it. I still had to wait another two days before I could get a refund. I wound up having to order a different, more expensive, frame. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-amazon-says-on-the-way-but-its-running-late-does-it-ever-turn-up/926278/23 "2020-11-24T19:36:37Z")
I’ve been in 3 situations during Covid delays: 1. It shows up the next day 2. It never shows, and you can request a resend after a few days 3. Same as #2, except it does show up, so now you have two for the price of one. I got a free oximeter from work. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2021, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-amazon-says-on-the-way-but-its-running-late-does-it-ever-turn-up/926278/25 "2021-04-29T03:34:41Z")
In my case, I received the “on the way” message, then did receive the item… after FOUR MONTHS! ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2021, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-amazon-says-on-the-way-but-its-running-late-does-it-ever-turn-up/926278/26 "2021-04-29T18:45:01Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I must have great Amazon karma. I have ordered from them a lot for over twenty years and have never had something not show up. I have had the running late notice maybe five or six times and even then it was only late by a day or two. Well wouldn’t you know it but I just got bit. Something was supposed to show up a week ago. I got a late notice that it would show up in the next week and today is the last day. I can get a new one tomorrow if it doesn’t show up. They gave me a USPS tracking number that doesn’t link to anything. It’s an $8 sink drain cover to stop garbage disposal splash back to replace my old one that’s disintegrating. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2021, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-amazon-says-on-the-way-but-its-running-late-does-it-ever-turn-up/926278/27 "2021-04-29T18:46:24Z")
All the time for me, and “running late” usually means a day or two. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-amazon-says-on-the-way-but-its-running-late-does-it-ever-turn-up/926278.md?page=1)