How to avoid delivery rejections

More important than learning how to proceed after a rejection is understanding how to avoid rejections. This article contains some best practices that we strongly advise all partners to follow in order to reduce the chance of a delivery rejection occurring at all. 

Having a booked delivery slot in Mercareon with the correct information i.e. aligned quantities between those listed in Mercareon and the actual delivered amount, is mandatory to unload in our warehouses:

• The dispatched quantity file i.e. the final list of articles being sent in the delivery, should be submitted via zDirect at least 24 hours before the shipment date

• Your carrier must book a slot in Mercareon by 23:59 the day before the delivery date at the latest. However, we recommend that they book as early as possible. Mercareon slots are released each Monday for the following calendar week.

• Your carrier must enter the final loaded quantities of pallets / boxes / hanging goods in Mercareon prior to delivery.

Please ensure that your delivery reaches the warehouse on the confirmed delivery date and time. We don’t accept deliveries prior or after the agreed delivery date / time.

If delivering on the original delivery date is no longer possible:

• Rebook the confirmed delivery date via zDirect.

• Update the delivery date and time slot in Mercareon. If the final quantities of pallets / boxes / hanging goods have changed from the previous booking, please also update them.

Zalando only accepts wooden pallets with the standard Euro-pallet dimensions: length 1200mm x width 800mm x height 144mm

• The delivery note needs to be attached to the pallet that is located closest to the truck door or can alternatively be handed over by the driver. 

• The pallet label always needs to be aligned with the door, on the short side of the pallet.

• All pallets that belong to one ZFS Shipping Notice ID should be arranged together. 

• Goods that are to be delivered should not be blocked by other goods from third parties.

• Between the goods and the door there has to be a minimum gap of 10 cm (loading sill).

• Pallets are not allowed to be stacked above each other.

• The boxes are not allowed to be packed over the dimensions of the pallet.

• The short side of the pallets (0,80m) needs to face the door at the back of the truck. The reason for this is that all pallets are offloaded from the back of the vehicle.

• The vehicles need to be able to be unloaded from a loading ramp. This requires a min. width of 2.00m, min. height of 1.00m from ground, and doors shall be opened by at least 270°.

• Per truck one Mercareon time slot booking is required

• Pallets have to be wrapped in clear foil so that the boxes do not move or fall off and also for the warehouse to be able to count the amount of boxes that are being delivered. Please note:  Black foil is not allowed.

• The unloading from the side is impossible.

• The max height is 215cm (including the pallet)

• A delivery in a van cannot take place in Mönchengladbach

Please find further information in our Delivery terms and in our specifications and loading of ZFS deliveries.

More important than learning how to proceed after a rejection, is understanding how to avoid rejections.

Ensure that the number of items are correct in zDirect by submitting your final dispatch quantities before shipping your parcels.

You should deliver your loose delivery within +/- five working days from the confirmed delivery date.

If this is not possible, please do the following:

• Submit a new shipping notice request.

• Relabel the parcels with the newly assigned shipping notice ID.

• Deliver your parcels within the new delivery window.

The delivery needs to be correctly labeled. Please make sure that the ZFS Shipping Notice ID is clearly visible. You can find further detailed instructions in our Delivery terms.

Mixed labels are not allowed, so please ensure there is only one Shipping Notice ID per box.

• The delivery can only be done by CEP service providers.

• If the delivery is done with a non-rampable transport then the unloading must be processed by the driver. This means that the packages need to be handed over by the driver.

• The delivery note has to be attached to one of the cartons in a dispatch envelope. For deliveries from within the EU, it can be located inside a carton, but this has to be clearly stated on the outside of the respective carton.

• The maximum for a parcel delivery is ten boxes.

• The maximum dimensions of consolidation cartons are 80cm x 60cm x 40cm and the maximum weight for one carton is 20kg.