Delays in delivery
Delays in delivery can be caused by a number of things. While Zipline strives to deliver orders within the estimated time of arrival (ETA) quoted when you place an order, there are certain factors that might cause delay in delivery.
Unexpected events
Temporary weather events, such as high wind, fog, heavy rain, sleet, snow, hail or tornadic weather will prevent flight and can cause delivery delays. When this happens, sites will cease flights until the weather clears and it's safe to fly.
Note: While it may be sunny at your delivery location, weather between your location and the store might prevent us from flying to you for a period of time.- In some cases when the weather conditions are severe, a Zipline site or service may be marked as "unavailable" for safety reasons, such as icing on aircraft or unsafe travel conditions for personnel. Operations will resume once safety conditions are verified.Additionally, adverse weather can also lead to delays during the order "loading" phase, prior to beginning the flight. This may cause the order status to stay in "loading" or "pending" until the conditions clear up and it is safe to proceed.
Temporary flight restrictions may be put in place by government, municipalities or emergency services, preventing flight in areas and delaying delivery.- Similarly, during flight restrictions, the site or service may also be marked as "unavailable" until these restrictions are lifted.
In all cases, once the unexpected event clears, flights will resume as quickly as possible.Specific to 'unavailable' status, operations resume only when safety precautions like deicing or site readiness checks are completed and weather conditions improve.
Loading Delays and Pre-Flight Preparation
Loading delays can occur before a flight begins due to various factors. When an order status indicates "loading" or "loading for flight," it means the order is in the process of being prepared for delivery. This may take longer than expected in certain scenarios, such as during operationally busy times or due to adverse weather conditions. These statuses automatically update in the app when progress is made during preparation.
Definition and Distinction of 'Unavailable'
The term "unavailable" indicates that a site or service is not operational for a period of time, either due to external events like weather or internal issues such as site closures or deicing requirements. This differs from "delays," which occur while operations are ongoing but temporarily slower than expected.
Technical Glitches
Zipline relies heavily on technical capabilities of our aircraft and systems that support flight operations to our customers. As with all technology, glitches in our complex systems may cause delays in delivery until the glitch can be resolved. Once resolved, orders will be sent out as quickly as possible.In some instances, technical glitches might also lead a site or service to be temporarily marked as "unavailable" until the issue is addressed.
Delays are generally reported through the Zipline app's delivery tracking experience. If delays will be lengthy or extend beyond normal operating hours, orders may be canceled, and you will not be charged for the order. Temporary purchase authorizations for the order will be released in 1-5 days.
The app’s real-time update feature ensures that order statuses such as "loading" and "loading for flight" are kept current. If statuses remain unchanged for prolonged periods, users can contact support through the app’s Help section for further clarification.