A shipping-policy change needs more than revised webpage copy. Keep evidence that connects the public promise to inventory, fulfillment, carriers, order logic, customer notices, and the exact orders governed by each version. The goal is to reconstruct what a buyer was told at checkout and what the business could reasonably deliver at that moment.
This is operational guidance, not legal advice. Rules vary by product, destination, and jurisdiction. For covered United States orders, the Federal Trade Commission's requirements make dated promises and delay handling especially important.
Freeze the old promise before editing
Save a timestamped copy of the current policy, checkout language, product-page estimates, confirmation email, help-center text, and any marketplace listing that states a shipping time. Record URLs, locale, device, customer segment, and time zone. Capture structured configuration such as handling days, cutoff times, excluded dates, inventory rules, carrier services, and destination restrictions.
Do not rely on a screenshot alone. Export the underlying policy text or configuration where possible and calculate a file hash or use a version-control record. Note when the old version began and which orders it covered. If different channels show different promises, preserve each one and flag the inconsistency.
Record the reasonable operational basis
The FTC business guide says a seller needs a reasonable basis for shipping representations. Keep the evidence used to set the new promise: recent pick-and-pack time, supplier lead time, carrier pickup schedule, holiday closures, stock status, geographic limits, and capacity assumptions. Separate measured history from forecasts and identify the person who approved the decision.
A promise such as “ships in two days” is different from an estimated delivery date. Document which event the clock starts from, whether weekends count, and whether the statement concerns dispatch or arrival. If the business cannot support a precise promise, use qualified language that remains clear rather than publishing an exact number without evidence.
Define which orders receive which version
Write an effective timestamp and a deterministic rule for orders in progress. Preserve test orders around the boundary: just before the change, at the change, and just after it. Confirm that carts, checkout, order confirmation, customer account pages, staff tools, and support templates agree. Record taxes or payment effects only if they are genuinely part of the shipping change.
For existing orders, keep the promise displayed when the order was placed. A later website edit does not by itself change that order's history. Link each affected order to the applicable version without copying customer details into the general change record.
Preserve notices, consent, and refunds
When a covered order cannot ship on time, the FTC guide describes required delay notices, cancellation choices, consent rules, and prompt refunds. The FTC's prompt-delivery guidance specifically recommends keeping what a delay notice said, when it was provided, and how the customer responded. Preserve the approved template, delivery timestamp, channel, revised date, response, cancellation, and refund receipt for each affected order in the appropriate customer record.
Do not claim that a banner or order-status page alone satisfies every notice requirement. The evidence should show the notice method actually used and the customer's available choices. Escalate uncertain cases to qualified counsel or the responsible compliance owner.
Test the complete customer journey
Use controlled test orders for common regions, product types, stock states, and delivery methods. Verify product pages, cart, checkout, confirmation, tracking, delay messaging, cancellation, refund, and support responses. Include accessibility checks and plain-language review. Confirm that carrier labels and fulfillment queues use the intended service without purchasing unnecessary live postage.
Record expected and observed dates, screenshots or exports, configuration identifiers, and test results. Check that analytics or support reports distinguish the policy version, but avoid treating an analytics event as proof of shipment.
Assemble an auditable change packet
Keep the old and new policy, exact diff, effective time, approval, evidence for the promise, affected systems, test matrix, representative redacted results, customer-notice templates, rollback steps, and open risks. Retain it according to the business's record policy and applicable requirements.
After launch, compare actual handling performance with the basis used for the new promise. If results drift, revise operations or the public statement through another documented change. The strongest record proves what customers saw, why the promise was reasonable, how exceptions were handled, and which orders were governed by each version.
Sources
- Business Guide to the FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule — Federal Trade Commission
- Selling on the Internet: Prompt Delivery Rules — Federal Trade Commission