I ordered a FW13 laptop last week. After my initial research showed that Framework is a US based company I was little bit surprised to find my order was being drop-shipped directly from Taiwan. But okay. After a few days things on the tracking started moving, TW → JP → Honolulu → Memphis. So far so good, now it’s at a US hub at least as most FedEx packages get routed through. Next I expected it to start moving my way, but no. Now it shows as on it’s way back to Sennan-Shi Japan where it already came through. The FedEx message says “Your package may be late, local delivery restrictions”.
Does this mean anything I should be concerned about? On the one hand late is better than never, but the “local delivery restrictions” and rerouting back to Japan makes it sound like it had a customs issue and is being returned?
Does this problem ring any bells? A common issue or something I need to address?
I wouldn’t trust these messages, your laptop going back is very unlikely.
Either it’s still in Japan and the other locations have only received customs declarations or similar “paperwork”, which can sometimes track as the laptop arriving.
Or maybe the additional message from Japan was somehow delayed or has the wrong time attached or something.
From experience, your laptop may show the tracking headed backwards as it moves in and out of customs. It never actually does go backwards though. It’s just the tracking. It’s also inaccurate to term it “drop-shipped”. You’ve bought directly from the manufacturer, the manufacturer ships out of Taiwan. Not the same as drop shipping.
Unfortunately, a package moving backward, or other odd looking events is not uncommon. Mail systems don’t work in a straight line. It can go the “wrong” direction if there is a sorting or distribution hub in that direction it needs to pass through.
And if you’re unlucky, a package will take a real detour the wrong way. I’ve had too many do it. But there is nothing the seller or anyone else can do.
I didn’t think there is anyone who actually makes laptops in the USA. Perhaps some will assemble some parts there, but really made / any real manufacturing? I’d bet it’s zero companies.
I get the same thing occasionally, especially with international shipments. It seems like even if it is steadily moving in a single direction, occasionally a piece of paperwork gets entered into the system a bit late, and it shows up as a tracking scan in the wrong direction, but the package isn’t really there. When I was following my FW 12 tracking, it moved from Alaska to Tennessee, then left Tennessee and arrived in my state. Then it arrived at the local distribution center. Then it showed a “scan” in Tennessee again. But then it was out for delivery just an hour or two later. Obviously, it wasn’t actually back in Tennessee. Some kind of import paperwork probably got filed or something and it showed up as a blip in the tracking. So I wouldn’t worry.
That’s not to say a package couldn’t get delayed for a number of reasons (you said your status says it may be late). But I wouldn’t worry about the weird, seemingly out of order scans. It’s not all that uncommon.