Order-Fulfillment/Delivery

Invalid Address

If an order is placed with an invalid delivery address, it will be blocked by the fulfillment center, and an Ash support team member will reach out to confirm or update the address as needed. The fulfillment center will keep kits on hold for address validation for up to 1 week, after which the order will be canceled and a new order will need to be placed with the corrected address. Note: clients are not charged for the initial canceled kit. This system just helps Ash, our clients and the fulfillment center to better manage outstanding orders.

Action:

Reach out to the patient to confirm or update their address as needed and relay the updated address to the Ash client support email ASAP. If more than 7 days have passed since the original order was placed, place a new order with the updated address.

Kit is Returned to Sender/Unable to be Delivered

If a kit passes initial address validation but cannot be delivered to the patient - either due to a missing or incorrect address field or another reason - the kit will be returned to the fulfillment center (“return to sender”.) The fulfillment center collects all returned kits in a database, and Ash runs a weekly report of all kits returned to fulfillment. If a kit is returned to fulfillment, an Ash support team member will reach out to coordinate a replacement, as kits cannot be resent or reused due to regulations around human specimen collection and transit.  Note: return-to-sender deliveries tend to take awhile to return and can bounce around in transit for up to a few weeks. To get ahead of potential returns, clients or patients can also track the outbound delivery,  which will show a “return to sender” status update before it has made it back to the fulfillment center. This can help ensure replacement kits get out to patients ASAP.

Action:

Ash support team will reach out with any kits returned to the fulfillment center. Ash clients are responsible for placing replacement orders, as needed, and validating the address with the patient to avoid repeat returns. If the client or patient identifies a failed delivery prior to the kit arriving back at the fulfillment center, a replacement order can be placed proactively. Just reach out to Ash’s client support email with this update to avoid confusion when the kit does arrive at the fulfillment center. Ash does not cover the cost of replacement kits due to failed delivery, unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Kit Lost in Transit

Occasionally kits are lost in transit on the way to the patient or on the way to the lab. Unlike kits returned to fulfillment, these do not always have clear status updates on the whereabouts of the kits and will often “drop off” in tracking, potentially due to USPS not properly scanning or updating it in their system. Due to the lack of clarity, it can be hard to determine when a kit is delayed versus lost. Ash support team will work with clients on a case by case basis to determine if a kit is lot, if a replacement order is needed and how quickly to initiate a replacement order, depending on patient needs (medication refills etc.)

Action:

If you suspect that a kit might be lost in transit for any of the reasons above, reach out to the Ash client success team and let them know that you are placing an order for a replacement. Ash covers the cost of replacement kits if the original kit is deemed lost by the postal service.  The Ash support team will mark the replacement kit for billing accordingly.

Sample Collection

Patient Missing Kit Materials