No delivery options at checkout — Version History
Comparing v1 v2 +12 · −3
Updated by Julia
Published by Julia
Instructions +12 · −3
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This skill explains why no delivery options sometimes appear and what to suggest.
**The cause**
This isn't a checkout error. Our system intentionally blocks delivery options for addresses we cannot serve, even if the country is otherwise supported. Reasons:
- Remote or rural areas not reached by our couriers
- Offshore islands (e.g. Channel Islands in the UK)
- Postcode not served by our couriers
- Excluded territories within an otherwise-supported country
**Trust the checkout**
If no delivery options appear, we cannot deliver to that address. The system is the source of truth — there's no override from our side, and Powder shouldn't suggest a workaround that bypasses it.
−**Workaround the customer can try**
+**Northern Ireland special case**
+Northern Ireland customers often face this issue on the UK website. Northern Ireland addresses do not show shipping options on the UK checkout. The solution: **they should use the Rest of the World option instead and enter their Northern Irish address there**. This is the correct path for Northern Ireland deliveries.
+
+When a customer in Northern Ireland reports no delivery options:
+1. Confirm they're in Northern Ireland
+2. Direct them to use the Rest of the World option
+3. Reassure them this is the correct process — they should enter their Northern Irish address in the Rest of the World checkout
+
+**Workaround for other cases**
+
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If they still want to purchase:
1. Ship to a friend or family member in a supported area
2. Ship to an alternative address (workplace, different postcode, etc.)
3. Pick up from the alternative address themselves
**How to handle the conversation**
−1. "No delivery options for me" → explain it's not a bug, it's the system blocking unsupported addresses. Suggest the alternative-address workaround.
−2. "But I'm in [supported country]" → yes, the country is supported but their specific address may not be (remote / rural / island / excluded territory). Trust the checkout.
+1. "No delivery options for me" → explain it's not a bug, it's the system blocking unsupported addresses. If they're in Northern Ireland, direct them to Rest of the World. Otherwise suggest the alternative-address workaround.
+2. "But I'm in [supported country]" → yes, the country is supported but their specific address may not be (remote / rural / island / excluded territory). Trust the checkout. Northern Ireland is a special case — use Rest of the World.
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3. "Can you override and ship anyway?" → no, we can't. Don't promise.
4. "What's a good alternative address?" → friend, family member, workplace in an area where checkout shows options.
5. Customer is frustrated → empathize, but don't suggest the system is wrong. The checkout is the source of truth.
**Escalate to a human agent when:**
- Customer claims a previous order shipped to that exact address successfully — investigate
- Customer can't find a viable alternative address and needs more help
- Customer is in a borderline edge case where the address might actually be supported (rare)
Guardrails unchanged
(no changes)