Amazon Says It Has Fixed 'Glitch' Thwarting Overseas Military Families

FacebookXPinterestEmailEmailEmailShare
Amazon logo in Santa Monica, Calif
FILE - This Sept. 6, 2012 file photo shows the Amazon logo in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)

Amazon had a glitch that caused multiple military families living in Italy, Bahrain and Japan to be unable to order goods Wednesday, an Amazon spokeswoman said via email Thursday.

"We noticed an unfortunate glitch in our system on Wednesday that did not allow some items to be shipped to military addresses," she wrote. "We worked quickly to fix the issue, and thank our customers for their patience and understanding."

Since Monday, military families have reported that Amazon would not deliver certain items, including diapers, electronics and clothes, to their international APO, FPO and DPO addresses. While Norway appears to have stopped its mail to and from the U.S., Amazon said customers at APO, FPO and DPO addresses should now be able to purchase in-stock items again.

However, there might be a delay in customers receiving these items due to increased demand. And Amazon is prioritizing the delivery of household staples, sanitizers, baby formula and medical supplies.

Related: Military Families Overseas Say They Can't Order from Amazon

"To serve our customers while also helping to ensure the safety of our associates, we've changed our logistics, transportation, supply chain, purchasing, and third-party seller processes to prioritize stocking and delivering items that are a higher priority for our customers," the Amazon spokeswoman wrote Friday. "This has resulted in some of our delivery promises being longer than usual."

To overcome this, the company is hiring more than 100,000 positions across the country, she added.

-- Dorothy Mills-Gregg can be reached at dorothy.mills-gregg@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @DMillsGregg.

Read More: Marines Told to Cut High-Intensity Workouts During Virus Outbreak

Story Continues