On Tuesday, 26 March, Amazon was alleged to have delivered an iPhone 15 and an accompanying Otterbox case to my dwelling.
Amazon stated it will require a signature upon supply. So, I naturally ensured that I used to be dwelling all day so I might signal for the supply – which I had spent over £700 on.
However I wasn’t fearful if I used to be distracted by work, in spite of everything I’d hear the doorbell (I’ve an Amazon Ring video doorbell, which information motion exterior my door).
At 11:31, I acquired an e-mail telling me that the iPhone and case have been out for supply.
After which, at 14:34, I acquired an e-mail telling me that they’d been delivered.
That’s odd, I believed. I didn’t hear the doorbell, I haven’t signed for something, and I positively haven’t acquired an iPhone and case from Amazon.
Logging into my Amazon account, I used to be advised that the iPhone and case had been “Handed to resident” at 12:51.
Hmm.. nicely, I used to be the one individual dwelling on the home at the moment – and it positively hadn’t been handed to me. My associate (who was out on the time) confirmed that she hadn’t magically acquired it both.
A fast examine across the exterior of the home revealed no hint of a package deal, and the neighbours confirmed that they hadn’t acquired it both.
It’s all somewhat a thriller. Amazon claims that the package deal was “handed to resident” and had additionally stated that it will require a signature upon supply.
So how might it not be in my possession?
I did what everybody ought to do on this scenario. I contacted Amazon buyer companies. They advised me that I needed to wait till the top of Thursday 28 March earlier than requesting a refund, as typically errors occurred… and a supply could possibly be delayed.
Truthful sufficient, I believed. I’ll wait two days, after which request the refund for the non-delivery.
Two days later, after there was nonetheless no signal of the iPhone 15 or case, I requested the refund.
Customer support agent Rizza at “Earth’s most customer-centric firm” responded to my request:
It seems that the service has recorded your package deal as delivered on 26 March 2024. Please examine together with your neighbors or members of your family to search out out whether or not they’ve taken supply of the package deal in your behalf.
Please permit 3 days (72 hours) whereas we examine this matter. For those who haven’t acquired your refund by 31 March 2024 please tell us.
Oh, so having waited two days, I now have to attend one other three days? Hmm… okay. That is starting to get a bit irritating, I believed.
Happily, I didn’t have to attend three days to listen to again from Amazon. Sadly, I didn’t like what Amazon needed to say once they introduced the top of their investigation on 29 March:
AMZN_UK confirmed the [ITEM] you ordered was within the package deal on the time it left our success middle and that it was delivered to you intact. In consequence, we can not concern a alternative or a refund for this merchandise.
As you may in all probability think about, I wasn’t very pleased with this response. And so I emailed again:
Hello
The gadgets have been NOT delivered.
I used to be in the home on the time they claimed to be delivered. There was NO ring or knock on my door. My Ring doorbell has recorded NO proof of any supply or exercise exterior my door.
None of my neighbours report any supply to them.
And but Amazon claims “handed to resident”
I’ve been a Prime Enterprise buyer of yours for years, in addition to a private Prime subscriber.
Are you claiming I’m mendacity about this? My enterprise paid for an iPhone and case and we simply need it delivered or a refund.
What’s the course of for escalating this grievance?
Moreover, Amazon stated, “Signature required at time of supply. Please guarantee somebody will probably be obtainable to signal for this supply.”
So, in case you are actually claiming that the iPhone was delivered are you able to please present the signature? As a reminder – I used to be dwelling the whole day, nobody delivered the lacking iPhone and case, my neighbours didn’t obtain a package deal addressed to me, and my Ring doorbell didn’t document any tried supply.
So, please present the signature. Or please concern my refund/alternative
Are you able to inform I wasn’t very blissful? You’re proper!
I additionally dropped a line to Amazon UK’s PR company, telling them that I used to be planning to put in writing about my expertise and giving them the chance to reply with any remark (and somewhat hoping they could make things better.) On the time of writing, they nonetheless haven’t bought again to me.
However Amazon customer support did get again to me. And right here’s what they stated:
We regarded into your order and AMZN_UK has confirmed the cargo you reported misplaced was delivered to you in good situation. In consequence, we is not going to be issuing a alternative or a refund for the contents of that cargo.
We’re unable to give you any additional help on this matter. We admire what you are promoting and hope to see you once more quickly.
So, Amazon continues to say that it delivered the telephone and case to me in good situation. And once I requested for photographic proof of supply, or a duplicate of the signature that (presumably) was given when Amazon’s supply driver “handed to resident” they ignored me.
AMZN_UK confirmed the gadgets you ordered have been within the package deal on the time it left our success middle and that it was delivered to you intact. In consequence, we can not concern a alternative or a refund for this merchandise.
For those who do not need any additional suggestions relating to your Amazon purchasing expertise, please contemplate this concern closed, and be assured that you could be proceed purchasing as regular.
We’re unable to supply further info on this matter and we could not reply to further emails about this concern.
Ouch. It feels like Amazon will not be solely holding my cash, but it surely’s refusing to even reply to questions concerning the non-delivery any extra.
After posting about my experience on Twitter and LinkedIn it appears there are various many others who’ve had horrible experiences getting refunds from Amazon after it has didn’t ship costly items.
Nice information! @AmazonUK has bought again to me concerning the £700 iPhone they didn’t ship (and would not refund or substitute)
Dangerous information, what they advised me… 😞 Watch my video
Based mostly on this expertise, why would anybody purchase something costly from Amazon ever once more?
RT if you happen to agree. https://t.co/G9LgoSnPdd pic.twitter.com/XagmcfuqO8
— Graham Cluley (@gcluley) March 30, 2024
After which there was this ultimate kick within the enamel, once I requested that my grievance be escalated:
I perceive that you just want to escalate this, nevertheless, all Amazon account specialists are educated to search out the very best resolutions for our prospects’ points.
Properly Amazon, I will help you discover the “very best decision” for this buyer. Give me my a reimbursement or ship the bloody iPhone and case that you just didn’t ship to me.
So, what are my subsequent steps?
Properly, I can request a chargeback from my fee card firm – a method of getting your a reimbursement if you don’t obtain the products or companies you’ve paid for, and a retailer is refusing to refund.
Nonetheless, I’ve been advised by plenty of those who Amazon actually actually doesn’t like folks doing this to them, and shoppers can discover themselves blocked from utilizing any of Amazon’s companies in future. If true, that appears to me to be somewhat petty revenge – particularly when it was Amazon that was at fault within the first place.
I’ve additionally reported the theft/fraud of the iPhone to the police. I’ve carried out that, though Thames Valley Police have advised me that they don’t seem to be going to research. Presumably they, like me, contemplate this to be Amazon’s downside.
I may also take Amazon to the Small Claims Court, the place Amazon can be compelled to supply precise proof that it delivered the iPhone 15 and case to me.
It’s, after all, completely ridiculous for a buyer to go to such lengths to get a refund or alternative from Amazon. But it surely appears there aren’t any different methods to get across the brick wall that’s its customer support division.
Properly, I suppose I might all the time make a video and write a blog post complaining about Amazon’s appalling customer support – and ask pleasant viewers and readers to share them on-line.
Is there anyone at Amazon who nonetheless cares about taking care of their legit sincere prospects?
Replace 4 April 2024:
Kicking up a stink about Amazon’s failure to ship a £700 iPhone to me (after which refusing to refund/substitute) has – I’m delighted to say – resulted within the cash being returned to me at this time. 🥳
What I’ve learnt:
- Exploiting social media and video to complain can get the eye of @AmazonUK’s PR staff
What I haven’t learnt:
- What occurred to the iPhone
- Why Amazon insisted it had been “handed to resident” when it hadn’t
- If Amazon bought a signature upon “supply” (as they claimed they’d) (and, if that’s the case, who from?)
- Why Amazon’s customer support staff wasn’t in a position to correctly deal with the difficulty, however most well-liked to inform me it wouldn’t reply to future emails from me and thought of the matter closed.
Because of everybody who shared my concern and helped Amazon see sense.
