On Tuesday, 26 March, Amazon was alleged to have delivered an iPhone 15 and an accompanying Otterbox case to my residence.
Amazon mentioned it could require a signature upon supply. So, I naturally ensured that I used to be residence all day so I may signal for the supply – which I had spent over £700 on.
But I wasn’t nervous 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.
And then, 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 undoubtedly 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.. properly, I used to be the one particular person residence on the home at the moment – and it undoubtedly hadn’t been handed to me. My accomplice (who was out on the time) confirmed that she hadn’t magically acquired it both.
A fast test 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 reasonably a thriller. Amazon claims that the package deal was “handed to resident” and had additionally mentioned that it could require a signature upon supply.
So how may 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 tip of Thursday 28 March earlier than requesting a refund, as generally errors occurred… and a supply may very well be delayed.
Fair 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 service agent Rizza at “Earth’s most customer-centric company” responded to my request:
It seems that the provider has recorded your package deal as delivered on 26 March 2024. Please test along with your neighbors or members of your family to seek out out whether or not they’ve taken supply of the package deal in your behalf.
Please enable 3 days (72 hours) whereas we examine this matter. If you 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. This is starting to get a bit irritating, I believed.
Fortunately, I didn’t have to attend three days to listen to again from Amazon. Unfortunately, I didn’t like what Amazon needed to say after they introduced the tip 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. As a outcome, we can’t concern a alternative or a refund for this merchandise.
As you may most likely think about, I wasn’t very proud of this response. And so I emailed again:
Hi
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 Business 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 is the method for escalating this grievance?
Furthermore, Amazon mentioned, “Signature required at time of delivery. Please ensure someone will be available to sign for this delivery.”
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 residence all the 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 file any tried supply.
So, please present the signature. Or please concern my refund/alternative
Can you inform I wasn’t very completely satisfied? You’re proper!
I additionally dropped a line to Amazon UK’s PR company, telling them that I used to be planning to jot down about my expertise and giving them the chance to reply with any remark (and reasonably hoping they could sort things.) At the time of writing, they nonetheless haven’t bought again to me.
But Amazon customer support did get again to me. And right here’s what they mentioned:
We regarded into your order and AMZN_UK has confirmed the cargo you reported misplaced was delivered to you in good situation. As a outcome, we won’t be issuing a alternative or a refund for the contents of that cargo.
We are unable to give you any additional help on this matter. We admire your corporation 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 after I requested for photographic proof of supply, or a replica 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. As a outcome, we can’t concern a alternative or a refund for this merchandise.
If you would not have any additional suggestions relating to your Amazon procuring expertise, please contemplate this concern closed, and be assured that you could be proceed procuring as typical.
We are unable to supply extra info on this matter and we could not reply to extra emails about this concern.
Ouch. It appears like Amazon is just not solely maintaining my cash, but it surely’s refusing to even reply to questions concerning the non-delivery any extra.
After posting about my expertise on Twitter and LinkedIn it appears there are lots of many others who’ve had horrible experiences getting refunds from Amazon after it has didn’t ship costly items.
Great information! @AmazonUK has bought again to me concerning the £700 iPhone they didn’t ship (and would not refund or exchange)
Bad information, what they advised me… 😞 Watch my video
Based on this expertise, why would anybody purchase something costly from Amazon ever once more?
RT should you agree. https://t.co/G9LgoSnPdd pic.twitter.com/XagmcfuqO8
— Graham Cluley (@gcluley) March 30, 2024
And then there was this ultimate kick within the tooth, after I requested that my grievance be escalated:
I perceive that you simply wish to escalate this, nevertheless, all Amazon account specialists are educated to seek out the absolute best resolutions for our prospects’ points.
Well Amazon, I will help you discover the “best possible resolution” for this buyer. Give me my a refund or ship the bloody iPhone and case that you simply didn’t ship to me.
So, what are my subsequent steps?
Well, I can request a chargeback from my cost card firm – a means of getting your a refund once you don’t obtain the products or companies you will have paid for, and a retailer is refusing to refund.
However, I’ve been advised by quite a few those who Amazon actually actually doesn’t like individuals 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 reasonably 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 performed 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 also can take Amazon to the Small Claims Court, the place Amazon could be compelled to supply precise proof that it delivered the iPhone 15 and case to me.
It is, after all, completely ridiculous for a buyer to go to such lengths to get a refund or alternative from Amazon. But it appears there aren’t any different methods to get across the brick wall that’s its customer support division.
Well, I suppose I may all the time make a video and write a weblog publish 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 reliable sincere prospects?