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I feel I’ve been absolutely scammed by Amazon. Do not buy anything expensive from them!

108 replies

FireAdvice · 06/11/2025 07:16

I’ve certainly learnt a lesson from this experience and won’t buy anything expensive especially not an electrical item from them again.

bought an expensive dualit toaster and it didn’t work. They said I could return it, but I’d binned the toaster box . I sent it back, at the post office the woman there even had to open my box to check there was a toaster in there which she did and signed to say she’d done it. My refund came through.

a while later I had an email saying they’d not got my return. I rang them, the bloke apologised and said it was a mistake and not to worry.

then two weeks ago I had an email saying I’d sent them a different toaster back and they charged my debit card for the full amount of the toaster. Customer services are not allowed to talk to me about this on the phone or the chat. I can only deal with the specialist team by email. I’ve replied to the email as instructed was told I’d have a response in 72 hours and nothing. Customer services say they’d can’t escalate it.

ive responded to the email 4x now and still no response. I’m tweeting them and they just repeatedly tell me to respond to the email. I keep telling them that I do but nobody replies.

its like dealing with some rogue trader scam artist. They got my return, but are adamant I sent them a different toaster back which is blatantly not true. But how do I prove it? I have a video of the toaster not working so why would I keep a faulty toaster.

my brother had a similar issue where he ordered an expensive Lego set and in the box it was dirty, mixed Lego….not the set he’d ordered. He couldn’t prove that either. Loads of stories online of people order iPhones, etc and getting bags of icing sugar. They never get their money back, they get treated like they’re the ones trying to defraud Amazon. some people have even being barred from Amazon.

I’ll use John Lewis from now on, or Curry’s for electrical stuff. Just not worth the risk. I don’t think I’ll ever get the money back.

OP posts:
johnd2 · 06/11/2025 08:14

ThisRealSloth · 06/11/2025 08:08

Chargeback is also available on all debit card purchases, and I've used it successfully more than once. I don't have a credit card.

Yes exactly, chargeback is a contractual thing and works on small amounts. Credit card protection is additional and statutory and covers the whole amount of the purchase even if only a deposit was paid on credit card.

TightlyLacedCorset · 06/11/2025 08:12

ThisRealSloth · 06/11/2025 08:08

Chargeback is also available on all debit card purchases, and I've used it successfully more than once. I don't have a credit card.

Oh that's great. Thanks, good to know.

ThisRealSloth · 06/11/2025 08:08

johnd2 · 06/11/2025 08:02

Definitely contact your card company they can do a chargeback within 90 days of payment.
I've had to do that when I was scammed by someone on eBay, and eBay's buyer protection turned out to be nothing of the sort.
I did get an arsy email afterwards for going outside of their procedure but it was all ok

Chargeback is also available on all debit card purchases, and I've used it successfully more than once. I don't have a credit card.

TightlyLacedCorset · 06/11/2025 08:07

As the OP says it is prudent not to buy expensive items from Amazon unless you are using your credit card as back up.

YouTube is awash with bad refund stories. The problem is people were abusing the easy returns system. For e.g., influencers were buying fashion hoards, wearing them for content, then sending them all back. People were buying large electrical items then saying they never received them. Amazon has tightened their returns policy and talking to someone directly is being made difficult.

I bought a simple bottle of a Vitamin E supplement directly from Amazon.
It never arrived.
Amazon said it had.

As it had always been easy to refund before, I went onto the website to contact customer services. I couldn't contact them.
When I finally circumvented the automated AI response system and dialled the CS number, I pressed all the correct buttons only to get an automated message that I had to wait 5 days until I would be allowed to even raise the refund request then the call terminated.

I waited 5 days. Then raised the complaint and eventually got my money back, so all good, but it spooked me.

I also ordered a printer and it was fine, but I also got an email telling me it would not be automatically refunded if I claimed I had not received it, which, with the fact that I wrongly receive packages destined for my neighbours on a not infrequent basis, does not instill confidence.

I don't have a credit card so will only buy with John Lewis or Argos from now on.

**And this feeds into a wider point of companies selling huge amounts of goods in the UK but providing very scant or no (UBER EATS) direct customer services when things go badly. Should be regulations. But I'll see toast flying before that happens.

Clarefromwork · 06/11/2025 08:03

MigGirl · 06/11/2025 07:26

We had an issue with a monitor DH had bought from amazon (yes amazon not a 3rd party). He sent it back and has never seen the money nore had the monitor back and they just don't reply to enquiries. I said he should raise it with his credit card company but he hasn't.

I won't buy expensive electric items from them now. We go elsewhere, although I still buy small items from them.

Have you tried the online chat ? I have used this quite a few times and they have refunded me whilst on the chat

johnd2 · 06/11/2025 08:02

Definitely contact your card company they can do a chargeback within 90 days of payment.
I've had to do that when I was scammed by someone on eBay, and eBay's buyer protection turned out to be nothing of the sort.
I did get an arsy email afterwards for going outside of their procedure but it was all ok

RedRiverShore5 · 06/11/2025 07:57

I would have probably bought it from JL as they price match electrical items with Amazon

FireAdvice · 06/11/2025 07:56

I think it started off with them, but now is with a “specialist team”

OP posts:
RedRiverShore5 · 06/11/2025 07:55

Tiebiter · 06/11/2025 07:44

I think amazon has jumped the shark now. It's just marketplace people re-selling temu.

They do sell branded goods

RedRiverShore5 · 06/11/2025 07:54

Well, to start with, best not to bin the box until the return window, usually about a month has passed and you have tried it out.

I have never had a problem returning to Amazon, even a reduced 'warehouse' printer that didn't work but that is just my experience.

FireAdvice · 06/11/2025 07:48

Loads of posts on Reddit, etc with people with similar issues. BBC news articles of Amazon warehouse operatives going to court on charges of stealing tens of thousands of pounds of goods.

OP posts:
FireAdvice · 06/11/2025 07:46

WeCouldBeNiceToEachOther · 06/11/2025 07:41

I think part of the issue is you sent back a toaster in a box with nothing to identify it as the one you bought? For all they know you sent back a broken old toaster and kept the new one. I’ve never returned something outside of the original packaging!

To be honest I could have done that even if I’d sent it back in the right box? They say I sent them a different brand of toaster back, not a dualit one.

OP posts:
FireAdvice · 06/11/2025 07:44

I honestly think they’re trolling me now.

so I’ve had a response just now “your order is valid but not associated with this account, please contact us via your other account “

I only have one account and one email

and they had emailed me and I replied to that email 🤷🏻‍♀️. Wtf.

OP posts:
Tiebiter · 06/11/2025 07:44

I think amazon has jumped the shark now. It's just marketplace people re-selling temu.

FireAdvice · 06/11/2025 07:41

It wasn’t Amazon market place. It was a direct Amazon sale.

OP posts:
Gottocopebymyself · 06/11/2025 07:41

I used to use Amazon most of the time but I'm quite wary now.
Especially since I heard about the scam with the mobile phones and similar valuable items.

WeCouldBeNiceToEachOther · 06/11/2025 07:41

I think part of the issue is you sent back a toaster in a box with nothing to identify it as the one you bought? For all they know you sent back a broken old toaster and kept the new one. I’ve never returned something outside of the original packaging!

dudsville · 06/11/2025 07:39

I've been lucky, but it's been random. With an expensive headphone set and a bean to cup machine, returns were easy. But with a cheap men's hankies, I'd bought two sets, they came in the one package, but it was the beginning of their new return style, so it actually required seperate packaging to return but I didn't understand. Initially I was swiftly refunded for both, they then said I never sent the 2nd set and took the money back.

converseandjeans · 06/11/2025 07:36

I think items like this are best bought from places like John Lewis, Argos etc as you can take them back if there’s a problem & they would sort you out with a new one.

alqggapwbnch · 06/11/2025 07:34

Was the this so called a-z refund guarantee team by any chance? I had issues with them recently when I was trying to return something, the return label wouldn’t materialise for printing, I had to chase down Royal Mail andAmazon, for weeks. Every time I spoke to Amazon “yes we’ll fix it” but every week I got an automated email from the so called a-z refund guarantee to say I’ve been rejected, give more info, gave more info…and the same happened.

Ended up chucking the time in the bin, it was infuriating.

centaury · 06/11/2025 07:33

Contrary to what some people believe, even when 'sold by' Amazon itself, goods are binned by SKU not seller - inventory is commingled with unvetted third parties

I would definitely not buy any smart tech from there, medication, toiletries, food

Avoid

SquirrelosaurusSoShiny · 06/11/2025 07:32

It's classic enshitification in action. They used to be great, they're deteriorating because they've monopolised, crushed the competition and now they don't have to work as hard.

onpills4godsake · 06/11/2025 07:31

I find Amazon better than most places- just always pay on credit card

i got a b&m credit expensive electrical item and it broke- the manufacturer guarantee was still in place but they would not swap or let me return it as they couldn’t find it on their system

so I always do Amazon now

LittleLlama · 06/11/2025 07:29

Sorry you had this experience. I have had also had a problem with Amazon Marketplace. I ordered a new book but the one that arrived was clearly second-hand. They wouldn’t refund my money (fortunately it was less than £10). I wouldn’t use Amazon Marketplace again as you don’t seem to have the same protection as you have with Amazon direct.

Maxme · 06/11/2025 07:27

Always use credit.card on anything expensive, as you will have legal protection.

Other than that I have found Amazon marketplace getting far worse in the last couple of years , flooded with near identical products from brands and companies No one has ever heard of that make searching a pain.

I tend to avoid them now unless I can't find something elsewhere.