Really upset over ruined surprise

[smileygrapefruit]

More a what would you do?

DH's birthday is soon after Christmas so I ordered a coffee machine in the black Friday deals for his birthday present. We don't spend a lot on each other at Christmas but I spent £200 On this machine which is a lot of money for us.

Ordered from Amazon and at checkout ticked this is a gift and specified Amazon packaging without product details, in case he was the one to take the delivery.

It came today while I was at work so DH took it and it has come in the branded box with a massive picture of the machine on it.

I'm absolutely gutted. Have rung Amazon and they have extended my prime membership by a month as a sorry but that doesn't really make it any better!

[PeppaPigTastesLikeBacon]

Ask your DH what he wants you to do with it. Now that he’s seen it he might be excited to get it and then disappointed when he doesn’t get it. I would probably just give it early now he knows what it is and then something smaller (maybe some nice coffee glasse) for his birthday.
I can see why you’re upset, I think I would be too!

[Queeniebed]

What a shame - dont take that lying down from Amazon - I had the same problem with a gift last year and they knocked 25% off the price - didnt make it right but i bought something else with the refund

[TieGrr]

If you send it back, he might be disappointed if he's looking forward to it already. Try and laugh it off for his sake - you don't want his enjoyment of the present spoiled because you're angry or upset.

[thelastredwinegum]

I love surprises but not as much as I love coffee. I'd be so excited to get a lovely coffee machine and would be upset if it vanished after I knew I was getting it :)

[Tugtupite]

I think Amazon uses a lot of casual staff to process orders around Christmas - completely understandable given the surge in demand - and they screw up quite a bit. A couple of years ago I arranged for presents to be sent a few weeks before Christmas to my entire family all with the rather expensive gift wrapping service for 10+ presents. They forgot to wrap anything whatsoever so zero surprises all round...they reimbursed the wrapping fees but that wasn't really the point.

[HillaryWinshaw]

I would be as upset as you are, OP.

[wednesdayswench]

I'd be annoyed, but unfortunately these things happen.

[Cornishclio]

I would be annoyed too. I have never received anything from Amazon in a branded box so am surprised but then last year I ordered a casserole dish which arrived in pieces so I think packaging of amazon parcels at this time of year must be worse than usual. Especially since you took the trouble to tick the box saying it was a gift. My DH would not mind not having a surprise present though so maybe yours doesn't. Say to him it is a joint Christmas/birthday present if it is something he will use and leave it at that.

[BrokenBattleDroid]

I'd be annoyed too but don't think I'd return it; it's still a good and thoughtful gift.

I'd put it away until his birthday. Then find a nice new coffee mug and coffee biscuits to add in with it so he still gets a surprise.

[AlansLeftMoob]

I'd also just put it away and then buy some coffee or a mug for the day. It's a pain and Amazon are totally in the wrong, but you can't really do anything now to change it. I'd be emailing them for more than a month of Prime, mind. They've screwed up.

[PigPigDogDog]

Don't send it back - you said your husband was happy with it so it would be really weird and mean if you did that!

I totally get why you're annoyed though, that's really bad.

[gobster]

Oh OP don't send it back, I bet he's delighted now as he would be in a month its still a surprise just a little early

Ignore all the stupid comments about bigger issues in the world, if we went with that attitude they'd be nothing on this site.

I love buying presents for people and half the joy of it, is if you manage to surprise them with something they'll love, don't get the no surprised past the age of 12, I'm sure they'd change their tune if a luxury holiday was involved!

I love the suggestion of let him have in now and maybe for his birthday get some nice coffee for it and maybe a nice coffee mug/cup and saucer etc

[Protectingmydaughterfromfilth]

Let him have it now and surprise him with a nice meal out on his birthday and some fancy Caffe Nero/Starbucks/Costa/Even posher brand or something? X

[ToadOfSadness]

Morphy Richards are also doing this. Bought an item from them on Ebay. It arrived in the box, nothing to cover up what it was.

But not only that, the box wasn't even sealed so anyone could have removed the contents.

[pasturesgreen]

Being mildly annoyed for the crap customer service you received, fine, I get it, I'd be too. Really upset seems a stretch too far. Think of the plus side, he knows what his birthday present is, so you can start putting the machine to good use over the holidays!

[smileygrapefruit]

Why is is so hard for some people to grasp that not everyone thinks or feels exactly the same way they do?! I'm upset. I'm not trying to make myself upset. It's just my natural reaction. Others may be mightily pisses off. Others may not give a shit. Fine, everyone is different.

To the PPs who have been lovely and/or given advice, thank you. I'm on hold to Amazon again now.

[Haint]

I had the same, we were sitting having dinner and were disturbed by the wildly waving delivery guy clutching my son's massive, unwrapped nerf gun that Father Christmas was due to be delivering in one month's time

[smileygrapefruit]

Thanks for all the advice and general niceness. They have refunded me £40 so I'm going to let DH open it tonight when he gets home, then I've got £40 to spend on his actual birthday 😊

[BarbaraOcumbungles]

We ordered Ds a switch and it was delivered and dumped behind our bins. Dh only spotted it by chance! It would have been ruined if it had rained

I agree they’ve gone downhil.

[Coloursthatweremyjoy]

I get it OP. But just think of it as an early present and he can have lots of lovely coffee over Christmas.

May I recommend a PACT Coffee subscription as the additional gift. Their coffee is great and my husband loved it.

[AlansLeftMoob]

That's a great result OP, brilliant.

[BackforGood]

Why is is so hard for some people to grasp that not everyone thinks or feels exactly the same way they do?!

You asked..... "Am I being unreasonable to be really upset".... so people are answering that question. The majority of people are saying it is annoying or frustrating, but, yes, being really upset is a bit OTT. Quite frankly, none of us know you, but You asked, so that's is why people have answered what you asked.

[Huskylover1]

This is how a wine advent calendar arrived from Amazon! Address label and tape all over the box, which when you removed it, ripped the cardboard thus ruining the product. I mean Duh! And yes, this was also meant to be a surprise gift! So that was ruined also.

[mrsBeverleyGoldberg]

For my birthday a very large box arrived. I had no idea what it could be. The next day another parcel arrived. The mud guard was wrapped tightly in a plastic bag and cello tape. No hint of a disguise!

[Huskylover1]

Oh, and a word of warning to anyone looking to buy a DNA kit from Ancestry DNA, this comes with no packaging, so you can totally see what the gift is. How they justify charging £20 delivery for a tiny box, that isn't even packaged, is beyond me! I cancelled and got a refund.