Amazon- Beware

[whataboutbob]

This isn’t really an AIBU but I want as wide a readership as possible. I ordered a monitor screen for WFH via Amazon, a good 12 weeks ago. The delivery time was long but never mind, thought I’d get a good product recommended by a colleague, at a reasonable price. The delivery date came and went. I contacted the seller who said that due to covid, items were getting lost. It may still turn up but in any case they’d reimburse me within 7 working days . 7 working days came and went, no refund. No monitor either. So contacted again and got same automated message as 1st time round. Contacted Amazon and left a poor review on the sellers Amazon site. Amazon said they’d investigate and I’d be re I nursed by 27th of November ( by now about 12 weeks after I paid). And worst of all thy are refusing to post my review.
Clearly they are making a packet from this seller who has a load of good reviews.
I am never buying off amazon again if I can help it, and definitely not from stores based in China.

wait on amazon to refund, i had similar with ebay and a very dodgy seller , ebay had to get involved but this person and their business is still top rated seller inspite of a high amount of negative comments and complaints against them !

This also happened with shoddy goods in Etsy, vendor refused to repair for free so I went to Etsy who refunded me, but they didn’t allow me to post a review about the poor product and the vendors rudeness. The platforms are too cozy and interdependent with the vendors I guess. 😡

That’s an Amazon seller not Amazon direct, if
you’d bought direct from Amazon you’d not be having all this bother, as Amazon refund immediately and never take 12 weeks to deliver.

Had you contacted Amazon and not the seller you would not now be in this position. SBTLove is correct.

So you want as wide a readership as possible so they can see you incorrectly contacted the seller instead of Amazon?

To be honest if you are ordering expensive electronic items from China to save a few quid, you take a certain amount of risk. The main ones being that the item is not safe or will not work properly. It could be a fire hazard. The money is the least of your worries - I'm sure you will get it back eventually.
If you want a better level of service and guarantee that the product will meet UK safety standards, not be a fake etc, pay the extra and buy from a UK based company.

@SnackSizeRaisin that’s what I’ve done, I’ve ordered one from John Lewis. Should have done that from the start. However I was following a recommendation from a colleague- is that so wrong?
@SBTLove I thought Amazon was a giant platform for sellers. Not a seller per se. Am I wrong?
@Crankley I have contacted Amazon who tell me they’ll refund, albeit not for another 2 weeks.. I was also following the protocol set out by Amazon who advise contacting the seller in the 1s instance. What I object to is them censoring me from reporting factually my very poor experience with one of their sellers, clearly because they stand to lose their cut if people stop buying from the seller.

It’s actually worked in your favor. Likely the warranty on an item from China would be null and void outside of China. So with your refund buy one from someone or a company based in the same country as you. At least for the peace of mind that you have more consumer rights.

Why would you even think of buying it from China when it’s probably available much closer?

Usually amazon are quite good. I think you will get the refund by the time they say, and maybe they are leaving the review until they have fully investigated. I would always contact amazon first rather than bothering with the supplier and let them investigate from the start.

They print plenty of poor reviews just word it like one of those

@BritWifeinUSA that’s the glass half full approach I guess, and hopefully that’s how it’ll work out.
As mentioned above, a close colleague recommended the product so I went with it without thinking about it too much. I’m not very IT savvy and as we use the same laptop provided by our employer and the screen was compatible I was happy to follow her recommendation.

[quote whataboutbob]@SnackSizeRaisin that’s what I’ve done, I’ve ordered one from John Lewis. Should have done that from the start. However I was following a recommendation from a colleague- is that so wrong?
@SBTLove I thought Amazon was a giant platform for sellers. Not a seller per se. Am I wrong?
@Crankley I have contacted Amazon who tell me they’ll refund, albeit not for another 2 weeks.. I was also following the protocol set out by Amazon who advise contacting the seller in the 1s instance. What I object to is them censoring me from reporting factually my very poor experience with one of their sellers, clearly because they stand to lose their cut if people stop buying from the seller.[/quote]
Amazon acts both as a seller - you get refunded immediately, and as an intermediary - you don't.

Thanks @titchy I’ve learnt something!

Who buys stuff from China via Amazon or EBay and thinks that will work out?

Get tech from Amazon Prime, JL, PC World - don’t dick about with Chinese stuff with long lead times.

Amazon were very good when I had an issue with a product from a third party seller. You do, of course, need to contact the seller direct and a good seller will reimburse. However if it all goes tits up Amazon will reimburse.

Amazon have probably prevented you from posting a review until their investigation is complete. I know shipments from China are taking an age - often many months atm. Tbh I wouldn't order from China anyway, as other pp have said.

Reviews on amazon are of products, not sellers, so given you haven't received the product I assume that's why they won't post your review? I think the same reviews show regardless of which seller you choose 🤔

IT equipment was in short supply due to everyone WFH and even corporates had a long wait for orders not just Joe Public. Also don't buy from China.
This isn't Amazon's fault.

Why would you order anything from China ? You know it will be a copy/fake.

Amazon are great and will refund with no bother at all if you buy from them. The goods will say "supplied by Amazon" or something, otherwise you'll be buying from a third party and Amazon themselves are just the intermediary. Most of the things I get from them are supplied by Amazon and I've never had to wait for a refund. These days I also have Amazon Prime so I rarely have to wait longer than 24hrs for delivery either.

I do buy a bit from various 3rd party sellers, but have only needed a refund once (in over 15 years) and the seller didn't argue, so not sure what the procedure is if they do or if they prevaricate.

Don't blame Amazon; it's nothing to do with them really.

I never order anything from Amazon with a delivery date like that. I always think it means the seller doesn’t actually have it!

Amazon really need to clear up their marketplace. I'm sick of trawling through sellers trying to work out what is a genuine product and what's just tat from China. I think it's gone too big for them to manage. Though for any electronics, especially big ones, I always just shop online with UK brands who have physical stores. The peace of mind is worth the extra few bob.

Amazon have great customer service in my experience.

People buy from Amazon all the time and occasionally something is dud. That's life. You'll get your money back, what's the problem? Amazon is generally very good.

I've had good and bad with them. They have replaced my old show device three times now as it repeatedly failed after a few months.

The bad was a £700 TV bought in the black Friday sale. Became apparent pretty quickly there was a fault with the USB port. I was offered a discount or return and opted to return it. Sent it back first week of December and could track it but no refund. Eventually I emailed the CEO saying 'look, it's 3 days to Christmas eve, you have £700 of my money what's going on?'. Refund received the same day and a £50 credit to my account.

Why would you order anything from China ? You know it will be a copy/fake

You do realise the vast majority of electronics are made in the far east don't you?

Amazon aren’t like ebay or etsy, they sell
the vast majority of items direct from their own warehouses with many free next day delivery, always read the info on the item as to where it’s coming from.

Most products on amazon quoting a long delivery time are coming from China so best to avoid as it can end up taking even longer than quoted and as you've found, more difficult to get the money back.
I think, but I'm not 100% sure, that Amazon has to wait a certain number of weeks in a case like that before refunding because the item could turn up. If it's something they have sold you directly then they refund immediately - happened to me with a defective laptop. The money was back in my account before they even received the laptop back!
A book from a 3rd party seller failed to turn up once and there was quite a long waiting time before the refund was issued.