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.

Of course naming them at a later date would likely improve their service no end

YABVU and have a vast misunderstanding of how Amazon actually works.

You bought from a seller in China, when if you’re going to buy off Amazon you should buy off the Amazon business direct.

Amazon allows people to sell on its platform but is a business directly itself.

You tried to save money so bought a dud from a seller in China; of course it wasn’t going to end well. This isn’t Amazon’s fault.

I have always found Amazon to have excellent customer service - refunding full cost of a tv where the warranty had expired. I received a ro oval in error, contacted them to return it and was told to keep it with their compliments, which they also put in writing. Only ever buy from Amazon or fulfilled by Amazon and then if there is an issue you get excellent customer service. I have occasionally bought from sellers but only from UK based then at least there is some protection.

@whataboutbob

When you buy from China there is a very wide delivery window, which right now in corona virus times is bigger still as there are fewer planes travelling and the boats are being used more. Larger goods - like monitors, come on boats anyway.

So basically your monitor is on the proverbial slow boat from China!

If you are outside the delivery window Amazon refund immediately.

Amazon sell very good quality monitors themselves, and I often pick up for our business 27" monitors that have full adjustment and many features for very good prices - I have never felt the need to order from China.

The first thing I check before ordering anything at all, even a hairclip is to check that it isn't coming from China.

I had an awful experience once, I ordered by mistake and had no idea it was a seller from China and was sent a faulty electric item that could have killed us.

Amazon direct are fine.
The sellers are not.

I stick to the true tried and tested British companies now. John Lewis for most things even if it costs more.

Ebay has been a disaster for us as well in terms of refunds, low quality or items that sent that do not work. Nightmare.

Amazon will not help out between customers and third party sellers

Yes they will - although you are advised to contact the seller first to avoid a delay in the refund by Amazon (as they would otherwise have to check it out)

Oh - and no problems with goods from China . And the delivery lead in time is always transparent - eg 6 - 8 weeks

i would not buy from China, it generally takes weeks, let alone in 2020

We had a lot of trouble with Amazon too over a computer monitor also, we did get refunded in the end, and ordered the same Monitor over the phone with Curry’s and they priced matched it for us, had it the next day.

I think this is totally wrong
Bad reviews and experiences should be posted so other people are aware ! Otherwise it's sort of false advertising ?
Hope you get this sorted op x

Want to add - don't buy from unknown companies on Facebook.

All those saying OP didn’t buy it from Amazon, she bought it from a third party seller, are wrong. She did buy it from Amazon and Amazon have a legal responsibility for it. The fact it was Amazon operating in contract with a third party seller is neither here nor there; OPs relationship is with Amazon.

Amazon’s ‘market place’ sellers are going to be their downfall. It is getting harder to find what you want and trust what you are getting as there is too much rubbish to sift through.

I cancelled my prime when amazon delivery repeatedly refused to deliver to my door (never had this problem before). I live in a small block of flats. Every time I received an update "handed to the resident" while they just left the package outside of the building in the dark where someone could pick it up and go. I complained multiple times and received no follow up, only generic excuses and "sorry" and "give us time to investigate". Not only the delivery was late every single time, but I was also supposed to go and search for the package outside, and no warning was given of where. I saw the driver with my own eyes once throwing the package on the pavement and driving away. It might seem like not a big deal, but I can't and will not go outside searching for a package leaving sleeping children alone when I pay extra for the delivery.

Same experience here. I have had the we will only post if you leave a good review before hand and stuff marked as free postage taking 3 months to arrive just for being of remarkable bad quality or not good enough to pass local safety standards. Despite the apparent cheaper price, they were also on occasion quite expensive when the product turned out to be a fake.

It is no longer possible to identify a Chinese business by location as most have a UK address (possible posting there and then forwarding from there?).

I am so disappointed with Amazon I only use it these days to buy books.

There is an issue about reviews. Not Amazon, but I was tempted by something advertised on Fb which looked as if it came from Scandinavia. Fb comments were overwhelmingly positive. A quick Google confirmed that the goods came from China, and other reviews suggested that they were of poor quality and took ages to arrive. As a test I tried to post a negative comment under the Fb ad. It was rapidly deleted.

Some might remember the "brushing" scam earlier in the year involving low value seeds turning up across the world. By making very cheap purchases via Amazon in a variety of names, whoever was behind it was able to leave glowing reviews about the companies doing the shipping. Amazon have now stopped the sale of imported seeds, but presumably the same sellers have found other ruses. One article here:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8577789/Every-state-warning-seeds-sent-Americans-possibly-China.html

And for those who criticise OP, it can be very difficult to find out where your goods are coming from. Long delivery dates are the main clue. And sometimes it works out just fine. I just bought a rather obscure Hitchcock DVD from a third party seller, who turned out to be in the Czech Republic, in part because it was the only one on offer, and not available on streaming services. It arrived long before it was promised, from a flat in a Prague suburb, with good tracking and wrapped with ribbon and smiley stickers and instructions in how to navigate the Czech menu in order to turn off the Czech subtitles. The film itself wasn't great but we enjoyed the personal input.

Thanks for everyone who took time to post constructive comments and advice. I feel I keep having to justify buying from this seller in the 1st place, but to recap, it was a recommendation from a colleague who had no issues with delivery and found the monitor compatible with the laptop we are provided by our employer.
The seller is selling under the Amazon umbrella, on their website. So it isn’t ok to say it’s nothing to do with Amazon.
I have had a very poor experience but have been blocked from leaving a review that reflects that- because it would harm Amazon’s business model.
I totally take the point re the diciness that is buying items from businesses/ factories etc based in China and will avoid at all costs from now on. I’m obviously happy to buy Chinese made goods, from physical or online shops based in UK/ EU if said products have good reviews.
Update: I’ve received an email saying Amazon have processed my claim for a refund and I should see it within 5-7 working days. Hopefully that is more robust than the identical message I got from the seller about 9 working days ago.

Epilogue- Amazon refunded me today. That’s 2 weeks after the failed delivery date. And they’ve emailed me to let me know about the seller’s great Black Friday offers. Gotta laugh!

I buy a lot from Amazon but never things that take that long to arrive and come from God knows where...
I hope they refund you or you got the monitor

See my last post @piscis 👍

Wait its coming from china and is only 2 weeks late?! Things from china take ages at the minute

I had a similar issue with an amazon seller, product didnt arrive, seller didnt reply to my contact. Contacted amazon who refunded me, was probably the simplest refund of my life. They wouldnt let me post a review as reviews are of the product not the seller. Fair enough, got my refund so im happy. Product actually did turn up several months later!

I really wouldnt say youve had bad service OP

If you go direct to Amazon rather than contacting the seller they'll put in a request to the seller to refund you immediately (which they have to do - Amazon doesn't give them a choice). Don't ever faff about with the seller for a refund.

Glad you got your money back