Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Amazon nightmare

254 replies

GoingBacktoSchool123 · 08/10/2021 22:39

I ordered a Microsoft Surface Pro tablet and keyboard from Amazon costing just under £1k.

It supposedly arrived today. Any guesses as to what was actually in the box?

I have made a report to Amazon assuming they would put the issue right and they say that because the package was delivered to my address they consider the item to have been delivered and will not refund or replace the item.

AIBU to this this is totally unacceptable?

OP posts:
Minfilia · 09/10/2021 17:24

Good luck with Amex. That’s so unbelievably shitty!

The surface pro and keyboard is brilliant though when you eventually get it Grin

Loveshelly · 09/10/2021 18:23

Omg I am going to buy something and return it with a duvet cover in! What a scam

AnneTwacky · 09/10/2021 19:03

What?!? I can't believe they're getting away with what's essentially theft.

I have been browsing online for a Samsung s6 or s7 for DD for Christmas.

Will definitely buy it from somewhere else after reading this.

ILoveAllRainbowsx · 09/10/2021 19:17

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Loveshelly · 09/10/2021 19:18

Perhaps everyone should film themselves opening the package,

BabyPigeon · 09/10/2021 21:44

I noticed in the order screenshot that it's Amazon EU S.a.r.L not Amazon UK. Are they the same thing? In any case, it is outrageous and it puts me off Amazon massively.

HoneyDewMel · 10/10/2021 03:18

@AnneTwacky

What?!? I can't believe they're getting away with what's essentially theft.

I have been browsing online for a Samsung s6 or s7 for DD for Christmas.

Will definitely buy it from somewhere else after reading this.

I have to say I've bought 3 renewed iPhones from Amazon from 3rd party sellers in the last 6 months, who have legit companies you can check up on, and they all arrived in immaculate, pristine condition as new. I was very impressed and relieved. However next time I will make sure I open the packet in front of the driver.

As for laptops and other expensive electronic type items or kitchen appliances I've only ever bought them from John Lewis, Curry's or Argos. Id never buy them from Amazon.

HoneyDewMel · 10/10/2021 03:24

Actually the last renewed iPhone I received via Amazon 3rd party seller came in a specially made cardboard box with a cable and charging plug in immaculate condition with 92% battery power. Bit annoying it was for DS and not me this time Grin

JustLyra · 10/10/2021 03:30

I had a similar issue with a phone upgrade recently and it’s made me very wary of buying anything high value online.

The wrong model phone was sent out in error (actually a newer model). So the delivery guy was meant to pick up that one and deliver the other one. He signed for the new one and stole it.

The only reason it was easy to sort was because he missed that he was meant to be picking up one from me at the same time. So I was able to point out to the phone company that I’d be very unlikely to be complaining if, as according to the driver he had completed everything and had my signature to say so, I currently had an iPhone 11 that he’d delivered and a 12 that I could say “his paperwork says he collie red it”.

JustLyra · 10/10/2021 03:30

Collected. Not collie red Hmm

Soubriquet · 10/10/2021 06:35

Well, I buy a lot of Amazon but I will never buy expensive items from there. It’s clear they don’t care about customers just the money.

EffOrf · 10/10/2021 08:21

I think when getting expensive electrical items, cameras, phones etc you really have to think about where you buy them from, I generally use John Lewis click and collect at Waitrose as they use courier companies like Hermes for home delivery so you could have problems there, its not just Amazon that people have problems with, with click and collect if it goes missing it can't be the customer that is to blame.

crayray · 10/10/2021 09:00

Maybe Trading Standards could help?

Original poster
GoingBacktoSchool123 · 10/10/2021 09:19

Police filed opened and case closed already due to lack of evidence. At least minimal police time has been wasted.

OP posts:
SteveArnottsWaistcoat · 10/10/2021 09:25

Wow OP! This is fucking awful. I think you need to get very public about it. They’ve stolen from you!! I bought a laptop back at the start of the year and all went well. I had little choice due to lockdown, but I won’t ever chance my luck again. This is horrendous. They’ve stolen £1k from you!

CeeceeBloomingdale · 10/10/2021 09:26

We ordered a tablet from Amazon Warehouse a few months ago and the box arrived with just the accessories (mouse, case, keypad) and no tablet. They refunded it immediately. When the replacement tablet we bought broke last week they refunded that too as soon as we sent proof of postage, so before they even received it.

Original poster
GoingBacktoSchool123 · 10/10/2021 09:43

I've never had a problem before with literally thousands of orders. It's just Sod's law that this was an expensive item but I suppose that is why it has been 'misplaced'.

OP posts:
EffOrf · 10/10/2021 10:57

Oh no, OP, hopefully your chargeback will work OK.

Original poster
GoingBacktoSchool123 · 10/10/2021 11:05

Looks like I might be getting somewhere.

The email from Amazon saying they would not refund / replace said I had to make a police report and that they wouldn't consider the matter again until the police investigation is completed.

Fortunately the police saw this as a waste of their time and opened and closed their investigation in less than 24 hours. I have therefore gone back to Amazon and have just received an email saying that replacement items will be delivered on Tuesday.

They say I am to return the other items and if not returned within 30 days they will charge my account for the second device.

I'm somewhat sceptical about what might happen when the find the box contains bed linen and not a tablet but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I'd rather have the tablet and fight to get my £1k back than not have the tablet or the £1k. I have a good paper trail and photographic evidence so there is still the Amex chargeback option if needed.

Incidentally I did look at ordering a replacement from somewhere else but the next cheapest option was still £200 more than Amazon.

OP posts:
nameswap48 · 10/10/2021 11:17

This happened to me with Amazon on a much smaller scale! They put the wrong address label on the box, they sent us a dash cam instead of a peppa pig book?! I can't even remember what happened now but was clearly the wrong order in the wrong box.

caspersmagicaljourney · 10/10/2021 17:42

@3luckystars

Good luck getting the money back.
OP - If Amazon are unwilling to do anything I'm inclined to report this to the police. This is theft and a criminal offence. A family member had this happen a couple of years ago from Amazon, but because the item was purchased from a third party seller, Amazon didn't want to get involved. She was left to pursue the claim through the small claims court. She eventually got her money back, but Amazon blocked her account soon afterwards.🤨
VinnieVanLowe · 10/10/2021 17:53

I had this happen with a laptop from Amazon last year. My box contained an opened pack of printer paper. Opened I guess so that a wad of pages could be taken out to get the weight right. The box was intact so I presume it was someone in the warehouse rather than delivery driver.

Amazon refunded promptly but kept insisting it was a "warehouse error". I said you don't sell half packs of paper, someone has clearly substituted it on purpose and taken the laptop but they just kept saying it was a mistake.

CovidCorvid · 10/10/2021 18:03

Someone ought to start a fb group and collate all these stories.

HadEnough798 · 10/10/2021 18:14

@GoingBacktoSchool123 - this happened to my friend with a new iPhone - turned out there was a scammer/petty thief nicking stuff out of the Amazon depot and filling the boxes with items of the same weight. Push them on it, I bet it's happened to a few people.

BlankTimes · 10/10/2021 18:21

OP, ask the delivery chap to wait while you open the new parcel so he's a witness if anything's amiss with it, too.
Really hoping it won't be, of course, but if someone's doing this at the depot, your second parcel may have been substituted too.