Threatening Amazon email?

[Atlasstars1]

I’ve been a loyal Amazon customer for years. Over the last 6 months I’ve had to report a number of missing parcels
as they keep being left on my doorstep which is on a the main road and not a safe place. Most parcels just get lifted round here as there are a lot of opportunistic thefts. I’ve updated Amazon on this so many times asking them to ensure they are not left on my
doorstep, but it still happens.
Following the latest missing parcel I received this today which reads as pretty threatening and as though I’m at fault? What should I reply? If anything? Or am I being unreasonable and just ignore?

I find Amazon customer service faultless so to get a letter like that you must be losing a hell of a lot of parcels.

It is annoying that drivers aren't delivering to your neighbor but unfortunately they are normally in such a rush that they don't check delivery instructions. I live in a flat that can only be accessed around the back but drivers still dump my parcels in the communal building with everyone else's. It's a pain but it isn't going to change and I have to choose my battles.

If I was in your situation I couldn't be done with the stress and I would just arrange to pick up parcels from an Amazon locker or store that accepts them.

The problem with amazon is that they gave relatively limited options for giving delivery Instructions. Unlike others you can't specify "other' -you have to choose from their set list. No option to say "don't leave in view of road" or upload photo of the safe place.

Get in touch with them and tell them where your parcels can be left if you're not at home

I think I’ve had 4
missing parcels in 12 months, hardly
a lot!

OP I think you need to push back, politely (in this case), explaining that the ACTUAL problem is not the address, but the drivers ignoring your specified safe place with a neighbour who works from home and has agreed to take them in, and therefore you'd like to make a counter complaint because you are being disadvantaged by the driver's actions ie this sounds like a problem driver on your route not following both instructions and common sense, as in full view and presumably also out in the rain is obviously not an acceptable place to leave them and not what you have asked for.

(There is also a small chance that the driver is stealing them but I wouldn't say this in your communications - once an actual human looks into this they might see a pattern on this route should that be the case.)

I do think you should have tackled this when parcels started to go missing, but other than that I don't think the PPs criticising you are being reasonable, I think we all know that delivery drivers often don't follow delivery instructions and leave things in stupid places that they actually aren't meant to at all! We used to have this with Yodel at a previous address, and also have a problem now with one regular purchase that is sold via Amazon but dispatched from manufacturer using DPD. Our local DPD 'service' is a pain in the backside, and also inconsistent, so for this item I think we are going to have to use a locker.

While your issue gets resolved, I also think you should pause your ordering so you don't get blacklisted, or tweak your ordering to get more things into less deliveries and a specific delivery date when you will be there. Also agree with regard to asking the neighbour to use their address for a bit, but as a neighbour I'd be okay with this 1-2 times a fortnight, I wouldn't if it was almost daily. Using their address a few times would be interesting, because if they leave parcels on the neighbour's doorstep when the neighbour is in, it proves your driver is an idiot who probably isn't bothering with safe spaces, ringing doorbells, etc.

I don't really understand what the big problem is with ordering for a day you are not at work though? Almost all of my Amazon orders come 1-2 days later, on the day specified when I order, using Prime. Are you ordering lots of niche items from sellers using the regular post that don't fit through your letterbox? Maybe you need to stop this.

Use a locker

Right so this is an auto email that clearly doesn’t have all the information. So you need to give them the info. What you need to do is respond to the email and say:

1. I have a note on my account saying do not leave on doorstep- your drivers are ignoring this.
2. my safe place is with my neighbour who works from home so is usually in during the day. I know that the drivers are not ringing her bell. Why not?
3. What is your policy if the safe place is not available (ie neighbour not in)?

As far as I know, Amazon do have to re attempt delivery if there is nobody in and the safe place is not available. I don’t think they can say “oh we had no option but to dump it in the street”.

I had a driver yesterday who didn’t ring my bell, just shoved the package into my safe place. That was annoying.

This. The email is inviting you to respond so do that.

I'd also add that you contact Amazon Customer Services every time a parcel is left on the doorstep unattended and goes missing but still the problem persists despite multiple assurances by Amazon.

If the drivers don't even ring your bell (which happens here) I'd add that too.

OP I also suggest before making any changes to your delivery instructions you screenshot what they already say, preferably with the date field on your computer showing in the screenshot.

Then change them the next day and screenshot them again.

You can also tick further instructions in the bit that says "Do you have accessible delivery instructions to share" such as ring the bell, knock on the door, and 'my instruction is not listed' and then right at the bottom there is a field "Do we need additional instructions to find this address" and you can put some more information in there, try starting it with 'ESSENTIAL:'.

If you do all this and they still can't get it right, then you definitely have a problem with your Amazon driver. Other couriers may not get all this information though.

YABU. Use a locker

What city does not have a single shop, convenience store, Co-op, Morrisons/other large supermarket Car Park, Railway Station, Leisure Centre or other place with a Hub Counter, a collection point or locker? DP's home village in the arse end of moorland, population around 380 people, mostly aged 83 and upwards, and about 7000 sheep and horses has one.

I asked above but you must have missed it - why can't you just get your parcels delivered directly to your neighbour if she's happy to take them in?

I get all my parcels sent to my in-laws as they're always home to accept them.

That is not a threatening email.

They quite reasonably have concerns, and one of those concerns might well be that you could be committing fraud by reporting parcels missing when they aren't. Surely you can see why they might think that.

Anyhow, if you have so much trouble with having parcels nicked, I don't know why you keep ordering stuff when you know it's going to happen again and again.

I can sympathise OP.

Thankfully nothing has gone missing here yet but in the last six months Amazon’s
couriers have started leaving parcels on my doorstep. I’m in most of the time and they don’t always ring the doorbell (we have a Ring), I only know they’ve delivered when I get a notification.

Worryingly they usually mark the delivery as “handed to resident”.
I have a safe place listed for the rare occasions that I’m not in but that is ignored.

I now make a point of contacting Amazon to complain every time a parcel is left on the doorstep.

They do deliver to a safe locations like local
Shops and newsagents etc

I'm surprised you haven't done that already if you're never home or have no safe place to

I'm not surprised they're fed up with you never being at home fir deliveries knowing they'll get stolen

Amazed you're surprised at this email

Easy to forget they are a business and if the cost vs reward for your address is low then why would they do business with you. Whether it’s your fault is irrelevant if they lose money they are perfectly entitled not to allow you to use their business. Sucks but you don’t really have a leg to stand on.

It's not threatening in any way.

You are aware that your address is not suitable for receiving deliveries when you're not at home. You either need to stop ordering from Amazon, or have your parcels delivered to an Amazon locker or something.

If a company is repeatedly having to refund you or send replacements, they're not making money from you and effectively they're just funding freebies for whoever keeps nicking your stuff. Obviously that's not good business and obviously they aren't just going to let that carry on. If you run a restaurant, and a certain customer comes in frequently, but regularly complains about the food or service and expects to have items knocked off their bill each time as a result, you don't just let them keep doing that. You tell them that you're sorry but you're not able to accommodate them any more and that they need to find another restaurant that's more to their liking.

write back to them explaining everything you put in the thread, including the ring doorbell/face covering situation

they are only threatening to close your account - not actually threatening police or anything

if you explain everything, it will prob be fine.

you’ve got to see from their pov, it’s just prob a computer generated letter that follows 4 lost parcels

People are being unfair on you, OP. Why should you be penalised when the drivers are at fault. I did type a much fuller response (similar problems to you) but - this is utterly pathetic - I fear being cancelled by Amazon. I’ve bought things from them for over 20 years and would really worry about that option being pulled. I also watch a lot of Prime. So, I think it is threatening.

My 18-year-old DC has been cancelled by Amazon due to having more than one account (not on purpose, just changed email) and they will not reinstate. Emails to the effect of ‘don’t even bother to contact us as we won’t change our mind’. I came out in a cold sweat thinking they might cancel my account. How sad.

This. I have chosen a different delivery day as PP suggested, knowing I wouldn't be in on the day they said. Took no notice and it came a day early. Not sure communication is their strong point tbh

It's Amazon that are losing out though isn't it, they're losing money by refunding you when someone steals your parcel. They have no way to check this so they have a right to check that you aren't scamming them. You really need to get a lock box for parcels if you're going to continue ordering knowing they will be left outside and stolen!

It's not a threatening email.

Can you just explain that because you live near to a main road that they regularly get stolen so that's why you put a leave in a safe place on your order.

Also chance your address to

Altlasstars1
DO NOT LEAVE ON DOORSTEP PLEASE
Main Street

Put a note on your actual front door to leave with neighbour at number X?

It’s Amazon losing out by ignoring a clear instruction not to leave a parcel out in the street (as if such instruction were needed). I picture OP’s street as one of those terraces with doors that open directly on to the pavement.

Also 9/10 now I find Amazon don't even bother knocking now and instead just default to dumping on doorsteps so no wonder stuff gets nicked. Appreciate the drivers are probably hugely up against it target wise but at the same time it's not the customers fault either