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I feel I’ve been absolutely scammed by Amazon. Do not buy anything expensive from them!

108 replies

FireAdvice · 06/11/2025 07:16

I’ve certainly learnt a lesson from this experience and won’t buy anything expensive especially not an electrical item from them again.

bought an expensive dualit toaster and it didn’t work. They said I could return it, but I’d binned the toaster box . I sent it back, at the post office the woman there even had to open my box to check there was a toaster in there which she did and signed to say she’d done it. My refund came through.

a while later I had an email saying they’d not got my return. I rang them, the bloke apologised and said it was a mistake and not to worry.

then two weeks ago I had an email saying I’d sent them a different toaster back and they charged my debit card for the full amount of the toaster. Customer services are not allowed to talk to me about this on the phone or the chat. I can only deal with the specialist team by email. I’ve replied to the email as instructed was told I’d have a response in 72 hours and nothing. Customer services say they’d can’t escalate it.

ive responded to the email 4x now and still no response. I’m tweeting them and they just repeatedly tell me to respond to the email. I keep telling them that I do but nobody replies.

its like dealing with some rogue trader scam artist. They got my return, but are adamant I sent them a different toaster back which is blatantly not true. But how do I prove it? I have a video of the toaster not working so why would I keep a faulty toaster.

my brother had a similar issue where he ordered an expensive Lego set and in the box it was dirty, mixed Lego….not the set he’d ordered. He couldn’t prove that either. Loads of stories online of people order iPhones, etc and getting bags of icing sugar. They never get their money back, they get treated like they’re the ones trying to defraud Amazon. some people have even being barred from Amazon.

I’ll use John Lewis from now on, or Curry’s for electrical stuff. Just not worth the risk. I don’t think I’ll ever get the money back.

OP posts:
oviraptor21 · 06/11/2025 07:19

Sounds like you ordered from the Marketplace so although you're using thr Amazon interface you're dealing with an independent trader.
I've found Amazon itself to be extremely efficient in accepting returns.
Throwing away the box wasn't ideal. I always keep the box until I'm sure the item does what it's meant to do.

Edited to add: Got a fantastic Samsung phone, reconditioned, half the price. Perfect, looks like new. Bargain.

Whyherewego · 06/11/2025 07:20

Ask them to send your toaster back !

NotForTheMoneyandNotForTheApplause · 06/11/2025 07:21

Did you post about this recently? If not it sounds like it's not an isolated incident

I rarely buy from Amazon but when I have returned things in the past it been fine

The more people who boycott them the better for all the other retailers so win win imo

It would be prudent for everyone to video themselves opening expensive items

Canyousewcushions · 06/11/2025 07:21

Was it amazon marketplace rather than amazon?

I've had to resort to raising a claim through my credit card a couple of times for items that didnt match the online images- it may be worth trying this if you paid by credit card? I did get the money back by doing this! In one case, telling the supplier id do this if they didn't refund me was enough to get them to do the refund themselves.

nosleepforme · 06/11/2025 07:23

Are you sure? Amazon are very reliable

Jane143 · 06/11/2025 07:24

No help to you but I’ve found them very good. I had an item arrived which was bad quality so clicked the box to return it. I immediately got a refund and they said no need to return item.

DontGoToThatPlace · 06/11/2025 07:25

You should always check who the seller is. As @oviraptor21 says some companies use Amazon to promote whatever they are selling so it will say Dispatches From and then underneath Sold By.

We have been using Amazon since 2002 it is our default website for buying items after shopping around of course. Never had an issue and have returned many things. We avoid marketplace items. Always keep the packaging until you are sure it works. I won't be boycotting them, they are great.

MigGirl · 06/11/2025 07:26

We had an issue with a monitor DH had bought from amazon (yes amazon not a 3rd party). He sent it back and has never seen the money nore had the monitor back and they just don't reply to enquiries. I said he should raise it with his credit card company but he hasn't.

I won't buy expensive electric items from them now. We go elsewhere, although I still buy small items from them.

Maxme · 06/11/2025 07:27

Always use credit.card on anything expensive, as you will have legal protection.

Other than that I have found Amazon marketplace getting far worse in the last couple of years , flooded with near identical products from brands and companies No one has ever heard of that make searching a pain.

I tend to avoid them now unless I can't find something elsewhere.

LittleLlama · 06/11/2025 07:29

Sorry you had this experience. I have had also had a problem with Amazon Marketplace. I ordered a new book but the one that arrived was clearly second-hand. They wouldn’t refund my money (fortunately it was less than £10). I wouldn’t use Amazon Marketplace again as you don’t seem to have the same protection as you have with Amazon direct.

onpills4godsake · 06/11/2025 07:31

I find Amazon better than most places- just always pay on credit card

i got a b&m credit expensive electrical item and it broke- the manufacturer guarantee was still in place but they would not swap or let me return it as they couldn’t find it on their system

so I always do Amazon now

SquirrelosaurusSoShiny · 06/11/2025 07:32

It's classic enshitification in action. They used to be great, they're deteriorating because they've monopolised, crushed the competition and now they don't have to work as hard.

centaury · 06/11/2025 07:33

Contrary to what some people believe, even when 'sold by' Amazon itself, goods are binned by SKU not seller - inventory is commingled with unvetted third parties

I would definitely not buy any smart tech from there, medication, toiletries, food

Avoid

alqggapwbnch · 06/11/2025 07:34

Was the this so called a-z refund guarantee team by any chance? I had issues with them recently when I was trying to return something, the return label wouldn’t materialise for printing, I had to chase down Royal Mail andAmazon, for weeks. Every time I spoke to Amazon “yes we’ll fix it” but every week I got an automated email from the so called a-z refund guarantee to say I’ve been rejected, give more info, gave more info…and the same happened.

Ended up chucking the time in the bin, it was infuriating.

converseandjeans · 06/11/2025 07:36

I think items like this are best bought from places like John Lewis, Argos etc as you can take them back if there’s a problem & they would sort you out with a new one.

dudsville · 06/11/2025 07:39

I've been lucky, but it's been random. With an expensive headphone set and a bean to cup machine, returns were easy. But with a cheap men's hankies, I'd bought two sets, they came in the one package, but it was the beginning of their new return style, so it actually required seperate packaging to return but I didn't understand. Initially I was swiftly refunded for both, they then said I never sent the 2nd set and took the money back.

WeCouldBeNiceToEachOther · 06/11/2025 07:41

I think part of the issue is you sent back a toaster in a box with nothing to identify it as the one you bought? For all they know you sent back a broken old toaster and kept the new one. I’ve never returned something outside of the original packaging!

Gottocopebymyself · 06/11/2025 07:41

I used to use Amazon most of the time but I'm quite wary now.
Especially since I heard about the scam with the mobile phones and similar valuable items.

FireAdvice · 06/11/2025 07:41

It wasn’t Amazon market place. It was a direct Amazon sale.

OP posts:
Tiebiter · 06/11/2025 07:44

I think amazon has jumped the shark now. It's just marketplace people re-selling temu.

FireAdvice · 06/11/2025 07:44

I honestly think they’re trolling me now.

so I’ve had a response just now “your order is valid but not associated with this account, please contact us via your other account “

I only have one account and one email

and they had emailed me and I replied to that email 🤷🏻‍♀️. Wtf.

OP posts:
FireAdvice · 06/11/2025 07:46

WeCouldBeNiceToEachOther · 06/11/2025 07:41

I think part of the issue is you sent back a toaster in a box with nothing to identify it as the one you bought? For all they know you sent back a broken old toaster and kept the new one. I’ve never returned something outside of the original packaging!

To be honest I could have done that even if I’d sent it back in the right box? They say I sent them a different brand of toaster back, not a dualit one.

OP posts:
FireAdvice · 06/11/2025 07:48

Loads of posts on Reddit, etc with people with similar issues. BBC news articles of Amazon warehouse operatives going to court on charges of stealing tens of thousands of pounds of goods.

OP posts:
RedRiverShore5 · 06/11/2025 07:54

Well, to start with, best not to bin the box until the return window, usually about a month has passed and you have tried it out.

I have never had a problem returning to Amazon, even a reduced 'warehouse' printer that didn't work but that is just my experience.

RedRiverShore5 · 06/11/2025 07:55

Tiebiter · 06/11/2025 07:44

I think amazon has jumped the shark now. It's just marketplace people re-selling temu.

They do sell branded goods

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