On Tuesday, 26 March, Amazon was speculated to have delivered an iPhone 15 and an accompanying Otterbox case to my house.
Amazon mentioned it could require a signature upon supply. So, I naturally ensured that I used to be house all day so I may signal for the supply – which I had spent over £700 on.
However I wasn’t fearful if I used to be distracted by work, in any case I’d hear the doorbell (I’ve an Amazon Ring video doorbell, which information motion outdoors my door).
At 11:31, I acquired an e mail telling me that the iPhone and case had been out for supply.
After which, at 14:34, I acquired an e mail telling me that that they had been delivered.
That’s odd, I assumed. I didn’t hear the doorbell, I haven’t signed for something, and I undoubtedly haven’t acquired an iPhone and case from Amazon.
Logging into my Amazon account, I used to be instructed that the iPhone and case had been “Handed to resident” at 12:51.
Hmm.. nicely, I used to be the one individual house on the home at the moment – and it undoubtedly hadn’t been handed to me. My companion (who was out on the time) confirmed that she hadn’t magically acquired it both.
A fast verify across the outdoors of the home revealed no hint of a bundle, and the neighbours confirmed that they hadn’t acquired it both.
It’s all fairly a thriller. Amazon claims that the bundle was “handed to resident” and had additionally mentioned that it could require a signature upon supply.
So how may it not be in my possession?
I did what everybody ought to do on this scenario. I contacted Amazon buyer providers. They instructed me that I needed to wait till the top of Thursday 28 March earlier than requesting a refund, as generally errors occurred… and a supply could possibly be delayed.
Honest sufficient, I assumed. I’ll wait two days, after which request the refund for the non-delivery.
Two days later, after there was nonetheless no signal of the iPhone 15 or case, I requested the refund.
Customer support agent Rizza at “Earth’s most customer-centric firm” responded to my request:
It seems that the service has recorded your bundle as delivered on 26 March 2024. Please verify together with your neighbors or members of your family to search out out whether or not they’ve taken supply of the bundle in your behalf.
Please enable 3 days (72 hours) whereas we examine this matter. Should you haven’t acquired your refund by 31 March 2024 please tell us.
Oh, so having waited two days, I now have to attend one other three days? Hmm… okay. That is starting to get a bit irritating, I assumed.
Fortuitously, I didn’t have to attend three days to listen to again from Amazon. Sadly, I didn’t like what Amazon needed to say once they introduced the top of their investigation on 29 March:
AMZN_UK confirmed the [ITEM] you ordered was within the bundle on the time it left our achievement heart and that it was delivered to you intact. Because of this, we can not subject a alternative or a refund for this merchandise.
As you possibly can most likely think about, I wasn’t very pleased with this response. And so I emailed again:
Hello
The gadgets had been NOT delivered.
I used to be in the home on the time they claimed to be delivered. There was NO ring or knock on my door. My Ring doorbell has recorded NO proof of any supply or exercise outdoors my door.
None of my neighbours report any supply to them.
And but Amazon claims “handed to resident”
I’ve been a Prime Enterprise buyer of yours for years, in addition to a private Prime subscriber.
Are you claiming I’m mendacity about this? My enterprise paid for an iPhone and case and we simply need it delivered or a refund.
What’s the course of for escalating this grievance?
Moreover, Amazon mentioned, “Signature required at time of supply. Please guarantee somebody can be accessible to signal for this supply.”
So, in case you are actually claiming that the iPhone was delivered are you able to please present the signature? As a reminder – I used to be house the whole day, nobody delivered the lacking iPhone and case, my neighbours didn’t obtain a bundle addressed to me, and my Ring doorbell didn’t report any tried supply.
So, please present the signature. Or please subject my refund/alternative
Are you able to inform I wasn’t very completely happy? You’re proper!
I additionally dropped a line to Amazon UK’s PR company, telling them that I used to be planning to put in writing about my expertise and giving them the chance to reply with any remark (and fairly hoping they could sort things.) On the time of writing, they nonetheless haven’t acquired again to me.
However Amazon customer support did get again to me. And right here’s what they mentioned:
We seemed into your order and AMZN_UK has confirmed the cargo you reported misplaced was delivered to you in good situation. Because of this, we is not going to be issuing a alternative or a refund for the contents of that cargo.
We’re unable to give you any additional help on this matter. We admire your enterprise and hope to see you once more quickly.
So, Amazon continues to say that it delivered the telephone and case to me in good situation. And after I requested for photographic proof of supply, or a replica of the signature that (presumably) was given when Amazon’s supply driver “handed to resident” they ignored me.
AMZN_UK confirmed the gadgets you ordered had been within the bundle on the time it left our achievement heart and that it was delivered to you intact. Because of this, we can not subject a alternative or a refund for this merchandise.
Should you do not need any additional suggestions relating to your Amazon purchasing expertise, please take into account this subject closed, and be assured that you could be proceed purchasing as normal.
We’re unable to supply extra info on this matter and we could not reply to extra emails about this subject.
Ouch. It seems like Amazon shouldn’t be solely retaining my cash, but it surely’s refusing to even reply to questions concerning the non-delivery any extra.
After posting about my expertise on Twitter and LinkedIn it appears there are numerous many others who’ve had horrible experiences getting refunds from Amazon after it has did not ship costly items.
Nice information! @AmazonUK has acquired again to me concerning the £700 iPhone they did not ship (and would not refund or substitute)
Dangerous information, what they instructed me… Watch my video
Primarily based on this expertise, why would anybody purchase something costly from Amazon ever once more?
RT if you happen to agree. https://t.co/G9LgoSnPdd pic.twitter.com/XagmcfuqO8
— Graham Cluley (@gcluley) March 30, 2024
After which there was this ultimate kick within the enamel, after I requested that my grievance be escalated:
I perceive that you simply wish to escalate this, nonetheless, all Amazon account specialists are skilled to search out the very best resolutions for our prospects’ points.
Properly Amazon, I may help you discover the “very best decision” for this buyer. Give me my a reimbursement or ship the bloody iPhone and case that you simply did not ship to me.
So, what are my subsequent steps?
Properly, I can request a chargeback from my fee card firm – a method of getting your a reimbursement if you don’t obtain the products or providers you may have paid for, and a retailer is refusing to refund.
Nevertheless, I’ve been instructed by quite a few those that Amazon actually actually doesn’t like individuals doing this to them, and customers can discover themselves blocked from utilizing any of Amazon’s providers in future. If true, that appears to me to be fairly petty revenge – particularly when it was Amazon that was at fault within the first place.
I’ve additionally reported the theft/fraud of the iPhone to the police. I’ve accomplished that, though Thames Valley Police have instructed me that they don’t seem to be going to analyze. Presumably they, like me, take into account this to be Amazon’s drawback.
I may take Amazon to the Small Claims Courtroom, the place Amazon can be compelled to supply precise proof that it delivered the iPhone 15 and case to me.
It’s, in fact, completely ridiculous for a buyer to go to such lengths to get a refund or alternative from Amazon. However it appears there are not any different methods to get across the brick wall that’s its customer support division.
Properly, I suppose I may at all times make a video and write a weblog publish complaining about Amazon’s appalling customer support – and ask pleasant viewers and readers to share them on-line.
Is there anyone at Amazon who nonetheless cares about taking care of their reliable sincere prospects?