I learned something new this week, when a second Amazon Prime delivery addressed to a stranger supposedly living at my address arrived. As with the first, I checked for transposed digits, Googled the stranger a bunch of different ways. Nothing. So both times, I ran the gauntlet to get a human agent on the phone, explained things to them, and asked how Amazon wanted me to do the return.
i was politely told that no return was necessary–both items were mine to keep or donate! I was informed that the intended recipient would receive their items tout suite, so why worry?
So, on the strength of this… policy, I opened the parcels. One was an inexpensive tennis outfit, but the other was a very nice rechargeable hair clipper with many accessories; another Goog session showed the clipper kit retails for >$100.
So now I’m wondering how I can get a helpful friend to order herself a Lacanche Citeaux in deep blue and “mistakenly” ship it to me.
Seriously, has anyone here gotten free cookware this way?
No. Not quite to this extend. I have one vendor sent the wrong type of lard to me, and I asked if I can send it back and get mine. They simply told me that they will send the right type to me and told me to keep the ones I have. (Looking of course this is the case because they cannot do foods that have already been out of their control)
Amazon may have sent the wrong type of pressure cooker gaskets (or something cookware related…). Again, Amazon told me to keep what they have already sent me. However, I don’t think I have ever had completely wrong items delivered to me.
No cookware, but some pool hoses and outdoor lights, both of which I literally could not use. Same deal with Amazon. They told me to keep the stuff. There was nothing I ordered in the box.
Same. Received a large Hard plastic dog toy which our large dog would not touch. Sister also received unordered pkg. someone said they do it to get reviews on Amazon. Not sure why anyone would write a review for something they didn’t order or want??
Yes, I’ve received duplicate cookware from Amazon twice, although the most recent occasion was nearly fifteen years ago. In both cases they insisted I keep everything, as return shipping would have been too expensive. Ultimately both of the superfluous pieces were gifted to family members.
That may certainly apply to the cheap tennis outfit. But, equally certainly, it wouldn’t cost anywhere near $100 to return the clipper set. And–assuming a second set will go out to the original customer–Amazon is now out the $100 plus shipping.
I was being facetious about the Lacanche, but it illustrates the same point: Is Amazon making so much money, the don’t care? If so, someone here who needs a fine French stove: Please ship one to yourself at my address!
You’re missing the point of the article I linked to. The “original customer” doesn’t want it. The “original customer” is the item’s manufacturer, who wants to be able to write fake reviews as someone who purchased the item.
Thanks. I read the PSA, but I haven’t been asked to do any review, and I wouldn’t give up personal information. These items appear to have shipped directly from Amazon to a complete stranger, just to my address. How would whoever got this wrong stand to profit or scam?
Yes, Amazon is making that much money that for certain items they don’t care. For clothes and personal beauty items though, it might also be that there’s no way to check if these were used and you can’t just put these back in stock safely.
I’ve only had my mistakes Amazon made, but I’ve never had anyone gift me anything, useless or otherwise.
But the act of sending the items to me enables the manufacturer to review them as if I bought them. I haven’t gone to the trouble of seeking out these reviews, but I bet they exist.
Ok, sorry, I’m slow this morning on the “review” point. If a manufacturer was going to make up a review, why not make it from whole cloth and keep the brassiere? Unless they prise useful info from you, what’s the point of actually sending it?
Was the stuff addressed to you–as in your name or to someone who once lived at your address? In my case, the house has been in my family since the end of WW2.
I’ve had packages arrive with neighbors’ names and my (mis)address or a confusingly similar one. Not the case here.
To me. Which was spooky. Your case is a little different, but the fact that you couldn’t find any evidence that the “real” addressee exists is suspicious.
Because a “verified” review has to come from an actual purchaser. Amazon has an interest in protecting the integrity of its “verified” reviews, which is why it’s pretending what happened to you and me is just an honest mistake, and not a scam.
This still makes no sense–even in an Amazonian world. I’m not an “actual purchaser”, and neither would be any impostor. Who would the “verified” reviewer be of the clipper kit sent to me? Me? The named poltergeist who lives between dimensions in my house?
Certainly Amazon could have-by dint of my calls–flagged these shipments as unverifiable and therefore barred from review. To the extent that this happens as you’ve theorized, it only cynically dilutes the credibility of all Amazon reviews.
I’m telling you what I’ve learned through research, when this happened to me. I agree that it doesn’t seem like a good way to accomplish much of anything, but there it is.
It makes about as much sense as calling every new version of a venerable cookware line “Original”.
I’m NOT planning on doing this, but doesn’t this policy not only create a serious review credibility problem, but also an engraved invitation to defraud Amazon?
