Return to Amazon...missing in the post!

3011gillian

First post so appreciate any help!!

I bought a wireless router off amazon for christmas for my boyfriend at £39.99. It arrived fine but unfortunately was not compatable with our Mac, which was a valid reason under their returns policy, so i printed off the freepost label that the site automatically produced for me and sent it all back. a week later it has not been received and in their email they said if i sent it recorded then they could try and track it etc. But i didn't i just sent it freepost with the label they provided. I've searched the site and it recommends recorded delivery if the item was over £50 which it wasn't.

Can i get my money back???

py6km

If they don't get it, and there is no proof of sending, I doubt you will get your money back.

Do you have any receipt or anything from the post office ? I suspect not if you used a freepost label. But, if so, then you could try to use this as proof that you sent (something) back to them and its gone missing.

Your other option is to try and get compensation from Royal Mail, but again, this will be tricky (if not impossible) if you have no proof of sending.

Get a proof of posting certificate from the post office next time (they are free), or use recorded etc I guess.

3011gillian

I think it is very misleading if they provide a freepost return label yet you can't actually send it freepost!!!

They could say it is for 'ease' but it is a lot easier to throw it in the post tray at work than trek to the post office (whereever the nearest one is!) and get proof of sending or fork out for recorded delivery which is what this policy is syaing 'although not openly on their website!'

Why do they then put a £50 value on recommending sending recorded, surely they should just say 'we recommend you send ANYTHING back recorded'. I assumed that meant they would cover things up to this value but it looks like they were saying most people don't mind losing £50!!!

muffinhead

3011gillian wrote:

I think it is very misleading if they provide a freepost return label yet you can't actually send it freepost!!!

If you got a Certificate of Postage (which is free), when you sent the item back to Amazon, that is proof enough that you sent it. With this you'd be covered up to £30, by the Royal Mail, if the item should go missing or is damaged.

py6km

3011gillian wrote:

I think it is very misleading if they provide a freepost return label yet you can't actually send it freepost!!!

Well, you can because the certificate of posting from the post office is free, but of course you have to go to a post office then rather than bung it int he post bag at work.

3011gillian wrote:

...it looks like they were saying most people don't mind losing £50!!!

I think that's about the size of it.

I've learnt through bitter experience never to send anything to anyone without proof that I have sent it and adequate insurance.

3011gillian

This is my problem BECAUSE they gave me a freepost label i didn't HAVE to go to the post office therefore not getting a proof of delivery. If i had sent it from work or post office and paid anything it would have been written down but BECAUSE it was freepost it was just put in the postbag and not recorded in the book.

If they aren't willing to refund the money if a parcal goes missing they shouldn't give freepost labels out!! anyone see my point!

Even if If they gave you the label but mentioned on the site that it was not covered i would have sent it super duper extra special post! I went off the information provided and it seems that was just their 'OPINION' rather than 'POLICY'!

py6km

I can see why you're fed up, and you never know, it might turn up with them - may just have been delayed.

You have to see their point of view though -- anyone who had ordered something could simply say that they have returned it to them for whatever reason and request a refund. Someone could, however, never send the item back, but say they have, and still ask for their money back - if Amazon didn't require a proof of posting to ensure that the item had actually been sent, how can they discriminate in these cases?

Free post label or not, there needs to be proof that the item was sent back to them. The fact that the label gives you the opportunity to send it back free of charge does not obviate the fact that you need to cover your bases by obtaining something to prove that it is en route to them. If it then gets lost, you have a claim against the delivery company for losing it.

Astaroth

I have to say I have never known anyone complain about a company because they give you a free post label.

Whilst I can understand you being frustrated with the situation at the end of the day it doesnt take much thinking to realise that if you send anything back without proof you have no way of proving it was sent if it goes AWOL.

I assume that you have covered off the base that it isnt still sitting in your works mail room? I know one item I sent by special delivery never was delivered as it "fell down the back of a cabinate" in our mail room and was only discovered after I queried it with them - the SD allowed me to check with Royal Mail who said the item was never sent.

Bossyboots

3011gillian wrote:

This is my problem BECAUSE they gave me a freepost label i didn't HAVE to go to the post office therefore not getting a proof of delivery. If i had sent it from work or post office and paid anything it would have been written down but BECAUSE it was freepost it was just put in the postbag and not recorded in the book.

If they aren't willing to refund the money if a parcal goes missing they shouldn't give freepost labels out!! anyone see my point!

Even if If they gave you the label but mentioned on the site that it was not covered i would have sent it super duper extra special post! I went off the information provided and it seems that was just their 'OPINION' rather than 'POLICY'!

They give you a freepost label so that it costs you nothing to send it back, not to save you going to the post office. Even with a freepost label you can go to the counter at the post office and ask for a certificate of posting which they will supply quite happily and free of charge. Therefore it has cost nothing to return it and you have proof you sent it. I am sure it says on their website to obtain proof of posting (it always used to) just in case.

3011gillian

Just spoke to customer services and when i explained that i followed the step by step process for returns, they said i did the right thing!:T so fingers crossed! Just waiting to here back from them again.

3011gillian

Just spoke to customer services and when i explained that i followed the step by step process for returns, they said i did the right thing!:T :j so fingers crossed! Just waiting to here back from them again.