Item delivered in husband's name that he did not order

asd123456_2

Hello,

Yesterday I accepted a parcel addressed to my husband. He opened it when he got home and it turned out to be a laptop that he had not ordered. He contacted the sending company who were able to confirm that it wasn't paid for by any of our cards, that the e-mail used to order it was my husband's name with 2 extra letters added and a made up mobile number (he called the number- not recognised) was used. The company said the laptop can be returned if we wanted but that it seems like a gift.

Are there any known scams for this kind of thing?
Are we financially responsible for the item if we use it? It had our address and my husbands name on the box and invoice inside the box.

Thanks in advance.

zagfles

So it's fully paid for, and was sent directly by a reputable company?

Only thing I can think of is that someone used stolen credit card details, perhaps with the intention of turning up at your door saying "sorry there's been a terrible mistake, I ordered it as a gift for my nephew with the same name as you but I lost his address so looked it up on 192.com and got the wrong person" or some such tale, and maybe offer you £20 as an apology if you give them the laptop.

Then they've got away with a getting a laptop using stolen credit card details with no trace back to them.

Just a theory...could be way off mark...

tomtontom

This sounds like a scam along the lines described above. Arrange to return it but be certain you are handing it over to a genuine courier and get a receipt/tracking details for it.

LilElvis

If stolen card details were used to make the purchase its possible that the cardholder isn't yet aware that it has been used fraudulently.

LilElvis

tomtontom wrote: »

This sounds like a scam along the lines described above. Arrange to return it but be certain you are handing it over to a genuine courier and get a receipt/tracking details for it.

..... and make sure you get the seller to pay for the return shipping - their cost and their responsibility should anything happen to it.

If they say they will reimburse you and for you to arrange and pay for it, refuse!

asd123456_2

Thanks for your replies. We will contact the sending company tonight, definitely reputable, it's sent directly from Apple and is a MacBook Air worth quite a lot of money.

Just waiting for a knock on the door now.

vuvuzela

Asd123456 wrote: »

Thanks for your replies. We will contact the sending company tonight, definitely reputable, it's sent directly from Apple and is a MacBook Air worth quite a lot of money.

Just waiting for a knock on the door now.

If (when) they do knock, deny all knowledge. Dn't tell them it ws delivered, just politely say to them that nothing has been delivered.

gavrc

If a dodgy card has been used then it's a police matter. The Macbook is potentially stolen property and if you try to keep it you could get in trouble yourself.
Don't mess about with this. Call 101 and report it.

gav

pinkshoes

A friend had this with an iphone.

He received a knock a phone call a day later to his landline saying that there had been a mistake with a delivery, and a courier was coming shortly to pick it up. He decided to play the 'what iphone?' card.

Turned out that it as bought on a fake credit card, and the scammer would have been the 'courier' picking it up.

If anyone phones or calls to the door, deny all knowledge, and only ever return it to sender at the sender's expense.

pulliptears

pinkshoes wrote: »

A friend had this with an iphone.

He received a knock a phone call a day later to his landline saying that there had been a mistake with a delivery, and a courier was coming shortly to pick it up. He decided to play the 'what iphone?' card.

Turned out that it as bought on a fake credit card, and the scammer would have been the 'courier' picking it up.

If anyone phones or calls to the door, deny all knowledge, and only ever return it to sender at the sender's expense.

How did they get his number?

arcon5

I'd secodn the advice given. Deal only with the company hereon.

You are bailees and have responsibilities... so reduce all risk of come back and YOU phone the company DIRECTLY and arrange to return it.

Far from being an unknown scam this one