Sent device back to Microsoft for repair, service center received an empty box

visidigi

You need to calm down. Its a huge company, dealing with a lot of transactions, they cannot stop everything just to sort the issue out - no point getting panicked or stressed about it just yet (no matter what the circumstances) just go through the process as getting stressed will only impact you. 

That email address is not likely to lead to much response if its a global account. Work with local support and see what they say - a surface book weights 3-4kg, not hard to fit coal in a box if the box is big enough. Its MS's problem no doubt - they could also see, from the diagnostics/serial if that machine has been on or used since you shipped it...

affinitysavanna

visidigi said:

You need to calm down. Its a huge company, dealing with a lot of transactions, they cannot stop everything just to sort the issue out - no point getting panicked or stressed about it just yet (no matter what the circumstances) just go through the process as getting stressed will only impact you. 

That email address is not likely to lead to much response if its a global account. Work with local support and see what they say - a surface book weights 3-4kg, not hard to fit coal in a box if the box is big enough. Its MS's problem no doubt - they could also see, from the diagnostics/serial if that machine has been on or used since you shipped it...

Yeah you are right but I've never had anything like this happen to me before and it's a lot of money, it's hard not to get stressed.. we will see what happens with this appeal, the guy was very helpful and UK based so hopefully something will come of this. 
Yes exactly, but then again it wasn't working hence why I sent it in so whoever does have it is out of luck as it wasn't turning on or charging hence why I sent it in for repair.
Guess it's just a waiting game now then if nothing comes of it, small claims court.

Grumpy_chap

Here is a similar thread:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6231934/amazon-claim-my-return-was-an-empty-box

bris

macman said:

Above poster is correct. You have no contract with UPS, only the retailer does. Compo for theft of the package is between them and UPS: All you need to do is prove that you handed the package over to UPS, which obviously you can.

That may be all well and good if the parcel goes missing but it didn't, it arrived with coals in it, in the real world this is only going to end one way. How does the OP prove they aren't pulling a con on them? Would you believe them?

affinitysavanna

bris said:

macman said:

Above poster is correct. You have no contract with UPS, only the retailer does. Compo for theft of the package is between them and UPS: All you need to do is prove that you handed the package over to UPS, which obviously you can.

That may be all well and good if the parcel goes missing but it didn't, it arrived with coals in it, in the real world this is only going to end one way. How does the OP prove they aren't pulling a con on them? Would you believe them?

This is what I am concerned about, but hopefully the weight was checked and recorded at the time of posting and throughout its transit, so at some point the device was removed and replaced with coals then the weight should change? 

Aylesbury_Duck

affinitysavanna said:

bris said:

macman said:

Above poster is correct. You have no contract with UPS, only the retailer does. Compo for theft of the package is between them and UPS: All you need to do is prove that you handed the package over to UPS, which obviously you can.

That may be all well and good if the parcel goes missing but it didn't, it arrived with coals in it, in the real world this is only going to end one way. How does the OP prove they aren't pulling a con on them? Would you believe them?

This is what I am concerned about, but hopefully the weight was checked and recorded at the time of posting and throughout its transit, so at some point the device was removed and replaced with coals then the weight should change? 

Probably not.  I would think that's the point of choosing something dense that is in discrete lumps - it's relatively easy to take or leave the original item out, weigh it, then replace it with things that aggregate to the same weight.

affinitysavanna

Oh god, well coal doesn't weigh much anyway so they must have a lot in there to make it weigh the same as a surface book... I can't believe this stuff happens in this day and age.. especially for big couriers like UPS, but then again there are thieving scum everywhere you go. 

Aylesbury_Duck

affinitysavanna said:

Oh god, well coal doesn't weigh much anyway so they must have a lot in there to make it weigh the same as a surface book... I can't believe this stuff happens in this day and age.. especially for big couriers like UPS, but then again there are thieving scum everywhere you go. 

On the contrary, coal is relatively dense, so you wouldn't need much of it.  It's much denser than water, for example.  That's why things like coal, stones, concrete, etc are used in these situations.  Cheap, readily available and dense.

pbartlett

Just to re-iterate, all you should be concerned about is 'proving' that the package you handed to the courier contained the device and not coals - what happened thereafter is between them and microsoft.

If it comes to small claims court, all you have to do is convince the judge of the same. Avoid speculation of when and where the switch occurred - it is not relevant to you - your return was complete when you handed it over.

MattMattMattUK

nyermen said:

There's a possibility that UPS will have package weights recorded.  I can't see even a full box of coal weighing as much as a surface.

I use UPS for work, the first time a consignment is weighed is when it goes into the system at the depot, which means that the package sat in a shop, then went in a van before it would have been weighed. I know people who have had similar issues before, the consignment has always been something where the outer box looked high value (eg. addressed to Apple, Microsoft, Sony etc.) and has always occurred when a consignment was dropped off at one of these local shops which offers a UPS drop off service. The packages sit behind a counter in a store for hours or days until collected, depending on when they are dropped off, giving multiple members of staff ample time to tamper with, weigh, replace items etc. I suspect the actual issue occurred before the consignment was handed over to UPS properly.