Amazon Seller sends envelope containing label instead of product - Amazon shrugs its shoulders

Tangiers

I recently ordered several cans of a product and the day that Amazon tracking said that it was going to be delivered by Royal Mail, I expected a knock at my door from the postman only to just hear my letterbox. I found a grey plastic envelope with a label with the seller's logo at the top and printed details of what I had ordered. Amazon tracking then said that the item had been delivered. After a few moments of !!!!!!, I concluded that this may well be some kind of proof of delivery scam.

When I scrolled back through the seller's profile on Amazon and the company's profile on TrustPilot, I found that quite a few other people had had the same experience but Amazon had struck out the reviewers' comments stating that it was not the seller's fault but a fulfilment problem. In fact, the seller's profile on TrustPilot is almost entirely negative and populated with other complaints as well.

Just how many layers of responsibility are there? Somebody must be aware that sending out essentially empty envelopes in lieu of products is ripping people off but Amazon don't seem to be concerned. It looks like a blatant attempt to scam buyers with phoney proof of delivery.

I haven't named the seller simply because I don't want to inadvertently break any rules but I am happy to do so.

MorningcoffeeIV

You say that Amazon don't seem to be concerned but don't say whether you actually contacted them about it.  The tracking will simply show the delivery of an item - it's not a complaint procedure.

It looks like a fulfilment problem, that should be easily resolved. 

MalMonroe

Hi, in this case I'd just go to my amazon account, click on 'returns and orders'. When the list of your orders pops up (or just this order, my account has quite a few listed) click the button at the right hand side of the order you're talking about that says "return or replace items". Take it from there, and give the reason for return as you have outlined in your OP above.

I've never, ever. had any problem with any return with amazon and I've been shopping with them for years. (Although I sometimes feel ashamed as amazon's management team's ethics are questionable, to say the least).

Amazon have never shrugged their shoulders to me. Sometimes I've even received a refund before the return has reached its destination, whether the item was originally despatched from amazon or from an amazon market place seller.

Just follow the procedure, you'll get a refund and you can then report that seller. Please do.

You have done the right thing by not naming the seller here because it's an amazon problem and if you read this forum's rules, you'll see that naming names could land you in legal hot water. There's nothing anyone here can do about a dodgy seller. But you CAN get your money back if you just follow amazon's return advice. And of course, report.

Tangiers

Yes, I contacted Amazon (doing so was not a simple matter as their FAQ and robots can't get past the fact that their system says that the item was delivered) and got a refund but this seems to be an habitual practice by the seller. Please explain how this is not a problem when the same seller does it over and over again. Don't sellers have a responsibility to deliver what people have ordered from them? Whatever the issue is, the buyer isn't getting what they paid for. Saying that tracking simply shows delivery of goods makes my point that the system does not detect a problem and so saying that 'it's not a complaint procedure' is mystifying and just adds to the labyrinthine situation.

MorningcoffeeIV

Tangiers said:

Please explain how this is not a problem when the same seller does it over and over again. 

I don't think anyone said it wasn't a problem, so not sure who you are expecting to explain that. Did you mean to direct the question to Amazon?

Tangiers

MalMonroe said:

I already have a refund (see my second post), I was raising awareness of the practice. The name of this sub forum is, 'Praise, vent & warnings'.

diystarter7

Thanks for the warning. If I may say so that reading the title came across to me as Amazon were not helping and this is why I started to read the thread. In my experience, Amazon have been very good but I hear you, very frustrating and time-wasting.

razord

That message suggests the item was fulfilled by Amazon; so it's possible this is a mistake by amazon where something has been incorrectly booked in as the product when it was a return label for Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA).

Tangiers

Read Amazon's replies to the seller's reviews. They are shrugging their shoulders.

As already indicated, I should not identify the seller but who is responsible for supplying the goods, the seller or some anonymous fulfiller? I'm a little perplexed by the sense I get that people think that it is okay to send a bit of paper instead of goods with absolutely no explanation either beforehand, on the bit of paper or after the fact - buyers are expected to somehow understand something which has all the hallmarks of being ripped off.

Maybe if it happens to you, you might get it.

sheramber

Tangiers said:

Yes, I contacted Amazon (doing so was not a simple matter as their FAQ and robots can't get past the fact that their system says that the item was delivered) and got a refund but this seems to be an habitual practice by the seller. Please explain how this is not a problem when the same seller does it over and over again. Don't sellers have a responsibility to deliver what people have ordered from them? Whatever the issue is, the buyer isn't getting what they paid for. Saying that tracking simply shows delivery of goods makes my point that the system does not detect a problem and so saying that 'it's not a complaint procedure' is mystifying and just adds to the labyrinthine situation.

 The seller passes products to Amazon  who store them until ordered and then pack and send them out.

So, a fulfilment problem is down to Amazon, not the seller, which is what Amazon have admitted.

WhiskersTheWonderCat

I'm confused what the supposed scam is, and how Amazon is shrugging their shoulders. The product is fulfilled by Amazon themselves, hence why they have redacted the negative feedback regarding the seller. It's not the seller's fault that Amazon themselves made an error in fulfilment of the order. And seeing as Amazon issued you with a refund, they clearly acknowledged the mistake and aren't just shrugging their shoulders. I'm really not sure what your gripe is? A mistake was made and you received a refund.