Been asked to file a false crime report unless I won't get my refund.

midger0520

The legal advice I received was to inform Amazon that I am not liable for their product. I have done that. Made no difference.

Looks like S75 is the way forward. I will get my money back (eventually).

Amazon will continue to be free to force customers to make false statements for crime numbers and then make fraudulent insurance claims. And the world keeps turning.

Aylesbury_Duck

Be prepared for a possible closure of your Amazon account.  Particularly if you have purchased digital content.

Okell

midger0520 said:

@Okell - I did explain to the police exactly what happened. That is why the police refused to give me a crime number.
They say there I have no proof a crime has been committed.

But you have this email from Amazon which tells you that they have investigated and they confirm that the item has been stolen:  "22h00 I receive an email saying Amazon has investigated and say the item has been stolen..."

If the police don't like that, tell them to put in writng that amazon are lying...

RefluentBeans

midger0520 said:

The legal advice I received was to inform Amazon that I am not liable for their product. I have done that. Made no difference.

Looks like S75 is the way forward. I will get my money back (eventually).

Amazon will continue to be free to force customers to make false statements for crime numbers and then make fraudulent insurance claims. And the world keeps turning.

No one is forcing you to make a fake police complaint. 

What exactly is Amazon claiming? Are they claiming that it was delivered (in their eyes; even if left at your door) and then lost; or that it was lost before they delivered it to you? 

I’m having a hard time seeing where the parcel was claimed to have been lost from. I just can’t imagine that Amazon would’ve lost the parcel before loading it onto the van, sending the driver out, and the driver marking a phantom package as delivered. The deliver drivers need to scan the barcode of the parcel. So to me there are two things Amazon can claim happened 1) they delivered it to you (even if just to your door) and they believe the parcel was lost in your ‘possession’ (ignoring the issues with risk transference etc) or 2) the delivery driver ‘lost’ the parcel between scanning it and marking it as delivered. In most cases, Amazon will likely believe the first option and by making a police report (as they believe it to be in your possession) they stop the people who claim something was never delivered when in actuality it was, and they’re trying to defraud the company. 

You need to get clear what exactly Amazons side is here; as it seems very strange. 

midger0520

Yes, I discussed that with the solicitor as well.

He told me if it happens, I am being denied access to my kIndles / Alexa etc. and under UK law have grounds for legal action if no valid reason is given. If no reason at all is given, I can claim discrimination in the provision of contracted digital services. Apparently this is a thing.

I would rather avoid this, and extensive costly legal action.

I did email a couple of newspapers, they are both interested in having a chat next week. See what that might achieve but I'm not hopeful, dealing with the press is riding the tiger.

midger0520

@RefluentBeans

Amazon have agreed the parcel was not delivered.

Amazon claim to have investigated (for 15 minutes) and say the item has been stolen. They have not shared any details with me. 

Amazon have told me if I do not file a police report, stating the item has been stolen, and giving my address as the location to obtain a crime number, they will not issue a refund.

I have spoken to the police (see above) and explained what has happened, the police tell me they will not issue a crime number and warned me I would be making a false statement.

I have explained this to Amazon.

Amazon have responded several times, I must make a police statement for stolen goods, at my address and get a crime number or no refund. Last email they gave me a dead line of mid-April, at which point they will close the case, with no refund.

I have told Amazon what the solicitor told me (verbatim), Amazon responded asking for the crime number.

I have a screen grab of the carrier route - from Amazon Sheffield to my village where it was 'mis-scanned' by the driver (according to Amazon). If I were a policeman, I would start by talking to the driver, they had to have the parcel in order to mis-scan it. I told Amazon this in a recorded conversation, they told me they would not be speaking to the courier.

Okell

midger0520 said:

I asked if I was being held responsible, I was told not, but now I am.

Eh?  Why would you ask anybody if you were "being held responsible"?  Responsible for what - that Amazon and their delivery drivers are incompetent?

Who is now telling you that you are now responsible?

midger0520 said:

@Okell - "What has sitting on "a governement board" got to do with it?"

A lot. Just the merest hint of impropriety and you are asked to resign.

What impropriety?  So far as I can see the only person who has suggested that you might be "responsible" is you...

I don't understand why you can't just get a crime reference number from the police.  You tell them you ordered something from Amazon and then you tell them this from your original post:

"Watched the Amazon delivery on the online tracker. Tracker tells me the van has pulled up about 100m from my house and I’m next stop.
I unlocked the door and looked up the street. A grey van is parked.
I returned to my computer and wait for the doorbell.
Almost immediately I receive an email saying the item has been delivered to the resident.
I immediately go outside, no item, I look at the van, it is pulling away and drives off"

Ask the police how that does not qualify as evidence that an item you have bought has been stolen.  If the police know that it hasn't been stolen, can they please tell you where it is?

RefluentBeans

Okell said:

midger0520 said:

I asked if I was being held responsible, I was told not, but now I am.

Eh?  Why would you ask anybody if you were "being held responsible"?  Responsible for what - that Amazon and their delivery drivers are incompetent?

Who is now telling you that you are now responsible?

midger0520 said:

@Okell - "What has sitting on "a governement board" got to do with it?"

A lot. Just the merest hint of impropriety and you are asked to resign.

What impropriety?  So far as I can see the only person who has suggested that you might be "responsible" is you...

I don't understand why you can't just get a crime reference number from the police.  You tell them you ordered something from Amazon and then you tell them this from your original post:

"Watched the Amazon delivery on the online tracker. Tracker tells me the van has pulled up about 100m from my house and I’m next stop.
I unlocked the door and looked up the street. A grey van is parked.
I returned to my computer and wait for the doorbell.
Almost immediately I receive an email saying the item has been delivered to the resident.
I immediately go outside, no item, I look at the van, it is pulling away and drives off"

Ask the police how that does not qualify as evidence that an item you have bought has been stolen.  If the police know that it hasn't been stolen, can they please tell you where it is?

And importantly how that is filing a fake report. There’s a lot of inconsistencies. 

OP why have Amazon said they can’t file a police report themselves? And why is telling the police what you’ve told us filing a fake police report? Don’t go in to the police and tell them what you think happened, just tell them what has happened. 

midger0520

Thank you for all the feedback, however some of the questions are now personal and a bit stupid (see above).

This conversation is now closed.

Okell

midger0520 said:

Thank you for all the feedback, however some of the questions are now personal and a bit stupid (see above).

This conversation is now closed.

I suggest you read all of this thread - from the beginning to the end:  Amazon want me to contact the police instead of refunding me - Page 5 — MoneySavingExpert Forum

That person (finally) did what Amazon were asking for and got their money back.

Unless you are being unreasonably pedantic about this or have a particular axe to grind I fail to understand why you can't just file a report with the police.  You don't have to file a report that isn't true.  You just tell them what you said in your opening post.   That you received an email from Amazon saying that the item had been delivered to the resident but that when you got to your doorstep there was nothing there.

Ask the police to explain to you, as the victim of an obvious crime, why that isn't evidence of a crime.  (Or do you think that's a stupid question?)