Amazon - just had a really terrible experience with them, so bad that I don't want to use them again

GustyGardenGalaxy

A few days ago I ordered a Samsung Tablet from Amazon, it was supposedly due for delivery next week.

However, today I received an item that puzzled me (it's a posh and expensive remotely controllable Thermostat that costs a bit over £100) and I couldn't figure out why it had been sent to me. Turns out that this far cheaper item had been mistakenly sent instead of the expensive Tablet ........

So I got onto Amazon customer services online chat - an hour later and, believe it or not, they won't refund the value of the ordered tablet until they have received back the item that they sent by mistake - the refund process can take up to two weeks and I still need to buy a tablet as originally intended ...... (but I won't be buying it from Amazon).

So, as indicated, I now want to buy a replacement tablet yet to do so I am (temporarily) out of pocket to the value of the original tablet AND I still need to spend a few hundred pounds to buy a replacement tablet to hand it over as a gift next week as intended.

I went through all of this with two people at Amazon many times, I even have a full transcript of the exchange, but they say they have no option to refund me the value of the item until I return the incorrect item that they sent by mistake.

I even spoke to a 'Supervisor' about this fiasco.

I now have a QR code to return the incorrect item (which I can't do until Monday due to the weekend approaching and the pending foul weather).

Am I being unreasonable here?

And if not, is there any way that I can escalate this complaint to somebody very high up at Amazon? Maybe somebody here knows a suitable email address for example?

I mean why should I be out of pocket (temporarily) due to Amazon's blunder?

I should point out that I have spent an awful lot of money with them over the years, seemingly they don't even value their regular customers.

km1500

don't me wrong - I am an extremely sympathetic towards you. It must be very annoying and you must be utterly devastated by this (but somehow we cope) but mistakes happen - and this is kind of a first world problem

GustyGardenGalaxy

Yeah, it's a 'first world problem' but that could be said about many purchases in life, however it's also really bad customer service, don't you think? I'm not made of money and can ill afford to have a few hundred pounds tied up with Amazon for two weeks while they get around to issuing me a full refund. Not only that but I still need the gift for Christmas.

marcia_

 Ive never waited weeks for an amazon refund. As soon as the item is scanned in at the post office i get my refund into my bank in hours or immediately if I've chosen amazon credit. 

  Only fair you should send the wrong item back. You didnt want it so send it back. I cant see a problem 

Keep_pedalling

marcia_ said:

 Ive never waited weeks for an amazon refund. As soon as the item is scanned in at the post office i get my refund into my bank in hours or immediately if I've chosen amazon credit. 

  Only fair you should send the wrong item back. You didnt want it so send it back. I cant see a problem 

I think that may depend on value, they have to be more cautious with high value items where they are more vulnerable to being scammed. 

Peter999_2

Wait until you get notified that you didn't return the correct item, that the thermostat has been binned and they aren't going to give you a refund.   They've done this many times in the past from reading online.

GustyGardenGalaxy

In this case there was at least a packing slip with the details of the item that was mistakenly sent, I've made copies of this. In fact I'm documenting everything with photos and scans prior to returning the incorrectly sent item, I also have a copy of the full transcript of my online chat with Amazon today. I just don't trust them not to make another mistake and so compound the issue.

powerful_Rogue

Personally your reaction seems way OTT.

Only fair they get th wrong item back before refunding.

IvanOpinion

I asked Mrs O to return something to Amazon earlier this week and message once done. She did exactly that and WhatsApp'd me before leaving the Post Office. Amazon still managed to get the refund onto my account before I got her WhatsApp.

So all-in-all I will definitely be using Amazon again.

Hoenir

If the tablet was desperately needed as you were giving going to gift it someone next week. I'd suggest using Curry's in future. Save all the hassle. 

Murphybear

I buy loads of things from Amazon.  I’ve rarely had an issue, 2 things spring to mind.   

I ordered something for about £50.  It didn’t arrive so Amazon refunded me immediately, no questions asked.  It turned up 2 weeks later, it had been delivered to a neighbour and left in her porch, she was on holiday.  I immediately contacted Amazon to arrange repayment as I still wanted the item.  They said no need to pay (I suspected it would be an admin nightmare) and I could keep the item.

I ordered a small electrical item for about £35 with a 1 year guarantee.  Made and sold in the U.K..  3 days before the guarantee ran out it stopped working.  They sent a replacement, didn’t want the first one back.  Sadly this went wrong fairly quickly.  I sent it to the manufacturer who said I must have been using it incorrectly.  I contacted them and said that was extremely unlikely as I had a Physics degree and my husband was a retired electrical engineer (both true) and we’d both used far more complicated pieces of electrical equipment.   They ignored me after that.   Amazon sent me a third which worked perfectly, I’ve still got it after 5 years, no problem.  Amazon refunded my money as I had so many problems.  

That’s what I call customer service.  

I’ve been a good customer, never complained, never sent anything back.  So they gave me 5* service.  

If anyone is interested the 2nd item is a small heated pad which helps my arthritis.