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Amazon refused to refund $7k after shipping an empty box instead of a Sony A1

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Re: Amazon refused to refund $7k after shipping an empty box instead of a Sony A1

#261

Post by texaswhizzle »

amatecha wrote: post #172
odnes wrote: post #128

This this a clear cut case and amazon should process the refund, however, in general refunding is a hard problem for Amazon to solve due to the sheer volume fraud that occurs. For anyone unaware, go to telegram and do a public search for 'refunding'. There are hundreds of channels where you can pay someone to refund >£10,000 of stuff for you for a 10% fee. Afaik, the main method that 'refunders' use to defraud amazon…

For returns you have to print a barcode and put it in the box. You don't get your refund until they physically scan the code in the box. Maybe it's not standard everywhere, but this process has been around for some years now. If the package never gets to the return center, no refund would be processed…

I’ve never been asked to print a barcode and put it in the box. I just returned a $300 item last week, and all they wanted me to do was ship it back.

This is also true for Amazon business purchases. I have returned items around $600 and have never been asked to put a code in the box.

But I’ve never returned anything over $1,000.

Re: Amazon refused to refund $7k after shipping an empty box instead of a Sony A1

#263

Post by detaro »

rkachowski wrote: post #236
dalai wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Germany you can also have them ship to a Packstation or directly to the post office - at least most of the time. This has worked well so far. The only problem I had was that sometimes they drop them off at a neighbor even when I am at home. At least nowadays the name of the neighbor is printed on the notice they leave in the mailbox (and is also included in the email notification) so X instead of signature doesn't…

This doesn't work consistently (in Berlin at least), especially with Amazon and DHL. There is no guarantee over that the package will be shipped via DHL / Deutsche Post, and I am at this moment dealing with Hermes and DPD refusing to deliver Amazon packages to a DHL Packstation. On top of that, DHL refuses to deliver to their own Postfiliale locations at times, DHL express even explicitly say they cannot do this.

Have you explicitly selected delivery to a Packstation through their locker picker, not just put the Packstation address in as a normal shipping address?

Re: Amazon refused to refund $7k after shipping an empty box instead of a Sony A1

#264

Post by zadler »

lifeisstillgood wrote: post #175
Closi wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Electronics is certainly more of an issue - Nobody is shipping empty boxes of toilet paper. The main issues you get are when returns are put back into stock but haven’t been sufficiently checked. I used to work for an online retailer who sold things like games consoles and the amount of return scams we got was absolutely shocking. If you sold a games console with a free game (usually a code inside the console) people…

Off topic but I have seen interesting labels that break destructively. If you could turn that into a ribbon, then any box could be wrapped in such a way any tampering is evident. If you could also print a QR code on top, then you have a per shipment tamper proof I suspect it exists but i am sure there is a long way between that and cost effective useage

The problem is not lack of tech, it’s that consumers are easier to attract to a platform than vendors so the rules tend to favor the vendors.

Re: Amazon refused to refund $7k after shipping an empty box instead of a Sony A1

#265

Post by texaswhizzle »

The biggest problem I have with Amazon is USPS theft. I have had dozens of packages delivered in my mailbox despite the fact that my mailbox is 3” tall. Amazon doesn’t care, USPS doesn’t care. But Amazon always make me wait at least a week to verify that this obvious theft is real. Photo evidence of my mailbox does not move the needle.

Re: Amazon refused to refund $7k after shipping an empty box instead of a Sony A1

#266

Post by mikro2nd »

Fargren wrote: post #177
suifbwish wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I was a god I would never send anyone to hell to burn forever in fiery torment. For this situation I would be very very tempted to make an exception. Anyone who sets up an automated system designed specifically to hassle people for seeking recourse for being wronged, deserves every form of torture they get.

I understand this is hyperbole, but people do a lot worse things than automated fraud, if we are looking for reason to send someone to hell...

Agree that "burn in fiery torment" might be going a bit too far. Instead I'd suggest "listen to their own on-hold muzak for the rest of eternity" as a more appropriate punishment.

Re: Amazon refused to refund $7k after shipping an empty box instead of a Sony A1

#267

Post by formerly_proven »

ageitgey wrote: post #250
ghaff wrote: post #241

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I assume it must be location-dependent. The only problem I've had over the past year or two was with a headset that didn't work properly. I returned it via a UPS will pick up the box and slap on a shipping label option. They never did. But there was eventually a tracking number in the system anyway. UPS basically shrugged and said that the computer says it was picked up. But the refund went through anyway. I assume A…

I'm guessing it's more price-dependent. I'm sure Amazon would refund a headset and not really care if they got it back or not. But try getting a refund on a $5,000 studio microphone and you will probably have an entirely different experience. Somewhere around $1,000-ish seems to be the magic threshold where their rules change and you get lost in the management void.

I'm actually surprised people buy expensive audio/video/photo equipment on Amazon, since usually their prices aren't good on those, and their packaging is very bad. That's okay for random consumer garbage, but I wouldn't order anything high-end from them.

Re: Amazon refused to refund $7k after shipping an empty box instead of a Sony A1

#268

Post by ghaff »

ageitgey wrote: post #250
ghaff wrote: post #241

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I assume it must be location-dependent. The only problem I've had over the past year or two was with a headset that didn't work properly. I returned it via a UPS will pick up the box and slap on a shipping label option. They never did. But there was eventually a tracking number in the system anyway. UPS basically shrugged and said that the computer says it was picked up. But the refund went through anyway. I assume A…

I'm guessing it's more price-dependent. I'm sure Amazon would refund a headset and not really care if they got it back or not. But try getting a refund on a $5,000 studio microphone and you will probably have an entirely different experience. Somewhere around $1,000-ish seems to be the magic threshold where their rules change and you get lost in the management void.

That's entirely possible as well. Which is one reason that, although I have used Amazon for fairly expensive electronics, they're not my default. (I also expect some people live places where thefts from porches, etc. are more common than in my case where I'm at the end of a long driveway.)

Re: Amazon refused to refund $7k after shipping an empty box instead of a Sony A1

#269

Post by _-o-_ »

alpaca128 wrote: post #54
gnicholas wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

TV? This was an order for a mirrorless digital camera.

To be fair to the person above, the article is really confusing by always referring to the product as a "Sony A1" as if it was completely obvious to everyone what it is. I thought it's a weird super expensive smartphone until I read the author's bio.

> Fstoppers is an online community aimed at educating and inspiring photographers, videographers, and creative professionals.

Their regulars are bound to know what Sony A1 is, but it sure can be confusing for new readers.

Re: Amazon refused to refund $7k after shipping an empty box instead of a Sony A1

#270

Post by dalbasal »

einpoklum wrote: post #249
dalbasal wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really wish the term capitalism hadn't been invented. Maybe it was useful in the 1840s, but in my lifetime it always seems to yield a thin hand wavy way of looking at things... whether your pro or con. The mental equivalent of shouting to win an argument. Whatever your definition of capitalism, I'm sure you can find examples outside of it. There are an infinite number of variables besides profit. Profit isn't the o…

> A system of people is a system of people, whether it is a church, company, municipality, whatever. Different systems of people behave very differently with different kinds of motivations, stimuli and sanctions, on the individual and collective level. And while there are many variables besides profit, it is money (and capital in particular) which enables most activities of a commercial corporation - not voluntary wi…

True, though I don't see the contradiction. There are similarities and differences, also within such categories.

In almost all cases though, they're not going to be as motivated to pay as they are to receive payment. Take subscription antipatterns for example. Charities do this too. They both also create similar self deceptions to justify the more onerous examples. It's not even just about money, convenience is a pretty big motivator.

Again, I'm not saying that everything is the same, or being reductive. Quite the opposite. I'm saying that reducing everything to "capitalism," "greed" or whatever is meaningless. It's just normally the case, that people and groups are more cognizant of their own goals and wants than they are of others'. Altruism exists, but it's not uniformly distributed across everything an altruist does.

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