Amazon and the smartphone that never was

I ordered a Google Pixel 9 smartphone from Amazon but when I opened the package it had cat food in it.

Trying to contact Amazon was difficult. In the end they asked me for a photo and said it’s under investigation.

Does anybody know my rights?

Did you pay by credit card as that should offer some protection?

I’ve sensed recently that Amazon are getting more awkward when problems arise. I bought an item a few weeks ago and it developed a fault around a week after delivery. I was unable to request a replacement online for some reason and got through to a call centre - their initial approach was to suggest I contacted the manufacturer for warranty repair. I declined telling them this was unacceptable for something which was new and insisted on a replacement.

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No. Debit card.

What a rotten experience for you.

You’d like to think this was a case of a packing error somehow but it seems suspicious - presumably the box didn’t look tampered with?

It was a day late arriving and the package wasn’t tempered with. But your right I am suspicious.

I hope their ‘investigation’ is swift with a satisfactory outcome. Pretty sure I’ve seen reviews for certain products where customers say they got something bizarre delivered and not what they’d actually ordered.

I never use a debit card online always a credit card. :wink:

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I always wonder why Amazon don’t have Paypal…
Anyway…things like smartphones are very desiderable for scammers.
When i have to buy something like it i do always do it through the maker website…
Good luck!

Could depend on where you are, you don’t say
Martin

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Unfortunately, I have heard of this happening before, usually via consumer pages in newspapers or from consumer radio and TV shows. It might be worth contacting one of them if Amazon doesn’t send you the phone you paid for within a few days, bad publicity seems to get most big companies doing the right thing.

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At the end of the day, it’s up to either you or the company to prove that what you received was correct. If you contacted them straight away (within a few hours), you use Amazon a lot and have had no previous record of submitting a similar complaint, Amazon would have no chance of proving you received the correct/wrong item.

I use Amazon for nearly everything (on purpose) and I’m on Prime. You name it, the list is huge. What I have noticed is that I never, ever have any problems with any return, problem, refund, 3rd party problem, nothing…and even when I decide to send something back due to whatever reason, I never get any return charge. I really do think that customers are given some sort of rating and they treat them accordingly. (Not saying anything about you btw).

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I rarely have problems either, I’ve just had a cluster of items in recent months which have needed to go back - a mini oven with glowing reviews which was not fit for purpose (shelves scratched the inside as the fit was so tight and trying to remove one would pull the device over as it was quite lightweight), a very warped LP and its replacement which was equally warped and most recently a smaller Philips Air Purifier with an intermittently rattling/whining fan.

Oddly I’ve had a couple of small items disappear in transit recently, one in particular simply had ‘failed delivery’ or similar on the tracking details (sent to a Post Office to collect) - several weeks later still no sign of it and no further tracking entries.

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I had this happen a few years back. I’d been with Amazon a long time, no issues and happily purchased high value items from them.

I’d ordered a new iPAD via Amazon, not a third party seller. What arrived was a couple of mugs. Contacted Amazon, they apologised and said keep the mugs and they refunded me instantly.

Assuming this was just a one off and someone had just picked the wrong item of the shelf, I ordered the iPAD again. This time a Lynx giftbox turned up. Contacted Amazon again who this time were more interested, wanted more details and eventually sent me a form to sign. They then issued a refund. No more was heard. For both items, they were in normal Amazon boxes, not opened or otherwise visibly tampered with but both were about the size and weight i would have expected for the package i was expecting.

Not wanting another mystery item, I bought the iPad from Currys. I’ve had no problems with Amazon since, but I’m wary of what I order these days. I wouldn’t buy phones / tablets / computers etc via them.

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One or two small delivery issues in Germany, always used the chat facility and always resolved very fast, hope you get this too
Martin

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Amazon require OTP for high value items. At least that deals with proof of delivery, but it is important that the package is unopened when delivered.

Sudden non delivery is an indication that something may be amiss. Once the alternative delivery person wanted me to check the item and it was not what was expected. Amazon were contacted by the delivery person and I took a photo of the person with their consent.

I have never had a problem with Amazon refunding the money.

Phil

Yes, had that the other day - had ordered a new cordless vacuum which wasn’t supposed to arrive until late November. The Amazon delivery man was bemused as I had no idea where to find the OTP as I never use their app.

Later saw it was in an email I’d not seen indicating delivery sooner than expected.

Ordered some Bose earbuds for Prime Dayvatca nice discount. Had them delivered to a locker as away from the house. When I collected them the package contained spacers and some plastic markers or some such - looks like the combo chosen to meet the target weight. Photographed at the locker and return/refund immediately initiated. Awaiting refund - status suggests “refund issuance failed” but CS call says give it a few days. If they don’t refund, it will be a Section 75 claim. Amazon clearly employs scumbags in their warehouses.

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Fail to understand why Amazon is the default choice in these situations. There are many, indeed numerous collective negative posts with reports about refunds on quality or non functioning items and difficulties thereof!

Limit here, of anything > £50 is never ordered from the big river; ymmv!

Much better imho, to support a “real” retailer!

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This works up to a point. If you order two or more high value items to be delivered on the same day, even if separate orders, they provide only one OTP that covers all. I was given only the smallest part of the order when I provided the OTP. The driver said the rest of it must be on another van. Fortunately I had just checked the tracking and the item was showing at my address. We argued about this and he eventually went to his van and, surprise, back he came with it. It seemed to me that Amazon could have argued it had all been delivered as I had given the code. How to disprove that? Lesson learned for me.

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I hope this was not an attempted theft! I will remember that possibility for the future.

Thanks

Phil

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