Amazon refuses to refund me £700 for iPhone 15 it didn’t ship • Graham Cluley – Cyber Tech

On Tuesday, 26 March, Amazon was speculated to have delivered an iPhone 15 and an accompanying Otterbox case to my residence.

Amazon mentioned it will require a signature upon supply. So, I naturally ensured that I used to be residence all day so I may signal for the supply – which I had spent over £700 on.

However I wasn’t anxious if I used to be distracted by work, in any case I’d hear the doorbell (I’ve an Amazon Ring video doorbell, which data motion outdoors my door).

At 11:31, I acquired an e-mail telling me that the iPhone and case have been out for supply.

After which, at 14:34, I acquired an e-mail telling me that they’d been delivered.

That’s odd, I believed. I didn’t hear the doorbell, I haven’t signed for something, and I positively haven’t acquired an iPhone and case from Amazon.

Logging into my Amazon account, I used to be informed that the iPhone and case had been “Handed to resident” at 12:51.

Hmm.. effectively, I used to be the one particular person residence on the home at the moment – and it positively hadn’t been handed to me. My companion (who was out on the time) confirmed that she hadn’t magically acquired it both.

A fast examine across the outdoors of the home revealed no hint of a bundle, and the neighbours confirmed that they hadn’t acquired it both.

It’s all quite a thriller. Amazon claims that the bundle was “handed to resident” and had additionally mentioned that it will require a signature upon supply.

So how may it not be in my possession?

I did what everybody ought to do on this scenario. I contacted Amazon buyer providers. They informed me that I needed to wait till the tip of Thursday 28 March earlier than requesting a refund, as generally errors occurred… and a supply might be delayed.

Honest sufficient, I believed. I’ll wait two days, after which request the refund for the non-delivery.

Two days later, after there was nonetheless no signal of the iPhone 15 or case, I requested the refund.

Customer support agent Rizza at “Earth’s most customer-centric firm” responded to my request:

It seems that the service has recorded your bundle as delivered on 26 March 2024. Please examine along with your neighbors or members of your family to seek out out whether or not they’ve taken supply of the bundle in your behalf.

Please permit 3 days (72 hours) whereas we examine this matter. In case you haven’t acquired your refund by 31 March 2024 please tell us.

Oh, so having waited two days, I now have to attend one other three days? Hmm… okay. That is starting to get a bit irritating, I believed.

Fortuitously, I didn’t have to attend three days to listen to again from Amazon. Sadly, I didn’t like what Amazon needed to say once they introduced the tip of their investigation on 29 March:

AMZN_UK confirmed the [ITEM] you ordered was within the bundle on the time it left our success heart and that it was delivered to you intact. In consequence, we can’t challenge a alternative or a refund for this merchandise.

As you’ll be able to most likely think about, I wasn’t very proud of this response. And so I emailed again:

Hello

The objects have been NOT delivered.

I used to be in the home on the time they claimed to be delivered. There was NO ring or knock on my door. My Ring doorbell has recorded NO proof of any supply or exercise outdoors my door.

None of my neighbours report any supply to them.

And but Amazon claims “handed to resident”

I’ve been a Prime Enterprise buyer of yours for years, in addition to a private Prime subscriber.

Are you claiming I’m mendacity about this? My enterprise paid for an iPhone and case and we simply need it delivered or a refund.

What’s the course of for escalating this criticism?

Moreover, Amazon mentioned, “Signature required at time of supply. Please guarantee somebody will probably be out there to signal for this supply.”

So, if you’re actually claiming that the iPhone was delivered are you able to please present the signature? As a reminder – I used to be residence your complete day, nobody delivered the lacking iPhone and case, my neighbours didn’t obtain a bundle addressed to me, and my Ring doorbell didn’t file any tried supply.

So, please present the signature. Or please challenge my refund/alternative

Are you able to inform I wasn’t very joyful? You’re proper!

I additionally dropped a line to Amazon UK’s PR company, telling them that I used to be planning to jot down about my expertise and giving them the chance to reply with any remark (and quite hoping they could make things better.) On the time of writing, they nonetheless haven’t acquired again to me.

However Amazon customer support did get again to me. And right here’s what they mentioned:

We regarded into your order and AMZN_UK has confirmed the cargo you reported misplaced was delivered to you in good situation. In consequence, we is not going to be issuing a alternative or a refund for the contents of that cargo.

We’re unable to give you any additional help on this matter. We respect your corporation and hope to see you once more quickly.

So, Amazon continues to assert that it delivered the cellphone and case to me in good situation. And once I requested for photographic proof of supply, or a duplicate of the signature that (presumably) was given when Amazon’s supply driver “handed to resident” they ignored me.

AMZN_UK confirmed the objects you ordered have been within the bundle on the time it left our success heart and that it was delivered to you intact. In consequence, we can’t challenge a alternative or a refund for this merchandise.

In case you do not need any additional suggestions relating to your Amazon buying expertise, please contemplate this challenge closed, and be assured that you could be proceed buying as ordinary.

We’re unable to offer extra info on this matter and we could not reply to extra emails about this challenge.

Ouch. It feels like Amazon will not be solely protecting my cash, however it’s refusing to even reply to questions in regards to the non-delivery any extra.

After posting about my expertise on Twitter and LinkedIn it appears there are various many others who’ve had horrible experiences getting refunds from Amazon after it has did not ship costly items.

Nice information! @AmazonUK has acquired again to me in regards to the £700 iPhone they did not ship (and would not refund or substitute)

Dangerous information, what they informed me… 😞 Watch my video

Based mostly on this expertise, why would anybody purchase something costly from Amazon ever once more?

RT if you happen to agree. pic.twitter.com/XagmcfuqO8

— Graham Cluley (@gcluley) March 30, 2024

After which there was this closing kick within the tooth, once I requested that my criticism be escalated:

I perceive that you just want to escalate this, nonetheless, all Amazon account specialists are skilled to seek out the absolute best resolutions for our prospects’ points.

Properly Amazon, I may also help you discover the “very best decision” for this buyer. Give me my a refund or ship the bloody iPhone and case that you just did not ship to me.

So, what are my subsequent steps?

Properly, I can request a chargeback from my fee card firm – a means of getting your a refund while you don’t obtain the products or providers you’ve got paid for, and a retailer is refusing to refund.

Nevertheless, I’ve been informed by quite a few people who Amazon actually actually doesn’t like folks doing this to them, and shoppers can discover themselves blocked from utilizing any of Amazon’s providers in future. If true, that appears to me to be quite petty revenge – particularly when it was Amazon that was at fault within the first place.

I’ve additionally reported the theft/fraud of the iPhone to the police. I’ve finished that, though Thames Valley Police have informed me that they aren’t going to analyze. Presumably they, like me, contemplate this to be Amazon’s downside.

I may take Amazon to the Small Claims Courtroom, the place Amazon can be compelled to offer precise proof that it delivered the iPhone 15 and case to me.

It’s, after all, completely ridiculous for a buyer to go to such lengths to get a refund or alternative from Amazon. Nevertheless it appears there aren’t any different methods to get across the brick wall that’s its customer support division.

Properly, I suppose I may at all times make a video and write a weblog put up complaining about Amazon’s appalling customer support – and ask pleasant viewers and readers to share them on-line.

Is there anyone at Amazon who nonetheless cares about taking care of their official sincere prospects?

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