Kerileanne99 Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 A couple of weeks ago I received a huge box from Amazon. Regular Amazon box, packing, even sealed with Amazon tape. But no invoice, and definitely not something I (or anyone on my behalf!) ordered. Inside the box was nearly $1000 in merchandise in the form of random items. The bulk of the package was wireless blue-tooth speakers. There were a couple of insulated wine carriers, for 3 bottles each. Totally random. So thinking there was a mistake, I first checked my online orders...nothing. I was able to match up the product numbers on individual items, further ensuring they did indeed come from Amazon. I sent an email and had a live chat, upon which I was asked for the tracking number on the box. After I provided it I was informed that the tracking number does not exist in their records (someone had to have paid UPS!) and that I did not need to send the package back. HUH?! This just seems SO strange, an somehow dodgy. Maybe I should just consider it a very strange early Xmas present, but it just feels too strange...and I am too cynical! Anybody had this happen to them or had any experience similar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXBeth Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 That is really strange! I would be uneasy, too, wondering if there is someone out there who ordered this stuff and isn't getting a refund because UPS shows it as "delivered." I think I might just tape the box back up and Return to Sender. Is the return address on the box Amazon or somewhere else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnificent_baby Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 Wow! That is weird! I got a pack of Kindle screen protectors in one of my orders that did not belong to me. They told me to keep them. But that is nothing compared to what you received. Hope it's not some kind of scam by someone not related to Amazon at all. Can't imagine it would be, but I'm always suspicious like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 How can you look up Amazon product numbers on the items? Does Amazon put special stickers on the individual items? I must confess that if they do this, I've never noticed. If you look up the tracking number on UPS website, what comes up? It should show where the package originated... does Amazon have a warehouse there? UPS should be able to confirm who sent the package. At least I would think so. I haven't received paper invoices in my last few Amazon packages, so maybe they aren't including those anymore. In the past, I've received other people's invoices in my packages (but the items in the packages were what I ordered, and they were shipped to me). But I've never received somebody else's stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted September 23, 2013 Author Share Posted September 23, 2013 That's the strangest thing. It is Amazon! And with no packing slip. No anything, guess who would have to pay shipping for a hugely heavy box about 4 ft x 3 ft x 2 ft! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted September 23, 2013 Author Share Posted September 23, 2013 Oh! And UPS confirms Amazon shipment. Their take on it is 'nothing to do with them' if Amazon doesn't want it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 It makes sense that Amazon isn't interested in the hassle of restocking. My guess is that there is a warehouse employee somewhere with access to "surplus" stock, who has a method to pack and ship it -- intending to send it to self/friends/family, got your address label on it by criminal-idiot error. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJ. Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 Perhaps someone bought everything with a stolen/fraudulent credit card and planned to swipe the box off your porch before you found it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicAnn Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 I swear there was a large thread about this a few years back. I know there was! Can someone who can search find it? Really weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 Yeah, something about criminals having stolen things shipped and then they steal it off your doorstep. Ringing a bell??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicAnn Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 Yeah, something about criminals having stolen things shipped and then they steal it off your doorstep. Ringing a bell??? I'm sure that's what it was. I know there were other posters who had it happen to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted September 23, 2013 Author Share Posted September 23, 2013 Yikes! That makes me feel even better:((( Off to search through old threads... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 I started a thread about this either last Christmas or Christmas before that. I've received an erroneous package before with random items and no packing list. I know they automate a lot of their order pulling, etc with robots. It's possible that every so often a weird dummy order is created. That's probably why they've been instructed not to accept return of the merchandise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 Yeah, something about criminals having stolen things shipped and then they steal it off your doorstep. Ringing a bell??? But there was no packing slip. So I doubt that would be the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 Yes, I've had something come from Amazon that I never ordered, but in my case there was a packing slip. And I did the same thing, talked the the chat guy about it, and he said the same thing--not to return it. The thing that was shipped to me was a s@x toy, of all things. And no, it wasn't a misguided present from the husband or a joke from an old college roommate. It was very random and very weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 My guess is that there is a warehouse employee somewhere with access to "surplus" stock, who has a method to pack and ship it -- intending to send it to self/friends/family, got your address label on it by criminal-idiot error. This makes sense. Perhaps the OP's address was chosen because it's near to where the intended recipient lives, and that person was meant to grab the box off the OP's porch before the OP took it inside. An employee might not want to risk sending the package to self/friend/family because that could potentially help identify the employee. OTOH, someone using a stolen credit card to place the order and do the porch swipe scenario wouldn't make sense, because the order would be in Amazon's system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reflections Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 I had a package come from walmart one time and in it was a video I did not order. I went online and called walmart and found out someone had hacked into my account and order over a $100 worth of stuff and sent the dvd to me. So very smart of them to send me the dvd. Between walmart and my credit card company it was taken off our account in minutes. So the question I have, is there a criminal at amazon shipping this stuff out random people's doorsteps??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicAnn Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 If it's something to be concerned about in your area, chances are the local police would have heard about it. Maybe a call to the non emergency number during business hours would confirm it. Sorry, I probably sound like a paranoid weirdo. DH is former law enforcement, so everything gets my spider sense going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted September 23, 2013 Author Share Posted September 23, 2013 Yes, I've had something come from Amazon that I never ordered, but in my case there was a packing slip. And I did the same thing, talked the the chat guy about it, and he said the same thing--not to return it. The thing that was shipped to me was a s@x toy, of all things. And no, it wasn't a misguided present from the husband or a joke from an old college roommate. It was very random and very weird. Okay, that absolutely tops my experience😄 I am still laughing at the thought of opening a package like that!! At least that would seem like a big cosmic joke! I hope your kids weren't in the room:) My husband opened up the wine carriers to make sure it wasn't some strange drug deal gone bad...I think he has seen a few too many episodes of Breaking Bad, and he IS a chemist! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 I started a thread about this either last Christmas or Christmas before that. I've received an erroneous package before with random items and no packing list. I know they automate a lot of their order pulling, etc with robots. It's possible that every so often a weird dummy order is created. That's probably why they've been instructed not to accept return of the merchandise. Here is the thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 As I learned by reading the Consumerist last year, if a company sends something to you, legally it is yours to keep. It's meant to prevent a company from sending any old package to you and then hounding you for the money. Doubly so in your case since Amazon told you to keep it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted September 23, 2013 Author Share Posted September 23, 2013 Here is the thread. Thanks, Maybe I wasn't searching properly for it. Looks like others have received things in the past...but little things I can see it not being worth the cost of shipping it back. This is nearly $1000 worth of stuff, according to the matched item numbers I found! I am just cynical I guess. I can't see our neighborhood being prime area for something like this. We live in faculty housing for the largest private Baptist University in the world. VERY low crime rate here, and our street is highly lit, patrolled by campus security, and is all Uni faculty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted September 23, 2013 Author Share Posted September 23, 2013 As I learned by reading the Consumerist last year, if a company sends something to you, legally it is yours to keep. It's meant to prevent a company from sending any old package to you and then hounding you for the money. Doubly so in your case since Amazon told you to keep it. Thanks for this! I kept the email from Amazon, just in case, but I think that we will hold on to the box for a couple of months. If nothing comes of it by then, I think we will sell it on eBay and donate the money to charity for Xmas as I can't see donating these particular items as is. It just feels weird to keep them! And what else would I do? Regift them to others? Even more strange! Mamaraby, in the process of attempting to quote you from my phone, I managed to do something strange with first liking your post, then changing it. Lol, please disregard:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 This just happened to me last month! Only I didn't get $1,000-worth of stuff, just a nice, white, fluffy terrycloth bathrobe. :) At first I thought one of my kids must have ordered it on my account by mistake! (but it did seem like a weird thing for them to order) They didn't. There were several emails back and forth between Amazon and myself, and they couldn't trace the tracking number, the packing number, or anything else. I've watched our credit cards and was never charged. They told me I could return it if I wanted to, or not. My youngest daughter happened to need a bathrobe, so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 This just happened to me last month! Only I didn't get $1,000-worth of stuff, just a nice, white, fluffy terrycloth bathrobe. :) This happened to me just last week, but you both got better stuff than I did. I got soldering wire! When I contacted Amazon I was also told to keep it. Unfortunately, the order that I was waiting for never arrived even though it showed on my history that it was delivered. I had to contact Amazon again and they will try sending the book again. I wonder who was more surprised...me, or the person who ordered soldering wire and got a Latin workbook instead. :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 I have received odd things from Amazon before. One time I had gummy prenatal vitamins on subscribe and save. I stopped it because my anti-amazon sentiment got to me. I kept getting them every month but they weren't charging me. I called multiple times and they never wanted me to send them back. I then went into my account and removed all my payment options. The vitamins kept coming for months. When I called they said they had no record of it. It was a product we bought from them so somehow the cancellation just didn't happen. Also they never charged my card for several Amazon Fresh orders. Again, I called several times to make sure they got their payment but they still never charged it. The first time it was because I had a promotional credit I didn't know about. The other 2 times it was just a glitch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 We got some children's books we didn't order with no packing slip from Amazon once. Amazon said to keep them as well so I gave them away as gifts. It's weird. Not amazon, but a computer company sent us a laptop once. It's a company we had ordered from before but we definitely didn't order the computer. We were highly concerned because it was pricey but the company didn't even respond to our attempts to send it back. Now, I know why- I had no idea you could keep whatever was sent to you. At first we felt really guilty for using it but after a while we got over it. I wish the shipping fairy would send more boxes of stuff I want or need! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acurtis75 Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 I received a package yesterday addressed to me but filled with stuff I didn't order. It had a packing slip so they are sending me a return label. I ordered 4 sleep n plays for the baby and didn't receive those so they said they will mail them tomorrow. It did make for a funny conversation with dh who wondered why I ordered $30 moccasins 3 sizes to big for dd8, a men's belt too small for him, expensive fish oil vitamins for babies and a $285 watch for hiking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 I want to be sent something neat for free lol!! How strange! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 I've gotten a few things from Amazon lately with no packing slip, but they were things I ordered so I didn't worry. When my sis was helping me pack up things for good will, she was ripping the labels with my address off and found that some of the packing slips were printed on the back of the address labels. I keep thinking of the old days when the envelope stuffer would get one off and you'd get the bill or charity letter for the next person in the list alphabetically (or in street order.) I guess Amazon computer are almost human ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenC3 Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 After all I money I spend there, I'd like some free stuff. Lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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