Why Amazon Rules the World

From: william (WILLIAMA)21 Nov 2015 22:01
To: ALL1 of 15

Hello,

Here's a copy of the chat transcript you requested:
Initial Question: I just received an email that my goods have been returned from the pickup location and I am going to be refunded. I have my goods. The post-office handed them to my partner who was collecting a completely unrelated item (not amazon). She didn't even realise what she had been given until she was half way home. They obviously didn't even check the name on the package before handing it over. When I turned up at the post office to collect the package they checked but told me there was nothing for me even though I had your email confirming delivery. I subsequently discovered what had happened. I must admit to being a bit concerned. We share an address because we own the house, but for all they knew it could have been multi-occupancy in which case they could easily have handed it over to a complete stranger.

No idea what the return thing is about - were the items redespatched or something? Anyway - mutch as I would love a refund :) you don't need to.
07:31 PM GMT Vengatesh(Amazon): Thank you for choosing Amazon.co.uk. Chat Support.

I'm Vengatesh.
07:32 PM GMT Vengatesh: Before I look at your account, I need to verify that you're the account holder. Can you tell me the name on your account, your e-mail address, and your complete billing address, please?
07:33 PM GMT William Angelo: William Angelo blah@blah.com 99 Letzby Avenue
07:33 PM GMT Vengatesh: Thanks for the information, William.
07:34 PM GMT Vengatesh: I am sorry that you have not received your order yet, William.
07:35 PM GMT Vengatesh: I am sorry for the inconvenience caused in this.
07:36 PM GMT Vengatesh: Could you please confirm the order number?
07:37 PM GMT Vengatesh: I hope our chat is still connected, William.
07:37 PM GMT William Angelo: Hi Vengatesh. I HAVE received my order (please see my earlier message). The number is 111-11111111-1111112
07:38 PM GMT Vengatesh: Thank you for providing order number.
Let me check this for you.
07:41 PM GMT Vengatesh: On checking, I can see that the order is available for collection. but you have not collected the item.
I am not sure what happened with this.
In this case, I will issue full refund for those items.
07:42 PM GMT William Angelo: Vengatesh - can you actually see the text I typed when I started this chat session?
07:43 PM GMT Vengatesh: Yes, William.
07:43 PM GMT William Angelo: Then why do you want to do a refund?
07:43 PM GMT Vengatesh: But the refund is not issued.
07:44 PM GMT Vengatesh: So I will process the refund now.
07:44 PM GMT William Angelo: WHY?
Don't give me money I HAVE THE ORDER.
07:45 PM GMT Vengatesh: May I know have you receive the order or not?
07:45 PM GMT William Angelo: Now that we've established that you can see the text - have you read it?
07:46 PM GMT William Angelo: I misspelled the word much, but apart from that I thought it was reasonably clear
07:47 PM GMT William Angelo: and yes, I have the order means - I have received it.
07:48 PM GMT Vengatesh: I am sorry for confusion.
The email you received is wrong email, please ignore it.
It was send wrong by our system.
07:49 PM GMT William Angelo: No problem. Have a pleasant day.
07:49 PM GMT Vengatesh: Thanks for your patience and understanding in this.
Would there be anything else I can help you with today?
07:49 PM GMT William Angelo: No I'm fine thanks
07:50 PM GMT Vengatesh: Bye, Have a good night.
We hope to see you again soon!

Please click the "End Chat" link to close this window.
 
Thank you.
Amazon.co.uk
From: koswix21 Nov 2015 23:47
To: william (WILLIAMA) 2 of 15
Should have taken the refund, call it fair recompense for the tax they don't pay :|
From: william (WILLIAMA)21 Nov 2015 23:52
To: koswix 3 of 15
I know.

And the poor guy really, really wanted to give me a refund.
From: koswix22 Nov 2015 02:08
To: william (WILLIAMA) 4 of 15
He's probably been sacked for missing his refund quota now. This close to Xmas, too. You heartless, selfish bastard.
From: Mizzy22 Nov 2015 10:28
To: william (WILLIAMA) 5 of 15
Pity the poor guy, he's been chained to his laptop in Seattle for the last 3 months and hasn't seen his wife and children for at least that long, he's forced to take his laptop to the toilet with him and the performance reviews are killing him, his line manager keeps telling him he needs to do more to fit in to the "corporate culture" and his call resolution is to low ..........
Some poor woman was written up because she wasn't at her desk working, whilst she was in hospital dealing with serious illness :-(
From: william (WILLIAMA)22 Nov 2015 12:03
To: Mizzy 6 of 15
Ah well, on the little questionnaire that popped up afterwards I indicated that he'd successfully resolved the issue.

This time I was more pissed off with the Post Office. Not only did they hand over my order to somebody else, but they had already screwed up with what she was supposed to collecting by insisting she produce a passport to collect a 'signed for' delivery (she had all the ID that the collection instructions actually asked for). She's had an apology for this since.
From: Mizzy22 Nov 2015 15:46
To: william (WILLIAMA) 7 of 15
Yup post offices are a pain.
I had an Amazon delivery fail yesterday as well, instead of dropping around neighbors they dumped package on the doorstep in full view of the street, no email notification or card through the door, I'm not keen on this time of year when they employ temp delivery drivers they don't play by the rules :-(. Carrier was Amazon logistics round here that's APLE who are mostly ok until you get near to xmas.
From: Serg (NUKKLEAR)22 Nov 2015 20:28
To: william (WILLIAMA) 8 of 15
- orders cleaning cartridges for the shaver
- they turn up, puts one in, notices it's a version with cleaning alcohol but no oil (so blades will rub more, doesn't smell as nice, etc)
- chats to Amazon
- Amazon offers to take item back, I tell them I've already used one, they offer a full refund
- ?!??? ok...

Amazon, huh?  :-&

edit: so instead I bought a small bottle of lemon essential oil and I just add a couple of drops of that to every cartridge. It also keeps spiders away...
EDITED: 22 Nov 2015 20:29 by NUKKLEAR
From: william (WILLIAMA)23 Nov 2015 09:46
To: Serg (NUKKLEAR) 9 of 15
My personal experience of their customer service, returns policy etc. is quite good*. I was amused by the incident I've quoted from though. Even there the poor guy was trying to help and I expect that his lack of attention to detail was more to do with volume of calls he had to deal with.

(Usually) good to their customers - their staff: not so much.

*That said, I have heard of some incidents where Amazon have banned Prime customers for too many returns. Seems like a drastic ban too, with customer services refusing calls, loss of access to all account pages receipts etc.
EDITED: 23 Nov 2015 09:46 by WILLIAMA
From: koswix23 Nov 2015 11:19
To: william (WILLIAMA) 10 of 15
I've got prime at the moment (39 a year for students), but the increase in the number of things that aren't prime eligible (or are 20-30% more expensive for pime) means I'll probably not be renewing.
From: fixrman23 Nov 2015 13:19
To: william (WILLIAMA) 11 of 15
You cunning bastard. Imagine trying to do a double switcheroo, reverse loopback end-around - to not get a refund to get a refund and back to not getting a refund!

You are the owner of Amazon by now, are you not?
From: JonCooper23 Nov 2015 15:04
To: ALL12 of 15
I'm wondering if the refund turned up anyway.
From: william (WILLIAMA)23 Nov 2015 15:56
To: fixrman 13 of 15
It was tempting to just let it ride and keep the refund, but then it occurred to me that it might end up as yet another blot on some poor sod's staff assessment. It was only a few pounds anyway.
From: william (WILLIAMA)23 Nov 2015 15:56
To: JonCooper 14 of 15
Not yet - although if it does I'm not fighting it again :)
 
From: fixrman25 Nov 2015 05:23
To: william (WILLIAMA) 15 of 15
Good on you! A lot of people think that getting over on someone - even a company as big as Amazon - has no other ramifications.