I got an email notification informing me that Amazon had delivered a package at 2:05 pm this afternoon.
This was confusing because I had received a previous message from Amazon that this particular delivery had been canceled because it was damaged. It was supposed to contain 2 rolls of contact paper (the stuff in our cabinets is the same age as the house, so you can imagine the condition it’s in) and a bottle of shower cleaning spray. I had also received a note telling me they had refunded me for the order, though I had yet to see the refund in my account.
Also, there was no package. When I went to look at the details of the order, it said it had been canceled and the money was refunded. I couldn’t find the refund in my account. I couldn’t even find a charge for the order in the first place.
I called Amazon. I said I’d gotten a notice of delivery of a package that was supposedly canceled and for which I’d gotten a refund except I couldn’t find any refund and also, there was no package.
I gave the guy the order number and he said it had been refunded. I said that as far as I knew, I hadn’t gotten a refund either, but hey, what’s a little money between pals, right? So he starts a 3-way telephone conversation with UPS who says the don’t have to tell me anything because they have a contract with Amazon which says they don’t have to deal with Amazon’s customers.
“All I want to know is whether or not you actually delivered a package to my house,” I said. He was very firm that it had been delivered.
I agreed it had been delivered, but where? He got a little hazy at that point and asked me to wait while he asked someone. He came back and told me that although I got the email, they had actually delivered the damaged package to Amazon. It was entirely accidental that they notified me about its delivery. When I checked my bank account, it appeared that Amazon had both charged me for the items and refunded my money today, except they charged me after refunding me.
The whole thing was listed as having come from the department of “Hobbies and Entertainment.” Two rolls of contact paper and a spray bottle of shower cleaner. Some hobby, eh?
UPS hangs up. “Amazon,” I ask, “Are you still there?”
“Yes,” he says. “I don’t think the fellow from UPS understood anything at all.”
“Me neither,” I said.
“You have a good evening,” he said.
“You too,” I responded.
I’m still a bit puzzled but as long as I didn’t pay for something I never got, I’m okay. I’m pretty sure my hobby of putting new contact paper in my cupboards while cleaning my shower has been sidetracked.
That’s nuts. Amazon (IMHO) is outgrowing their britches a little bit. I belong to Prime (as does half the free world I bet) and that’s ‘supposed’ to GUARANTEE “next day shipping at no cost”. Additionally, they (Amazon) built some gargantuan hub in Salt Lake City last December. Thousands of jobs were created, yippee ki yi aye and all. Woo hoo. Except now that whole “next day shipping” is out the %$#! window. The past two shipments I’ve ordered through Amazon have arrived much later than guaranteed – one took a month before it showed up. With a facility (hub) right down the road (figuratively) one might expect better service. Oh no. It’s getting worse. Thus my thought on Amazon outgrowing it’s britches. It’s getting so big that the right hand and left hand are losing sight of one another. That’s dire news in my opinion.
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I’ve rarely gotten a “next day” delivery the next day, but rarely do I expect it, Two days are fine with me. Except for pet food, if I need it that badly, I’ll go somewhere and buy it. I can and do that with pet food and medication (OTC medication is a LOT cheaper on Amazon). We still have pharmacies and grocery stores.
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How annoying, Marilyn. I have always had very good service from Amazon. They even refund me for lower delivery costs and rebates.
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They were very polite and helpful, if completely puzzled. They were as lost by the chain of events as I was. We both ended the process laughing.
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ha ha ha…… at least it made for a great story! If not entirely satisfactory, I guess.
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Strange, at the very least!
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Twice in the last few weeks I had someone hand deliver Amazon purchases. They were “next day” deliveries. Both individuals driving around in their car, the first was a couple that didn’t speak English..I kind of wonder how the got that electronic music equipment I ordered at 6 PM Wednesday evening by 9 AM Thursday morning. Must have been one of those Amazon Drone deliveries….
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Some of this stuff is pretty damned weird. Maybe they have random people driving around with miscellaneous packages day and night and they have to just tell them where to go? Garry goes with drones. Big fan of drones, but no, he doesn’t have one. I offered to buy him one and he raised one eyebrow and I said “forget it.”
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I’m assuming that there is a distribution center someplace around here (Nashua or Manchester? Lowell?)) and that people drive out from them to deliver. I’m not sure how they get there unless they are on Amazon shelves – the products are “fulfilled by Amazon” products, so… I also know there is a giant center near Boston, so maybe it feeds to small ones. I know several people who love their drones, but I definitely don’t need one.
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I actually have no idea how they organize. They apparently have special arrangements with UPS and FEDEX. I have a feeling one day, it’s all going to blow up. I just hope all MY orders are delivered by then!
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I have a neighbor who works for Amazon at some type of distribution center, I believe in Reading. She is a safety engineer, so I’m exactly sure what she does… They also have a deal with the USPO, though I know Trump has been trying to stop that since Bezos also has a lot of shares in the Washington Post, which Trump wishes doesn’t exist and has been actively trying to destroy.
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Maddening…
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But pretty funny, in a bizarre way.
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That’s why I like dealing with cash. What ever happened to C.O.D. ?
Leslie
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I never had the money in the house when the delivery arrived. Great when we all used cash. Not so easy when most of the time my wallet is full of cards, but I have 25 cents in cash.
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Ha! Oh, Marilyn…..I am afraid to ask you to suggest a hobby for me!
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How about removing old wallpaper? That’s sound like giddy fun.
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Wow, the hobbies you have Marilyn! 😂😂😂 At least you got your money back.
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Yes, but by far this was the most confusing order and refurn ever got. I still don’t understand exactly what happened … nor as far as I can tell … does anyone else.
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With amazon, one thing is certain that they will never charge you for things they don’t deliver and will always refund if one is not satisfied.
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Yes, and I like dealing with them. This was pretty funny. I wasn’t angry … I was just baffled as to why they would be delivering something they had told me they had already canceled and for which I’d been refunded. They have always treated me fairly and they are always willing to find a way to make you feel better. Good service really does have rewards and one of them is that people trust you.
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I agree. That’s why with Amazon, I would order anything even the one I am not so sure about because the option for return and refund is always there.
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