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What to do about expensive missing Amazon deliveries?
3 points by warrenjday 464 days ago
I've been using Amazon for many years and never had issues. Until this week, when I ordered a Sony camera worth £1400.

The item was marked as "delivered" yet I never received it. No signature, no photo proof, nothing, just a green tick on their system saying it was "handed to resident"

I did the usual, ask the neighbors, check the general area, nothing.

I contacted Amazon the same day the item didn't arrive, they required me to wait two working days before they would even talk to me, this spanned a weekend, so 4 days later I call back.

Now they acknowledge the item must have been stolen.

They say they will not issue a refund without a crime number, so I contact the local police (UK) with all the details.

They tell me they will not issue a crime number, since it is Amazon's responsibility to investigate.

I call back Amazon to explain, they won't budge without a crime number.

Now I'm stuck in a loop. No crime number, no refund.

£1400 out of pocket, no item. What else can I do? Issue a chargeback? Then my account will likely get banned.

Has anyone else been in this situation? What are my options?

4 comments

> Now they acknowledge the item must have been stolen.

Perhaps go back to the police with a printout of that and make it very clear to them that Amazon have investigated and concluded that the item was stolen, hence you reporting a theft.

Next step if that doesn't work might be to escalate to your PCC after having contacted your local newspaper to run an article first, ideally with a picture of you looking cross on your doorstep ;)

It is poor form of Amazon to make you jump through hoops if they acknowledge that it is in effect their fault. It is poor form of the police, too, but unfortunately not surprising.

I can't speak to the UK, but here in the US the police love telling you it's not their problem to avoid doing their job. Here, I would push the police to actually take down a report.

Something was stolen from you. A crime was committed.

I had this exact thing happen to me, and never found a real solution. It was one of a couple of events that led me to cancelling my Amazon account and stop using them.
Check the Citizen's Advice Bureau. They may be able to help you on this one and offer legal advice.