Finally got burned by Amazon

[Evil D]

Not on a knife though, on some Airpods for my daughter.

I had planned on giving them to her today but I got the idea to charge them up while she's at school, and man am I happy I did because I opened them and found that they were used and one of them is missing entirely.

I'll get a refund and all, which I guess is both the good and bad thing about Amazon. Their ease of returns is great for when this kind of thing happens, but it's also WHY this stuff happens because people know they can get away with it.

I left a nice (expletive filled) letter in the box stating that they're used and one is missing and to please make sure they're not just resold again to the next person.

I worked a lot of years in retail, but I guess I just don't understand this side of how Amazon works. I know there are Amazon returns stores that sell open box stuff like this, there's one 10 minutes from my house. I guess this one just slipped through? They're clearly used, covered in fingerprints and even had hair stuck to the case. If anyone actually looked inside the box they couldn't have missed it.

Now I'm off to find another pair because I need them today and even with Prime I can't be certain I'll get them in time, or that I won't just get another used pair.

Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh.

[Manixguy@1994]

Sorry to hear about this problem. I rarely go there myself. Bad part is the timing for someone you care about.

[Doc Dan]

Go to the local Mac store. Safer.

[Evil D]

I ended up getting them from Target, and they even price matched Amazon so in the end this whole ordeal actually saved me about $25 but I'm not sure if that was worth the aggravation. My daughter was thrilled, that's all that matters lol.

[ChrisinHove]

…. My daughter was thrilled, that's all that matters lol.

That’s it in a nutshell, really.

[TkoK83Spy]

I ended up getting them from Target, and they even price matched Amazon so in the end this whole ordeal actually saved me about $25 but I'm not sure if that was worth the aggravation. My daughter was thrilled, that's all that matters lol.

Avoiding a nuclear meltdown is always a win. Well done!

[Sharp Guy]

I ended up getting them from Target, and they even price matched Amazon so in the end this whole ordeal actually saved me about $25 but I'm not sure if that was worth the aggravation. My daughter was thrilled, that's all that matters lol.

Avoiding a nuclear meltdown is always a win. Well done!

Yep! Nice save!

I have to admit that I order from Amazon a lot these days. I've always been the type who prefers to support actual stores but most of what I would buy would probably be purchased at a big box store anyway. With the whole Covid thing I started using Amazon more and more. They have a lot of the stuff I need for 3D printing too. Recently I've placed some orders and received them the same day. I don't even have to leave the house

[JSumm]

Glad you got it resolved David.

My worst experience with Amazon after being an early adopter with years of ordering was this last year renovating my kitchen. Had to buy a panel dishwasher and all the local stores were 6 months out or more. The only place we could find it was Amazon. Unfortunately, I believe the seller sent us a used or returned product, but sold it as new. It had no manual (no big deal with the internet), no installation hardware at all, no electrical components that the manual said that you had to use. I ended up having to buy all the components separately and the seller was terrible about dealing with us. I kept a good attitude through it, but he thought we were out to get something for free. I didn't want it for free I just wanted the parts to install it. They ended up giving us a credit for the parts but only after weeks of back and forth demeaning us the whole time. Even the box it came in looked like it had been dropped out of a truck and dragged through the streets then taped back up in three layers of packaging tape. I'm still bitter. Anyways, lesson learned wait 6 months during the height of a pandemic for appliances. Don't get big purchases through Amazon.

[Evil D]

To be fair I've actually had overwhelmingly positive experiences on Amazon. The few times I've had issues with items were easy enough to resolve, and in a few instances I've had vedors just refund my money without even returning what I bought. This was just the first time I've actually been legit screwed by what I ordered.

I've had items that just fell short of expectations that I decided I wasn't happy with and returned but I've never received a blatantly used item before like this. A couple Christmases ago my wife even ordered me a Spyderco off Amazon and when she told me where she got it from I cringed, but luckily it seems legit and not a fake. I did explain to her that it's not really the best place to order knives from.

What bothers me the most about this and almost all other returns is how you can pay for something and it immediately comes out of your bank account, but returns take 5 business days every time. Not the end of the world but it bugs me every time lol.

[JSumm]

The refund times are odd. I always chalked it up to convenience; however, when you get a product like you did it becomes a frustration.

I will clarify my situation. In all my years dealing with Amazon, this was the worst experience I've had (rarely any other negative) and it was 100% the seller's attitude. Amazon did a fairly good job mediating.

[JD Spydo]

I get laughed at some times but I still prefer doing most of my business at local "brick & mortar" stores. I've got two neighbors that have been also burned by Amazon recently. Other than specialty items which are nearly impossible to find locally in most cases I find I can get about most anything I need here in the Kansas City area.

One of the few items I've had trouble getting at a local retail store in this area are "Merino Wool" clothing items. At some point people are going to go back to local retailers. Trying to sell used and defective items to unsuspecting consumers is borderline "criminal" in my opinion.

[jwbnyc]

One way to order knives from Amazon while minimizing the chances of getting a lemon is to check the other sellers on Amazon link and then select an option from a reputable knife dealer. Deadwood knives, DLT Trading, Onkata, as examples, are usually listed there with options to order from their Amazon stock, or shipped directly from them. If you choose, say, Deadwood Knives, shipped from Deadwood Knives, as opposed to shipped from Amazon; you are not going through the stock that they have warehoused with Amazon. This avoids the returned to Amazon and not checked problem that people have mentioned running into.

[Evil D]

I get laughed at some times but I still prefer doing most of my business at local "brick & mortar" stores. I've got two neighbors that have been also burned by Amazon recently. Other than specialty items which are nearly impossible to find locally in most cases I find I can get about most anything I need here in the Kansas City area.

One of the few items I've had trouble getting at a local retail store in this area are "Merino Wool" clothing items. At some point people are going to go back to local retailers. Trying to sell used and defective items to unsuspecting consumers is borderline "criminal" in my opinion.

Some things I 100% prefer to buy in person, but this also depends a lot on a person's local options. If for example you don't have a knife shop local to you, then ordering is your only option. For me personally I've spent so many years in customer service I'm just sick of people and sick of shopping, mail order is a blessing sometimes when I just don't want to deal with all that.

[SG89]

To be fair I've actually had overwhelmingly positive experiences on Amazon. The few times I've had issues with items were easy enough to resolve, and in a few instances I've had vedors just refund my money without even returning what I bought. This was just the first time I've actually been legit screwed by what I ordered.

I've had items that just fell short of expectations that I decided I wasn't happy with and returned but I've never received a blatantly used item before like this. A couple Christmases ago my wife even ordered me a Spyderco off Amazon and when she told me where she got it from I cringed, but luckily it seems legit and not a fake. I did explain to her that it's not really the best place to order knives from.

What bothers me the most about this and almost all other returns is how you can pay for something and it immediately comes out of your bank account, but returns take 5 business days every time. Not the end of the world but it bugs me every time lol.

Will it let you refund to your amazon balance instead? It asks me that every time I return something. (If you are already planning on spending that money again at Amazon)

[Oloung1]

.. They have a lot of the stuff I need for 3D printing too. Recently I've placed some orders and received them the same day..

I was looking for the 3d print thread when this caught my eye. I ended up receiving an Amazon Return printer last week with melted filament behind the touchscreen surface.

In addition to a returned printer, so far I've bought pre-loved amazon "new" :
•automotive heater core
•samsonite suitcase
•protech mordax
(2 arrived with previous owner's shipping label still on the shipping box, one with the Amazon Return Warehouse address)