An Amazon Tale
Early in September, I ordered an item from Amazon which should have arrived the next afternoon. I had an email from Amazon saying, sorry, your package will be late. The next day, another email from them, saying your package ‘is probably lost’ and that they were starting the refund process. Note: at no time did I request a refund, the initiative was all theirs. Then the packet arrived. Being an honest type, I felt I shouldn’t have the goods and the refund but couldn’t find a way to cancel the refund, so I went on live chat.
Me: explains issue
Live chat assistant: I’m glad you’ve got the goods.
Me: But what about the refund?
Assistant: I suggest you keep the goods and the refund as a token of Amazon’s goodwill.
Surprising but I thought that was the end of the matter until yesterday, when I received a worrying email from Amazon. It said that their courier had informed them that the goods had been delivered (true) and that I should return the item (impossible because I’d used part of it). There followed a link to phone Amazon for more help. Normally, I hesitate to click on unknown links but the Amazon email was obviously genuine, so I did. Up came my mobile number with a box to ‘call now’. So I did and in just a few seconds, the phone was ringing. Mobile reception here is erratic to say the least, so I had to stand uncomfortably by the kitchen door in order to hear what the chap had to say. I explained exactly what happened and was able to quote the live chat almost word for word. The people who make these calls are obviously superior, brainy types who know what they’re doing. My new advisor said he was looking at the live chat (how they do that?) and could see that everything was exactly as I had said it was. Well, good; it’s nice to be believed. Apparently, the live chat person should not have said what he did (who’s for the chop, then?) but since he had said it, Amazon had to honour it. Mr Wonderful then sent me an email (I could hear him typing busily) which I was able to read while still on the phone. I am to ignore the previous mail and any further ones I get on the issue.
A satisfactory outcome but a lot of bother for me when the fault was entirely Amazon’s, for starting the refund process so quickly.
Me: explains issue
Live chat assistant: I’m glad you’ve got the goods.
Me: But what about the refund?
Assistant: I suggest you keep the goods and the refund as a token of Amazon’s goodwill.
Surprising but I thought that was the end of the matter until yesterday, when I received a worrying email from Amazon. It said that their courier had informed them that the goods had been delivered (true) and that I should return the item (impossible because I’d used part of it). There followed a link to phone Amazon for more help. Normally, I hesitate to click on unknown links but the Amazon email was obviously genuine, so I did. Up came my mobile number with a box to ‘call now’. So I did and in just a few seconds, the phone was ringing. Mobile reception here is erratic to say the least, so I had to stand uncomfortably by the kitchen door in order to hear what the chap had to say. I explained exactly what happened and was able to quote the live chat almost word for word. The people who make these calls are obviously superior, brainy types who know what they’re doing. My new advisor said he was looking at the live chat (how they do that?) and could see that everything was exactly as I had said it was. Well, good; it’s nice to be believed. Apparently, the live chat person should not have said what he did (who’s for the chop, then?) but since he had said it, Amazon had to honour it. Mr Wonderful then sent me an email (I could hear him typing busily) which I was able to read while still on the phone. I am to ignore the previous mail and any further ones I get on the issue.
A satisfactory outcome but a lot of bother for me when the fault was entirely Amazon’s, for starting the refund process so quickly.