Random Amazon packages arriving, not happy

Send a bunch of free stuff to Jeff Bezo's house. Then he'll be sorry.:mad:
 
This is also happening to someone I know. It's creating a problem in her apartment building because these packages addressed to a stranger in a non-existent apartment just pile up in the lobby and it's not anyone's job to open them and deal with recycling the boxes and so on. She was thinking about putting up flyers to invite the residents to a package opening and recycling party and serving drinks and snacks, but I don't know if she ever did it.

Unfortunately, there's no way to stop it. Theoretically Amazon programmers could write some code that would ban your address from being used on their site, but they won't do it. They make money off every package that gets delivered to you from a 3rd party seller because the shipper still paid them a commission, even though he placed the order from his own fake account with your address. Also, if they did ban your address, then that means you couldn't order anything for yourself and nobody could send you gifts, and if you move, the next tenants might want the address unblocked. They just have no motivation to build the infrastructure needed to fix the issue for the people who are affected.

The only thing you can do is refuse unopened packages. If anything is coming by FedEx or UPS you can login and refuse it before it ever gets delivered. Otherwise, you have to try to catch the mail carrier or Amazon guys before they drop it off.
 
USPS has informed delivery so maybe you could stop it on time then too, and report it to the postal inspector (not so Amazon won't deliver to you anymore, but just in case they can put some pressure on Amazon to penalize the actual buyers). And again, I'd report it to the FTC.
 
easysurfer said:
I look at the review dates too. If there are too many on the same day and all 5 stars, that's a sign the reviews can be FAKE. Along with only simple descriptions like "Works Great!" and no details.
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Yep, I noticed too that the dates are very close together and when I drill down to each reviewer, they may have reviewed other things too, but the review dates for all those are very close in dates too. So I know how to detect fake reviews. What I couldn't figure out was, why these reviewers were showing up as "a verified buyer". Now that mystery is solved with this thread.
 
Fermion said:
If they keep sending those and you get enough of them, you can duct tape them to the back of a chair and make a nice massager.

Possibly a paint mixer as well.
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Are those items good enough to sell on eBay or are they more like trash?
 
Maybe Amazon can make it so that only the receiver of the product can review. That may cause another loophole for scammers, but at least that way, there is no reason to send items to unwilling participants.

I bought something and the seller sent me a coupon a few weeks later, saying I could get another bottle of the same thing for free if I posted a review on amazon. I realized then that many reviews I read were by people who wanted to get the second bottle for free. At least with this scheme, nobody was getting unwanted items, but someone had to buy something first, for real.
 
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aja8888 said:
Reviews are complete BS as I tried to add a negative review on a product recently and Amazon denied the posting of it.:mad:
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It's not just Amazon. I've had other websites (not all) deny posting negative reviews too. "Once" (and only once) I had the shipper call me about my negative review and offered a full refund including the postage... So some do care.
 
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I avoid most third party sellers on Amazon. There are a few exceptions - but those are fulfilled by Amazon. If there are any concerns at all about fakes, then I only buy sold and shipped by Amazon.
 
cathy63 said:
Unfortunately, there's no way to stop it. Theoretically Amazon programmers could write some code that would ban your address from being used on their site, but they won't do it. They make money off every package that gets delivered to you from a 3rd party seller because the shipper still paid them a commission, even though he placed the order from his own fake account with your address. Also, if they did ban your address, then that means you couldn't order anything for yourself and nobody could send you gifts, and if you move, the next tenants might want the address unblocked. They just have no motivation to build the infrastructure needed to fix the issue for the people who are affected.
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Here's some motivation: I've significantly reduced my Amazon usage, especially third party sellers. I'm not the only one. It isn't just the personal problem I have, rather, my eyes have been opened to the problems this platform has.

cathy63 said:
The only thing you can do is refuse unopened packages. If anything is coming by FedEx or UPS you can login and refuse it before it ever gets delivered. Otherwise, you have to try to catch the mail carrier or Amazon guys before they drop it off.
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Did that. THREE DAYS IN A ROW from the Amazon delivery guy. They return it to the warehouse, and ship it out the next day. Despite my plea, it was delivered the fourth day, by a different driver when I was out. They were very persistent.

tmm99 said:
Are those items good enough to sell on eBay or are they more like trash?
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I suppose one or two could be sold. I don't do ebay.
 
Interesting. I had never heard of this. I always assumed some of the "verified purchase" reviews were fake. I just thought they shipped it to themselves and added it back to inventory. But I guess Amazon could (and has) shut that down fairly easily. Why not ship to an accomplice, where at least you can recover your inventory??

Anywho...

We are using Amazon more and more as time goes on. I trust them much more than most online retailers. If I ever have an issue, it is always resolved promptly and professionally. I've had mixed experiences with other online sellers.

Fake reviews are unfortunate but fairly easy to spot and avoid. Plus, returns at Amazon are so easy that it just doesn't affect me very much. If I don't like the item, back it goes. And unlike other sites, I've never had a negative review rejected by Amazon.

Here's one small example why I like Amazon so much: Our dog food is $55-60 at any of the local brick-and-mortar pet stores. At Amazon, it's $49.99. But with subscribe and save, I get a 20% discount... plus another 5% using the Chase card. Final price is $37 or about 35% lower than the local pet stores. PLUS, they deliver it to my front porch, which saves time, gas money, and the hassle of hauling a 25 lb bag to/from my car every month.
 
Isn't this what scammers do? Hijack somebody's Amazon account and credit cards. Order stuff sent to another person's house, then they put on their Porch Pirate outfit and steal the package. It never gets reported since the homeowner never expected a package to arrive.
 
Chuckanut said:
Isn't this what scammers do? Hijack somebody's Amazon account and credit cards. Order stuff sent to another person's house, then they put on their Porch Pirate outfit and steal the package. It never gets reported since the homeowner never expected a package to arrive.
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Yes. That is a scam. However, it doesn't apply in my case. Consider the package sat out on the porch for 2 days once. I also have a security camera on this porch.

This is strictly to get Verified Purchase on the review.

Why doesn't the seller want their stuff back to resell? Because it is junk. Losing a few items is marketing cost. 5 star reviews are the equivalent of their TV advertising.

This is not a victimless crime. The victims are larger society, from the advertising chain down to the possible sketchy labor in an overseas sweat shop. And finally, to all the buyers depending on reviews and reading fake news. Just more fake information bombarding us. And 2+2=5. Believe it. I'm a verified purchaser.
 
REWahoo said:
Best way I know to check out the quality of reviews on an Amazon product: fakespot.com
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Wow! Thanks all for the info. Was familiar with fake reviews, but not this angle. DW and I will also check out fakespot.

We use Amazon a ton without any serious issues, knock on wood. After checking out Amazon for price and reviews, we’ll often check out eBay. They often have much better pricing for used and new stuff. Usually the way to go for electronics. Just can’t be in a 2-day hurry for shipping. We just love saving dough, so that we can blow it on something else!
 
Thanks for the post. I had never heard of 'brushing'. I did read about the third party activities with Amazon. It boggles my mind. Here is an article on the third party amazon process. The end result is that Amazon is not really the cheapest price.

"The preppers are one part of a vast, informal, and mostly hidden workforce that stocks Amazon’s shelves. The majority of goods sold on the site come from third-party sellers, many of whom got their start going to brick-and-mortar stores looking for products to buy and resell. But the Amazon platform is designed to pit sellers against each other in competition, and as more sellers joined — there are now over 2 million, according to one recent count — margins vanished. Some arbitrageurs adapted by traveling to far-flung stores to find goods, but the emergence of other e-commerce platforms presented another opportunity: sitting at a desk, buying goods online, and sending them to Amazon."

https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/14...UKAHkYxjCP3D4aLHYzusAc6vGgfE-hZgLZf12l9qEi01k
 
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timo2 said:
https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/14...UKAHkYxjCP3D4aLHYzusAc6vGgfE-hZgLZf12l9qEi01k
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That's an absolutely fascinating article! Sellers in another country, buying from Walmart, only to have someone in Montana repackage it for Amazon to sell. Wild!

There was another article linked about how the sellers are using review misconduct against each other. Turns out once Amazon started smoking out the fake reviewers in earnest, sellers actually started creating intentional fake reviews against their competition in order to get them booted from Amazon. Wow!

So fakespot may find an item with a bunch of fake reviews. But those are fake-fake reviews. My head is spinning.

That article goes into a whole series of seller misconduct methods, including how one seller used the US registry office to take over another seller and substitute counterfeit products in his own brand name.

It is a nasty world out there!

So the interloper did just that, submitting to the patent office as evidence that he owned the goods a photo taken from Harris’ Amazon listings, including one of Harris’ own hands lighting a fire using the clasp of his survival watch. The hijacker then took that trademark to Amazon and registered it, giving him the power to kick Harris off his own listings and commandeer his name.... “From a customer’s perspective, the scam was very seamless. The customers thought they were still buying the stuff from us.” Instead, according to court documents, customers began receiving shoddy knock-offs of Harris’ survival gear, and pillorying his products in their reviews. He sent dozens of emails and appeals to Amazon trying to explain the situation as he watched his wares fall in Amazon’s search, only to be told he’d have to work things out with the rightful brand owner.
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I try to not to buy from Amazon unless I simply can't find what I'm looking for elsewhere. I've purchased one or two things that have turned out to be counterfeit. After that -- I'm done. For a dollar or so more I can buy from the real website of the stuff I want. I can find coupons online to negate the shipping. (as in, shipping is 4.99, I can almost always find a $5 coupon to use)

Add to that, Walmart is trying hard to usurp Amazon -- deals are better, so far stuff is real. Also Target -- love online shopping at Target.

The idea of adding to landfill is a valid point. Our very full landfills is a big reason my trash is very expensive out here, and if you put out extra, they will take it...but it'll cost you a lot. I get one free bulky pick up a year. Anything else will cost you a ton.

As for selling this stuff on eBay? I'm facing that right now, and frankly, yuck. My late husband was a massive collector -- isn't that a nice name for hoarder? -- and he enjoyed selling on eBay. I have so many things I'd rather do than sell crap on eBay. And then refunding money when the crap doesn't work? No thanks.
 
Sunset said:
Great article.
Will make me search a little harder next time I want to buy something on Amazon.
Click to expand...

I generally use Amazon to find products I like, then I go look up the original manufacturer site and buy from there, or go to a different site like crutchfield, etc. Amazon has excellent product descriptions and reviews, but I'd rather buy from the original source.

I realize I'm doing the reverse of what people did to the brick and mortar stores: looking in person and then buying on amazon. It makes me feel so ironical :):D
 
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MRG said:
Well the reviews would all be 5 star.

Amazon reviews are almost useless. I no longer pay attention to 4-5, many are fake. The 1,2 tend to be either: A. Idiots who are ticked for no reason or B. A real issue.
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Not any more. Dishonest sellers are giving fake bad reviews of their competitor's products.

timo2 said:
I generally use Amazon to find products I like, then I go look up the original manufacturer site and buy from there, or go to a different site like crutchfield, etc. Amazon has excellent product descriptions and reviews, but I'd rather buy from the original source.

I realize I'm doing the reverse of what people did to the brick and mortar stores: looking in person and then buying on amazon. It makes me feel so ironical :):D
Click to expand...

I've tried that, but I keep coming back to Amazon to buy. Not only are they usually cheaper, and much faster, and don't hide shipping fees four pages into the ordering process, but on those rare occasions when it's necessary, returns are fast and easy.

Of course Crutchfield (good company, I've bought from them) doesn't make anything they sell, either. So it's not really an "original source."

I'm very, very thankful for Amazon. Anybody remember "allow four to six weeks for delivery?" Remember bogus "shipping and handling" fees? Amazon single-handedly made each of those a thing of the past.

There are companies giving them a run for their money. Target, Walmart, and a few others are ramping up their on-line sales. Competition is good. I'd gladly buy from anyone who can offer me good products and service, quickly and at a competitive price.
 
Another article on how Amazon reviews are being gamed.

Her Amazon purchases are real, the reviews are fake...plus she gets reimbursed....

"Third-party sellers know what it takes to make it on Amazon: Get good reviews and a high search ranking. But attracting genuine customers is tough, so some sellers use a reliable cheat — bribes. Because of Amazon’s vast scale, inscrutable algorithms, and capricious enforcement of its own rules, unscrupulous sellers and paid shills largely get away with it.
Amazon has banned giving away free products in exchange for reviews, so Jessica requested anonymity out of fear that the company would suspend her account."

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/articl...the-reviews-are-fake?utm_source=pocket-newtab


omni
 
omni550 said:
Another article on how Amazon reviews are being gamed.

Her Amazon purchases are real, the reviews are fake...plus she gets reimbursed....

"Third-party sellers know what it takes to make it on Amazon: Get good reviews and a high search ranking. But attracting genuine customers is tough, so some sellers use a reliable cheat — bribes. Because of Amazon’s vast scale, inscrutable algorithms, and capricious enforcement of its own rules, unscrupulous sellers and paid shills largely get away with it.
Amazon has banned giving away free products in exchange for reviews, so Jessica requested anonymity out of fear that the company would suspend her account."

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/articl...the-reviews-are-fake?utm_source=pocket-newtab


omni
Click to expand...

Quite an article. It's just another notch on the gun of how the U.S. is becoming hooked and duped into buying Chinese junk effortlessly thru the Amazon platform thinking you are getting "quality" stuff.

We buy a lot on Amazon, and I have a history of buying lots of auto parts through them as I restore classic cars and maintain our fleet. In the last year or so, I have returned parts that would not fit, were the wrong ones, were REBOXED (someone else's return?), were missing gaskets, etc. That's over, as I now buy parts from other online vendors with long histories of quality suppliers.

For those of you that drive older BMW's, I would steer clear of Amazon as a parts source for your car. The knock offs for these parts are really junk.

DW, on the other hand, still buys stuff, but I seem to be returning a good percentage of what she buys anymore (mostly clothes).

We have been averaging about 400 Amazon purchases per year, but that number will be 1/10 of it in the future.
 
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