With Amazon packages arriving at her door every day for the last two months, neighbors of Anca Nitu must think she really loves the online shopping service. But actually she didn’t order any of the items.
Most of the packages, many of them containing pairs of elaborately designed shoes that Nitu says are definitely not her style, are sent direct to her home in Langley, British Columbia, from across North America.
Nitu told CBC that the endless arrival of Amazon products is causing her great stress. “I start shaking when I see packages at my door,” Nitu said. “They keep coming and it just doesn’t end.”
The reluctant recipient said the situation has been made worse by shipping firm UPS, which keeps invoicing her for customs charges — despite Nitu telling them that she never ordered the items. Not surprisingly, she’s refusing to pay.
The Virginia-based Better Business Bureau told CBC that it sounds like sellers or third-party handlers are using Nita’s address to offload their unwanted products to avoid shipping and warehouse fees. The ruse, which has been reported before, is often operated by businesses in countries such as China and India.
Third-party sellers using Amazon facilities have to pay for things like picking and packing orders, shipping, handling, and product returns. In some instances, a seller might include with the order a return slip showing a private address in case the Amazon customer wants to send their order back. Using a private address will enable the seller to avoid Amazon fees for having the returned item processed by its own facilities, or save on overseas shipping costs. It seems that Nitu has just been unlucky to have her address selected for returns.
In a widely reported statement, Amazon said that Nitu’s case “has been addressed and corrective action is being taken to stop the packages.” But this week Nitu insisted the situation has yet to be resolved.
With the shoes taking up more and more storage space in her home, Nitu has started to give them away to charity stores and work colleagues. But really, she just wants the deliveries to stop.
Amazon says that if you receive a package or item that you didn’t order, you should report it online using the Report Unwanted Package form.
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