Moral dilemma.

[The Natural Philosopher]

The narrative.

1. I ordered a small item from Amazon.
2. It was scheduled to be delivered next day
3. I was in all day. No one called.
4. I received an email saying it had been delivered.
5. I checked in the post box. It wasn't there
6. I checked in my 'safe place' It wasn't there either.
7. No footprints or tyre tracks were on the snow on my driveway.
8. Amazon chat said the parcel was 'handed to resident' and to wait and see if it turned up or I discovered it. Neither happened.
9. I got onto web chat again 2 days later, and money was refunded.
10. By pure chance a friend was going to a reclaim yard and stopped by to see if I would like to go.
11. As we left the drive I glanced out of the window, and there to the left of the drive, by the entrance, was a sodden package tossed into the snow in the front garden. If I hadn't been in the passenger seat I would never have seen it.

I reckon Amazon owe me that refund, not for not delivering the goods at all, but for not delivering them properly.

If I hadn't happened to glance that way, in a car passenger seat that package would have been there till spring.

Whaddya say?

[Andy Burns]

I'm sure they factor it all into the cost of doing business ...

[Fredxx]

This my recent experience. Amazon completed 1 to 4. I was on the lookout for the driver so I knew one hadn't got anywhere near me.

So I went looking for the driver whilst on the phone to Amazon and lo and behold he passed me and went to the delivery address.

I got to him and asked why he said it sad it was already delivered. In an unfriendly way he said the delivery point/postcode wasn't the same as the actual delivery point, and that the Amazon software wouldn't accept delivery anywhere else. Therefore he had to "deliver to resident" at the specified Amazon location before taking it to the actual delivery point.

You couldn't make it up!

[Robin]

ISTM the courier lied. But the courier was Amazon's agent, not yours. So you are innocent.

The question then is whether the value of the item is out of line with the delay and bother of contacting them /and/ the further time and bother if you contact them again to repay their refund. Then add on /their/ further costs in handling your further contact. I'd not even pause to think further if it was less than £25 or so.

[Rod Speed]

Yep, fuckem.

I just had the same thing myself, not with amazon but didnt need a refund.

My back neighbour had noticed that the delivery ape had just tossed my package on the ground fully visible to all in the small park/walkway to the highschool next to my house and had brought it to me. Big metal jar lid remover from some yank operation.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I think so. The whole cockup cost Amazon time and money. The courier presumably gets away scot free.

Curiously this isn't the first time I've had amazon's courier do a 'random fling into a corner of the garden' .

Did it to me about 4 years ago as well

£9 + £3 postage more or less.

[Colin Bignell]

Some months ago, I had a package that was supposed to have been delivered, but I hadn't seen it. Next day was dustbin day, so I took a bag of rubbish out to the bin I put out and found the package inside the dustbin.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I guess at Xmas time all the couriers are employing full retards

[Andy Burns]

I atually had to scrawl a signature on a PDA screen yesterday for TNT.

[Andrew]

Maybe they assume that everyone has a 'ring' doorbell so that the recipient can see where the parcel was 'hidden'.

It's almost a mandatory house accessory these days if you buy stuff online.

[Harry Bloomfield Esq]

The only way to fix these bone idle delivery drivers, is to complain, which you have done and hurt the company in the pocket. The drivers are supposed to take a photo, ask them to send you a copy..

[Robin]

More worrying is that what I scrawled on the last screen from UPS was recognisably my signature.

[Robin]

IMO that's that for the moral dilemma.

Whether doing nothing means you will have coughed publicly to "stealing by finding" is another matter :)

[Colin Bignell]

To use a doorbell, they would need to enter my porch, which is where I have a large parcel delivery box, clearly marked 'Amazon safe place', although they are supposed to put stuff in through the flap, rather than just leave it on top.

[Rod Speed]

How does that work ? I have been considering making one of those after seeing one being marketed on facebook. I don't have a porch or anything like that but that clearly wouldn't have worked with the ape that just tossed my recent delivery on the ground in the small park/walkway to the high school next to my house for anyone to help themselves to it. Fortunately my back neighbour noticed him doing it and came to my front door with it. I was there the whole time and the bugger didn't come anywhere near my front door which admitedly is just one of 6 identical 8'x8' massive great patio doors on the park side of the house with no fence at all.

Not really feasible to say have a flashing light on it given that with that delivery from the US, there was no tracking and the actual delivery could have been any time in weeks. Same with aliexpress.

[Spike]

Every now and then when the mood strikes I sign for a parcel by writing ‘X his mark’.

[soup]

They are not allowed to take a photo of you, merely the item at your door (preferably with door ajar). Maybe they put "handed to resident" as they can't be forced to provide photo evidence of that?

[Colin Bignell]

Not as well as I would like, but certainly better than not having anything. About 2/3 of packages get put into the box and the rest, usually, are put on top, particularly if they are heavy. It is a very convenient height if you are carrying a heavy parcel in your hands.

Mine is supposed to be weatherproof. It is only in the porch because that had a brick wall I could conveniently bolt it to.

As with my experience with the dustbin, delivery drivers can do some very strange things. My current Amazon delivery driver is a Sikh and he is very reliable.

It is when you don't have any idea of when the delivery is coming that the box is at its most useful. Assuming they use it, stuff can be delivered when you are not at home. Even things left on top are relatively safe in my porch, as people can only see into that by walking some way into my garden and up to the outer door. An enormous Oleander blocks the view from the street.

[Tim Lamb]

Or ladies. DHL have a tractor battery stuck at their delivery depot. Delivery was notified last Friday. Then notified next working day. Still nothing apart from an e-bay advisory discouraging raising a ticket because of the Christmas rush! I think they are hoping I'll offer to collect. Chances are it is upside down on a shelf as *this way up* means nothing anymore.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I said that I could provide evidence due to the snow, that no one had entered the drive on wheel or on foot.

In the end they simply coughed up. It's probably cheaper that way.

Once with another courier they showed a photo of a package, but not at my house!