This is a vent and a warning for those who rely on Amazon for most of their purchases (as a non car-owning person in NYC, Amazon is quite important).
I bought the Edifier R1700BT from Amazon in late September. On listening to it, I notice the left speaker had some kind of buzzing sound when plaging 80-120Hz sounds (my guess). I played them on my KEFs to make sure it wasn’t a track problem on Spotify. I chatted with an Amazon ‘technical associate’ who asked me to do the usual crap like ‘turn it off and on again’ but nothing fixed it. I asked for a replacement, but he said I would have to return this one and order a new one instead.
So I setup a return but unfortunately I do not have a printer at home so it took me a few days to get the label. I dropped off the speakers at UPS about a week after the return window closed (though I had requested the return about a week before it closed).
After a few days, I got a message from Amazon that my refund had been processed. I noticed that the amount refunded seemed a bit lower than what I paid for it. So I looked through the order history and indeed the refund was short by $22 or so.
So I contacted Amazon and the chat rep told me that I had *damaged* the speakers. I couldn’t believe it because I had returned the speakers in their pristine condition, along with the original packing materials and everything. So I asked them to tell me what damage I had done. And I also told them that Amazon should have notified me that the refund was only partial, since if I had not checked they would have ended up sneakily charging me $22 without me ever realizing it. She said she would escalate and I would hear back in a couple of days.
A week passed by and I did not hear from them so I contacted them again. This time another rep informed me that I was charged a restocking fee not because I had damaged the speaker but they had received it after the return window closed. This is the first time I have experieced this from Amazon since there have been instances in the past where I have ended up going to UPS a few days late. I asked them to show me where in the policy they say that. She sent me a link, but neither I nor she could actually find it on the webpage, but she insisted that her supervisor had told her and even if it’s not on the link she sent me there was nothing she could do. (Funnily enough, googling Amazon restocking fee brings up a link that does say they can charge 20% if item is received late). I spend thousands of dollars on Amazon every year, and I couldn’t believe that Amazon is starting to charge restocking fees if items are received a few days late now (and that too for a faulty item).
I am not happy with Amazon for the following reasons:
1. They sneakily tried to get away with charging me a re-stocking fee. If I had not remember the original cost of the speakers, they would have gotten away with it too. I am not sure how many of us check this since Amazon has always returned the full amount - but be careful going forward that they are not trying to pull a quick one on you.
2. When I contacted them, they falsely accused me of damaging the speaker, even though I sent it back in the exact condition I got it in.
3. After telling me they will investigate and get back to me, they never bothered contacting me again.
4. When I contacted them again, they changed their story to a restocking fee due to delay in receiving it. I think it was late by 5-7 days or so and they gave no consideration to the fact that I do not have a printer at home which is why it took me a few days to get the label.
5. Their own reps cannot point to the policy which allows them to charge restocking fees.
I have cancelled my Prime membership and will limit my shopping at Amazon to bulky items that I cannot source locally. I know Jeff Bezos must be hurting that he’s not a trillionaire yet, so Amazon has resorted to sneaky practices like this to make money. It is high time the US govt. looks at the Amazon monopoly on online shopping.
Be careful with your shopping at Amazon.
I bought the Edifier R1700BT from Amazon in late September. On listening to it, I notice the left speaker had some kind of buzzing sound when plaging 80-120Hz sounds (my guess). I played them on my KEFs to make sure it wasn’t a track problem on Spotify. I chatted with an Amazon ‘technical associate’ who asked me to do the usual crap like ‘turn it off and on again’ but nothing fixed it. I asked for a replacement, but he said I would have to return this one and order a new one instead.
So I setup a return but unfortunately I do not have a printer at home so it took me a few days to get the label. I dropped off the speakers at UPS about a week after the return window closed (though I had requested the return about a week before it closed).
After a few days, I got a message from Amazon that my refund had been processed. I noticed that the amount refunded seemed a bit lower than what I paid for it. So I looked through the order history and indeed the refund was short by $22 or so.
So I contacted Amazon and the chat rep told me that I had *damaged* the speakers. I couldn’t believe it because I had returned the speakers in their pristine condition, along with the original packing materials and everything. So I asked them to tell me what damage I had done. And I also told them that Amazon should have notified me that the refund was only partial, since if I had not checked they would have ended up sneakily charging me $22 without me ever realizing it. She said she would escalate and I would hear back in a couple of days.
A week passed by and I did not hear from them so I contacted them again. This time another rep informed me that I was charged a restocking fee not because I had damaged the speaker but they had received it after the return window closed. This is the first time I have experieced this from Amazon since there have been instances in the past where I have ended up going to UPS a few days late. I asked them to show me where in the policy they say that. She sent me a link, but neither I nor she could actually find it on the webpage, but she insisted that her supervisor had told her and even if it’s not on the link she sent me there was nothing she could do. (Funnily enough, googling Amazon restocking fee brings up a link that does say they can charge 20% if item is received late). I spend thousands of dollars on Amazon every year, and I couldn’t believe that Amazon is starting to charge restocking fees if items are received a few days late now (and that too for a faulty item).
I am not happy with Amazon for the following reasons:
1. They sneakily tried to get away with charging me a re-stocking fee. If I had not remember the original cost of the speakers, they would have gotten away with it too. I am not sure how many of us check this since Amazon has always returned the full amount - but be careful going forward that they are not trying to pull a quick one on you.
2. When I contacted them, they falsely accused me of damaging the speaker, even though I sent it back in the exact condition I got it in.
3. After telling me they will investigate and get back to me, they never bothered contacting me again.
4. When I contacted them again, they changed their story to a restocking fee due to delay in receiving it. I think it was late by 5-7 days or so and they gave no consideration to the fact that I do not have a printer at home which is why it took me a few days to get the label.
5. Their own reps cannot point to the policy which allows them to charge restocking fees.
I have cancelled my Prime membership and will limit my shopping at Amazon to bulky items that I cannot source locally. I know Jeff Bezos must be hurting that he’s not a trillionaire yet, so Amazon has resorted to sneaky practices like this to make money. It is high time the US govt. looks at the Amazon monopoly on online shopping.
Be careful with your shopping at Amazon.
