After the BBC published an article in January about how a man received dog food from Amazon instead of the iPhone he ordered, dozens of readers have come forward with similar complaints.
Many of those we spoke to reported seeing high-value items like cameras and computer gear exchanged for low-value items like cat food or face masks. Here we share a selection of reader experiences.
“When I opened the box, I felt a wave of panic. I was shocked to see Felix cat food,” Jonathan said.
“I was very concerned because I knew getting my money back wasn’t going to be easy.”
He had bought a Sony Alpha 6-400 camera for £900 and a Tamron telephoto lens for £520 on 8 September. The order had a total value of £1,420.
Jonathan said when the delivery driver arrived with the package it looked “normal” at first glance, so he gave the driver a one-time code and accepted the package.
Because Jonathan had signed for the delivery, Amazon initially refused to refund the sum.
However, after several discussions with various employees in the complaints department, they decided to allow it, he said.
Although he received a replacement lens within weeks, they ran out of stock and he had to wait more than three weeks for a £900 refund.
An Amazon spokesman said: “We are sorry that some customer experiences fell short of the high standards we expect.”
Heather, from Glasgow, described the “absolute devastation” her 15-year-old son Nicholas felt when he used his life savings to order a computer part from Amazon.
“He had bought a graphics card at the reduced price of £400 on Black Friday [22 November]before Christmas it should be his present,” she said.
“Building a computer was his dream, he had saved up birthday and Christmas money for years, and the graphics card was the last thing he needed.”
Heather said Amazon kept delaying delivery and he didn’t get his gift in time for Christmas Day.
“It was finally delivered in mid-January.
“It seemed normal, I handed the package to my son and said ‘Merry Christmas, sorry it’s late’.
“Nicholas opened the package to reveal a box wrapped in Christmas paper.
“I suddenly heard screams and tears – he had opened his gift to find a box of pink surgical face masks.
“He was absolutely devastated — it felt like a sick joke.”
After complaining to Amazon and spending hours on the phone, Heather said she was told she could get a refund but she had to return the box of face masks first.
“We had to pay £11 postage to send the face masks back to the US – out of our own pockets,” she said.
Amazon refunded Nicholas on February 20, nearly three months after he ordered the graphics card.
“It was a huge blow to me and my son who felt robbed of his life savings and dream – I had also wasted hours on the phone with Amazon during the process,” added Heather.
Another customer, Steve De Vos, 61, from Hertfordshire, ordered a OnePlus 9 mobile phone priced at £513.99.
The next day, when Mr Vos was home with his wife, he said he received an email from Amazon saying there had just been “a failed delivery attempt”.
The delivery driver did not ring the doorbell or try to alert anyone inside, although he did go to the door with the package, Mr de Vos said.
He contacted Amazon customer service and forwarded some security cameras from outside as evidence, but an hour later, while Mr de Vos was still inside, he was again informed of “a second failed delivery attempt”.
Again, CCTV showed the same driver walking to the front door, but this time he wasn’t carrying a package, Mr de Vos said.
He stood at the door but didn’t ring the bell, he answered his phone to mark the delivery as failed and walked away, Mr de Vos added.
The next day the package was delivered by a different driver.
“The package looked normal but when I opened it I was shocked to find a can of dog food and some eau de toilette instead of the phone I had ordered.”
He immediately contacted Amazon and filed a formal complaint against the driver, but was told the purchase price would not be refunded and the matter escalated to a team of specialists.
“Since I did not receive the phone I ordered, I ordered a replacement item shortly afterwards.
“A week later I chased Amazon and the customer service rep agreed to a refund.”
Ethan Martin, 22, from Wednesbury, ordered a Panasonic Lumix camera and lens for £1,999 and it was sent to an Amazon hub counter in a store on January 10.
He collected it and opened the package in front of the shopkeeper, he said.
“There were two pairs of cheap shoes inside – no camera showing – it was awful and disappointing,” said Mr Martin.
“I was afraid of getting a refund as I had spent so much money.”
The shopkeeper gave Mr. Martin a copy of the CCTV which clearly showed him opening the box and showing the contents to the person behind the till.
Mr Martin said that although he had complained to Amazon on a number of occasions, telling them he had evidence of surveillance cameras, Amazon had not given him a refund.
He said he has since disputed the payment with his bank.
“I feel robbed, I’m down £2,000, I really hope the bank can help me, it’s my last resort,” he added.
An Amazon spokesperson added: “We work hard to create a trusted shopping experience by protecting customers, selling partners and Amazon from abuse, and we have systems in place to detect suspicious behavior.
“We are investigating these specific cases and are in contact with the affected customers.”
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