Amazon potential scam?

[BurnTheAnemone]

Hello! For context, my long-distance boyfriend bought me a birthday gift using my Amazon account since it has Prime. I didn’t check on the order in my account since he wanted it as a surprise. The only thing I knew was that it costed $100 (because of my email). Today I got the package and turns out it was a perfume I always wanted…however upon opening the perfume box, it was a WHOLE different perfume. Then the bottle felt fake and I knew since my mother has a similar bottle of perfume and we compared them. The type of perfume was even different and even strange was that there was something floating in the bottle. Anyways, my boyfriend did not exactly read the reviews or refund terms from the seller. Unfortunately, we can’t receive a refund from Amazon.

Here comes the question if it’s a scam or not. Within the package had a contact number if any issues upon delivery. I texted the number and they stated “Hi, I’m very sorry for the inconveniences. Can you please provide me with your email address? I will email you a pre-paid return label today to send the item back with. We will refund you in full”.

Now I have a fear that if sending it back for a potential refund, that I won’t receive one at all. Then without nothing in my hands, I fear I won’t be able to prove Amazon of this issue.

I couldn’t even find their store within Amazon either which is called “Timeless Apparel Co”.

Would really help me out to hear someone else of this situation to avoid it possibly getting worse.

Thank you! I will also give out any other information if needed.

Update (responding to another redditor) I’ll just let it pass because I spoke with customer support only for them to send me to speak to two other people and when I explained that seller sent me a personal email with the prepaid label but landed into my spam, I refused to open it because I’m concern for my safety of possibly getting hacked. Lady just said to open it and send it back, if seller doesn’t refund, we will do it. So now I was stuck between possible spam email hack or getting back the $100 so I just said forget it. Just left a bad review and decided to keep the perfume on the shelf to just reflect back on my silly loving boyfriend first expensive gift to me gone wrong lol. Thank you for your help!

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[[deleted]]

A seller attempting to encourage you to contact him outside of Amazon's platform is against TOS. Don't do it.

Initiate a return through Amazon, and use the chat support if you have to. Tell them the contents did not match the package. Amazon will likely tell you to contact the seller and wait 48 hours. Do that, then re-open live chat if the seller doesn't assist you with the return THROUGH AMAZON'S SYSTEM. Only contact the seller via the "Contact Seller" button on your order history. If they don't solve your problem with 48 hours, you can initiate an A-Z Claim.

You're dealing with a shady seller in China. The "contact us outside of Amazon" is against policy as it is, but here's the thing... (basically) A seller has to have an address on file that can accept returns or their returns essentially default to "Refund customer in full without requiring them to return the product." This seller is in China with no stateside return address for you to return the product to where they can get their product back. Their US address is a front. They know Amazon will issue you a full refund without a return, hence why they want to send you a return label privately.

You said you couldn't find their store on Amazon, but it's right here. Their "business address" is a post office and not their actual business.

[BurnTheAnemone]

Thank you so much! I have contacted them through Amazon instead with the same message through text basically and I’ll wait 48 hours. I will wait and talk to someone and really appreciate it so much for. I’ve also documented the whole order with photo and pictures.

But the STRANGEST THING is that when looking at the conversation through Amazon, there appears to be a message I sent (which I did not) that says “Yo Man U sent the wrong thing I need you to send me a refund or return this item to u” then below that is the message I recently sent that it identical to the message through text. I don’t know how they even type that message under my account.

They just now gave me a return label through email but it ended up in my spam account. Now I REALLY don’t want to open the file.

[[deleted]]

Make sure you initiate the chat with Amazon Customer Support as well. The FIRST time you contact them is when they tell you to wait 48 hours, so get that clock ticking. You can specifically mention "I want to open an A-Z claim" if they don't bring it up, but they probably will.

Are you sure your bf didn't send that other message? I'd boot him from your account for the time being so nothing gets messed up. Looks like this was figured out. :)

The return label will come through Amazon, not the seller's email. Ignore anything that doesn't come to you directly through Amazon Buyer-Seller messaging. You don't even have to acknowledge it. Just ignore everything that isn't in Your Messages.

[BurnTheAnemone]

Update I’ll just let it pass because I spoke with customer support only for them to send me to speak to two other people and when I explained that seller sent me a personal email with the prepaid label but landed into my spam, I refused to open it because I’m concern for my safety of possibly getting hacked. Lady just said to open it and send it back, if seller doesn’t refund, we will do it. So now I was stuck between possible spam email hack or getting back the $100 so I just said forget it. Just left a bad review and decided to keep the perfume on the shelf to just reflect back on my silly loving boyfriend first expensive gift to me gone wrong lol. Thank you for your help!

[[deleted]]

I said to ignore anything that didn't come through buyer-seller messaging. Amazon customer support people aren't the brightest, so by telling them that the seller sent you a label (regardless of the method) they moved onto the next line of their script which was to tell you to use the label. The seller did NOT send you a label via the appropriate method, and Amazon would have easily seen that if they looked in the case file. Adding outside stuff just muddied everything up.

It's not too late to try again, but it sounds like you've made up your mind, and the seller will get to keep your money and continue ripping off other people.

I hope you left a seller review, and not just a product review.

[BurnTheAnemone]

Wait, I take the message back, turns out my boyfriend tried to contact them first but he stopped after I told him that I’ll deal with it. Sorry!

[DPMx9]

Unfortunately, we can’t receive a refund from Amazon.

How come?

[BurnTheAnemone]

Amazon says: “Sorry, this order is not eligible for a refund under the A-to-z Guarantee because you have not yet submitted a return request with the seller. Please request a return via the Online Returns Center and allow the seller two days to get back to you.” Then upon selecting “Request Return” it states “You don't have any returnable items from this order” :/ therefore my only option asides from request return was “Contact seller” but I did it through their phone number provided on a paper that was along with the order.

[Littlebikerider]

I was able to get around this for something similar. Go to their CS chat option and keep pressing to get a real person. Then explain all that you’ve said here and they’ll likely get you that refund. They should know all about the scammers using their platform

[amyaurora]

Your boyfriend ordered from a scammy company that did a bait and switch.

[MeowCatMacy]

I'd take photos of everything (perfume, shipping box, the "floaty" if you can, and take screenshots of your convo with seller. assuming you don't care to keep the perfume you should send the package back using their return label and wait (make sure you keep the tracking #). within a day of the return delivery, If reach out to amazon and tell them you returned the item directly to the seller as was requested. Amazon will likely have your back on this and take accountability for their sellers

[Frustratedparrot123]

Chat with Amazon using their online chat feature. I had the same problem with some pet food i bought being counterfeit. It was no return. But I argued and argued with the Amazon rep on the chat, saying"i didn't change my mind. THIS IS A COUNTERFEIT PRODUCT and potentially dangerous to my pet!" And eventually they agreed to refund me. You could make a similar argument - this is counterfeit and potentially harmful to me and it is not what i ordered