Amazon ordered to pay $20,000 after BC customer says package never arrived
After investigating a BC customer’s complaint that their Amazon order never arrived, Consumer Protection BC (CPBC) has ordered the e-commerce giant to pay $20,000 in fines, legal fees and a $511.25 refund to the customer.
In an Oct. 14 decision, the regulator concluded that Amazon breached the BC Business Protection and Consumer Protection Act by failing to provide refunds for apparently missing packages.
Amazon said it delivered the package to “someone” at the customer’s home, but CPBC said the package “must be provided directly to the consumer.”
“It is not enough for an online retailer to simply leave packages on the doorstep or hand them over to another person if the consumer has not agreed to this,” said CPBC spokesperson Lewis Hartland. in a statement,
“Such delivery may be permitted, but only with the understanding and consent of the customer.”
A case of ‘withdrawal abuse’?
This case raises the question of who is responsible if delivered packages go missing.
Many Amazon customers have complained that their orders were stolen by “porch pirates” because delivery drivers left their packages on the front porch. Usually, the customer Report cases to the police Those who investigate.
But, in this case, the customer filed a police report and a complaint with CPBC.
According to the decision, on August 29, 2024, the customer ordered a portable dual display and a portable digital data storage unit for computers totaling $582.75.
The same day, Amazon informed the customer by text that the package had been “delivered to resident.”
The customer then contacted Amazon, claiming that neither he nor his roommates received it, and requested a refund.
Despite a ruling by Ad Standards Canada that the term ‘wife beater’ used to describe a type of men’s undershirt violates the country’s advertising code, ads on Amazon’s Canadian website still include the term. Some women’s rights advocates are disappointed because they say the term trivializes domestic violence.
According to CPBC, Amazon told the regulator that it refused refunds due to suspicions of “returns abuse.” The company alleged that the customer had claimed refund for three previous orders last year, claiming non-delivery each time.
Amazon also said it had evidence that the customer’s existing order was successfully delivered. However, the retailer had no photographic evidence.
In the decision, CPBC said the onus was on Amazon to prove delivery to the customer. Amazon countered that it believed the person at the residence who accepted the package was authorized to do so.
That argument was not enough for CPBC.
The regulator ordered Amazon to pay a fine of $10,000, legal fees of $9,369.00 and customer refunds of $511.25. The customer’s order totaled $582.75, but CPBC deducted $71.48 from the amount paid by credit card.
There are different rules for this in Canada unauthorized credit card transactions,
Amazon has 30 days to appeal the decision. CBC News contacted the company for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
