Thread by @AradhanaSeth

My brother, the writer Vikram Seth, was recently scammed by Amazon. It is appalling and here’s the story in his words. @amazonindia #amazonwoes #vikramseth

Scammed and then Stonewalled by @amazonIN

by #vikramseth

Here is a most unsuitable scam perpetrated by #Amazon (or its couriers or agents).

I ordered 10 bamboo bookracks. (I am a writer.) Each was for ₹ 999.

@amazonindia @AmazonIndia #AmazonWoes #AmazonScams #VikramSeth

In a few days, Amazon texted me that my order was due to arrive and sent me an OTP (one time password) to give to the courier or driver.

The Amazon driver arrived. He had exactly one bamboo bookrack with him.

@amazonindia #VikramSeth

He asked me to accept delivery. I insisted that I had ordered ten, not one. Where were the other nine?

He opened the van up. There was enough space inside for a dozen bookracks, but there were no bookracks there.

@amazonindia #AmazonWoes #AmazonScams #VikramSeth

The driver told me that this often happened, that deliveries were divided, that the other nine would definitely come later and that, if they came today, I should give the next driver or drivers the same OTP.

@amazonindia #VikramSeth

So I accepted the single bookrack and gave the driver my OTP. He drove off. (There was a witness to this entire incident.)

@amazonindia #VikramSeth

I waited for the other nine bookracks. They did not arrive! I went online to Amazon’s tracking service, and found, to my astonishment, that my order for 10 bookracks was marked as ‘Delivered’.

@amazonindia #AmazonWoes #VikramSeth

I decided to find out what had happened. I texted the Amazon customer service line several times for two weeks, trying, to my increasing frustration, to get delivery of these 9 undelivered bookracks.

@amazonindia #VikramSeth

I have been in chats with at least half a dozen Amazon representatives.First, Amazon kept insisting that the order had been delivered in full. Then, they agreed to institute an investigation.

@amazonindia #AmazonScams #VikramSeth

When, after a week, their ‘investigation’ was over, they told me that they had ascertained that the order had indeed been delivered in full. (In other words, that I had been lying.)

@amazonindia #VikramSeth

I asked how much I had been charged – was it ₹ 999 for a single bookrack? They replied that I had been charged ₹ 9,990 – for all ten!

@amazonindia #VikramSeth

I asked to speak to someone senior. After much resistance, a member of their ‘Leadership Team’ came on. She reiterated that (1) my order had been delivered; (2) they would send me neither my 9 bookracks nor a refund.

@amazonindia #VikramSeth

She asked me if she could help me with ‘anything else’, and then cut off the conversation!

@amazonindia #VikramSeth

Clearly, this is simply the theft of almost ₹ 9,000 by Amazon or its agents. The Amazon complaints process is worse than a joke.

@amazonindia #AmazonWoes #AmazonScams #VikramSeth

But what was so moronic and infuriating about this whole process was that they peppered their brazen refusal to accept that I had suffered any loss or injury whatsoever with asinine remarks.

@amazonindia #AmazonScams #VikramSeth

I quote a few of these verbatim:

‘I am sorry this happened.’

‘We’ll be more than happy to provide any help you may need in the future.’

‘Have a great day ahead.’

@amazonindia #VikramSeth

And, best of all: ‘Nobody should suffer such an instance of disappointment. I totally understand how you must feel. Our utmost priority is to always put smile on your face.’

@amazonindia #VikramSeth

Such Amazonian flotsam was followed by the slammed door: ‘As there is no additional action we can take over this matter, I am forced to release this chat.’ And Anu of the ‘Leadership Team’ promptly signed off.

@amazonindia #VikramSeth

I now have no further recourse, and must accept the matter as closed. It grates; it feels grossly unfair; but what can I do other than warn people about this sort of thing?

@amazonindia #VikramSeth

Amazon has: 1. wasted my time, 2. pocketed my money, 3. not delivered goods I needed for my work, 4. destroyed my trust in them, and 5. insulted my honesty.

@amazonindia #AmazonScams #VikramSeth

So I do not, on the whole, believe that Amazon has succeeded in its attempt to ‘put smile’ on my face.

@amazonindia @AmazonIndia #AmazonWoes #AmazonScams #VikramSeth

And I would like to warn my neighbours and others not to put their faith, as I credulously did, in what I thought was a reputable company.

#vikramseth ordered 10 of these but got only one delivered to him. Here's the picture of the shelf @amazonIN #amazonwoes #notasuitableorder

#vikramseth ordered 10 of these but got only one delivered to him. Here's the picture of the shelf @amazonIN #amazonwoes #notasuitableorder