tl:dr
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not a massively interesting thread, just curious if anyone else has had similar issues with amazon and/or it might be useful to know that the CS people can be pushed a bit when you have a complaint and seemingly have discretion to issue gift vouchers but (perhaps as to be expected) don't give up the best offer right away
Ordered some cheap-ish headphones and decided to get an add on item (headphone case)
They arrived today... well the headphones did, add on item didn't...
this started off an annoying sequence of "computer says no" from various Amazon CS workers
I got a £25 voucher after some faffing
--------------------------------------------------------------
I was polite and patient but it got pretty silly... first I had a phone call with customer service, I just want the item I paid for sent out as it didn't arrive, apparently they can't do that but can refund me and I can just re-order it, it is an add on item so I can't do that without ordering something else I didn't otherwise intend to order alongside it. Gave up on the phone call and went to chat...
Same story in chat, "how do I get my item sent" - apparently they can only refund it and I need to order another random item worth £20 and then re-order the add on item.
Asked for a supervisor - apparently the supervisor only has the same training as the guy I'm currently talking to... I'm not fussed, I'll try my luck with the supervisor...
Now we get a bit of unintended negotiation, I explain that I just want them to send the item I ordered, if they can't do that then is there either someone he can escalate to or an official complaints procedure...
as soon as that is mentioned he says that instead of a refund (for the 4.99 add on item) he'll give me £15 of promotional credit...
so that seems good... but then, not wanting to be fobbed off, I comment that I hope this isn't some way of fobbing me off with some nonsense credit with a bunch of clauses/time limit etc..etc..
his response is to copy and paste the terms and conditions - it doesn't cover third party sellers
I ask him what headphone case I could buy with the promotional credit...
apparently I can't... they're seemingly sold by third party sellers... "well that promotional credit isn't much good for me then?"
I then ask again, state that I'm not after extra money I just want the item I paid for sent, if he can't do that then please escalate... I note that it does seem ridiculous that a retailer can't replace a missing item
he then offers me a £15 gift voucher...
hmm ok, he's completely avoided the escalation/complaint thing... so I play the game now
"but how do I order the case I wanted to order?"
"you'd need to first buy an item worth £20..."
"so you see my problem, you're only offering me a £15 gift voucher"
...
(bit of a pause then I see him typing)
I'm then offered a £20 gift voucher..
"but them I'm still out of pocket for the case, honestly I just want the item I ordered, if you can just let me know how to make an official complaint/escalate this matter then..."
....
(another pause, then he started typing)
I'm offered a £25 gift voucher.....
fair enough, I can now order some random thing I didn't want for £20 and the £4.99 add on item which is all I wanted in the first place... I'll accept that
It just seems ridiculous though, they can't simply re-send an item they missed if it is part of a package that was part delivered and was sold by a third party...
But lesson learned is that their CS team seems to be keen to do anything to avoid escalating something/getting some sort of complaint so just keep pushing them if you get an issue
--------------------------------------------------------------
not a massively interesting thread, just curious if anyone else has had similar issues with amazon and/or it might be useful to know that the CS people can be pushed a bit when you have a complaint and seemingly have discretion to issue gift vouchers but (perhaps as to be expected) don't give up the best offer right away
Ordered some cheap-ish headphones and decided to get an add on item (headphone case)
They arrived today... well the headphones did, add on item didn't...
this started off an annoying sequence of "computer says no" from various Amazon CS workers
I got a £25 voucher after some faffing
--------------------------------------------------------------
I was polite and patient but it got pretty silly... first I had a phone call with customer service, I just want the item I paid for sent out as it didn't arrive, apparently they can't do that but can refund me and I can just re-order it, it is an add on item so I can't do that without ordering something else I didn't otherwise intend to order alongside it. Gave up on the phone call and went to chat...
Same story in chat, "how do I get my item sent" - apparently they can only refund it and I need to order another random item worth £20 and then re-order the add on item.
Asked for a supervisor - apparently the supervisor only has the same training as the guy I'm currently talking to... I'm not fussed, I'll try my luck with the supervisor...
Now we get a bit of unintended negotiation, I explain that I just want them to send the item I ordered, if they can't do that then is there either someone he can escalate to or an official complaints procedure...
as soon as that is mentioned he says that instead of a refund (for the 4.99 add on item) he'll give me £15 of promotional credit...
so that seems good... but then, not wanting to be fobbed off, I comment that I hope this isn't some way of fobbing me off with some nonsense credit with a bunch of clauses/time limit etc..etc..
his response is to copy and paste the terms and conditions - it doesn't cover third party sellers
I ask him what headphone case I could buy with the promotional credit...
apparently I can't... they're seemingly sold by third party sellers... "well that promotional credit isn't much good for me then?"
I then ask again, state that I'm not after extra money I just want the item I paid for sent, if he can't do that then please escalate... I note that it does seem ridiculous that a retailer can't replace a missing item
he then offers me a £15 gift voucher...
hmm ok, he's completely avoided the escalation/complaint thing... so I play the game now
"but how do I order the case I wanted to order?"
"you'd need to first buy an item worth £20..."
"so you see my problem, you're only offering me a £15 gift voucher"
...
(bit of a pause then I see him typing)
I'm then offered a £20 gift voucher..
"but them I'm still out of pocket for the case, honestly I just want the item I ordered, if you can just let me know how to make an official complaint/escalate this matter then..."
....
(another pause, then he started typing)
I'm offered a £25 gift voucher.....
fair enough, I can now order some random thing I didn't want for £20 and the £4.99 add on item which is all I wanted in the first place... I'll accept that
It just seems ridiculous though, they can't simply re-send an item they missed if it is part of a package that was part delivered and was sold by a third party...
But lesson learned is that their CS team seems to be keen to do anything to avoid escalating something/getting some sort of complaint so just keep pushing them if you get an issue
