Mad at Amazon (rant)... 😠
 

I ordered a new Selle SMP Extra saddle on Amazon a couple of days ago. I was excited when it arrived today, however, my excitement quickly turned to anger when I realized I had been sent either a used or returned saddle.

First thing that stood out was the packaging; there were no ties holding the seat to the carboard back. Then I noticed deep scratch marks on the metal railings. It appeared someone had mounted this saddle on a bike at some point. The scratch marks were very visible.

Then I looked closely at the logo and printed lines on the saddle. They appeared a bit worn as if someone had sat on this saddle for a few miles.

I sent an email to Amazon customer service a few minutes ago to complain about this. I don't think it's fair that I paid for a new item but was sent a used/returned item. Regardless of their response I plan on returning this saddle. Shame on me for not looking at the customer reviews for the vendor that sent me the saddle.

Not even going to try it on my bike. I'll probably buy it again from another vendor.

Has this ever happened to you (purchased something new but were sent something used/returned)?

Not to me personally read it happens frequently.

Amazon is great about returns pain the butt but they will take care of it.

I've bought several returned items because of the discounts. Could you have mistakenly bought a returned item by mistake. I love Amazon. :thumb:

Nope. 100% sure I purchased it new (Prime member, so I only click on items sold "Prime" and new). I have purchased used items in the past (collector's comic books, used books, etc.).

I'm sure I won't have any issues regarding the return, it's just the aggravation involved plus the fact that the vendor tried to pull a fast one on me.

Things can be sold on Amazon in a few different ways:

* Sold by Amazon.
* Sold by a third-party seller but fulfilled by Amazon.
* Sold and fulfilled by a third party who uses Amazon as a web storefront to list their wares.

If the item was sold by Amazon itself, you've definitely got a beef with them and it's been my experience that they'll make it right. If the item was sold by a third party, the refund/return process can be a bit different as detailed HERE. If a third-party seller doesn't give you a satisfactory return option, you may be able to file a claim with Amazon under their A-to-Z Guarantee policy.

Thanks! It was sold by a third party but fullfilled by Amazon. I have never really had any issues returning stuff to Amazon. However, I try not return too many things because I have read about people being banned for life by Amazon because they returned too many things.

This time I took a different approach because of how upset I was for being sent a non-new item. I understand people make mistakes (wrong size, wrong color, etc.), but IMO this was not an oversight. It's more like trying to take advantage of an unsuspecting customer.

I wonder if third party vendors are losing money when something is purchased as a "Prime" item, so they ship whatever returned item they have in stock? Curiously, something similsr happened to me a few months ago. I purchased a new watch and was sent a watch that had appeared to have been used (crease in the leather strap, scratches on the crystal, no protective film on the crystal or on the back of the watch). I returned it as well. I have purchased over 12 watches from Amazon, but the only issue I had was with that one.

From what I've heard about Amazon warehouse employees, it may have been an 'inside job'....

Actually it almost happened to us when we bought a bicycle for my son at a box store. We picked out the one he liked, unchained it, and pulled it out to look it over. As I looked more closely, I realized a number on the shifter was almost worn off, and the pedal (plastic) on the same side was scuffed. Both were hard to see. This got me looking even more closely and I found a bunch of other signs that it had not only been used, but crashed. I pointed this all out to the salesman and once he saw the stuff, he agreed and pulled it from stock after marking on the paperwork (still attached to the bike).

We went over the next bike with a fine toothed comb.

Luckily you were able to spot the details. A few years ago while walking through a (now closed) K-Mart store, I stopped to look at the bird cages for a small pet bird we had. The new cages had sead residue and feathers! It was obvious the cages had been returned. However, they were being sold as new.

Some retailers have no scruples when it comes to making a profit.

Some third-party vendors are better than others. Even the return process with those third-parties can be different. You put the request in through Amazon, but each vendor handles it differently and some not very well. Don't be too quick to blame Amazon.

Ditto, Skydog's list

1. * Sold by Amazon.
2. * Sold by a third-party seller but fulfilled by Amazon.
3. * Sold and fulfilled by a third party who uses Amazon as a web storefront to list their wares.

I've had no problems with 1 and 2, all handled by Amazon. Dozens of items over the years. Almost always delivered on time and as described. I always look for those options first. The only time I had a problem was with a late delivery of cat food or cat litter (brands we couldn't get locally back then, but can now). This was a few years ago. It didn't show up within the usual 2-day delivery time frame for Prime. Amazon sent a replacement free that arrived on time. The first order finally arrived a couple of weeks later, but Amazon didn't charge us for it and said to keep it.

With 3 it's inconsistent. About half the items bought that way weren't as advertised in some way. But the items were so inexpensive I didn't bother with returns -- stuff like wrong sized covers for our Kindle Fire tablets, cost five bucks or so. I just crossed those vendors off my list.

Another advantage for Prime subscribers has more to do with their digital delivery services. My mom has shaky hands from something diagnosed by her neurologist as "essential tremors" (sometimes confusingly called "Parkinsonism" or "Parkonsonian tremors", which is not a diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease -- 'scuse the long explanation but it's been a frustrating few years trying to get an accurate diagnosis). As a result she sometimes taps the wrong thing on her tablet while shopping on Amazon. In every case when she ordered the wrong movie, music or book, Amazon customer service promptly fixed the problem without charge (the only catch is you can't watch the entire movie and then ask for a refund). Often this can be handled without contacting a person in customer service, but on a few occasions when we did need to contact them by text chat or voice it was handled courteously and efficiently.

We've needed to fix those accidental-click purchases several times over the years since mom's tremors have worsened. That's one of the services that makes the Prime subscription worthwhile.

Don't you have to pay the return shipping?

Sorry to hear about your mom. I too had a rough year last year with mom (cancer diagnosis, chemo, really bad reaction to chemo; I am eternally greatful she has managed to pull through).

I did discover something neat last year regarding Amazon. There is a website (camelcamelcamel) that notifies you when an item you select is at the pricepoint you want. If you look closely at the prices on Amazon you'll notice the prices vary on a weekly basis.

Usually when they place the item under "Prime" designation they jack up the price. With that website you can find out when the price truly drops (it gives you the option of selecting third party vendors or sold by Amazon).

Also, I use their Prime streaming service. Not as great a selection as Netflix or Hulu, but I always manage to find some interesting series or documentary not showing on Netflix or Hulu (I "cut the cable cord" a couple of years ago and now stream everything on Roku).

p.s. I just received a couple of t-shirts I ordered almost two weeks ago from a third party vendor. It took almost two weeks to get from New York to Florida! I could have probably rode my bike there and picked them up sooner! I got them cheap (in my actual size), so I won't complain. I'll probably order three more from them despite knowing their extremely slow shipping times.

Amazon pricing is a little more sophisticated than that. They track your views and your purchases and show you the highest price the the algorithm thinks you are likely to pay. If you don't like the price, try checking it from another computer. It's called "dynamic pricing" and I loathe the concept but it makes them boodles of money.

First question I have is whether you bought it from Amazon or from another seller through Amazon.

When you go the the Amazon site, there are listings from Amazon itself and other sellers who sell there giving Amazon a commission.

So you're real beef might be with someone else, though Amazon still takes responsibility to get it straightened out.

Just because it is prime doesn't mean it is sold and shipped by Amazon. It can be one of their partners and fulfilled by Amazon.

I always try to buy only "sold and shipped by Amazon". If it is fulfilled by Amazon, but is one of their partners, you still should get a no-hassle return by Amazon.

Having said all of that, I buy most of my stuff through Amazon, and have never had a hassle. I once bought a computer motherboard whose sound was faulty and they immediately shipped a replacement and I had 30 days to return the original (prepaid shipping). Now that was nice.

Thanks, just signed up for that. Might be handy.

I do use Amazon's filter to check for price drops on items in my wish lists. A few times the prices were lower than anyplace else online. Often Amazon is a bit on the high side in prices, but with free Prime shipping it usually works out the same as the discounters that charge for shipping on orders under $50.

Yeah, once I put something on my wishlist... :D

Often I find the longer an item is on my wishlist the lower the price drops, usually gradually. Stuff like bike lights, chains, a couple of Shimano freewheels, etc., have gradually dropped in price between a fraction of a percent and up to 2% a week since putting 'em on my wishlist.

The steepest discount I've seen occurred the day after I put a pair of Continental Speed Ride tires on my wishlist. It dropped from $25 each to $12 each. I ordered a pair. The next day the price went back to normal. But Jenson USA stocks 'em for much lower than the MSRP anyway. Great tires, excellent values.

I've noticed the dynamic pricing with some items but not all. Occasionally I'll check via another browsing without tracking and without logging in. Prices seem to vary more with consumables -- food, coffee, etc. I haven't tried their Amazon Pantry service yet, dunno how much it varies.

Since the saddle is already used and marked up, you might as well mount it up and give it a test ride to see if it fits you before returning and ordering another.

Even their return Warehouse section can be wrong. I ordered two smart watches that were supposed to be new in original packaging, just open box. Both arrived shrinkwraped to a piece of cardboard and tossed in a shipping box, both with varying accessories.

They were great about both returns, but it did not prompt me to keep my Prime trial.

Prime is worthwhile if you get enough use from their digital services -- movies, TV shows, music, lending library books -- and either don't really enjoy shopping in meatspace or can't for various reasons (disabilities, etc.). I get enough fair prices and really good prices on purchases, along with the free 2-day shipping and occasional same-day deliver.

My only gripe is it's not easy to quickly find enough eligible items to meet the $35 minimum for same-day delivery. But it's been handy a few times when I needed a replacement chain or other bike tools or parts that day.

I'd guesstimate I buy about 33% of my bike stuff via Amazon, another third locally, and the rest from various online retailers (Nashbar, Jenson USA, etc.).

I've noticed another little trick they have too. We aren't prime members so we have to spend £20 to get free postage. My wife put a bunch of stuff in her basket that added up to £20.40, but for some reason didn't check out. A few days later we looked at the basket and a couple of items had dropped in price so the total was now around £18. Were Amazon hoping we wouldn't notice and pay for postage? It's not the first time that's happened to me.

I don't think you'll have any trouble returning the saddle, though. I've found Amazon's customer service to be very good.

I had another thread in Foo about an obviously used camera I bought on Amazon from a 3rd party vendor. Got a bit screwed, so my lesson was to read the return policy first and don't assume all sellers on Amazon care about the customer.